Dorson, Richard M. (Richard Mercer), 1916-1981

Variant names

Hide Profile

Dr. Richard Dorson is often cited as the father of American folklore. Over his lifetime he published a large collection of books and articles dealing with how folklore and culture are tied together. Dorson founded the Indiana University Folklore Institute in 1963, and became the first director and Chairman of the Folklore Department in 1978.

From the description of Richard M. Dorson papers, 1940-1980, bulk 1962-1977. (Indiana University). WorldCat record id: 528831734

Folklorist

Began his teaching career as an instructor of history at Harvard in 1943. He moved to Michigan State University in 1944 where he stayed until 1957 when he accepted a position at Indiana University as professor of history and folkore as well as that of Chairman of the Committee on Folklore. When the I.U. Folklore Institute was established in 1963, Dorson became its first director, and in 1978 he was named the first Chairman of the Folklore Department.

From the description of Papers 1925-1981. (Indiana University). WorldCat record id: 702669751

Folklorist. Began his teaching career as an instructor of history at Harvard in 1943. He moved to Michigan State University in 1944 where he stayed until 1957 when he accepted a position at Indiana University as professor of history and folklore as well as that of Chairman of the Committee on Folklore. When the Indiana University Folklore Institute was established in 1963, Dorson became its first director, and in 1978 he was named the first Chairman of the Folklore Department.

Dorson was born in New York City, studied at Phillips Exeter Academy, 1929-1933, earned his A.B., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard University, and began his teaching career as an instructor of history at Harvard in 1943. He moved to Michigan State University in 1944 where he stayed until 1957 when he accepted a position at Indiana University as professor of history and folklore as well as that of Chairman of the Committee on Folklore. When the Indiana University Folklore Institute was established in 1963, Dorson became its first director, and in 1978 he was named the first Chairman of the Folklore Department. Dorson also held a variety of visiting professorships, including a year at the University of Tokyo as a Fulbright Visiting Professor in American Studies (1956), a semester at the University of California, Berkeley (1968), and a semester at the University of Pennsylvania (1980).

A tireless scholar and researcher, Dorson received many awards and honors over the years, beginning with the Harvard Sheldon Traveling Fellowship for 1942-1943. Other awards included a Library of Congress Fellowship in History of American Civilization, 1946; three Guggenheim Fellowships, 1949, 1964, and 1971; fellowships from the American Council of Learned Societies in 1952 and 1961; and a year as fellow at the National Humanities Center's Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, 1978-1979. His many grants from a variety of foundations and institutions include the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Smithsonian Institution, and the U.S. Department of Justice.

He was an active member of professional societies and organizations, serving as Editor of the American Folklore Society's Journal of American Folklore, 1957-1962, as president of the Society, 1966-1968, and as the Society's delegate to the American Council of Learned Societies, 1969-1973. Dorson also served terms as vice president of the International Society for Folk Narrative Research from 1959 to 1964 and of the International Society of Ethnology and Folklore, 1964-1971. In 1973 he was elected to honorary membership of the English Folklore Society on whose Council he had been serving since 1969. In 1981 Dorson retired as Chairman of the Folklore Department but remained Director of the Folklore Institute and professor of folklore and history until his death a few months later.

From the guide to the Dorson mss., 1925-1981, (Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington) http://www.indiana.edu/~liblilly)

Richard Dorson, 1916-1981, was born in New York City, studied at Phillips Exeter Academy, 1929-1933, and earned his A.B., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard University. He began his teaching career at Harvard University in 1943, moved to Michigan State University in 1944, and spent the majority of his teaching years at Indiana University, 1957-1981. While at Indiana University he founded the Folklore Institute in 1963 and became the first director and Chairman of the Department of Folklore in 1978.

Over the span of his career Dr. Dorson wrote a multitude of books and articles. Dorson received many awards and honors over the years, beginning with the Harvard Sheldon Traveling Fellowship for 1942-1943; the Library of Congress Fellowship in History of American Civilization, 1946; three Guggenheim Fellowships, 1949, 1964 and 1971; and fellowships from the American Council of Learned Societies in 1952 and 1961. He received grants from a variety of foundations and institutions including the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Smithsonian Institution, and the U.S. Department of Justice.

