ISABEL M. PATERSON PAPERS
Herbert Hoover Presidential Library
West Branch, Iowa
The papers of Isabel M. Paterson document the life and career of novelist, book review columnist, and conservative political commentator Paterson (1886-1961). The collection was acquired from the executor of Paterson’s estate in three accessions in 1995, 1997, and 1999, and consists of approximately 7.8 linear feet of manuscript and published material.
Novelist and newspaper columnist Isabel Paterson was born Isabel Bowler on Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada on January 22, 1886. When she was very young, her family moved to the West, and she grew up on a cattle ranch in Alberta. A voracious reader who was largely self-educated, her public schooling during these years was brief and informal—two years in a country school, from the ages of 11 to 14. In her late teen years, she left the ranch for the city of Calgary, where she took a clerical job with the Canadian Pacific Railroad. At the age of 24, she entered into a short-lived marriage with Kenneth Paterson.
It was during these years, in a foray south of the border, that she landed a job with a newspaper in Spokane, Washington. Initially she worked in the business department of the paper, but was eventually transferred to the editorial department, and her journalistic career began. Her next position was that with a newspaper in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she wrote dramatic reviews for two years. She eventually moved to New York, where she landed jobs working on the feature page of the New York American, as well as in the editorial department of Hearst’s Magazine. One of her earlier assignments for the American was to write about an hour-long flight she had made in an open cockpit airplane in 1912, which was still quite a novelty at that time.
In 1922 she joined the staff of the New York Herald-Tribune, where she remained until 1949. At this newspaper, she wrote daily book reviews, as well as pieces for the Sunday Books section. She was best known, however, for her weekly column “Turns With a Bookworm,” which mixed literary anecdotes and reviews with her evolving conservative political views. During these years she also published a number of novels of her own, including The Shadow Riders (1916), The Singing Season (1924), The Road of the Gods (1930), Never Ask the End (1932) and If It Proves Fair Weather (1940). Her best known work was a non-fictional one, however, The God in the Machine (1943). Conservative and libertarian thinkers have cited this defense of the right to property and individual free will as an influential work alongside Rose Wilder Lane’s The Discovery of Freedom and Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead. It also provided the intellectual underpinnings of the conservative views that found their way into her Herald-Tribune columns, including her refusal to accept Social Security benefits since they were in contradiction to her antipathy for the New Deal.
After leaving the Herald-Tribune, Paterson continued to write and publish, and a few of her articles made their way into William Buckley’s National Review, among other publications. Isabel Paterson died at the home of her close friends, Muriel and Edward Hall, in Montclair, New Jersey on January 10, 1961.
The papers of Isabel Paterson are divided into the following series:
General name and subject file (2.3 linear feet): Largely comprised of correspondence, including files from fellow writers Will Cuppy, Rose Wilder Lane, and Ayn Rand. Although most of this correspondence dates from her lifetime, also included are files from scholars interested in her work in the decades following her death.
Writings (1.8 linear feet): This series includes correspondence about her works, drafts of published articles, and manuscripts for a few of her books, including The Singing Season and The God of the Machine. Among the correspondents are editors from magazines that she published in, including John Chamberlain of Freeman and William Buckley, Jr. of The National Review.
Legal (0.4 linear foot): These files include documents relating to property she owned, settlement of her estate, and her naturalization as a U.S. citizen in 1928.
Book Collection (3.3 linear feet): Books owned by Paterson, often with underlining and annotations in her own hand.
ISABEL M. PATERSON PAPERS
Box and Folder Inventory
BOX CONTENTS
1 Name and Subject
Correspondence
A – B, Miscellaneous, 1927-49
American Legion Controversy, 1951
Balch, Earl, 1945
Busey, Garreta
Letters From Isabel Paterson, 1936, Undated
Letters To Isabel Paterson, 1928-49
Letters To Muriel Hall, 1962-65
C – D, Miscellaneous, Undated
Coleman, Alta May, Undated
Censorship, 1946
Cox, Stephen, 1988-98
Cuppy, Will
To Isabel Paterson, Undated
Folder 1
Folder 2
Folder 3
Edmunds, Everard, 1956
Education in the United States, 1953-59
Name and Subject
Correspondence, Continued
Elson, Robert T., 1957
2
Farley, Lillian (Dina) Fischer, (Originals at New York Public
Library)
1924-32
1933-60
Field, Rachel, 1930
Fischer, Lillian, 1927-58
Gilbert, Rodney, 1957
Glenn, Isa, 1931-32
Griffith, H.M., 1952
Hall, Ted, Undated
Hall, Muriel
1961
1979-92
Henry, R.S.
