Title: John Povey Papers,

Date (inclusive): 1958-1992

Collection number: 452

Creator: Povey, John

Extent: 35 boxes (17.5 linear ft.) 1 oversized box

Abstract: The papers of UCLA professor John Povey consist of manuscripts, notes, printed material, publications, drawings, and correspondence related to his teaching, research, and administrative activities, including the editorship of the journal African Arts.

Repository: University of California, Los Angeles. Library. Department of Special Collections.

Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.

John Frederick Povey was born April 5, 1929 in South London. Povey was educated at St. Dunstan's College in London during the Blitz. After World War II, Povey was employed in a gold mine in South Africa under a plan that allowed him to study at the University of South Africa in Pretoria, where he completed a B.A. in English (1956) and an M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language (1960). In the United States, Povey completed his Ph.D. in Third World Literature in English at Michigan State University (1964), after which he joined the faculty at UCLA. His areas of research included South African and Nigerian literature, comparative world literature, language planning and policy, ESL/TESL, and investigating symbols and rituals in African art. John Povey's career at UCLA was distinguished. He was director of the African Humanities Institute, chair of the ESL Section of the English Department, chair of the Africa Committee of the UC Education Abroad Program, Associate Director of the African Studies Center, and Project Director for numerous in-service teacher training programs in the United States and Africa. He authored eight books and texts, 20 chapters for edited volumes, and more than 100 reviews and articles on African literature, art, and culture. His field research took him to Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda, Zaire, Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Togo, and Liberia. One of his most signifigant acomplishments at UCLA was his notable editorship of African Arts, in which he served from Fall 1967 until his retirement in 1991. His tireless efforts to have all forms of African art included in the major canon of art history promoted the work of talented African artists globally. He died of cancer on May 3, 1992.

The collection consists of manuscripts, notes, printed material, publications, drawings, and correspondence related to his teaching, research, and administrative activities, including the editorship of the journal African Arts. Notable items include promotional materials from galleries empasizing African art, research files on Nigerian Shona artists, and personal correspondence with Tayo Olafioye, Dumile, and Dennis Brutus. The files document Professor Povey's varied interests, including English literacy through literature, and African art.

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.