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Special Collections Research Center
William & Mary Special Collections Research CenterElizabeth Engelken and William & Mary Special Collections Research Center Staff.
Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.
Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.
Linda Lavin Papers, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.
All accessions unless otherwise noted were a gift of Linda Lavin. Acc. 1988.09 received on 2/17/1988; Acc. 1988.15 received on 4/18/1988; Acc. 1988.19 received on 5/12/1988; Acc. 1988.21 received on 5/27/1988; Acc. 1988.30 received on 8/19/1988; Acc. 1988.49 received on 12/21/1988; Acc. 1989.07 received on 2/7/1989; Acc. 1989.15 received on 3/30/1989; Acc. 1989.30 received on 6/26/1989; Acc. 1989.34 received on 8/3/1989; Acc. 1989.39 received on 9/14/1989; Acc. 1990.10 received on 3/14/1990; Acc. 1990.14 received on 4/9/1990; Acc. 1990.24 received on 5/24/1990; Acc. 1990.38 received on 9/18/1990; Acc. 1990.41 received on 10/12/1990; Acc. 1991.06 received on 1/16/1991; Acc. 1991.52 received on 9/26/1991; Acc. 1991.56A received on 10/28/1991 from Howard Scammon; Acc. 1992.10 received on 3/18/1992 from William D. Eppes; Acc. 1992.41 received on 8/26/1992; Acc. 1994.29 received on 4/14/1994 from Robert Maccubbin and Martha Hamilton-Phillips; Acc. 1995.38 received on 8/7/1995; Acc. 1995.47 received on 8/21/1995; Acc. 1995.51 received on 9/8/1995; Acc. 2001.02 received on 2/2/2001; Acc. 2001.05 received on 3/3/2001.
Linda Lavin (born October 15, 1937 in Portland, Maine) is an American singer and Tony Award and Golden Globe Award-winning stage, film and television actress. Born to musically-talented parents, Lavin has been onstage since the age of 5. Upon her graduation from the College of William and Mary she had already received her Actors' Equity Association card. She was a member of the Compass Players in the late 1950s. By the early 1960s Lavin made a name for herself in New York City on Broadway, and her role and fame continued to grow over the course of the next 40 years. Further information about this individual or organization may be available in the Special Collections Research Center Wiki: .
Papers of Linda Lavin which document her career as a Broadway and television actress, and also as an advocate of women's rights and equal opportunity. Newspaper clippings, interviews, news releases, and personal letters record her success as a member of Neil Simon's Broadway play, "Broadway Bound," for which she received a Tony Award, the Drama Desk Award, and the Helen Hayes Award in 1987 as best leading actress.
Newsclippings also record her roles as producer and actress in made for television movies "Lena: My Hundred Children," "A Place to Call Home," "I Want to go Home," and "Sea of Terror."
Invitations, programs, and playbills record the various benefits, lectureships, and ceremonies in which Lavin has participated as a theatrical figure. Material on the Horizon Art Exchange, the Drama League of New York, the National Commission on Working Women of Wider Opportunities for Women, the National Organization for Women, and the National Mother's Day Committee, from which Lavin received the 1987 Outstanding Mother Award, and the Stepfamily Association of America, Inc. are included. Letters from California state legislator Tom Hayden mark Lavin's support in the 1988 Presidential election on behalf of the Democratic Party.
See the University Archives Audiovisual Collection (UA 58) for recordings of Lavin press conferences at the College of William and Mary; Department of Theatre, Speech, and Dance Records (UA 59); Colonial Echo yearbook; The Flat Hat student newspaper; University Archives Photograph Collection (UA 8).
Other Information:
A PDF document of this inventory is available online.
Additional information may be found at http://scrc.swem.wm.edu/findingaids/88_L39_Lavin.pdf
Mss. 88 L39 consists of all accessions received in 1988, 1989 and early 1990. See acquisition information for specific dates. See pdf inventory for more description.
Program for choral recital in which Lucille Lavin participated, 11 June 1945.
Poem, "The River," printed in The Lincolnian, written by Linda Lavin.
Program for "Theatre is a Lady," produced by Backdrop Club, a student Theatre organization of the College of William and Mary. Including Typewritten copy of Newsclipping, 24 May 1957, a review of "Theatre is a Lady" by the Virginia Gazette.
Copy of a "Celebrity birthdays" column. Noting the 39th birthday of Linda Lavin.
Advertisements, articles, interviews, reviews of "Broadway Bound" and Linda Lavin's role in the play.
Letters congradulating Lavin on her role in "Broadway Bound."
News releases announcing Tony nominations and Drama Desk Award nominations for 1986-1987 theater season
Articles and announcements on Linda Lavin's Tony Award and other nominations for her role in Neil Simon's Broadway play, "Broadway Bound."
Letter from Francine Mason of New York Convention and Visitors Bureau, Incorporated, congratulating Linda Lavin on her Tony Award and asking her to participate in a promotional commercial for the city.
Playbill, tickets and schedule of events for the Tony Awards ceremony at the mark Hellinger Theatre.
Letters, announcements, articles, and news releases on Linda Lavin's Outstanding Mother Award by the National Mother's Day Committee
2 pages. Typed Letter Signed. Including Printed Material, 2 June 1987, playbill for "Star" luncheon honoring Jose Ferrer. 7 pages.
15 pages. Printed Material and Typewritten Letter Signed.
