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Guide to the Wilbur Daniel Steele Papers,
1907-1970
M0019
M0019
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Table of contents
Title: Wilbur Daniel Steele papers
Identifier/Call Number: M0019
Contributing Institution:
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
7.0 Linear feet
Date (inclusive): 1907-1970
creator:
Steele, Wilbur Daniel, 1886-1970
None.
Property rights reside with the repository. Literary rights reside with the creators of the documents or their heirs. To obtain
permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Public Services Librarian of the Dept. of Special Collections.
Gift of Mrs. J. F. Jenners and Wilbur D. Steele, 1961, Peter Steele, 1988, David Jenness, 1989, and some additions from other
sources.
[Identification of item] Wilbur Daniel Steele Papers , M0019, Dept. of Special Collections, Stanford University Libraries,
Stanford, Calif.
Wilbur Daniel Steele was born in 1886 in Greensboro, N.C. His father became Professor in Iliff School of Theology and University
of Denver in 1893 where Wilbur D. Steele had his early education and later won a two year scholarship to the University of
Denver where he was active in athletics.
His love of art brought him to Boston where he attended the school of fine arts attached to the Boston Museum. He showed great
promise in art, but began to write short stories.
In 1913 he married Margaret Thurston who was a talented painter. They had two sons. In 1931 Mrs. Steele died.
In 1932 he married Norma Mitchell, an actress and playwright with whom he collaborated on several plays. They make their home
at Lynne, Connecticut where they still reside.
He was several times winner of the coveted O. Henry Short Story Prize. He traveled widely in Africa and Europe, basing many
of his stories from various places he lived or visited.
| 1886 | Born Mar. 17, Greensboro, N.C. (of damyankee parents). |
| 1890-1892 | Binney's Compend of Theology. |
| 1893-1907 | Grade, Prep & College (A.B.), University Park, Denver. Letters in 5 sports, captain in 2. |
| 1907-1908 | Boston Museum of Fine Arts (school attached to same) |
| 1908-1909 | Paris, various art courses - began writing there & in Italy. |
| 1909-1920 | Provincetown, Mass. Co-founder of Provincetown Players. Married Margaret Thurston, 1913 - sons, Thurston, `15, Peter, `18 - and during this period, following breaks. |
| 1917 | Travel (for Harpers Mag.) in lesser Antilles & Demarara. |
| 1918 | Correspondent, attached to Navy, for Cosmopolitan Mag., Eng., Ireland & France. |
| 1919-1920 | Bermuda |
| 1920-1922 | North Africa (for Harpers) Riviera & England. |
| 1922 | Removed from Provincetown to Nantucket - resided there until `29 -- during which following breaks (winters): |
| 1922-1923 | So. Norwalk, Conn. 23-4, France. 24-5, Westport, Conn. 25-6, Switzerland. 26-7 & 27-8, Charleston, S.C. (There's a winter missing, be dogged if I know where.) |
| 1929 | Removed from Nantucket. 29-31, Chapel Hill, N.C. Wife, Margaret, died there. |
| 1932 | Married Norma Mitchell (actress & playwright) in London -- removed to her home (then new) in country neighboring Lyme, Conn. Resided there ever since. With following breaks: winters: 32-33 & 33-4, Hollywood (very sad) 34-5 35-6 & 38-9, N.Y.C. 39-40, Hollywood (still sadder). 1944, I made extended trip around South America, flying. |
Both my sons are now married, with children, boys.
Both graduated from Brown Univ.
Includes correspondence, chiefly letters by Steele to various members of his family, manuscripts of numerous short stories,
plays and novels, three etchings done by Steele, 1908, the privately printed story, "A Life," publishers agreements, photographs,
press releases, clippings and other papers.
ms. and/or article at Stanford.
(more or less complete) fairly chronological.
Notations: Number underlined: has been published (as,
12)
*, I have it filed in a clipping as published
#, I have it filed in manuscript
?, doubtful, as of scripts untitled & unremembered
C, I have it in a published collection of my own work
A, I have it in a published anthology.
Periodicals & dates of publication given where able Dates of writing, following titles, will be vague.
No notation, means never sold or published, or ppreserved. All other than Short Stories, thus (12)