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Hazel Brain Dunnington Papers 1923-1991

MSS-298


Overview of the Collection

Creator: Dunnington, Hazel Brain
Title: Hazel Brain Dunnington Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1923-1991
Quantity: 5 Boxes (3.0 Linear Feet)
Abstract:The Hazel Brain Dunnington Papers document the career of this classroom teacher, college professor, stage director, and author from 1923 through 1991. The majority of the collection contains classroom teaching materials and programming and administrative papers for the Institute in English, Poetry in the Language Arts Curriculum for Elementary Teachers in Grades K-6 at Central Washington State College in summer 1966.
Identification: MSS-298
Language: Material in English
Repository: Arizona State University Library. Theatre for Youth and Community Collection
P.O. Box 871006
Tempe, AZ 85287-1006
Phone: (480) 965-4932
E-Mail: archives@asu.edu
Questions? Ask An Archivist!

Biographical Note

Hazel A. Brain Dunnington was born in Thorp, Washington on October 31, 1910. She graduated from Thorp High School and Ellensburg Normal School. She received her B.A. in 1935 from Central Washington State Normal School and her M.A. in 1940 from Northwestern University's School of Speech. Additional graduate work was completed at the University of Washington and Moholy Nagy School of Design in Chicago. In December 1949 she married Robert James Dunnington. He was killed in an accident in October 1952. She has two sons: Robert, an orthodontist; and David, a medical doctor.

Her teaching career started in elementary and junior high schools in Washington state in 1939. She proceeded to teach classes in costume design and theatre at Stanford University from 1940 through 1943. During World War II, she served for three years as an American Red Cross Overseas Recreation Club Director in India, Burma, and China. After the war she travelled and lectured--showing slides of her work.

In 1946 she became an instructor and was later promoted to professor at Central Washington College/University, Department of Speech/English and Theatre, where she specialized in teaching creative dramatics. She retired in December 1977 and was named an Emeritus Professor. During her career she attended conferences and contributed to the following organizations: the American Theatre Association (ATA), the Children's Theatre Association of America (CTAA), the Washington Speech Association, and Delta Kappa Gamma.

Highlights of her career include: Receiving the Washington State Speech Association Distinguished Service Award in 1973 Organizing and conducting the NDEA Institute - Poetry in the Elementary School in the summer of 1966 Co-editing with Geraldine Brain Siks, her sister, Children's Theatre and Creative Dramatics. She passed away on March 13, 1989.


Scope and Content Note

The Hazel Brain Dunnington Papers (1923-1991) document the career of this classroom teacher, college professor, stage director, and author from 1923 through 1991. The majority of the collection contains classroom teaching materials and programming and administrative papers for the Institute in English, Poetry in the Language Arts Curriculum for Elementary Teachers in Grades K-6 at Central Washington State College in summer 1966. It is divided into five series: Professional History, Teaching Materials, National Defense Education Act (NDEA) Institute, Audio Tapes, and Oversize Objects.

Series I: Professional History (Box 1), dating from 1923-1991, provides a quick look at Dunnington's early education, her teaching career, awards received, and her family genealogy. Of note is: a letter from Winifred Ward to Dunnington in 1937 regarding Children's Theatre of Evanston productions; and Dunnington's obituary. Included are: vitae, biographies, photographs, correspondence, newspaper articles, a memorial service booklet, a travel itinerary, journal articles, a tribute, and a theatre program. Bulk dates are 1923, 1927, 1937, 1945-1948, 1957-1978, 1980, 1982, 1985, and 1987-1991.

Series II: Teaching Materials (Box 2), dating from 1963-1977, describes Dunnington's classroom teaching techniques and her career at Central Washington State College/University. Included are: correspondence, letters of recommendation, annual professional service records, a sabbatical leave request, a grant proposal, a book bibliography, lesson plans, stories for dramatizing, poems, and journal and newspaper articles.

Series III: National Defense Education Act (NDEA) Institute (Box 3), dating from 1965-1986, documents the preparation, execution and follow up to the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) Institute in English, Poetry in the Language Arts Curriculum for Elementary Teachers in Grades K-6 held at Central Washington State College from June 20-July 29, 1966. Included are: brochures, an institute proposal, a plan of operation, budgets, correspondence, newspaper articles, a participants' list, photographs, poems, poetry bibliographies, lesson plans, participant profiles, poetry anthologies, and a final technical report. Of note is correspondence from poet Eve Merriam regarding her participation in this Institute. Bulk dates are 1965-1971, 1975-1986.

Series IV: Audio Tapes (Box 4), dated 1966, 1969, and undated, includes audio recordings of: children and adults reading poetry and correspondence; and discussions regarding literary lesson plans for children. Of note is a recording of Eve Merriam reading her poetry. Included are: a description of the tapes, and reel-to-reel audio tapes.

Series V: Oversize Objects (Box 5), dated 1927, 1977, 1983, contains materials too large to be housed in the previous document boxes. A document removal form has been placed in the appropriate folders directing patrons to materials in this oversize box. Of note is Dunnington's high school valedictory speech.


Arrangement

This collection consists of five boxes divided into five series:
Series I: Professional History
Series II: Teaching Materials
Series III: National Defense Education Act (NDEA) Institute
Series IV: Audio Tapes
Series V: Oversize Objects

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

To view this collection, make an appointment at least five business days prior to your visit by contacting Ask an Archivist or calling (480) 965-4932. Appointments in the Wurzburger Reading Room at Hayden Library (rm. 138) on the Tempe campus are available Monday through Friday. Check the ASU Library Hours page for current availability.

