Donn V. Hart Papers, 1952-1968

Summary

Creator:
Hart, Donn V. (Donn Vorhis), 1918-1983.
Abstract:
The Donn V. Hart Papers contain his correspondence, publications and other writings from his time as a professor at Syracuse University.
Extent:
1 box (.5 linear foot)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Donn V. Hart Papers,

Background

Scope and content:

The Donn V. Hart Papers contain correspondence, academic and professional publications, drafts and unpublished writings from the years he was a professor of anthropology and social sciences at Syracuse University. The correspondence includes a number of letters from various universities in the United States and the Philippines. The published and unpublished works include his research in anthropology, with a focus on Southeast Asia and the Philippines, an area he spent the majority of his professional life studying.

Biographical / historical:

Donn V. Hart

Donn V. Hart was born in Anaheim, California on February 15, 1918. From an early age, he was interested in the relationships between people and cultures and the importance of inter-cultural understanding. Hart earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Berkeley in 1941 and a Master of Arts in teaching from Harvard in 1942. He continued his graduate work at Yale University and the University of New Mexico, coming to Syracuse University to attain his doctorate in social science in 1954. He taught courses in anthropology, based largely on his research of the Philippines, at the University of Denver and in the Southeast Asia Program at Yale University. During 1956-1957, he taught anthropology at the University of the Philippines, thanks to a Smith-Mundt Exchange Professorship he was given.

Hart returned to Syracuse University in 1958 and held a dual appointment with the Social Science Program and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. Though a number of his classes were introductions to the people and history of Southeastern Asia and Oceania, Hart used his expertise to create classes focused on a more in-depth look into the culture of these areas. Two notable classes were "Magic and Religion in Primitive and Peasant Societies" and "Folklore of Primitive and Peasant Peoples." Material used for these classes were from his first-hand experience living and researching in the Philippines, including a village on Negros Island in 1950-1951, which he also used for his master's dissertation. Hart and his wife, Harriett, also an anthropologist, returned numerous times to Southeast Asia, creating a deeper connection with the area when their daughter Susan was born there in 1957. Hart left Syracuse University in 1971 to become director of Northern Illinois University's Southeast Asian Studies Center and later a full time instructor in anthropology there in 1981.

In 1946, Hart became a member of the UNESCO Commission in London and Paris and eventually in the Philippines and Malaysia. He spent time as a Peace Corps lecturer and was involved in numerous other professional organizations, including the American Anthropological Society. To support his work in the Philippines, Hart was the recipient of four Fulbright Research Fellowships, one of the most prestigious scholarships for students and professionals working internationally. Hart wrote numerous books and articles, some with the help of his wife, dealing with the culture and people of the Philippines.

Donn V. Hart died in DeKalb, Illinois on July 10, 1983.

Acquisition information:
The Donn V. Hart Papers were donated to the Archives by Donn V. Hart in 1967 and from an unknown source in 1968.
Processing information:

Materials were rehoused in acid-free folders and box.

Arrangement:

The items are arranged in alphabetical order.

Access and use

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.

Terms of access:

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

Preferred citation:

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Donn V. Hart Papers,

Location of this collection:
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries
Bird Library, Room 600
Syracuse, NY 13244, United States
Link to repository site
Contact:
315.443.2697
scrc@syr.edu