Univ. of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville: Beverly Githens Dresbach Papers

Mrs. Patricia Daggett, of South Haven, Michigan, the niece of Beverley Githens Dresbach, donated these papers to Special Collections on September 30, 1971.

Beverley Githens Dresbach and Glenn Ward Dresbach were internationally recognized poets who resided in Eureka Springs (Carroll County) Arkansas between 1941 and 1971. Beverley Githens Dresbach (1903-1971) was a native of Wilmette, Illinois. Her books of poetry include Novitiate (privately published, 1938) and No Splendor Perishes (Dierkes Press, 1946). She was also a feature writer in a number of Arkansas newspapers, as well as Kansas City Star and the Christian Science Monitor.

Her husband, Glenn Ward Dresbach (1889-1968), was born in Lanark, Illinois. Dresbach worked as an accountant for many organizations including the Tennessee Valley Authority. In 1934, Dresbach retired from business to devote all of his energies to literary work. Ten years later, he married Beverley Githens and moved to Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Dresbach's most famous poems are included in Selected Poems 1914-1930 (Holt, 1931) and Collected Poems 1914-1948 (Caxton Press, 1950).

About the Collection

The papers include Beverley Githens Dresbach and Glenn Ward Dresbach poems, correspondence, manuscripts, scrapbooks, and photographs.

Processed by Anthony J. Wappel, Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville, Arkansas, in October 1988.

Contents of the Collection (3 linear feet + 1 volume + 8 boxes)

Series 1. Correspondence. Boxes 1-4.
Series 2. Beverley Githens Dresbach. Box 5.
Series 3. Glenn Ward Dresbach. Box 6.
Series 4. Poems Sold. Box 7.
Series 5. Scrapbooks and Clippings. Box 7.
Series 6. Photographs. Box 8.
Series 7. Ephemera. Box 8.
Series 8. Microfilm. Reel 1.

Series 1. Correspondence. Boxes 1-4.

Most correspondence is from publishers. However, a substantial amount is personal correspondence between Beverley Githens and Glenn Dresbach. In addition there are four letters to the poet Rosa Zagnoni Marinoni from Irl Morse in 1933. This series also includes fan letters and poems from junior high students at Millidgeville (Illinois) Junior High School. They are at the end of this series in box 4, folders 8-12.

Box 1

1. 1928-1933.
2. 1934-1936.
3. 1937.
4. Jan, 1938 - Jul, 1938.
5. Aug, 1938 - Dec, 1938.
6. Jan, 1939 - Jun, 1939.
7. Jul, 1939 - Dec, 1939.
8. 1940.
9. 1941-1943.
10. Jan, 1944 - Mar, 1944.
11. Apr, 1944.

Box 2

1. Apr, 1944.
2. May, 1944 - Dec, 1944.
3. Feb, 1945 - May, 1945.
4. Jun, 1945 - Dec, 1945.
5. Jan, 1946 - Apr, 1946.
6. May, 1946 - Dec, 1946.
7. 1947.
8. 1948.
9. Jan, 1949 - Jun, 1949.
10. Jul, 1949 - Dec, 1949.
11. 1950.

Box 3

1. 1951-1954.
2. 1955-1957.
3. 1958-1959.
4. 1960-1961.
5. 1962.
6. Jan, 1963 - Mar, 1963.
7. Apr, 1963.
8. May, 1963 - Jun, 1963.
9. Jul, 1963 - Dec, 1963.

Box 4

1. 1964.
2. 1965.
3. 1966.
4. 1967.
5. 1968.
6. 1969-1971.
7. n.d.
8. 1961.
9. 1962.
10. 1962 (poems).
11. 1963.
12. 1963 (poems).

Series 2. Beverley Githens Dresbach. Box 5.

This series contains manuscripts of Beverley Githens Dresbach's works arranged by title. Also included are a privately published version of Novitiate, and manuscripts for her stories "Tommy," "The Biography of a Cat," and "The Crumplehorn Cow." This series also contains manuscript versions of book reviews and other announcements written by Beverley Dresbach, as well as charcoal, crayon, and pencil sketches sketched by Dresbach and others.

