Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
The papers of Archibald MacLeish (1892-1982), poet, playwright, government official, and Librarian of Congress, were given to the Library of Congress from 1939 to 1970 by MacLeish, who also bequeathed a subsequent series of deposits, 1970-1977, to the Library in 1982. The Library received additional material, 1934-2012, through gifts, transfers, deposit, and purchases from various sources, including material formerly held by MacLeish's estate.
Processing History
The papers of Archibald MacLeish were arranged and described in 1962 by Grover Batts. In 1983, portions of the collection were reorganized and the finding aid revised by Michael J. McElderry. Additional material was incorporated into the collection and the finding aid revised in 1989 by Paul D. Ledvina; in 1997 by Patrick Kerwin; and in 2020 by Matthew Darby, with the assistance of Emily Flint and Maria Farmer. The finding aid was updated in 2023 by Maria Farmer as part of a division-wide remediation project by the Inclusive Description Working Group.
Transfers
Items have been transferred from the Manuscript Division to other custodial divisions of the Library. Photographs have been transferred to the Prints and Photographs Division. Audiocassettes have been transferred to the Recorded Sound Section of the Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division. All transfers are identified in these divisions as part of the Archibald MacLeish Papers. Patrons are encouraged to contact these divisions in advance of a research visit.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Container number, Archibald MacLeish Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.