Gerald Cowden Papers

Access and use

Location of collection:
College of William and Mary
Special Collections Research Center
Earl Gregg Swem Library
College of William and Mary
400 Landrum Drive
PO 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
Contact for questions and access:
Phone: (757) 221-3090
Fax: (757) 221-5440
Restrictions:

Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Terms of access:

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Preferred citation:

Gerald Cowden Papers, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary

Summary

Extent:
5.80 Linear Feet
Creator:
Cowden, Gerald Steffens, b. 1940
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Gerald Cowden Papers, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary

Background

Scope and content:

Research material of Gerald Steffens Cowden from his Ph.D. dissertation on the Randolph's of Virginia, "The Randolphs of Turkey Island: a Prosopography of the First Three Generations, 1650-1806. " Also includes other works and essays from his earlier education, and the research accompanying those essays as well.

Scope and Contents Contains rough drafts of Cowden's dissertation for chapters 2-15, along with miscellaneous rough draft papers and appendixes.

Scope and Contents Contains Cowden's miscellaneous dissertation notes, along with one folder of photographs. Includes many miscellaneous photos spreading from historical prints to personal photography, and negative strips as well.

Scope and Contents Contains unorganized annotated rough draft papers, including miscellaneous appendices, from Cowden's dissertation. Also contains the envelope used to send the rough draft, which contains more notes, signatures, etc. on the front and/or back.

Scope and Contents Contains many miscellaneous notes on Cowden's research, many of which are written on the back of blank church sermons. Also contains initial notes or beginnings of rough drafts for each individual of the Randolph family, all typed and annotated.

Contains a brown bound folder with many notes from Cowden's research for his dissertation.

Contains many different sources of research for Cowden's dissertation.

This and the following folders contain newspapers, brochures, maps, photocopies of articles and books, and other miscellaneous material concerning Cowden's research for his dissertation.

This and the following 3 folders contain newspapers, brochures, maps, photocopies of articles and books, and other miscellaneous material concerning Cowden's research for his dissertation.

Newspapers, brochures, maps, photocopies of articles and books, and other miscellaneous material concerning Cowden's research for his dissertation.

Contains Cowden's other work or research, unrelated to his dissertation.

3 copies of "My Dear Mr. W." Mary Lincoln Writes To Alexander Williamson. Edited by Gerald Steffens Cowden. These were sent to the Illinois State Historical Society, and thus the article was placed in an issue of the Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society. Also contains correspondence from the ISHS, and copies of letters discussing the life of Alexander Williamson, sent by the ISHS.

Annotated copy of one of Cowden's research papers. Contains information all about the military administration of colonial Virgina between the years of 1710-1776.

Contains a research paper on the untimely death of Col. Benjamin Harrison and reportedly his two daughters by a lightning strike. This paper discusses the newspaper reporting error, as one daughter, Lucy, actually survived and had a long life. Also contains notations on his research for this paper.

Multiple essays, spread out and unorganized, on different psalms and ideas of the New Testament, all written by Cowden.

Multiple essays from what appears to be from an Introduction to Old Testament class. Includes a book report on The Archeology of Old Palestine, two copies of a book report on The Development of the Doctrine of Future Life, and an essay about the architecture of Rome and Greece.

Two research papers, one concerning the Methodist Revolution and one about Roger Williams. Both of these papers were presented to the Department of History at the University of Idaho.

Research paper discussing the Baptists in New England, presented to the Department of History University of Idaho.

Contains a thesis written about the History of the New England Baptists, presented to the University of Idaho History Department Faculty, as part of Cowden's masters degree requirement.

This and the following folders contain a large variety of items, largely unorganized, including notes, pamphlets, rough drafts, booklets, copies from books, etc.

This series is composed of index cards created and used by Cowden. They are arranged alphabetically.

Biographical / historical:
Acquisition information:
Gift
Processing information:

Accessioned by Anne Johnson in July 2009. Processing and finding aid completed by Alex Dodd, SCRC staff, in January 2010.

Arrangement:

Organized into four series: Series 1: Dissertation Rough Drafts, Series 2: Dissertation Notes/ Photography, Series 3: Dissertation Research Material, Series 4: Other Works/ Research Materials on Other Works.