Scope and Content Note
The papers of Joseph Wood Krutch (1893-1970) span the period 1920-1971, with the bulk of the collection covering 1950-1970. The collection consists of correspondence, diaries, writings, and other papers and is organized into six series: Travel Diaries ; Correspondence ; Subject File ; Speech, Article, and Book File ; Miscellany ; and Addition .
The Travel Diaries portray Krutch's ecological and botanical interests. Especially illustrative and detailed are the accounts of his numerous field trips to the Baja Peninsula that were sponsored by the Belvedere Fund, a San Francisco-based research group.
The Correspondence file reveals Krutch's wide range of interests and includes prominent correspondents such as William Faulkner, Hiram Collins Haydn, Charles Krutch, H. L. Mencken, Karl A. Menninger, Eugene O'Neill, Carlotta Monterey O'Neill, Wallace Everett Pratt, William Milligan Sloane, Edwin Way Teale, Dorothy Van Doren, and Mark Van Doren. Also included are family letters exchanged between Krutch, his wife, Marcelle, and his brothers.
The Speech, Article, and Book File comprises a substantial portion of the collection and documents Krutch's wide interests. As professor of English at Columbia University, where he taught courses in drama, and as a long-time drama critic, Krutch revealed in his lecture notes and reviews his knowledge of the theater. Other writings in the series focus on ecology and conservation and his critiques in books and essays of contemporary society.
Included in the Miscellany is a master's thesis with a bibliography of Krutch's writings. The Addition contains diaries for the years 1933-1970 as well as separate accounts of his travels. Also in the Addition is background material relating to his writings on animals and correspondence with publishers.