Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Mitchell, Richard P. (Richard Paul), 1925-
- Abstract:
- Writings, newspapers, magazines, journals, books, clippings, and other printed matter relating to the Muslim Brotherhood, Islamic culture and political movements, and conditions in Islamic countries. Also includes material related to US foreign policy and other global issues from the late 1970s.
- Extent:
- 43 manuscript boxes, 16 oversize boxes (46.4 Linear Feet)
- Language:
- In English, Arabic, and French
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Richard Paul Mitchell collection, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The collection contains material collected by Richard P. Mitchell, a professor and scholar of the history of the modern Middle East and North Africa, during the course of his personal and professional research. A large portion of the collection pertains to the history and the early years of the Muslim Brotherhood, a religious, political, and social organization founded in Egypt in 1928 by Hasan al-Banna. Despite having undergone serious government suppression in 1948, 1954, and 1965, the Muslim Brotherhood remains a large international political organization.
The Society of the Muslim Brothers Research File contains material gathered by Mitchell in Egypt from 1951 to 1956 while conducting research for his dissertation, later published as The Society of the Muslim Brothers by Oxford University Press in 1969. It includes rare publications from members of the Muslim Brotherhood, both official and unofficial, that date from 1934 to 1963. Also included are editions of the organization's weekly newspaper, Al-Da'wa; other limited circulation newspapers, including bound volumes of local press; pamphlets mourning the assassination of Hasan al-Banna; and other printed matter regarding the Muslim Brotherhood. In addition, the series contains copies of the journal Al- Muslimūn, which was published by Sa'id Ramadan, a prominent member of the Brotherhood. The items in this series are organized according to an alphanumeric system used and created by Mitchell. An inventory listing the titles of these items is located at the beginning of the series.
The remainder of the collection contains clippings, booklets, books, and other printed matter, mainly from the late 1970s and early 1980s, collected in the course of Mitchell's work as a professor of history at the University of Michigan and his research leading up to the publication of The Modern Middle East and North Africa. The Geographic File, Subject File, and Arabic File contain Mitchell's newspaper clippings files that he organized by either subject or geographic location. They include clippings from English, French, and Arabic publications and cover topics such as US foreign policy, the Middle East, North Africa, and various other global issues from the late 1970s. These files have been arranged for the most part according to a printed inventory created by Mitchell, located in the Richard P. Mitchell File.
The collection also includes some of Mitchell's personal writings and correspondence (Richard P. Mitchell File), writings from colleagues and other scholars in the field of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies (Speeches and Writings by Others), newsletters and publications from groups concerned with Middle Eastern and Islamic issues (Organizations File), copies of Arabic publications (Printed Matter and Oversize Material), as well as official US Department of State publications relating to the Middle East and other topics found in the clippings files (Printed Matter).
- Biographical / historical:
-
Date Event 1925 June 21 Born, Worcester, Massachusetts1943-1946 Served in US Marine Corps1949 Began graduate work at Princeton University in the languages and history of the Near EastReceived BA from Clark University1951-1956 Conducted research in Egypt through Fulbright and Ford Foundation grants1954 Married Alita Mae Jones1956-1958 Instructor in the Department of Near Eastern Studies at University of Michigan1958-1962 US Foreign Service officer in Washington, Yemen, and Kuwait1960 Received PhD from Princeton University with dissertation on the Muslim Brotherhood1963-1983 Professor of history at University of Michigan1969 Published The Society of the Muslim Brothers1973-1975 Served as associate director of the Center for Near Eastern and North African Studies1983 September 12 Died while conducting research at the American Research Center in Egypt (Cairo)1984 The Modern Middle East and North Africa, co-authored with Lois A. Aroian, published posthumously - Acquisition information:
- Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives in 1977, with an increment received in 1986.
- Physical location:
- Hoover Institution Library & Archives
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.
- Terms of access:
-
For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Richard Paul Mitchell collection, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
- Location of this collection:
-
Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford UniversityStanford, CA 94305-6003, US
- Contact:
- (650) 723-3563