The Scott and Helen Nearing Papers

The Scott and Helen Nearing Papers: Scope and Content

from a preliminary report by Susan Keats

This collection is a compilation of documents found in the home of Scott and Helen Nearing after Helen Nearing’s death.   Earlier donations were made to the Swarthmore College Peace Collection in 1980, and Boston University in 1984.  This third collection completes the entire volume of Nearing materials during their lifetimes. 

The collection includes correspondence, manuscripts and various drafts, outlines for lectures, speeches, photographs, travel related materials, diaries, legal documents relating to publishers, royalties, and authors, and scrapbooks.  

The main portion of the processing was accomplished on-site at Harborside during March, 1996.  Because of time constraints and conditions, the processing was preliminary, at best.  Materials were sorted in subject categories in the manner in which the records were found in the home.  It is assumed that this was generally the manner in which Helen Nearing had kept and labeled the records. A record inventory follows, identifying the title of the box and the general category of materials labeled on the folder.  

Broad categories can be described as follows:

Finances 1970 - 1990:  Arranged chronologically, includes finances regarding house(s),  federal and state income tax files, and records of the Social Science Institute.

Photographs: Unorganized, but generally sorted by topic, size, then by color and/or black and white.  Photos span a broad dateline: 1900-1995.  Included are early photographs of mostly Knothe family members; many of Helen’s travels and life just before she met Scott; some early photographs of Scott; a compilation of photos of Scott and Helen’s life together, and many photos throughout years taken by professional photographers for inclusion in publications.  Also includes more recent color photos of Helen’s life since Scott’s death.

Scott Nearing :  Includes all aspects of his life.  Early correspondence to Helen Knothe; drafts of lectures from 1930’s, outlines of lectures during his tenure with the University of Pennsylvania, documents from Scott’s passport hearing, copies of his debates with Eugene Debs, Bertrand Russell, and Clarence Darrow.  Also includes working outlines and annotated drafts of The Making of a Radical: A Political Autobiography (1972) and others.  General correspondence to Scott from admirers, and some responses can also be found.

Publicity 1917 - 1995:  Consists of newspaper clippings, magazine articles, brochures and broadsides of Nearing lectures, books, and appearances.  Also may contain an occasional letter regarding articles in which Nearing were cited.

Helen Nearing :  Contains correspondence, arranged in chronological order, either by year or by decade.  Also includes records found in Helen’s bedroom which appear to be most recently reviewed material: topics (vegetarianism, food, palmistry, meditation, recipes, theosophy, etc.); manuscripts and various drafts of Loving and Leaving the Good Life, Simple Food for the Good Life, and topics relating to Aging and Dying; and lectures (1970’s to 1990’s). In addition, one box is devoted to Krishnamurti correspondence (some original; many copies); related notes to be incorporated into a manuscript, and a diary dated 1923.    Many “tidbits”, which are general topics of interest or related materials to be used, quoted or cited in publications, are also found.

Ellen LaConte’s Files: Box #1 contains original documents regarding the early life of Helen Nearing, including early letters between Helen and Scott (1920’s-1950’s); correspondence and printed matter of the Theosophy Society and photographs and correspondence of Krishnamurti.  A second box, Box #2, contains early scrapbooks and photo albums and some loose photos of HKN, Knothe family,  Krishnamurti and Helen’s travels to India, Austria, and Sydney. 

Specific categories dedicated to certain subjects include:

• UFO’s as a study and interest.

• Travel arranged by country, including train schedules, tour maps and guides, and related information.

• Handwriting Tidbits as a study and interest.

• Simple Food manuscript drafts.

• Travel (Holland) including Helen’s Remembrances and memories left by family and friends at Forest Farm after Helen’s death.

• Scrapbooks including photos and letters to Scott or after Scott’s death.

• FBI Files (copies) on Scott Nearing files released through the Freedom of Information Act.   

• Study Papers, notes to study, which are Helen’s notes for upcoming lectures on Cuba and Vietnam. 

• From the Study consists of files regarding publishing, royalties, printers, and related correspondence.

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