Dr. Dorson was also active in several professional societies and organizations in the field of folklore. He served as editor of the American Folklore Society's Journal of American Folklore, 1957-1962; as president of the society, 1966-1968, and as the society's delegate to the American Council of Learned Societies, 1969-1973. Dorson also served terms as vice president of the International Society of Folk Narrative Research from 1959 to 1964 and of the International Society of Ethnology and Folklore, 1964-1971.

From the guide to the Richard M. Dorson papers, 1940-1980, bulk 1962-1977, (Indiana University Office of University Archives and Records Management http://www.libraries.iub.edu/archives)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Folklore and Ethnomusicology Publications records, 1942-2004, (bulk 1968-2004) Indiana University Office of University Archives and Records Management
creatorOf Paul Bunyan Playground Association. [Paul Bunyan ephemera] Indiana University
creatorOf Dorson, Richard M. (Richard Mercer), 1916-1981. Richard M. Dorson papers. Michigan State University Libraries, Main Library
creatorOf Dorson, Richard Mercer, 1916-1981. Papers 1925-1981. Indiana University
referencedIn Dorson mss., 1925-1981 Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington)
creatorOf Dorson, Richard Mercer, 1916-1981. Richard M. Dorson papers, 1940-1980, bulk 1962-1977. Indiana University
creatorOf Richard M. Dorson papers, 1940-1980, bulk 1962-1977 Indiana University Office of University Archives and Records Management
referencedIn IU Folklore Institute, 1987 Indiana University, Bloomington. Center for the Study of History and Memory
creatorOf Coates, Norma. Folklore collection, 1972. Northeast Archives of Folklore and Oral History, Maine Folklife Center
creatorOf Dorson, Richard M. (Richard Mercer), 1916-1981. Richard M. Dorson papers. Michigan State University Libraries, Main Library
referencedIn Mottar, Robert M. Mary Celestia Parler photographs : Ozark folklore photographs, 1950s. University of Arkansas - Fayetteville, University Libraries
referencedIn Thompson, S. mss., 1911-1976 Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington)
creatorOf Dorson mss., 1925-1981 Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington)
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Abrahams, Roger David person
associatedWith Adams, Robert Jesse person
associatedWith Allen, Thomas Benton person
associatedWith Andersen, S. P. person
associatedWith Andrzejewski, Bogumił Witalis person
associatedWith Arewa, E. Ojo person
associatedWith Arguedas, José Maria person
associatedWith Armistead, Samuel Gordon person
associatedWith Armstrong, Robert Plant person
associatedWith Arno Press corporateBody
associatedWith Arnott, David Whitehorn person
associatedWith Arpad, Joseph John person
associatedWith Ashton, John William person
associatedWith Austerlitz, Robert Paul person
associatedWith Babalola, Adeboye person
associatedWith Babcock, Barbara Anne person
associatedWith Bachrach, Arthur Julian person
associatedWith Ball, John person
associatedWith Balys, Jonas person
associatedWith Barber, Cesar Lombardi person
associatedWith Barbour, Frances M. person
associatedWith Barnes, Tom person
associatedWith Barua, Birinchi Kumar person
associatedWith Bascom, William Russell person
associatedWith Basgöz, Ilhan person
associatedWith Baughman, Ernest Warren person
associatedWith Bauman, Richard person
associatedWith Bayard, Samuel Preston person
associatedWith Beam, C. Richard person
associatedWith Beatie, Bruce Alan person
associatedWith Beck, Horace Palmer person
associatedWith Beeson, Lewis person
associatedWith Beitl, Klaus person
associatedWith Ben-Ami, Issachar person
associatedWith Ben-Amos, Dan person
associatedWith Benson, Martha A. person
associatedWith Berry, Jack person
associatedWith Berwick, Keith Bennet person
