Raymond O. Arsenault Collection

 

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Introduction and Biographical Information

Raymond O. Arsenault serves as the John Hope Franklin Professor of Southern History and Director of the University Honors Program at the University of South Florida (USF), St. Petersburg.  A member of the USF faculty since 1980, he specializes in the social, political, and environmental history and historiography of the American South, though his teaching and research interests cover nearly all areas of American history, culture, and civilization.  A native of Hyannis, Massachusetts, he also lived in Virginia, Maryland, and Florida (the Pensacola, Jacksonville, and Amelia Island areas) before attending college.  He completed his undergraduate education at Princeton (B.A., 1969) and finished his doctorate at Brandeis (Ph.D., 1981).  In addition to his teaching and research at USF, he has also taught at the University of Minnesota, Brandeis University, and in France at the Universite d’Angers, where he served as a Fullbright Lecturer in 1984-1985. Author of two prize-winning books, The Wild Ass of the Ozarks: Jeff Davis and the Social Bases of Southern Politics and St. Petersburg and the Florida Dream. 1888-1950, Arsenault has also written numerous articles in scholarly journals. He and Gary Mormino, USF Professor of History, have collaborated as co-editors for the “Florida History and Culture” series of monographs published by the University Press of Florida.  He regularly lectures at conferences and professional meetings, and has appeared on ABC’s Nightline, National Public Radio, and ABC Nightly News. A lifelong supporter of civil rights and social justice, Arsenault has also taken leadership roles with organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union, where he has served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Pinellas County Chapter since 1981, as Chapter President (1985-1997), and later as President of the state ACLU in 1998. In the summer of 1998, Arsenault donated some of his research files and miscellaneous materials to the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library. In 2001, he sent additional materials for preservation as part of this collection.  Revisions of this finding aid will occur as the Special Collections department receives future accessions. Some information from this biographical note originally appeared on the USF St. Petersburg Faculty Spotlight page, located at http://www1.stpt.usf.edu/faculty/vita/rarsen.shtml     Restrictions/Preservation Note Newspaper clippings and other documents printed on acidic paper constitute a substantial portion of this collection.  While preservation measures may slow the physical deterioration of such items, these steps cannot prevent damage from occurring. To prevent further damage to the Raymond O. Arsenault Collection, refrain from placing any additional stress on the paper fibers by folding or creasing newspapers or other materials, or by exposing them to light for an extended period of time.  Please report any tears or other damage so that library staff may take appropriate preservation or conservation measures.  While no restrictions limit access to this collection, library staff will evaluate photocopying or digitization requests on an individual basis to ensure the long-term preservation of this unique collection.  Patrons using this collection must adhere to copyright and fair-use guidelines and provide proper citation of sources appearing in their research.      Provenance of the Raymond O. Arsenault Collection This collection falls under the Local and Regional History provenance of the Special Collections and Archives department, Nelson Poynter Memorial Library, USF St. Petersburg. Scope and Contents The materials in the Raymond O. Arsenault Collection occupy 4.5 linear feet of shelf space and reside in nine document boxes and two notebooks.  Items fall within two distinct series: 1) Pre-2001 acquisitions [four document boxes and two notebooks, 2.5 linear feet], and 2) 2001 Acquisitions [five boxes, 2.0 linear feet]. Research files, clippings, memoranda, audiotape recordings, public records, photographs, and ephemera constitute the bulk of the collection.  Inclusive dates for materials cover the period from the 1880s (photocopied newspaper articles) through 2001, with bulk dates falling within the period from 1980 through 2001.

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