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Harry L. Custard Papers

An inventory of his papers at Syracuse University

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Custard, Harry Lewis, 1893-1966.
Title: Harry L. Custard Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1902-1967
Quantity: 9 linear ft.
Abstract: Papers of the American author, philosopher, educator. Papers pertain to Custard's work in the philosophical field of the Unity of Knowledge. Correspondents whose letters are of significant depth and/or duration include William Moseley Brown, Luther L. Castetter, George R. Clements, Newton Dillaway, Laurence Foster, Isabel B. Holbrook, Robert Maynard Hutchins, C.G. Jung, Raymond Frank Piper, J. Hugo Tatsch, William Pearson Tolley, Margaret Truman, and Howard John Zitko.
Language: English
Repository: Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
222 Waverly Avenue
Syracuse, NY 13244-2010
https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

Harry Lewis Custard (1893-1966) was an American author, philosopher, and educator. Born in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, Custard lived in Scranton until he attended Syracuse University from 1916-1918, at which time military service interrupted his studies. He was able, however, to finish school while in the service and graduated in 1920. He went on to attend Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration from 1920-1922. He later taught at Lehigh University and Simmons College after which he worked for the federal government. With his wife, Edith May, he authored The Unity of Knowledge and the Organization of Thought (1940).

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Harry L. Custard Papers consists of general files, memorabilia, published material, and writings. The entire collection pertains to Custard's work in the philosophical field of "unity of knowledge."

General files contains files of information on various subjects which interested Custard as well as files of correspondence with people who expressed an interest in his research. This series also contains games devised by Custard, complete with playing cards and rules. Biographical material may be found in the "Personal" folder. Of particular interest to the researcher may be the signed letter from Margaret Truman in the "Graphology: signatures" folder and a signed letter from C. G. Jung in the first folder of "Correspondence: General: 1934-1948."

Memorabilia contains two items, a Harvard business school yearbook (1926-1927) and a Tambourine and Bones Award.

Published material contains articles written by Custard's wife Edith as well aas books on subjects related to Custard's research.

Writings contains typescripts and published examples of Custard's work, along with notes of various types (daily jottings, notes on books he read, and similar).

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Arrangement of the Collection

General files are in alphabetical order by subject. Published material and writings are in alphabetical order by type and within that by title.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Related Material

Special Collections Research Center has made a concerted effort over the years to ensure that its manuscript and rare books holdings complement each other. As a result, many of our manuscript collections are supported by books, pamphlets, serials and other items which are cataloged in the Rare Books Collection. Please be sure to search the Classic Catalog for these related materials.

See also the Jeremiah Custard Papers.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Brown, William Moseley, 1894-
Castetter, Luther L., 1895-
Clements, George R.
Custard, Edith May (Best), 1900-
Custard, Harry Lewis, 1893-1966 Archives.
Dillaway, Newton, 1904-
Foster, Laurence, 1903-1969.
Holbrook, Isabel B.
Hutchins, Robert Maynard, 1899-1977.
Jung, C. G. (Carl Gustav), 1875-1961.
Piper, Raymond Frank.
Tatsch, J. Hugo (Jacob Hugo), 1888-1939.
Tolley, William Pearson, 1900-
Truman, Margaret, 1924-
Zitko, Howard John, 1911-

Subjects

Authors, American.
Educators -- United States.
Knowledge, Theory of.
Philosophers -- United States.
Philosophy, Modern.

Genres and Forms

Articles.
Correspondence.
Memorabilia.
Notes (documents)

Occupations

Authors.
Educators.
Philosophers.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Harry L. Custard Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Finding Aid Information

Created by: CMV
Date: Jan 1979
Revision history: 3 Jul 2008 - converted to EAD (MRC)

