Collections

The Williams, Jonathan mss., 1738-1869, consist of letters and papers of Jonathan Williams, 1750-1815, merchant and soldier, grand-nephew of Benjamin Franklin and first superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

The Kirkman mss., 1836-1875, consists of the papers of Joseph J. Kirkman, 1809-1879, a farmer, businessman, and sheriff of Gibson County, Indiana.

The Miscellaneous mss., 2100 BCE-1970, consist of individual items acquired individually either as a gift or purchased from a variety of sources.

The Ollard mss., 1979-1993, consist primarily of letters from Irish sea novelist Patrick O'Brian, 1914-2000, to his longtime friend and former editor at Collins & Sons, Richard Lawrence Ollard, 1923-2007.

The O'Brian mss. II, ca. 1930-1941, consists of the letters, writings, and clippings of author Patrick O'Brian, 1914-2000, written under his original name, R. P. (Richard Patrick) Russ.

The O'Brian mss., ca. 1970-1994, consists primarily of notes and full-text manuscripts of author Patrick O'Brian's historical sea novels. Autograph manuscripts for eighteen of the twenty published novels are present.

The Humphreys mss., 1814-1825, consist of the journal of the Atlantic cruise of the U.S. Frigate Constitution, by A.Y. Humphreys, ?-1826, chaplain and purser of the U.S. Navy.

The Gt. Brit. Admiralty mss., 1811-1813, consists of contemporary copies and duplicates of orders and letters to Rear Admiral Robert Stopford, 1768-1847, and Rear Admiral Charles Tyler, 1760-1835, commanders-in-chief at the Cape of Good Hope.

Consists of the correspondence, papers, and memorabilia of motion picture director John Ford, 1895-1973.

The Best mss., 1852-1862, consists of the letters of bricklayer, plasterer, California miner, and farmer A. Jackson Best, 1820-1862.