5 pages. Typed Letter Signed
5 pages. Typewritten Copy of Printed Material
2 pages. Autograph Letters Signed. Including Autograph Letter Signed from Tom Hayden, Sacramento, California., to "Linda [Lavin and husband] Kip [Niven]," no place. Thanks them for support in his re-election to California State Assembly in the 1988 presidential election. 1 page
6 pages. Typewritten Letter Signed and Typewritten Letter Signed
6 items. Copy of Autograph Letter Singed.
Includes interview with Lavin, spokesperson for the Association. 1 item. Copy of Printed Material
7 items.
5 pages. Autograph Letter Signed and Typewritten Letter Signed
7 pages. Typewritten Copy of Printed Material.
1 page. Printed Material. Including Printed Material, newsletter, June 1989 of The Drama League of New York. 4 pages.
9 items. Manuscript and Autograph Letter Signed and Printed Material.
4 pages. Printed Material. Including Printed Material, play, "Chocolate Cake," 7 March 1989, read by Linda Lavin at "Insight VII: Eating Disorders: The Dangerous Spectrum" presented at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. 7 pages. Including Typewritten Letter Signed, from Mary Adams Martin, Rochester, Minn. to Linda Lavin, New York, N.Y., 15 March 1989, thanking her for participatin in "Insight VII." 1 page.
1 item. P1
Arranged alphabetically, A-D. 12 items. Autograph letter signed, typewritten letter signed, printed material.
Arranged alphabetically, E - J. 16 items. Autograph letter signed, typewritten letter signed, and printed material.
Arranged alphabetically, K-R. 15 items. Autograph letter signed, typewritten letter signed, and printed material.
Arranged alphabetically, S-W. 15 items. Autograph letter signed, typewritten letter signed, and printed material.
3 items. Newspaper clipping and printed material. Including printed material, no date, pamphlet describing the history, purpose and goals of Women at Work [WOW], with which Lavin is affiliated through the National Commission on Working Women. Including printed material, no date, review of "See You in the Morning" from People magazine. 1 item.
5 items. Autograph letter signed and typewritten letter signed. Including typewritten letter signed, no date, from actress Jane Fonda thanking Lavin for her donation the the "STOP ENVIRONMENTAL CANCER PROJECT" benefit. 1 item.
2 items. Printed material.
4 items. Newspaper clips and copies of newspaper clips.
2 items. Copies of newspaper clippings.
7 items. Printed materials and copies of a newspaper clipping.
1 item. Printed material.
2 items. Printed materials.
1 item. P(1).
2 items. Printed materials.
2 items. Printed materials.
2 items. Newspaper clips. Including newspaper clip, no date, review of "Girl Crazy". 1 item.
2 items. Xerox copies of printed material.
1 item. Typewritten letter signed. Including printed material, 24 March 1990, program for "Wall to Wall Gershwin", which is autographed and marked by Lavin. 1 item.
1 item. Newspaper clipping.
2 pages. 1 item.
Clippings and reviews relating to Gypsy, participation in A Tribute to Neil Simon, the New Harmony Project, AIDS Walk New York, and National Committee on Working Women. 14 items. 3 folders. See pdf inventory for more description.
10 items.
4 items. Includes letters from Arthur Whitelaw and George Cuttingham, President of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
4 items.
Programs and newspaper clippings relating to Linda Lavin's career in theater and efforts for working women. Includes school project of "My Career as a Pianist" written by Linda Lavin when she was about 12 years old. 12 items. 4 folders.
Items relating to Linda Lavin's performance in the Broadway show "Gypsy," material relating to her participation in New York State's Democratic party politics and two early undated playbills for shows in which she performed. Includes congratulatory letters, clippings, programs, articles and pictures. 3 folders. See pdf inventory for more description.
14 items
4 items.
6 items.
Letter to Linda Lavin from William Wirtz, four letters from Howard Scammon, and one booklet, "Heart String: The National Tour, Evenings of Hope for the Healing of AIDS." 2 folders. See pdf inventory for more description.
Flyer of the American Repertory Theatre featuring "Six Characters in Search of an Author " and the September 3, 1990 Theater Week with cover story "Linda Lavin, the New Girl in Town."
Clipping from the Parade Magazine, February 27, 1992, with article on Linda Lavin. Newspaper clipping
Newspaper clipping about Linda Lavin
Playbill for the March 26,1994 performance of "The Sisters Rosenweig" at the Ethel Barrymore Theater, autographed by Linda Lavin, Michael Learned, Tony Roberts, Joanne Camp, Tom Hewitt, Amy Ryan, Brian O'Byrne, and John Cunningham.
News clippings, magzines and correspondence about Linda Lavin's professional career in theatre and television. A PDF document of this inventory is available online.
4 items
12 items.
3 items
4 items.
4 items.
5 items.
6 items
7 items
8 items.
6 items
6 items.
15 items.
24 items.
3 items
7 items
1 item.
18 items.
7 items.
8 items.
2 items.
3 items.
7 items.
34 items.
19 items.
15 items
13 items.
6 items
16 items
4 items
These two accessions combined into Acc. 2001.05. Clippings, articles, reviews, memorabilia and playbills relating to Linda Lavin's theatre performances and television, plus personal material on her divorce. A PDF document of this inventory is available online.
2001-5 addition
2001-5 addition