Hume (Samuel J. and Portia Bell) papers, 1848-1990, bulk 1920-1971

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Summary

Title:
Samuel J. and Portia Bell Hume papers
Dates:
1848-1990, bulk 1920-1971
Creators:
Hume, Samuel J. (Samuel James), 1885-1962 Hume, Portia Bell
Abstract:
The Samuel J. and Portia Bell Hume Papers, 1848-1990, contain the professional and personal papers of Samuel J. Hume, theatrical entrepreneur, and Portia Bell Hume, psychiatrist. Included in Samuel J. Hume's papers are writings, speeches, theater memorabilia, correspondence, and papers related to his work with the Council on Oriental Relations. Portia Bell Hume's papers include her writings, work for the California Department of Mental Hygiene (1943-1972), teaching files, other professional work, and personal ephemera.
Extent:
Number of containers: 7 boxes, 18 cartons, 2 oversize boxes, 8 volumes, 9 oversize folders, 2 tubes Linear feet: circa 28
Language:
Collection materials are in English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Samuel J. and Portia Bell Hume Papers, BANC MSS 88/206 c, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Background

Scope and content:

The Samuel J. and Portia Bell Hume Papers, 1843-1990, contain the professional and personal papers of Samuel J. Hume, theatrical entrepreneur, and Portia Bell Hume, psychiatrist. Included in Samuel J. Hume's papers are writings, speeches, theater memorabilia, correspondence, and papers related to his work with the Council on Oriental Relations. Portia Bell Hume's papers include her writings, work for the California Department of Mental Hygiene (1943-1972), teaching files, other professional work, and personal ephemera.

Biographical / historical:
Samuel J. Hume

Samuel James Hume, a leading scholar of drama and a nationally known theatrical director and producer, was born in San Francisco in 1885. Hume graduated from the University of California and Harvard.

He traveled widely in Europe, studying theaters and working under Edward Gordon Craig between 1908 and 1912. A member of the American Pageant Association, he directed pageants in Newark, N. J., Boston, St. Louis, St. Paul, Detroit and other cities. He was director of the Arts and Crafts Theater in Detroit from 1916-1918. Returning to California in 1918, Hume became Director of the Greek Theater and assistant professor of dramatic literature and art at the University of California, Berkeley. In 1924 he left the Greek Theater for a return to Europe to write Twentieth Century Stage Decoration with Walter Rene Fuerst. He married Portia Bell, who was studying sculpture in Paris, in 1927.

Hume returned again to California where he headed the Council on Oriental Relations from 1928-1936. He also served as a founder and director of the Berkeley Art Museum, director of the Berkeley Festival, and as the first Director of Avocational Activities for the State of California.

In 1949 Hume opened a bookstore called At the Sign of the Palindrome in Berkeley, a business he had conducted for several years from his home at, 2900 Buena Vista Way. The business specialized in books on fine arts, archaeology, decorative and graphic arts, textiles, the theater, costume, and ballet. Hume died in 1965.

Portia Bell Hume

Portia Bell Hume, Psychiatrist, was born in Napa, California on July 26, 1901. Hume was educated at the University of California. After graduation she studied sculpture in Paris, marrying Samuel J. Hume while there. When they returned to Berkeley, they built a home at 2900 Buena Vista Way. She returned to the university to study medicine, receiving her M.D. in 1938. She taught psychiatry at the Medical School in San Francisco, and at the Schools of Social Welfare and Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley from 1940 through 1971.

Hume began working for the State of California in 1942, first at the Langley Porter Clinic, then in 1947 she organized the Berkeley State Mental Hygiene Clinic. From 1951-1961 Dr. Hume was Deputy Director of the State Department of Mental Hygiene with offices in Sacramento and Berkeley. She was responsible for developing and administering a program for health services and clinics throughout the state. In this connection, she exercised considerable leadership in the passage of the Short-Doyle Act passed in 1957 by the California legislature. In April 1961 she was appointed Director of the new Center for Training in Community Psychiatry at Berkeley. With State support and federal training grants the Center offered a program of continuing education in the research, prevention and administration of comprehensive community psychiatry.

Acquisition information:
The Samuel J. Hume Papers were given to The Bancroft Library by Portia Bell Hume and Linda L. Shaw between 1976 and 1990 (a portion was originally cataloged as BANC MSS 77/87 c). A purchase was added on August 15, 2000.
Processing information:

Processed by Elizabeth Stephens in 2004.

Arrangement:

Arranged to the folder level.

Accruals:

No additions are expected.

Physical location:
Many of the Bancroft Library collections are stored offsite and advance notice may be required for use. For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding Aid written by Elizabeth Stephens
Sponsor:
Funding for processing this collection was provided by Funding for acquisitions provided by the Portia Bell Hume Memorial Fund and for processing by the Douthit Fund.
Date Prepared:
© 2004, 2010
Date Encoded:
Machine-readable finding aid generated by Finding Aid author(s) via EAD XPress; markup validated by The Bancroft Library staff using OAC validation tools; Date of source: November 2010

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

Materials in this collection may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of University of California gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Head of Public Services, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley 94720-6000. See: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/reference/permissions.html.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Samuel J. and Portia Bell Hume Papers, BANC MSS 88/206 c, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Location of this collection:
University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft Library
Berkeley, CA 94720-6000, US
Contact:
510-642-6481
bancref-library@berkeley.edu
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