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Inventory

General files
Box 1 Advertising for Unity of Knowledge publications 1949-1956
Box 1 American Engineering Council 1933
Box 1 Character study
Box 1 Clippings 1930-1951
Box 1 Color and music 1922-1933
Correspondence
Box 1 Advertising 1949-1960
Box 1 Roger Babson 1932-1934
Box 1 Edith M. Barrett 1933-1948
Box 1 Charles Bollinger 1963-1965
Box 1 Roger Borsodi 1964-1965
Box 1 William Mosely Brown and J. Hugo Tatsch 1933-1965
Box 1 Keral Carsen 1962-1966
Box 1 L.L. Castetter 1952-1966
Box 1 Dr. George R. Clements 1957-1966
Box 1 Gerald J. Defraeye 1964-1965
Box 1 Newton Dillaway 1953-1966 (2 folders)
Box 1 The Essenes 1944-1948
General
Box 1 1932-1965
Box 1 1932-1967
Box 1 1933-1957
Box 1 1934-1948 - includes signed letter from C.G. Jung (2 folders)
Box 1 1942-1951 (2 folders)
Box 1 1942-1962
Box 1 1949-1956 (2 folders)
Box 1 Mrs. Ellen Gibbs 1965-1966
Box 1 J.B. Goldstone 1941-1945
Box 1 Health Research 1964-1965
Box 1 Charles W. Hendel 1944
Box 1 Elizabeth Hadley Hunt 1941
Box 1 Hobart Huson 1964-1967
Box 1 Dr. Robert M. Hutchins 1933-1967
Box 1 George Winthrop Lee 1941-1942
Box 1 Letters of recommendation and photostats 1919-1948
Box 1 Miscellaneous 1948
Box 1 Raymond F. Piper 1924-1950
Box 1 John A. Polak 1948-1965
Box 1 S. Radhakrishnan 1964
Box 1 Theodor A. Reich 1936-1949
Box 1 Oliver L. Reiser 1947-1965
Box 2 R.C. Roper 1940-1953
Box 2 Thomas Sugrue 1946
Box 2 Mark Sullivan
Box 2 B.G.H. Vanderjagt 1950
Box 2 Charles Weller 1946-1948
Box 2 Dr. Howard Zitko 1962-1967 (2 folders)
Box 2 Correspondence and interviews 1933-1950
Box 2 Correspondence with publishers 1952-1956
Box 2 Distribution of Journal of Social Psychology 1964-1965
Box 2 Educational Research Associates
Box 2 Employment in government service 1937-1961
Box 2 Dr. Laurence Foster 1949-1965
Box 2 Louis Freiberg 1932-1934
Games
Box 2 Business Lingo
Box 2 The Business Race Track
Box 2 Double Checkers
Box 2 The Family Circle Target Game
Box 2 Family Lingo
Box 2 Science Lingo
Graphology
Box 2 Handwriting samples and signatures
Box 2 Miscellaneous
Box 2 Published material
Box 2 Signatures - includes signed letter from Margaret Truman
Box 2 Isabel B. Holbrook 1915-1935
Oversize 1 Isabel B. Holbrook (oversize)
Box 2 Library of Congress 1945-1965
Box 2 Library of Congress cards for Custard's books
Box 2 List of religious systems and sects
Box 2 Gilbert Lorenz 1958-1965
Box 2 Miscellaneous published material 1930-1966
Box 2 Organic gardening
Box 2 Original sheet music 1945
Box 2 Personal 1902-1966 (2 folders)
Box 2 Quotations 1920-1946
Box 3 Oliver L. Reiser
Box 3 Sevens
Box 3 Gordon Speedie
Box 3 Statements pertaining to the Unity of Knowledge
Box 3 Syracuse University Class Reunion 1964
Box 3 Giorgio Tagliacozzo 1964
Box 3 William P. Tolley 1963-1965
Box 3 Unit of Knowledge publications
Box 3 Watches
Box 3 Julius M. Werner 1966
Box 3 World University development program 1960-1966 (2 folders)
Memorabilia
Box 3 Harvard Business School yearbook 1926-1927
Box 3 Tambourine and Bones award
Published material
Articles
Box 3 "On Relations"
Books
Box 3 Miscellaneous (13 volumes)
Box 4 Miscellaneous (22 volumes)
Box 5 Miscellaneous (11 volumes)
Box 6 Miscellaneous (13 volumes)
Magazines
Box 7 The Antioch Review 1947
Oversize 1 Fortune Nov 1943
Box 7 Higher Education for American Democracy, volumes I-VI 1947 (10 volumes)
Oversize 1 Life 28 Sep 1942
Box 7 Main Currents in Modern Thought 1946-1948 (6 issues)
Box 7 Mind Digest 1946 (3 issues)
Pamphlets
Box 7 A Philosophy for World Unification 1946 (4 copies)
Writings
Articles
Published
Box 7 "Emerson on health 1956
Box 7 "Unity of Knowledge" 1964-1965 (2 issues)
Typescripts
Box 7 "The Beard Five-Year Plan in Reflection" 1931
Box 7 Miscellaneous 1933-1953 (2 folders)
Box 7 "The Unity of Knowledge; Unity of the Human Soul"
Box 7 "The Unity of Matter"
Books
Published
The Unity of Knowledge and the Organization of Thought
Oversize 1 Excerpts 1934 (2 copies)
Oversize 1 Published 1940 (3 volumes)
Typescripts
Box 7 The Essence of Emerson 1955
Box 7 The Geometry of Thought 1959
Box 7 The Nature of Economics in the Economy of Nature (2 folders)
Box 7 Orientation in Education 1934
Box 7 Orientation in the Sphere of Knowledge 1958
Box 7 Orientation in the Sphere of Philosophy 1958
Box 7 Orientation in the Spheres of Economics and Business 1959
Box 7 Philosopher Joe 1958
Box 7 The Rhythmic Road of Life 1958
Box 7 Seeing Life Whole 1967
Box 7 Seeing Things Whole 1949
Box 7 The Unity in Religion 1955
Box 7 The Universal Reference Frame 1958
Box 7 The Universe and the University 1965
Box 8 Wisdom of Emerson 1965
Daily notes and jottings
Box 8 1929-1965
Box 8 1930-1944
Box 8 1930-1966
Box 8 1945-1960
Early charts, notes and quotations
Box 8 Miscellaneous 1930
Essays
Box 8 "What Woodrow Wilson means to me"
Notes
Miscellaneous
Box 8 1933-1965
Box 8 1941-1964
Box 8 Orientation in Education
Box 8 Reading notes (9 folders)
Published material (34 volumes)
Box 8 Miscellaneous (6 folders)
Box 9 Miscellaneous (4 folders)
Box 9 The Sphere of Graphology

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