Special Collections Department
403 Parks Library
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-2140

RS 13/11/18
James R. Dow
Papers, 1889-2009, undated


Descriptive summary

creator:

Dow, James R.
title:

Papers
dates:

1889-2009, undated
extent:

5.62 linear ft. (4 records center cartons and 1 document box)
collection number:

RS 13/11/18
repository:

University Archives, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.

 

Administrative information

access:

Open for research
publication rights:

Consult Head, Special Collections Department
preferred citation:

James R. Dow Papers, RS 13/11/18, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.

 

Biographical note

James Raymond Dow was born January 2, 1936, in Mississippi. He received his B.A. (1957) in modern languages from Mississippi College, Clinton, and both his M.A. (1961) in German and Russian and his Ph.D. (1966) in German Literature from the University of Iowa. Dow was a Fulbright scholar (1957-1959) at the Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany. He also completed postdoctoral study at the University of Indiana's Folklore Institute (1968) and at UCLA's Center for Study of Comparative Folklore and Mythology (1970-1971).

Before arriving at Iowa State University, Dow was a Teaching Assistant and Instructor (1959-1966) at the University of Iowa and an Assistant Professor (1966-1970) at the University of Wyoming. He joined Iowa State as Assistant Professor (1971-1974) in the Department of Foreign Languages. He was promoted to Associate Professor (1974-1980) and Professor (1980-2004) and also served as Chair (1991-1997) of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures (now World Languages and Cultures). After more than 30 years of teaching at Iowa State, he was named Professor Emeritus of German (2004) and officially retired from teaching on January 1, 2005.

Dow's primary research interests include 19th and early 20th Century German literature, linguistics, German and American folklore, and German minorities in Iowa, specifically the Old Order Amish of Kalona and the Amana Colonists of Amana. In later years his interest in folklore also extended to Austrian folklore. Dow has edited and authored over a dozen books and has published articles in journals such as the Journal of American Folklore, Journal of the Folklore Institute, and International Folklore Review. He served as Editor (1982-1988) of the Internationale Volkskundliche Bibliographie and multiple times served as section head of volume 5 (Folklore) of the MLA International Bibliography.

Dow has received numerous awards and recognitions for his long and productive career. He received the Excellence in Research and Creative Activity Award (2001) from ISU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, was named a Distinguished Humanities Scholar (2002) by Iowa State, received the Faculty Excellence Award (2003) from the Iowa Board of Regents, and was named a Fellow (2004) of the American Folklore Society.

 

Collection description

This collection (1889-2009, undated) contains biographical information, correspondence, personal evaluations, research materials, and teaching records. Research materials on German folklore include various bibliographies, publications, and writings by others gathered both locally and from Europe. Portions of these materials as well as some of his correspondence are in German. The collection also has records of his teaching career at Iowa State including course packets from classes taught by him, personal evaluations, and post-tenure reviews. The collection also contains research files on German Americans in Iowa. An assortment of articles and publications by him and others are also included in the collection. Dow donated a number of books to the Special Collection Department related to his research and interest in Germanic folklore and these can be found by searching the Library catalog.

 

Organization

The collection is listed alphabetically with the biographical file listed first.

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

1

1

Biographical File

1972-2009, undated

3

17

Amanas (Iowa)

2003

3

21

Amanas (Iowa)

undated

1

3

Annual Report: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

2001

1

12

Annual Review

1997

3

27-28

April Fool Customs

undated

4

13

Article: "'Jungenheim 1951' und der Nationalsozialismus"

undated

4

35

Article: "Bericht Uber den Allgemeinen Volkskundlichen Kongress"

1951

3

20

Article: "The Theme of Childlike Innocence in Two of Hesse's Marchen and in his Novel Rosshalde"

1971

3

25

Austrian Sampler

1989-1992

3

3

Bibliography, Regrets, and Extracurricular

1974-1980

3

23

Book Reviews

1974-1999

4

29

Chapter: "Germans at Keystone"

undated

4

8

Conference: "Folklore and Social Transformation: A Dialog of American and German Folklorists"

1988

4

4

Contribution to "Language and Ethnic Identity: Before and After the 'Ethnic Revival'"

1984-1997

4

21

Correspondence

1986-1999

3

9-10

Correspondence and Articles, German

1986-1992, undated

4

36-37

Correspondence and Notes (in German)

1951-2002, undated

2

20

Correspondence and notes regarding research

1988-2002, undated

4

32

Correspondence and Notes: Steven Benjamin

1981-1985, undated

4

6

Correspondence and Publications: Stephen Corrsin

1927-1998

2

15-17

Correspondence, Personal

1972-1999

3

11-12

Correspondence: Encyclopedia of Folklore

1990-1995

2

11-14

Correspondence: German Volkskunde

1978-1990

4

10-11

Correspondence: Hannjost Lixfield

1987-1991

2

1-3

Correspondence: International Folklore Bibliography

1978-1990

2

8-10

Correspondence: International Folklore Bibliography

1978-1988

2

4-7

Correspondence: Nazification of an Academic Discipline, Folklore and Fascism, Volkische Wissenschaft

