Collection primarily consists of correspondence & research materials pertaining to Smith's published works, lectures and other professional activities and interests. The correspondence files are particularly extensive.

Henry Nash Smith was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1906. He took his bachelor's degree in English at age 19 from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where he taught from 1927 to 1941, taking time out for his M.A. in English (1929) and his Ph.D. in the History of American Civilization (1940), both at Harvard. He subsequently taught in the English departments of the University of Texas (until 1947) and the University of Minnesota (until 1953), when he was invited by Robert Gordon Sproul to join the English Department at Berkeley—coinciding with his apppointment as the literary editor for the Mark Twain Estate, succeeding Dixon Wecter.

Articles in:

American Heritage

American Quarterly

Harvard Library Bulletin

Huntington Library Quarterly

Massachussetts Review

Mississippi Valley Historical Review

New England Quarterly

PMLA

Southwest Review

University of Texas Studies in English

Western American Literature

Yale Review

Number of containers: 8 boxes, 4 cartons Linear feet: 8.3

Materials in this collection may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of University of California gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Collection is open for research.