associatedWith Bianco, Carla DiFazio person
associatedWith Biebuyck, Daniel Prosper person
associatedWith Blacker, Carmen Elizabeth person
associatedWith Blair, Walter person
associatedWith Blank, Les person
associatedWith Blegen, Theodore Christian person
associatedWith Bloom, John Porter person
associatedWith Blumenthal, Joseph person
associatedWith Boatright, Mody Coggin person
associatedWith Boggs, Ralph Steele person
associatedWith Boorstin, Daniel Joseph person
associatedWith Boorstin, Ruth Carolyn (Frankel) person
associatedWith Botkin, Benjamin Albert person
associatedWith Bowen, Carroll G. person
associatedWith Braddy, Haldeen person
associatedWith Braden, Samuel Edward person
associatedWith Brady, George Keyports person
associatedWith Brandon, Elizabeth (Kaplan) person
associatedWith Brednich, Rolf Wilhelm person
associatedWith Briggs, Katharine Mary person
associatedWith Bringham, Clarence Saunders person
associatedWith Browne, Ray Broadus person
associatedWith Brown, Henry Daniels person
associatedWith Brunvand, Jan Harold person
associatedWith Burkhardt, Frederick Henry person
associatedWith Byington, Robert Harold person
associatedWith Byrnes, Robert Francis person
associatedWith Callery, Joseph S. person
associatedWith Call, Thelma person
associatedWith Campbell, Marie Alice (Umbach) person
associatedWith Carey, George Gibson person
associatedWith Carpenter, Inta (Gale) person
associatedWith Carrière, Joseph Médard person
associatedWith Carter, Byrum Earl person
associatedWith Carvalho-Neto, Paulo de person
associatedWith Catton, Bruce person
associatedWith Charters, Werrett Wallace person
associatedWith Cheney, Thomas E. person
associatedWith Christiansen, Reidar Thoralf person
associatedWith Clarke, Kenneth Wendell person
associatedWith Clark, Thomas Dionysius person
associatedWith Claudel, Calvin André person
associatedWith Coates, Norma. person
associatedWith Coffin, Tristram Potter person
associatedWith Cogswell, Roby person
associatedWith Cohen, Hennig person
associatedWith Collins, Camilla Anne person
associatedWith Collins, Carvel Emerson person
associatedWith Collins, Ralph Leonard person
associatedWith Conroy, Jack person
associatedWith Constantin, Charles person
associatedWith Cortazar, Augusto Raúl person
associatedWith Creighton, Helen person
associatedWith Crowley, Daniel John person
associatedWith Current-Garcia, Gene person
associatedWith Curtis, Richard Bertram person
associatedWith Danielson, Larry William person
associatedWith Davison, Levette Jay person
associatedWith de Caro, Francis A. person
associatedWith Dégh, Linda person
associatedWith Deva, Indra person
associatedWith Dömötör, Tekla person
associatedWith Dorson, Richard M. (Richard Mercer), 1916-1981. person
associatedWith Dundes, Alan person
associatedWith Dupree, Louis Benjamin person
associatedWith Eberhard, Wolfram person
associatedWith Eder, Matthias person
associatedWith Elliott, Gerald A. person
associatedWith Emerson, William Richard person
associatedWith Emrich, Duncan Black Macdonald person
associatedWith Encyclopädie des Märchens corporateBody
associatedWith Evans, Emyr Estyn person
associatedWith Evans, Luther Harris person
associatedWith Fallon, John person
associatedWith Farrell, Robert Hugh person
associatedWith Fee, Walter Ray person
associatedWith Fenton, William Nelson person
associatedWith Fergusson, Donald A. person
associatedWith Fernandez, James William person
associatedWith Ferris, William Reyonalds person
associatedWith Fife, Austin Edwin person
associatedWith Fikry, Mona person
associatedWith Fitchen, Allen Nelson person
associatedWith Flanagan, John Theodore person
associatedWith Ford Foundation corporateBody
associatedWith Fraenkel, A. Peter person
associatedWith Franklin, Colin E. person
associatedWith Fred Russell Eggan person
associatedWith Friedman, Albert Barron person
associatedWith Fry, Gladys Marie person