Box 5

1. A-C.
2. D-M.
3. N-S.
4. T-Y.
5. Novitiate, 1938
6. Poetry programs, 1945.
7. Manuscript of "Tommy," "The Biography of a Cat," 1950.
8. Manuscript of "The Crumplehorn Cow," 1952.
9. Book reviews by Beverley Githens Dresbach and others.
10. Drawings by Beverley Githens Dresbach and others.

Series 3. Glenn Ward Dresbach. Box 6.

This series contains manuscripts of Glenn Ward Dresbach's poems and collected works. The manuscripts are in order by title. Researchers interested in The Selected Poems (1914-1930) of Glenn Ward Dresbach, 1931, are encouraged to refer to the microfilm in this collection for a copy of a typewritten draft of this work.

Box 6

1. A-B.
2. C-D.
3. E-H.
4. I-L.
5. M-N.
6. O-R.
7. S.
8. T.
9. U-W.
10. Lists of Dresbach's poems.
12. Reviews.
Vol 1. Proof for The Selected Poems (1914-1930) of Glenn Ward Dresbach, 1931.

Series 4. Poems Sold. Box 7.

This series contains records of poems sold. Receipts and notebooks kept by Beverley and Glenn Dresbach contain the following information: date of sale, amount received, and publisher.

Box 7

1. 1916-1936.
2. Jan, 1937 - Jun, 1937.
3. Jul, 1937 - Dec, 1937.
4. 1938.
5. 1939.
6. 1940-1945.
7. 1946.
8. 1947-1964.

Series 5. Scrapbooks. Box 7.

This series consists of scrapbooks of Beverley Githens Dresbach's poems and clippings about her and Glenn Ward Dresbach. Researchers interested in her scrapbooks are encouraged to refer to the microfilm in this collection for a scrapbook pertaining to "Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles."

Box 7 (cont'd)

9. 1938-1939.
10. 1938-1944.
11. 1941-1942.
12. 1944.
13. 1945.
14. Clippings, 1938-1968.

Series 6. Photographs. Box 8.

This series contains photographs of Beverley Githens Dresbach and Glenn Ward Dresbach. This series also contains photographs of "Bon Repos," the Dresbach home in Eureka Springs (Carroll County) Arkansas. The last folder in this series consists of a collection of picture postcards of the Dresbachs and Bon Repos.

Box 8

1. Beverley Githens Dresbach, 1903-1906 [4].
2. Beverley Githens Dresbach, 1907-1910 [6].
3. Beverley Githens Dresbach, 1912-1920 [5].
4. Beverley Githens Dresbach, 1927-1938 [8].
5. Beverley Githens Dresbach, 1939-1943 [16].
6. Glenn Ward Dresbach, 1889-1896 [4].
7. Glenn Ward Dresbach, 1900-1918 [6].
8. Glenn Ward Dresbach, 1926-1941 [5].
9. Dresbachs, 1944 [8].
10. Dresbachs, 1945-1949 [16].
11. Dresbachs, 1950-1959 [19].
12. Dresbachs, 1961-1965 [19].
13. Dresbachs, 1966-1971 and n.d. [8].
14. Bon Repos, 1944-1968 [6].
15. Picture postcards for Christmas, 1944-1966 [11].

Series 7. Ephemera.

Box 8 (cont'd)

16. Military records, 1918 and 1968 [17 items].
17. Awards and certificates, 1920-1968 [12 items].
18. Honorary Eureka Springs Police Badge, 1965.
19. Poem, "Dresbach at Seventy," by Edsel Ford. Ford mounted a copy of this poem on a cedar plaque and presented it to Glenn Ward Dresbach in 1966.

Series 8. Microfilm.

Patricia Daggett loaned the following material to Special Collections for microfilming in 1971. The original manuscripts were returned to the donor.

Reel 1

1. Manuscript. Typescript of The Selected Poems (1914-1930) of Glenn Ward Dresbach, 1931.
2. Scrapbook: "Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles, Christmas 1937," compiled by Beverley Githens.
3. Correspondence, Glenn Dresbach, May 5, 1963.

Last modified: Thursday, January 15, 2004