1942-43
1944
1945
1946-49
1950-64
3
Herdman, Ramona, 1950-59
Hitchcock, Harry, 1929
Hoiles, R.C., 1950-62
Kirk, Dr. Russell, 1964-65
Knowlton, Marcus and Meredith, 1959
Lane, Rose Wilder, 1932-45
Lecomte de Nouy, Mr. And Mrs. Pierre, 1947-56
LeFerre, Robert, 1960-64
Luckhart, Grace, 1927-61, Undated
Manion, Clarence, 1949
McGinnis, Dick, Undated
Mitchison, N., Undated
Paterson, Isabel (To Muriel Hall)
1944-49
1950-52
1954-55
1956
1957, Folder 1
4
1958-60
R Miscellaneous, 1935-49
Rand, Ayn
From Isabel Paterson, 1943-48
To Isabel Paterson, 1943-50
Roberts, Nat, 1929-35, Undated
Rascoe, Burton, 1945
S Miscellaneous, 1938-60
Scholars Interested in Isabel Paterson, 1969-73
Social Security, 1937-55
Stribling, T.S., Undated
Sprague, Ted and Grace, Undated
Stone, Grace, Undated
T-Y Miscellaneous, 1923-46
Teale, Edwin Way, 1949-50
Unidentified, 1908-16
5
Vogt, Gertrude, 1950-61
Wall, Mildred, 1952-61
Welles, Mary and Samuel, 1936-43, Undated
Welles, Ted, 1949-85
Wylie, Elinor, Undate
Cuppy, Will, clippings, 1927, Undated
New York Herald Tribune, Personnel Obituaries, 1953-83
Paterson, Isabel, Personal
Addresses, 1942, Undated
Articles About Isabel Paterson, 1912-43
Christmas, Undated
Family Correspondence, 1933-1954
Linoleum Block, Undated
Miscellaneous1944-59, Undated
Notebook, blank
6
Newspaper Clippings, 1916-1960
Photographs (Copies), Undated
Quotes, 1958-1960
Tombstone, 1962
Rand, Ayn
Lecture, 1960
Clipping, 1945
Thomas, M.J., Poems, Undated
Writing
Articles
Annotated by Isabel Paterson, 1939-44
“The Astonishing Creature – The Baby,” May, 1949
“Humanitarian With Guillotine,” 1955
“Learning to Read,” 1937
Writing
Articles, Continued
“A Man of Destiny,” 1956
“Murphy,” 1928
Newark Evening News, 1960
New York Herald Tribune, 1924-38, 1949
“The Oracles are Dumb,” 1956
“Reading Without Tears, Cows, or Chickens,” Undated
Sketches for Newspaper Articles, Undated
“The Southern Breakthrough,” 1955
“Turns With A Bookworm,” 1932-48
“We Were the Cowith-an,” Undated
“What Do They Do All Day?,” Undated
Written by other authors, 1930-64
7
Correspondence
Ashville Chamber of Commerce, 1924
B Miscellaneous, 1942-49
Benson, Arthur C., Undated
Book Reviews, 1932
Bradley, J.G., 1949
Buckley, William F., Jr., 1954-62
Buffett, Howard, 1952
C – D Miscellaneous
Writing
Correspondence, Continued
Cabell, James Branch, 1930-36
Chamberlain, John, 1953
Colum, Padraic, 1944
Columbia Lecture Bureau, Inc., 1949
Crane, Jasper, 1944-54
E Miscellaneous
Fake, Guy L., 1943-48
Fuller, Selma and Henry, 1953
Gannett, Frank, 1945
G.P. Putnam and Sons, 1942-44
Greenewatt, C.H., 1952-59
“Georgia Review,” 1948-49
H Miscellaneous, 1934-58
Harper Brothers, 1915
Hicks, Hamilton, Undated
J Miscellaneous, 1951
Josenhans, M. Alma, Undated
L Miscellaneous, 1931-48
M Miscellaneous, 1931-47
Mitchison, Maomi, Undated
Nelson, Frederick, 1957-59
Writing
Correspondence
New York Herald Tribune, 1949-52
Opitz, Edmund, A.1959
P – R Miscellaneous, 1944-56
Palmer, Paul1945-47
Read, Thomas, 19335-42
Rejection of Manuscripts, 1914-15
Ridenour, Louis N., 1946
S Miscellaneous, 1922-59
Saturday Evening Post, 1957-59
Stout, Wesley W., 1939-44
T – Y Miscellaneous, 1949-57
Unidentified, 1950-56
Van Doren, Irita, 1940
Wall, Mildred, 1958-59
Wilder, Thornton, 1927
8
Natural Law, 1951-54
“Never Ask the End,” 1933-49
Rejection Letters, 1942
“Theory of Equilibrium,” 1951-55
Vogt, Gertrude, 1950-61
Writing
Correspondence, Continued
Miscellaneous Copies
1911-45
1946-50
1951-64
Undated
Draft Notes
General, Undated
“How Can I Get Past the (Deleted) Conservatives?” Undated
“Law and Liberty,” Undated
Republican Party, 1954
“States Rights” Proposal, 1951-52
9
Manuscripts
“Did I Ask to Be Born?”