associatedWith Fuld, James Jeffrey person
associatedWith Gallman, John Gerry person
associatedWith Garbat, Audre D. person
associatedWith Gargi, Balwant person
associatedWith Garraty, John Arthur person
associatedWith Gavazzi, Milovan person
associatedWith Georges, Robert A. person
associatedWith Gerow, Bert Alfred person
associatedWith Gillis, Frank person
associatedWith Gillmor, Frances person
associatedWith Glassie, Henry Haywood person
associatedWith Gohdes, Clarence Louis Frank person
associatedWith Goldstein, Kenneth S. person
associatedWith Goswami, Praphulladatta person
associatedWith Green, Rayna Diane person
associatedWith Greenway, John person
associatedWith Greenwood Press corporateBody
associatedWith Gresham, William B., Jr. person
associatedWith Greverus, Ina-Maria person
associatedWith Griffin, William James person
associatedWith Gucker, Frank Thomson person
associatedWith Gunderson, R. G. person
associatedWith Halpert, Herbert person
associatedWith Hand, Wayland Debs person
associatedWith Haque, Abu Saeed Zahurul person
associatedWith Haring, Lee person
associatedWith Harvard University Press corporateBody
associatedWith Hassell, James Woodrow person
associatedWith Haywood, Charles person
associatedWith Heilfurth, Gerhard person
associatedWith Henderson, Hamish person
associatedWith Henningsen, Gustav person
associatedWith Herskovits, Melville Jean person
associatedWith Herzog, George person
associatedWith Hines, Donald Merrill person
associatedWith Hoffman, Daniel Gerard person
associatedWith Holbek, Bengt person
associatedWith Holbrook, Stewart Hall person
associatedWith Hole, Christina (Stanley) person
associatedWith Hori, Ichiro person
associatedWith Ho, Ting-jui person
associatedWith Hsu, Francis Lang-Kwang person
associatedWith Htin Aung, U. person
associatedWith Hudson, Arthur Palmer person
associatedWith Hurreiz, Sayed Hamid Ahmed person
associatedWith Hyman, Stanley Edgar person
associatedWith Hymes, Dell Hathaway person
associatedWith Indiana University corporateBody
associatedWith Indiana University, Bloomington. Folklore and Ethnomusicology Publications. corporateBody
associatedWith Indiana University, Bloomington. Folklore Institute corporateBody
associatedWith Indiana University Center for the Study of History and Memory corporateBody
associatedWith Indiana University Press corporateBody
associatedWith International Zeemanshuis-Antwerpen corporateBody
associatedWith Ives, Edward Dawson person
associatedWith Jackson, Bruce person
associatedWith Jackson, Kennell A. person
associatedWith Jackson, Kenneth Hurlstone person
associatedWith Jacobs, Melville person
associatedWith James, Edward Topping person
associatedWith Jameson, Raymond De Loy person
associatedWith James, Thelma Gray person
associatedWith Jankovic, Ljubica S. person
associatedWith Jansen, William Hugh person
associatedWith Janson, H. F. person
associatedWith Johnson, Aili Kolehmainen person
associatedWith Johnson, John William person
associatedWith Jones, Howard Mumford person
associatedWith Jones, Louis Clark person
associatedWith Jones, Stephen S., Jr. person
associatedWith Kane, Richard person
associatedWith Karpeles, Maud person
associatedWith Keller, John Esten person
associatedWith Kendrick, John H. person
associatedWith Kennedy, Douglas Neil person
associatedWith Kirkendall, Richard S. person
associatedWith Kirkland, Edwin Capers person
associatedWith Kirk, Russell Amos person
associatedWith Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, Barbara person
associatedWith Kirtley, Bacil Flemming person
associatedWith Kishibe, Shigeo person
associatedWith Klymasz, Robert Bogdan person
associatedWith Knappert, Jan person
associatedWith Knott, Sarah Gertrude person
associatedWith Köngäs Maranda, Elli Kaija person
associatedWith Korson, George Gershon person
associatedWith Koster, Donald Nelson person
