The Matthew J. Bruccoli
John O'Hara Collection, 1927-1976

Inventory

Biographical Note

John O'Hara was born in 1905 in Pottsville, Pennslyvania. He began his professional writing career as a reporter for one of Pottsville's two newspapers. His first novel, Appointment at Samarra, was published in 1935. This was followed in 1935 by another novel, Butterfield 8. Rage to Live was published in 1949 and met with tremendous commercial succes, but was critically panned. O'Hara wrote several other novels over the course of his life, but his short stories won him critical acclaim and praise. Possibly influenced by Sinclair Lewis and others, O'Hara was a social novelist whose works focused on the so-called "American Establishment." O'Hara died in 1970.

Matthew J. Bruccoli was born on August 21, 1931, and died on June 4, 2008. He earned his Master's degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia. Bruccoli began work on a bibliography of John O'Hara's works while on the faculty at The Ohio State University. Bruccoli also published a biograhy of O'Hara 1975. Bruccoli is a specialist in modern American literature and is a renowned expert on F. Scott Fitzgerald. In 1962 Bruccoli joined with C. E. Frazer Clark, Jr. to start Bruccoli Clark Layman to publish special limited editions of literary works. The company incorporated in 1976 and began producing the Dicitonary of Literary Biography. Bruccoli served as a Professor of English and the Director, Center for Editions of American Authors, at the University of South Carolina from 1969-1976. In 1976 he became the Jefferies Professor of English, University of South Carolina. Bruccoli is the author and editor of dozens of articles, bibliographies, biographies, and texts on major American writers including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Raymond Chandler, James Gould Cozzens, and John O'Hara.

Scope and Content

The Matthew J. Bruccoli John O'Hara Collection was donated to Kent State University in 1987. The collections consists of documents, corrospondence, and manuscripts pertaining to Bruccoli's research and publication of articles and other works on the author John O'Hara, primarily The O'Hara Concern : A Biography of John O'Hara (1975).

In addition to this collection of manuscript material, Dr. Bruccoli donated an extensive collection of O'Hara's books, all of which are cataloged in KentLINK. Playbills for Pal Joey are filed in the Playbill Collection.

1. Manuscript: John O'Hara: A Descriptive Bibliography, M. Bruccoli, [n.d.]
2. Manuscript: John O'Hara: A Descriptive Bibliography, M. Bruccoli, [n.d.]
3. Typescript: John O'Hara: A Descriptive Bibliography, M. Bruccoli, [n.d.]
4. Page Proofs: John O'Hara: A Descriptive Bibliography, M. Bruccoli, [n.d.]
5. Photocopies: John O'Hara: A Descriptive Bibliography, M. Bruccoli, [n.d.]
6. Untitled Essay: M. Bruccoli, [n.d.]
7. Correspondence: from Marilyn Hails, Production editor, "Tough Guys" to M. Bruccoli, March 14, 1968
8. Manuscript, page proofs, photocopies of essay, "Appointment at Samarra: The Importance of Knowing What You Are Talking About" by M. Bruccoli, 1968
9. Front matter and notes from the O'Hara Concern by M. Bruccoli, 1975

10. Correspondence: from John O'Hara to Matthew J. Bruccoli, Oct, 21 1962
11. Correspondence: from John O'Hara to Matthew J. Bruccoli, Jan. 8, 1963
12. Correspondence: from John O'Hara to Matthew J. Bruccoli, June 26, 1963
13. Correspondence: from John O'Hara to Matthew J. Bruccoli, Feb. 12, 1966
14. Correspondence: from Donald S. Klopfer to Matthew J. Bruccoli, Jan. 22, 1963
15. Correspondence: from Albert Erskine to Matthew J. Bruccoli, June 5, 1964
16. Correspondence: from Albert Erskine to Matthew J. Bruccoli, July 3, 1964
17. Correspondence: from Albert Ereskine to Matthew J. Bruccoli, Dec. 29, 1975
18. Correspondence: from Esther Margolis to Matthew J. Bruccoli, Mar. 25 1975
19. Correspondence: from Albert Erskine to L.L. Winship, Nov. 23, 1965
20. Correspondence: from Albert Erskine to Sidney Jacobs, Dec. 2, 1965
21. Correspondence: from Albert Erskine to Matthew J. Bruccoli, Dec. 9, 1965
22. Correspondence: from Albert Erskine to Matthew J. Bruccoli, Jan. 22, 1970
23. Correspondence: from K.B. O'Hara to Matthew J. Bruccoli, [n.d.]
24. Correspondence: from F.A. Hetzel to H. Hobbs, April 14, 1965
25. Correspondence: from A. Rota to Matthew J. Bruccoli, July 12, 1966
26. Correspondence: from Bernard Quaritch, Ltd. to Matthew J. Bruccoli, Nov. 14, 1967
27. Correspondence: from Bernard Quaritch, Ltd. to Matthew J. Bruccoli, Nov. 23, 1967
28. Correspondence: from Howell, W.R. to Matthew J. Bruccoli, Nov. 29, 1967
29. Correspondence: from G. Hilmer Lundbeck to Matthew J. Bruccoli, Feb. 2, 1973
30. Correspondence: from Anthony Rota to Matthew J. Bruccoli, June 20, 1975
31. Correspondence: from Frank Darchinger to Matthew J. Bruccoli, July 24,1975
32. Correspondence: from Frank Darchinger to Matthew J. Bruccoli, Aug 27, 1975
33. Correspondence: from Frank Darchinger to Matthew J. Bruccoli, Aug. 27, 1975
34. Correspondence: from Matthew J. Bruccoli to H.W. Schwartz, Jan. 19 [n.d.]
35. Correspondence: from George Frazier to Matthew J. Bruccoli, Dec. 5,1967
36. Correspondence: from Philip B. Eppard to Matthew J. Bruccoli, July 2, 1975
37. Correspondence: from Anthony Rota to Matthew J. Bruccoli, July 11, 1975
38. Correspondence: from Hampton Books to Matthew J. Bruccoli, July 16,1975
39. Correspondence: from Philip B. Eppard to Matthew J. Bruccoli, July 23,1975
40. Correspondence: from Matthew J. Bruccoli to Norman Kane, July 28, N.D.
41. Correspondence: from Linda Williams to Matthew J. Bruccoli, April 3, 1975

