Spiro Peterson Papers

Collection

Identifier: Spiro Peterson papers

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Spiro Peterson papers is comprised of two gifts, one from Peterson's brother and the other from his widow. The first gift (folders 1-3) is composed of letters written to his brother during World War Two covering the months of August 1944 through December 1945. The second gift (folders 4-12) is composed of lettes t his parents, mid-1943 through December 1945, as well as letters to other recipients, including a few letters to Peterson from his mother, along wih other war-era and Peterson-related memorabilia ad photographs.

Dates

Creation: 1943-1995

Creator

Spiro Peterson, Dr. (Creator, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open to the public and must be used in the John M.K. Davis Reading Room of the Watkinson Library, Trinity College Library, Hartford, Connecticut. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws when using this collection.

Conditions Governing Use

Digital surrogates may be provided in accordance with the duplication policy of the Watkinson Library.

Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs unless otherwise specified. It is the researcher's responsibility to secure permission to publish materials from the appropriate copyright holder.

Archival materials may contain sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal and/or state right to privacy laws or other regulations. While we make a good faith effort to identify and remove such materials, some may be missed during our processing. If a researcher finds sensitive personal information (e.g. social security numbers) in a collection, please bring it to the attention of the reading room staff.

Biographical / Historical

One of the few people known to refuse promotion in the United States Armed Forces, Spiro Peterson was born on Christmas Day, 1922. Early on in his life, his family moved to Hartford where Peterson graduated from Hartford High School in 1940, then attended Trinity College. At Trinity, Peterson excelled academically and not only won a Holland Scholarship for his superior grades, but was also a member of Phi Beta Kappa. When World War Two broke out, Peterson left Trinity midway through his studies to participate in the war, then returned after the war to earn his BA in English and Classics. Peterson graduated with Honors in General Scholarship and was Salutatorian of the class of 1947, with whom he graduated. From Trinity, Peterson went on to study at Harvard, where he was an honors student who also tutored his fellow students. Peterson graduated when he completed his dissertation in 1953. In 1952, Dr. Peterson obtained a position at the Miami University, in Oxford, Ohio. He was appointed full professor in 1962 and remained a member of the faculty in the English department for a total of 40 years. Dr. Peterson died in 1992.

Extent

12 Folder(s) (2 archival boxes) : 2 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

Box 1: Folders 1 through 6: Correspondence circa mid 1943 through 1945

Box 2: Folders 7 though 12: Books, memorabilla, other material C. World War Two era material