A Guide to the Poetry Society of Virginia records, 1922-2018 M 53
A Collection in Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University, Collection number M 53.
VCU James Branch Cabell Library
Special Collections and Archives 901 Park AvenueRichmond, Virginia 23284
Business Number: (804) 828-1108
libjbcsca@vcu.edu
URL: https://www.library.vcu.edu/research-teaching/special-collections-and-archives/locations/#cabell
Special Collections and Archives staff
Administrative Information
Use Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Access Restrictions
Collection is open to research.
Preferred Citation
Poetry Society of Virginia records, 1922-2018, # M 53, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Va.
Acquisition Information
The collection has been donated to the Special Collections and Archives Department in several sections over the years, beginning in 1967.
Biographical / Historical
The Poetry Society of Virginia was founded in 1923 at the College of William and Mary by a small group of university faculty members and other Virginia poets. The organization seeks to promote the writing, study, and appreciation of poetry through generating publications, sponsoring a number of writing contests, and holding a variety of events across the state. The Society also plays a role in the selection process of the Virginia Poet Laureate.
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of materials created and acquired by members of the Poetry Society of Virginia and document the activities of the organization. Contents date from 1922 to 2018, with the bulk of the collection dating from the 1970s to the 2010s. Materials include annual contest files, student contest files, executive committee records, correspondence, membership lists, newsletters, event files, fliers, bylaws, information about individual poets, poems, and printouts from the organization's website.
Arrangement
The collection is divided into five series: Series 1: Administrative records, 1937-2018; Series 2: Correspondence, 1922-2013; Series 3: Program files, 1928-2018; Series 4: Publicity materials, 1946-2011; and Series 5: Poet files, 1926-2016
Subjects and Indexing Terms
- Poetry -- Archives. -- Societies, etc.
- Poets, American -- Virginia.
Container List
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 1
Bylaws1975-2005, undated
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 2
Corporation registration2006-2008
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 3-13
Executive committee1937, 1950-1952, 1965-2018
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 1
Financial records1969-1973
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 2
Grant and fellowship applications1989-1991, 2001
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 3
Letterhead1994-1998, undated
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 4
Meeting recording1968
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 5-7
Membership directories1975-2006
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 8-9
Membership lists1967-1977, 1989-2016
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 10-11
Membership materials1940, 1971-2007, undated
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 12
National Federation of State Poetry Societies1993-2004
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 13
Officer election materials2013
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 14
Organizational history1937-2011, undated
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 15
Regional meetings1964-2016
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 16
Treasurer files1996-1997
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 17
Herndon, Brodie1933, 1945-1973
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 18
Mabbot, Thomas1953, 1964-1965
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 19-20
McNally, James1973-1993
- Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 1
Member correspondence1968-2000, 2013
- Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 2
Norwood, Robert letters to Mary Evelyn Stiles1922-1932
- Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 3-4
Officer correspondence1993-2010, undated
- Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 5
Raymond, Richard1996-1998
- Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 6
Society library and collection1966-1994
- Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 7
Academy of American Poets Endowed Prizes2001-2010
- Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 8
Annual contest1975-1989
- Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 9
Annual contest1990-2000
- Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 10
Annual contest2001-2003
- Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 11
Annual contest2004
- Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 12
Annual contest2005
- Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 13
Annual contest2006
- Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 14
Annual contest2007
- Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 15-16
Annual contest2008
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 1
Annual contest2009
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 2
Annual contest2010
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 3
Annual contest2011
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 4
Annual contest2012
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 5-6
Annual contest2013
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 7-8
Annual contest2014
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 9
Annual contest2015
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 10-11
Annual contest2016
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 12
Annual contest2017
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 13-14
Annual contest files1955-2018
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 1
Annual student contest1991-2005, undated
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 2
Annual student contest2006
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 3
Annual student contest2007
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 4
Annual student contest2008
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 5
Annual student contest2009
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 6
Annual student contest2014
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 7
Annual student contest2015
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 8
Annual student contest2016
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 9
Annual student contest2017
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 10
Contest chairman materials1953-1979, undated
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 11
Cup contest2004-2007
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 12
Diamond Anniversary1997-1998
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 13
Golden Anniversary1973
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 14
Highland Festival2011-2015
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 15
Irene Leache Memorial contest1966-1970
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 16
Musical events1971-1973, 1981
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 17
Other contests, events, and classes1974-2010, undated
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 18
Poet's Corner recording1969
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 19
Poetry by the Sea1976-1989, undated
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 20-21
Poetry Festival1970-2015, undated
- Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 22
Poetry in the Schools2001-2007
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 1-2
Prize winning poem portfolios1956-1960, 1966
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 3
Readings and workshops1967-2015, undated
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 4
Reunions1928, 1932
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 5
Slam Richmond2003-2007, undated
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 6
Speech1974
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 7
Virginia Association of Teachers of English conference2015
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 8
Announcements binder1954-1964
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 9
Fliers1991-2005
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 10-11
National Federation of State Poetry Societies newsletter1992-2004
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 12
News releases and announcements1946-2006, undated
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 13
Newsletter files1993-1995, undated
- Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 14-18 Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 1-2
Newsletters1973, 1981-2018English.
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 3-4
Newspaper clippings1950-2009, undated
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 5
Other organizations' newsletters1974-2011
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 6-7
Website2005
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 8
Website newsletter2003-2008
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 9
Academy of American Poets1969-1970
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 10
Attack on America poems from website2007
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 11
Bickerstaff, Patsy Anneundated
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 12
Chivers, Thomas Holleyundated
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 13
Garrett, Georgeundated
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 14
Herndon, Brodie1946, 1973-1977, undated
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 15
Lull, Ed2012
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 16-17
Member accomplishments1957-2015, undated
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 18
Member anthology1991-2003, undated
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 19
Member publications list from website2007
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 20
Meet Virginia's Poets from website2007
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 21
Norwood, Robert1926-1932, undated
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 22
Obituaries1950-2014
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 23
Old Dominion Faculty Emeriti Association2007
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 24
Photographs1994, undated
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 25
Poemsundated
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 26
Poet laureate of Virginia1969-2016, undated
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 27
Roses so Red and Lilies so Fair: Songs and Poems of Virginia2009
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 28
Round robin poems from website2007
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 29
Smith, Ronundated
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 30
Spencer, Anneundated
- Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 31
Vlannes, Peppino1996-1997