Collection inventory

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William Yerington Papers

An inventory of his papers at the Syracuse University Archives

Finding aid created by: Erin Carter
Date: 2014

Revision history:

Biography

William Yerington was born in St. Louis, Michigan on April 20, 1879. Yerington studied at Michigan Teachers College and earned his Bachelor of Philosophy from Creighton University in 1918. He spent two years as a pastor at the Unitarian Church at Kalamazoo, Michigan before being hired by the English Department at Syracuse University in 1919. Yerington earned his M.A. from Syracuse University in 1920, specializing in 19th century English literature. He was a big proponent of Emersonian transcendentalism, and wrote many essays and poems on the subject. In the 30 years that Yerington spent as a professor at Syracuse University, he published two works: East Windows(1926), a book of poems, and Emerson and Beyond(1929), a collection of essays. Another book of his works titled Shapings of the Passion for Life Essays and Poems was published posthumously in 1971. Yerington was promoted to Associate Professor in 1936 and earned the title of Professor Emeritus after his retirement from the University in 1948.

William Yerington died on November 1, 1967 in Syracuse, New York.

Scope and Content Note

The William Yerington Papers contain his writings, both published and not published, writings by others which he collected over the years, and printed materials pertaining to his interest in poetry and what would later be seen as Unitarian Universalist ideologies. The collection also contains correspondence, evidence of his time spent at May Memorial Unitarian Church in Syracuse, New York, a photograph, and a program for a memorial service held for him by Syracuse University.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

Please note that the collection is housed off-site, and advance notice is required to allow time to have the materials brought to the Reading Room on campus.

Use Restrictions:

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

Related Material

More information on William Yerington can be found in the clippings files in the Syracuse University Archives.

Selected Search Terms

Names

Yerington, William.
Syracuse University -- History.
Syracuse University.

Subjects

English literature.
Poetry.
College teachers.
Higher education.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

William Yerington Papers,
University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

The William Yerington Papers were donated to the Syracuse University Archives in two parts. The May Memorial Unitarian Church donated a portion through Dr. Jean Simpson on March 3, 1972, and Mrs. Kathleen Yerington, his wife, donated the rest of the materials on December 15, 1977.

Processing Information

Materials were rehoused in acid-free folders.

Arrangement

The items are arranged in alphabetical order.

Table of Contents

Papers

Inventory