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Guide to the Clarence Urmy Papers,
1878-1936
M0020
M0020
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Title: Clarence Urmy Papers ,
Identifier/Call Number: M0020
Contributing Institution:
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
1.0 Linear feet
Date (inclusive): 1878-1936
creator:
Urmy, Clarence, 1858-1923
Urmy, Clarence 1858-1923
He was born in San Francisco on July 10, 1858. He was the grandsoneof Elea Thomas who was one of the founders of the Methodist
church in the state of California. Urmy's father was a methodist minister for 50 years. Urmy attended San Francisco public
schools and then Napa College where he studied music and received a batchelor's degree. He worked for a number of years in
music houses (Sherman and Clay in San Francisco). He continued to study voice at this time and did some performing in San
Francisco and San Jose. He was the organist at Santa Clara Methodist Church and later at Trinity Episcopal Church in San Jose.
He taught piano at the College of the Pacific and four years at San Jose Teachers' College.
Urmy was the first native poet of California. He published three volumes of collected verse:
A Rosary of Rhyme, Vintage of Verse, and
California Troubadour. Two more volumes were nearly ready for publication at his death:
Wild Willow and
Under the Toyon Tree. His poems appeared in a large number of national magazines. He also did dramatic and music criticism for the San Jose Mercury
Herald.
Urmy died on June 3, 1923 in San Jose. A Clarence Urmy Memorial was established at Stanford in 1930, which consists of a prize
given each year to the student submitting the best original poem.
Urmy, Clarence
Correspondence to Urmy from publishers concerning his poetry. 1897-1922 ca. 35 items
Corresponding primarily to Mabel Urmy Seares from many sources largely concerning Clarence's works and various memorials set
up in his honor. A number of these are from Alfred Lindsay and Helen Millar Lehman. ca. 60 items
Holograph and typescript of his poems and collected volumes ca. 100 items
Clippings of his works in print, both poetry and prose, criticism of music and drams by Urmy, and a number of clippings about
him (including programs etc.) ca. 260 items.
Five photographs of Urmy
A scrapbook of autographs
A biography of Urmy by Mabel Urmy Seares
Ina Coolbrith--letters, poems, and clippings ca. 7 items
Inclusive dates: 1878-1936
[Identification of item] Clarence Urmy Papers , M0020, Dept. of Special Collections, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford,
Calif.
Gift of Urmy family, 1945.
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.
None.