Matthew J. Bruccoli John O'Hara collection

Finding Aid

Author: Brian K. DeLuca, November, 2002.
Revisions: August 2011 Revised by Amanda Faehnel. January 2017 Revised by Cara Gilgenbach. Last Updated: April 2020

Inclusive Dates: 1927-1976
Bulk Dates: 1962-1975
Extent: 1.16 cubic foot (1 record storage box + 1 flat oversized box)
Physical Location: 11th Floor

Descriptive Rules: DACS

Origination: Matthew J. Bruccoli

Abstract: This collection contains the research materials compiled by Matthew J. Bruccoli's related to his bibliography and other works about the author John O'Hara.

Biography of Matthew J. Bruccoli: Matthew J. Bruccoli was born on August 21, 1931 and died on June 4, 2008. He earned his Master degree and Ph.D. from the University of Virginia and began the start of his work on a bibliography of John O'Hara's writings while on the faculty at The Ohio State University, publishing a biography of O'Hara in 1975.

Bruccoli was a specialist in modern American literature and a renowned expert on F. Scott Fitzgerald. In 1962, Bruccoli joined with C. E. Frazer Clark Jr. to start Bruccoli Clark Layman, publishing special limited editions of literary works. The company incorporated in 1976 and began producing the Dictionary of Literary Biography. Bruccoli served as a Professor of English and the Director for the Center for Editions of American Authors at the University of South Carolina from 1969-1976. In 1976, he became the Jefferies Professor of English at the University of South Carolina. Matthew J. Bruccoli is the author and editor of dozens of articles, bibliographies, biographies, and texts on major American writers including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Raymond Chandler, James Gould Cozzens, and John O'Hara.

Biography of John O'Hara: John O'Hara was born in 1905 in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. He began his professional writing career as a reporter for one of Pottsville's two newspapers. His first novel, Appointment at Samarra, was published in 1935. This was followed in 1935 by another novel, Butterfield 8. Rage to Live was published in 1949 and met with tremendous commercial success but was critically panned. O'Hara wrote several other novels over the course of his life but his short stories won him critical acclaim and praise. Possibly influenced by Sinclair Lewis and others, O'Hara was a social novelist whose works focused on the so-called "American Establishment." O'Hara died in 1970.

Scope and Content: The Matthew J. Bruccoli John O'Hara Collection consists of correspondence, manuscripts, and research materials pertaining to Bruccoli's bibliographical and biographical publications on John O'Hara.

Statement of Arrangement: The collection has been divided into the following series:

Series 1: Correspondence, 1935-1976

Subseries 1: Correspondence to Matthew J. Bruccoli, 1962-1976

Subseries 2: Correspondence from Matthew J. Broccoli, 1970-1975

Subseries 3: Other Correspondence, 1935-1975

Series 2: Manuscripts and Proofs, 1967-1975

Series 3: Research Materials, 1927-1970

Series 4: Oversized Materials, 1950-1974

Preferred Citation: Matthew J. Bruccoli John O'Hara collection. Kent State University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives.

Separated Material: Please note that published materials written by John O'Hara from the extensive personal library of Matthew J. Bruccoli have been catalogued in KentLINK.

Box 1
Folder-- Contents

Series 1: Correspondence, 1935-1976
Subseries 1: Correspondence to Matthew J. Bruccoli, 1962-1976

1. John O'Hara, October 21, 1962
2. Donald S. Klopfer, January 22, 1963
3. John O'Hara, June 26, 1963
4. John O'Hara, October 21, 1963
5. Albert Erskine, June 5, 1964
6. Albert Erskine, July 3, 1964
7. Albert Erskine, December 9, 1965
8. John O'Hara, February 12, 1966
9. Anthony Rota, July 12, 1966
10. Richard M. Huber, February 13, 1967
11. Mac E. Barrick, September 7, 1967
12. Bernard Quaritch, Ltd., November 14, 1967
13. Bernard Quaritch, Ltd., November 23, 1967
14. Warren R. Howell, November 29, 1967
15. George Frazier, December 5,1967
16. Marilyn Hails, March 14, 1968
17. Albert Erskine, January 22, 1970
18. Random House Publishers, May 13, 1970
19. George Frazier, May 14, 1970
20. Charles W. Mann, June 4, 1970
21. W. Carl Jackson, July 27, 1970
22. Charles W. Mann, July 27, 1970
23. George Frazier, August 28, 1970
24. Charles W. Mann, September 4, 1970
25. G. Hilmer Lundbeck, February 2, 1973
26. Esther Margolis, March 25, 1975
27. Linda Williams, April 3, 1975
28. Anthony Rota, June 20, 1975
29. Philip B. Eppard, July 2, 1975
30. Anthony Rota, July 11, 1975
31. Hampton Books, July 16,1975
32. Philip B. Eppard, July 23,1975
33. Frank Darchinger, July 24,1975
34. Frank Darchinger, August 27, 1975
35. Frank Darchinger, August 29, 1975
36. Donald S. Klopfer, September 9, 1975
37. "J.T.," September 29, 1975
38. Ruth Sato, October 24, 1975
39. Albert Erskine, December 29, 1975
40. B. Barbara Friedberg, February 15, 1976
41. George Frazier, undated
42. K.B. O'Hara, undated