associatedWith Krzyzanowski, Julian person
associatedWith Kunene, Daniel person
associatedWith Kurath, Gertrude (Prokosch) person
associatedWith Laade, Wolfgang person
associatedWith Lacourcière, Luc person
associatedWith LaPin, Deirdre Ann person
associatedWith Leach, MacEdward person
associatedWith Lee, Hector person
associatedWith Legman, Gershon person
associatedWith Leibovici, Marcel person
associatedWith Liebenow, J. Gus person
associatedWith Lindahl, Car person
associatedWith Lindfors, Bernth O. person
associatedWith Lindgren, Ethel John person
associatedWith List, George Harold person
associatedWith Lomax, Alan person
associatedWith Loomis, Charles Grant person
associatedWith Luomala, Katharine person
associatedWith Lurie, Edward person
associatedWith Mabuchi, Toichi person
associatedWith MacPhail, Heather person
associatedWith MacQueen, John person
associatedWith Mancini, Pat (McNees) person
associatedWith Manuel, E. Arsenio person
associatedWith Mason, Leonard Edward person
associatedWith Matcalf, George Joseph person
associatedWith Matičetov, Milko person
associatedWith McAllester, David Park person
associatedWith McCann, William C. person
associatedWith McClellan, Edwin person
associatedWith McCulloh, Judith Marie (Binkele) person
associatedWith McDavid, Raven Ioor person
associatedWith McDermott, John Francis person
associatedWith McDonald, Donald Archie person
associatedWith McGuire, Paula person
associatedWith Meine, Franklin Julius person
associatedWith Merino de Zela, E. Mildred person
associatedWith Merriam, Alan Parkhurst person
associatedWith Merritt, Lynne Lionel person
associatedWith Messenger, John Cowan person
associatedWith Millar, Branford Price person
associatedWith Mintz, Jerome Richard person
associatedWith Misra, Bhabagrahi person
associatedWith Mitchner, Ann (Patterson) person
associatedWith Moe, Henry Allen person
associatedWith Mook, Maurice Allison person
associatedWith Moore, Bai Tami'a Johnson person
associatedWith Morris, Alton Chester person
associatedWith Morse, Wayne Lyman person
associatedWith Mott, Howard S. person
associatedWith Moyne, Ernest John person
associatedWith Muelder, Milton E. person
associatedWith Murdock, Kenneth Ballard person
associatedWith Nettl, Bruno person
associatedWith Neumeyer, Peter Florian person
associatedWith Newall, Venetia June (Tubbs) person
associatedWith Nickerson, Bruce Edward person
associatedWith Nicolaisen, Wilhelm Fritz Hermann person
associatedWith Nkaya, Ken-ichi person
associatedWith Noss, Philip Andrew person
associatedWith Noy, Dov person
associatedWith Nye, Russel Blaine person
associatedWith O'Beirne-Ranelagh, Elaine (Lewis) person
associatedWith Ó Duilearga, Séamus person
associatedWith Oinas, Felix Johannes person
associatedWith O'Neil, Robert Merchant person
associatedWith Opie, Peter Mason person
associatedWith Oplier, Morris Edward person
associatedWith Ortutay, Gyula person
associatedWith Oster, Harry person
associatedWith O'Suilleabhain, Sean person
associatedWith Ouwehand, Cornelius person
associatedWith Overton, Douglas person
associatedWith Paredes, Américo person
associatedWith Pargellis, Stanley person
associatedWith Patai, Raphael person
associatedWith Peeters, Karel Constant person
associatedWith Pentikäinen, Juha Yrjänä person
associatedWith Perry, Bernard Barenson person
associatedWith Philipson, Morris H. person
associatedWith Pinon, Rodger person
associatedWith Pop, Mihai person
associatedWith Popov, A. person
associatedWith Porter, Kenneth Wiggins person
associatedWith Randall, Thomas Edwin person
associatedWith Randolph, Vance person
associatedWith Ranke, Kurt person
associatedWith Rayford, Julian Lee person
associatedWith Ray, Gordon Norton person
associatedWith Remak, Henry person
associatedWith Reuss, Richard A. person
associatedWith Richmond, Winthrop Edison person
associatedWith Richmond, Winthrop Edson person
associatedWith Ridenour, Harry Lee person