42. Tamaqua Pennsylvania Courier Payroll records, 2 pages, O'Hara Listed, 1927
43. Telegram: from John O'Hara to Ruth Sato, Jan. 13, 1935
44. Telegram: from John O'Hara to Ruth Sato, Jan. 23, 1935
45. Correspondence: from John O'Hara to Ruth Sato, Feb. 10, 1935
46. Contract between John O'Hara and Robert D. Andrews, proceeds from "Flight from Glory"
47. Correspondence: from John O'Hara to Clifford Odets, July 4, 1953

48. Correspondence: from George Frazier to Matthew J. Bruccoli, May 14, 1970
49. Correspondence: from Charles W. Mann to Matthew J. Bruccoli, June 4, 1970
50. Correspondence: from Charles W. Mann to Matthew J. Bruccoli, Photocopy of signed dedication in front of a book, July 27, 1970
51. Correspondence: from W. Carl Jackson to Matthew J. Bruccoli, July 27, 1970
52. Correspondence, newspaper article: from George Frazier to Matthew J. Bruccoli, Aug 28, 1970
53. Correspondence: from Charles W. Mann to Matthew J. Bruccoli, Sept. 4, 1970
54. Correspondence: from George Frazier to Matthew J. Bruccoli, 1970
55. Correspondence: from Vernon Sternberg to Peter P. Mcn. Gates, Nov. 13, 1974
56. Correspondence: from R.H. to Mrs. Louis Henry Cohn (Margie), Nov. 15, 1967
57. Invitation: to Matthew J. Bruccoli to John O'Hara memorial service from Random House Publishers,May 13, 1970
58. Correspondence: from Matthew J. Bruccoli to Charles W. Mann, May 14, 1970
59. Correspondence: from Matthew J. Bruccoli to Charles W. Mann, June 8, 1970
60. Correspondence: from Matthew J. Bruccoli to Lynn Strong, March 18, 1975
61. Correspondence: from Vernon Sternberg to U.S. Trust Company of New York, March 19, 1975
62. Correspondence: from Donald S. Klopfer to Matthew J. Bruccoli, Sept. 9, 1975
63. Correspondence: from Ruth Sato to Matthew J. Bruccoli, Oct. 24, 1975
64. Correspondence: from B. Barbara Friedberg to Matthew J. Bruccoli, Feb. 15, 1976

65. "Friend of Princeton University Library" letter, from Richard M. Huber, Feb. 13, 1967
66. Correspondence: from Mac E. Barrick to Matthew J. Bruccoli, and a booklet entitled "Proverbs and Sayings from Gibbsville, PA. John O'Hara's use of proverbial materials", by Mac E. Barrick, Sept. 7, 1967
67. Correspondence: from T. J_____ to _________,Sept. 29, 1975, includes photocopied material
68. Review of Matthew J. Bruccoli's "The O'Hara Concern", by Hoke Norris, 1975
69. Caricature of John O'Hara: artist unknown, [n.d.]
70. Play: "The General's Return from One Place to Another", by "John O'Hara", note by John O'Hara on front indicating that play is not his and note by Matthew J. Bruccoli on verso of last page indicating the same, [n.d.]

71. Photographs and jacket designs for The O'Hara Concern
72. Photographs and jacket designs for The O'Hara Concern