1985-1992

3

19

Correspondence: Wayland Hand

1962-1976

1

25

Course Packet: English 357, Introduction to American Folklore

2000

1

23

Course Packet: English 357, Introduction to American Folklore

2001

1

28

Course Packet: German 375, Grimm's Tales

2001

1

21-22

Course Packet: German 441, German in Iowa

2000

1

26

Course Packet: German Grammar

2004

1

29

Course Packet: Honors Seminar, Two German Immigrant Groups in Iowa

1998

1

24

Course Packet: Linguistics 498, History of the German Language

2003

1

27

Course Packet: Linguistics 498, History of the German Language

2004

4

18-20

Dissertation by Zita Ponti of the University of Maryland

1950

4

7

Essays: "Faust: Der Prolog im Himmel" and "An die Natur"

1957-1958

5

1

Faulkner

2006, undated

3

4

Folklore, Courses, Translation Service

1971-1980

3

18

German American Ethnic Experience

1918-2004, undated

4

2

German Americans of Iowa: Pella Workshop

1983-1984

3

5

German Folklore Magazines

1940

4

27

German Language Dictionaries

undated

4

34

German Newspapers in Iowa

undated

4

24

German Text and Tyrol Information

2001-2002, undated

4

30-31

Iowa State University Folklore Activities

undated

4

25

Language and Culture in German Textbooks

1889-1906

3

22

Lectures: University of Missouri

1976

4

16

Local Legend: Kate Shelley

1995

4

22

Magazine: "Volkskunde"

1963

4

15

Manuscript: "German Folklore: A Handbook"

2006

4

23

Memorial Lecture: "German and Austrian Nazis Reinvent the Past Through Folklore and Linguistics"

2008

4

9

Modern Language Association of America, General Notes and Correspondence

1980-1989

4

38

Newspaper Clippings: Amish in Iowa

1982-1985

1

2

Nomination for University Professor

2003

4

28

Notebook: Photos and Contacts

undated

4

33

Notecards: Bibliography

undated

2

22

Notes

1997

3

24

Paper: "Germany's Greatest Horse Opera"

1973

3

26

Paper: "Linguistic Distancing in Field Work"

undated

4

17

Papers: "The German Heritage in the Midwest" and "Linguistic Distancing in Fieldwork"

undated

1

4

Personal Evaluation

1980-1982

1

5

Personal Evaluation

1984-1985

1

6

Personal Evaluation

1985-1986

1

7

Personal Evaluation

1987

1

8

Personal Evaluation

1988

1

9

Personal Evaluation

1989

1

10

Personal Evaluation

1990-1991

1

11

Personal Evaluation

1994-1995

1

13

Personal Evaluation

1997

1

15-16

Personal Evaluation

1999

1

17-18

Personal Evaluation

2000

1

19-20

Personal Evaluation

2001

1

14

Personal Evaluation

2002

5

5-6

Post-Tenure Review

1999-2003

5

2-4

Post-Tenure Summary

1997-1998

3

6-8

Primary Documents for Two Books

1986-1998, undated

3

1

Promotion and Graduate Faculty

1972-1980

4

5

Publication: "The Schnaderhupfuel: An Alpine Folk Lyric", Wayland Debs Hand

1936

2

19

Publication: Karl Haiding

1998-2005

2

18

Publications: "Battle for Ostmark-Rediviv: An In Depth Look Into Austria Archives"

undated

2

23

Publications: "Curriculum Vitae, Mein Leben mit Volkskunde" Leopold Schmidt

1981

4

14

Publications: "Taschenworterbuch der Volkskunde Osterreichs"

1953

3

2

Research Grants

1974-1980

2

21

Salzburg Vortrag

1998

4

26

Slides: German Language Newspapers in Iowa (197 color slides)

undated

3

16

Some Thoughts on Problems, Actual and Theoretical, Encountered While Collecting Folklore Among Iowa Germans

1976

3

15

Some Thoughts on Teaching, Testing, and Grading Intermediate Level German Literature Classes

1969

4

39

Tapes: Faulkner (6 cassette tapes, 1 CD)

undated

3

13-14

The German Presence in America: Course Materials

2004, undated

4

1

Thesis: "Holderin's Idealism in Selected Early Works"

1961

4

3

Translation: Mark Azadovskij's "A Siberian Tale Teller"

1971-1986

4

12

Travel Information

1991-2000