associatedWith Roberts, Roderick Joseph person
associatedWith Roberts, Warren Everett person
associatedWith Rodger, Ian Graham person
associatedWith Rodriges, Lucio person
associatedWith Röhrich, Lutz person
associatedWith Rosenburg, Bruce Alan person
associatedWith Rosenburg, Neil Vandraegen person
associatedWith Ross, E. person
associatedWith Rothstein, Manuel Dannemann person
associatedWith Routledge & Kegan Paul person
associatedWith Rubin, Ruth (Rosenblatt) person
associatedWith Ryan, John William person
associatedWith Sackett, Samuel John person
associatedWith Saleh, Ahmed Rushdi person
associatedWith Sanderson, Stewart Forson person
associatedWith Saucier, Corrine L. person
associatedWith Scheub, Harold Ernest person
associatedWith Schlesinger, Arthur Meier person
associatedWith Sebeok, Thomas Albert person
associatedWith Seki, Keigo person
associatedWith Selden, Sherman Ward person
associatedWith Senn, Harry A. person
associatedWith Shamy, Hasan M. El- person
associatedWith Shugg, Rodger Wallace person
associatedWith Siefert, Marsha Sue person
associatedWith Simeone, William E. person
associatedWith Simmons, Merle Edwin person
associatedWith Sinor, Denis person
associatedWith Slobin, Mark person
associatedWith Smith, Henry Nash person
associatedWith Solt, Leo Frank person
associatedWith Stahr, Elvis Jacob person
associatedWith Stampe, Betsy and Dennis W. Stampe person
associatedWith Stekert, Ellen Jane person
associatedWith Stetson, R. H. person
associatedWith Stolz, Benjamin Armond person
associatedWith Sullivan, William Francis person
associatedWith Sutton, Joseph Lee person
associatedWith Szövérffy, Joseph person
associatedWith Szwed, John Francis person
associatedWith Tax, Sol person
associatedWith Taylor, Archer person
associatedWith Thompson, Harold William person
associatedWith Thompson, Katharine (Simonds) person
associatedWith Thompson, Stith person
correspondedWith Thompson, Stith, 1885- person
associatedWith Tillhagen, Carl-Herman Olof person
associatedWith Tillson, Merl William person
associatedWith Toelken, Barre person
associatedWith Trevor, J. C. person
associatedWith Upadhyaya, Krishna Deva person
associatedWith Utley, Francis Lee person
associatedWith Vazsonyi, Andrew person
associatedWith Visher, Halene Hatcher person
associatedWith Voegelin, Charles Frederick person
associatedWith Wachsmann, Klaus Philipp person
associatedWith Wallis, Charles Langworthy person
associatedWith Walton, Ivan Henry person
associatedWith Wang, Arthur Woods person
associatedWith Warren, D. M. (Mike) person
associatedWith Waugh, Butler Huggins person
associatedWith Weatherby, Meredith person
associatedWith Webb, Hilda (Eggleston) person
associatedWith Weinreich, Uriel person
associatedWith Weisinger, Herbert person
associatedWith Wells, Herman B person
associatedWith Welsch, Rodger Lee person
associatedWith Wentworth, Richard Leigh person
associatedWith Wheeler-Voegelin, Erminie Brooke person
associatedWith Whiting, Bartlett Jere person
associatedWith Whitten, Norman Earl person
associatedWith Wildhaber, Robert person
associatedWith Wilgus, D. K. person
associatedWith Wilson, Edward Meryon person
associatedWith Wilson, George Macklin person
associatedWith Wilson, Thomas James person
associatedWith Winkelman, Donald Marvin person
associatedWith Wolff, Kurt person
associatedWith Woods, Barbara Allen person
associatedWith Wrigglesworth, Hazel J. person
associatedWith Yarborough, Ralph Webster person
associatedWith Yoder, Don person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Calumet Region (Ill. and Ind.)
Indiana--Bloomington
Indiana--Bloomington
Gary (Ind.)
Subject
Folklore
Folklorists
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1916

Death 1981

Americans

English

Information

Permalink: http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6029f3n

Ark ID: w6029f3n

SNAC ID: 52035099