Working Copy
Final Copy
Fragments From Novels, Undated
“God of the Machine”
1943, Summary for “Book Digest”
1945, Correspondence
Undated, Notes by Ted and Muriel Hall
“God of the Machine”
Undated, Notes of Isabel Paterson
“Joyous Gard” ca. 1958
Annotated Copy
Chapters 1-13
Chapters 14-25
Clear Copy
Chapters 1-13
10
Chapters 14-25
Early Copy
Pages 14-82
Pages 83-191
Attempts to Get Published, 1951-58
Fragments
Chapters 1 and 2
Chapter 1
Burned Copy
Chapters 15-22
Chapters 23-25
“The Singing Season”
Chapters 1-16
Chapters 17-30
Correspondence, 1923
Reviews of Her Books, 1916, Undated
11
Legal Papers
Banking, 1925, 1956-59
Disposition of Papers, 1961-79
General, 1910-57
Immigration Papers, 1920-28
Real Estate
Connecticut Property
1933-49
1952-60
New Jersey Property, 1942-60
Royalties, 1933-49
Taxes, 1926-64
Will and Death Certificate, 1961
Writing Contracts, 1915-42
12
Book Collection
Annotated Materials
Copies of Notes by Isabel Paterson
“Einstein” by P. Frank
“Elizabeth” by M. Waldman
“Founding Fathers” by K. Umbrett
“The Fountainhead” by Ayn Rand
“God of the Machine” by Isabel Paterson
“Grey Eminence” by A. Huxley
“High Stakes and Hair Trigger” by R. W. Winston
“Kilvert’s Diary” by W. Plomer
“Letters of Madame” by G. S. Stevenson
“The Life and Letters of Lord Macaulay” by G. O.
Trevelyan
“The Life of Samuel Johnson” by J. Boswell
“The Novels of Jane Austin” by R. W. Chapman
“Out of the Earth” by L. Bromfield
“Pensees” by Pascal
“The Pentateuch” by J. W. Colenso
“Portrait of Pascal” by M. Duclaux
“The Road to Xanadu” by J. L. Lowes
“Russia Under the Tzars” by Stepniak
Book Collection
Annotated Materials
Copies of Notes by Isabel Paterson, Continued
“Science and Christian Tradition” by T. H. Huxley
“The Spirit of Mediaeval Philosophy” by E. Gilson
“Taft and Roosevelt” by A. Butt
“They Told Barron” by C. W. Barron
13
“Travels in France and Italy” by A. Young
“The Unity of Philosophical Experience” by E. Gilson
“Voltaire” by Brandes
“The Wealth of Nation” by A. Smith
Inscriptions to Isabel Paterson
“National Review” August-September, 1960, January-
February, 1970
“The Freeman” 1950-52
14
Titles of Books in Collection
Adlington, Richard, “The Duke: A Life of Wellington, 1943
Brandes, George, “Voltaire”
Volume 1, 1930
Volume 2, 1930
Bromfield, Louis, “Out of the Earth,” 1950
Catlin, George, North American Indians, Volume 1, 1857
14
Chamberlain, Pressey Walters, “Living, Reading, and Thinking,”
1948
Fitzgerald, Edward, “The Rubiyat of Omar Khayyan”
15
Chesnut, Mary Boykin, “A Diary From Dixie,” 1949
Duclaux, Mary, “Portrait of Pascal,” 1927
Du Nouy, Lecomte, “Human Destiny,” 1947
Du Nouy, Mary, “The Road to Human Destiny,” 1955
Ford, Ford Madox, “The Last Post,” 1928 (Two Copies)
Frank Philipp, “Einstein,” 1947
16 Gilson, Etienne
“The Spirit of Mediaeval Philosophy,” 1940
“The Unity of Philosophical Experience,” 1947
Hughes, Philip, “A History of the Church,” Volume 3, 1947
Hughes, Richard, “A High Wind in Jamaica,” 1932
Huxley, T.H., “Science and Christian Tradition,” 1895
O”Neill, Moira, “Songs of the Glens of Antrim,” 1916
Plomer, Ed., “Kilvert’s Diary,” 1947
Potter, George Richard, “Sir Thomas More,” 1925
Pound, Arthur, Ed., “They Told Barron,” 1817
17
Pascal, Blaise, “Pensees,” 1941
Paterson, Isabel
“The Fourth Queen,” 1926
“God of the Machine”
1943 (2 Copies)
1964 (Reprint)
“If It Prove Fair Weather,” 1940 (2 Copies)
18 “Golden Vanity,” 1934
“The Magpies Nest,” 1917
“Mai Domander La Fine,” 1933
“Never Ask the End,” 1930
“The Road of the Gods,” 1930
“The Shadow Riders,” 1916
Tate, Allen, “Jefferson Davis,” 1929
U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, “In the Matter of J. Robert
Oppenheimer,” 1954
19
Roscoe, Burton, “Titans of Literature,” 1932
Spencer Herbert, “The Man Versus the State,” 1940
Swinburne, Algernon Charles, “Poems,” 1905 (4 Volumes)
Wylie, Elinor, “Collected Prose,” 1933