Subseries 2: Correspondence from Matthew J. Bruccoli, 1970-1975

43. Charles W. Mann, May 14, 1970
44. Charles W. Mann, June 8, 1970
45. Lynn Strong, March 18, 1975
46. Norman Kane, undated
47. H.W. Schwartz, undated

Subseries 3: Other Correspondence, 1935-1975

48. John O'Hara to Ruth Sato, January 13, 1935
49. John O'Hara to Ruth Sato, January 23, 1935
50. John O'Hara to Ruth Sato, February 10, 1935
51. John O'Hara to Clifford Odets, July 4, 1953
52. Frederick A. Hetzel to Herrwood Hobbs, April 14, 1965
53. Albert Erskine to L.L. Winship, November 23, 1965
54. Albert Erskine to Sidney Jacobs, December 2, 1965
55. Vernon Sternberg to Peter P. Gates, November 13, 1974
56. Richard Liebermann to Mrs. Louis Henry Cohn, November 15, 1967
57. Vernon Sternberg to United States Trust Company of New York, March 19, 1975

Series 2: Manuscripts and proofs, 1967-1975

58. "Appointment in Samarra," manuscript, Matthew J. Bruccoli, undated
59. "Appointment in Samarra," typescript, Matthew J. Bruccoli, undated
60. "Focus on Appointment in Samarra," photocopied page proof, Matthew J. Bruccoli, 1967
61. John O'Hara: A Descriptive Bibliography, manuscript, Matthew J. Bruccoli, undated
62. John O'Hara: A Descriptive Bibliography, manuscript, Matthew J. Bruccoli, undated
63. John O'Hara: A Descriptive Bibliography, page proofs, Matthew J. Bruccoli, undated
64. John O'Hara: A Descriptive Bibliography, photocopies, Matthew J. Bruccoli, undated
65. John O'Hara: A Descriptive Bibliography, photocopies, Matthew J. Bruccoli, undated
66. John O'Hara: A Descriptive Bibliography, typescript, Matthew J. Bruccoli, undated
71. The O'Hara Concern: A Biography of John O'Hara, book jackets, Matthew J. Bruccoli, 1975
72. The O'Hara Concern: A Biography of John O'Hara, mock-ups, Matthew J. Bruccoli, undated
73. The O'Hara Concern: A Biography of John O'Hara, notes, Matthew J. Bruccoli, undated
74. The O'Hara Concern: A Biography of John O'Hara, photographs, Matthew J. Bruccoli, undated
75. The O'Hara Concern: A Biography of John O'Hara, review, Hoke Norris, undated
76. Untitled essay , Matthew J. Bruccoli, undated

Series 3: Research materials, 1927-1970

77. Caricature of John O'Hara, undated
78. Contract, John O'Hara and Robert D. Andrews for Flight from Glory, 1937
79. Notes on Robert D. Andrews, undated
80. Payroll records of John O'Hara, Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, 1927
81. Script, "The General's Return from One Place to Another," [play written by a different John O'Hara], undated

Series 4: Oversized materials, 1950-1974

Box 2
Folder -- Contents

1. O'Hara, John. "The New Expense-Account Society," Flair magazine, May 1950.
2. O'Hara, John. "Dear Dick" letter to Richard Rodgers on sleeve for the Columbia recording (ML 4364) of "Pal Joey," 1952
3. Butterfield 8. Film press booklet by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for the 1960 film, 1960
4. O'Malley, Michael J. "John O'Hara -- Tamaqua Days," The Valley Gazette, pp. 16-17; 21, "27th issue," September 1974