Scope and Contents
The papers consist of correspondence, writings, printed material, photographs, audiovisual material, and personal papers that document the life and work of playwright, editor, and activist Ron Whyte. The largest series, Writings, includes drafts and circulating versions of dozens of works of drama and prose by Ron Whyte, including many unproduced plays. The documentation of Whyte's writings also includes material from his time as a student, spanning from high school to graduate study at the Yale School of Drama and the Union Theological Seminary. The papers also include a substantial quantity of audio recordings of dramatic works written or produced by Whyte. Other material, including subject files and unsorted papers, documents the varied and prolific career of Whyte, including his advocacy for people with disabilities.
Dates
- 1939-1995
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
The materials are open for research.
Boxes 138-159 and 173: (audiotape reels): Restricted fragile material. Reference copies may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.
Boxes 105, 111, 112, 115, 160-167, 172, and 174 (record albums, audiocassettes, and videocassettes): Use of original is restricted. Reference copies may be requested. Consult Access services for further information.
Conditions Governing Use
The Ron Whyte Papers is the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Paul Bradley, 2004.
Arrangement
Organized into ten series: I. Correspondence, 1939-1994. II. Writings, 1957-1995. III. Educational Papers, 1956-1984. IV. Professional Papers, 1962-1995. V. Subject Files, 1957-1989. VI. Personal Papers, 1950-1989. VII. Printed Material, 1939-1985. VIII. Photographs, 1953-1991. IX. Unsorted Papers, circa 1967-1990. X. Audiovisual Material, circa 1973-1980.
Extent
144.72 Linear Feet (174 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Abstract
The papers consist of correspondence, writings, printed material, photographs, audiovisual material, and personal papers that document the life and work of playwright, editor, and activist Ron Whyte (circa 1942-1989). The largest series, Writings, includes drafts and circulating versions of dozens of works of drama and prose by Ron Whyte, including many unproduced plays. The documentation of Whyte's writings also includes material from his time as a student, spanning from high school to graduate study at the Yale School of Drama and the Union Theological Seminary. The papers also include a substantial quantity of audio recordings of dramatic works written or produced by Whyte. Other material, including subject files and unsorted papers, documents the varied and prolific career of Whyte, including his advocacy for people with disabilities.
Ron Whyte
Ron Whyte (circa 1942-1989), American playwright and book review editor for the Soho Weekly News, was the author of the plays Welcome to Andromeda (1969) and Disability: A Comedy (1978), and the executive director of the National Task Force for Disability and the Arts, 1977-1980. Ron Whyte's year of birth is variously recorded as 1941 or 1942.
Processing Information
This collection received a basic level of processing in 2007, and again in 2012, including rehousing and minimal organization.
As a rule, descriptive information found in the Collection Contents section is drawn in large part from information supplied with the collection and from an initial survey of the contents. Folder titles appearing in the contents list below are often based on those provided by the creator or previous custodian. Titles have not been verified against the contents of the folders in all cases. Otherwise, folder titles are supplied by staff during initial processing.
This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
Former call number: Uncat MSS 718.
- American literature -- 20th century
- Audiovisual materials
- Authors -- United States -- 20th century
- Authors, American
- Drama -- United States
- Dramatists -- United States
- Dramatists -- United States -- 20th Century
- People with disabilities -- United States
- Photographic prints
- Union Theological Seminary (New York, N.Y.)
- Whyte, Ron
- Yale School of Drama
- Title
- Guide to the Ron Whyte Papers
- Author
- by Danijela True and Lisa Conathan
- Date
- 2007-05-21
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository
Location
121 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Opening Hours
Access Information
The Beinecke Library is open to all Yale University students and faculty, and visiting researchers whose work requires use of its special collections. You will need to bring appropriate photo ID the first time you register. Beinecke is a non-circulating, closed stack library. Paging is done by library staff during business hours. You can request collection material online at least two business days in advance of your visit, using the request links in Archives at Yale. For more information, please see Planning Your Research Visit and consult the Reading Room Policies prior to visiting the library.