Copyright

Arizona State University does not own the copyright to this collection. We recognize that it is incumbent upon the researcher to procure permission to publish information from this collection from the owner of the copyright.


Related Material

Child Drama Collection, Geraldine Brain Siks Papers, MS SC CDP-48, the personal papers for Dunnington's sister, Box 1 for family history, and Box 6 for articles, correspondence and reviews of Children's Theatre and Creative Dramatics, the book co-edited by the two sisters.


Access Terms

Personal Name(s)
Dunnington, Hazel Brain.
Merriam, Eve, 1916-1992.

Subject(s)
Creative drama -- Study and teaching.
Poetry -- Study and teaching (Elementary).


Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Hazel Brain Dunnington Papers, MSS-298, Arizona State University Library.

Provenance

Hazel Brain Dunnington and her sister Geraldine Brain Siks donated these materials to the Child Drama Collection on 1988 November 28 and in 1989 April. These two accessions were merged together and assigned the same number in 2004 (Accession #2004-03279).


Container List

Series I: Professional History
BoxFolder
11 Vitae and Biographies, 1970s
12 Hazel Brain Dunnington Photographs, 1940, 1977, 1980
13 Letter from Geraldine Siks to Special Collections Regarding Materials Donated by Hazel Brain Dunnington, her Sister, 1988 September 21
14 Note Regarding Books Donated to the Child Drama Collection, Undated, Undated
15 List of Books Housed in the Hazel Brain Dunnington Book Collection at Central Washington University, 1987
16 Autobiography of Alice Pearl Ellison Brain, Mother of Hazel Dunnington and Geraldine Siks, 1982
17 Elementary and High School Publications, 1923, 1927, 1985
18 Alice Pearl Brain Memorial Service Flyer, Obituary, Newspaper Articles, 1968, 1985
19 Biographical Materials Regarding Dunnington's Sons, David and Robert, 1976, Undated
110 Letter From Winifred Ward to Dunnington, 1937 July 1
111 Recreational Director with the American Red Cross in China, India-Burma Area-Photograph, Programs, Correspondence and Newspaper Article, 1945-1948
112 Acting Dean of Women, Central Washington College of Education, Correspondence, 1957 May-August
113 Professional Correspondence, 1958-1978
114 Biographical Articles and Ephemera, 1965-1977
115 Washington State Speech Association Workshop, 1968
116 Washington State Speech Association Distinguished Service Award, 1973
117 Biographies Listing Siks / Dunnington Book, Children's Theatre and Creative Dramatics, 1974-1975
118 Retirement Articles and Tributes, 1977 December
119 Obituary and Memorial Service Program, 1989
120 The Children's Spring, Ellensburg Children's Musical Theatre Production, Dedicated to Hazel Dunnington, 1991
Series II: Teaching Materials
BoxFolder
21 Correspondence Regarding Teaching, 1963-1972
22 Central Washington State College Professional Service Records, 1970-1977
23 Sabbatical Leave Report, 1975
24 Ethnic-American Poetry and Folk Music in the Elementary School Proposal, 1976
25 Bibliography of "Recent Books for the Under-Fives", Undated
26 Teaching Materials: Plays, Undated
27 Teaching Materials: Poems, Undated
28 Teaching Materials: Stories, Undated
Some of these stories were adapted by Dunnington.
29 Teaching Materials: Student Lesson Plans, Undated
210 Teaching Materials: Miscellaneous, Undated
Series III: National Defense Education Act (NDEA) Institute
BoxFolder
31 List of Materials Donated Relating to the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) Institute in English, Poetry in the Language Arts Curriculum for Elementary Teachers in Grades K-6, at Central Washington State College, 1966 June 20-July 29, Undated
32 Institute Brochure, 1966
33 Statement of Institute Proposal, Circa 1966
34 Institute Plan of Operation and Budget, 1966
35 Institute Correspondence, 1965-1968
36 Institute Newspaper Articles, 1965 December-1966 July
37 Institute Participants List, 1966
38 Institute Photographs, 1966 June-July
39 Poetry by Classifications, Used in the Institute, 1966
310 Poetry Bibliographies used in the Institute 1966
311 Poetry Selected and used by Director and Staff in the Institute, 1966
312 Profiles of Poetic Participants, Undated
313 "Poetry-Hidden Valley" by the NDEA Institute Participants, 1966 Summer
314 Examples of Poetry Written by Adult Participants and Children in the Institute, 1966
315 "Echoes from Ellensburg", An Anthology of Original Poems by Participants in the NDEA Institute, 1966
316 Final Technical Report on NDEA Institute, 1966
317 Correspondence Between Eve Merriam, Poet and Institute Faculty Member, and Dunnington, 1966 August-1967 January
318 Correspondence, Regarding Ten and Twenty Year Reunions, 1975 March-1986 May
319 "Echoes from Ellensburg: Junior Edition", Collections of Poetry by Participants in Institute, 1966 February-1969 February
320 "Ellensburg Echoes", Year Five Correspondence, 1970-1971
321 Newspaper Article Showing Poetry Created as a Result of the 1966 Institute, Ellensburg Daily Record, 1983 November 12
Series IV: Audio Tapes
BoxFolder
41 Note Regarding Contents of Four Audio Reel-to-Reel Recordings in Box 4, 1966
41 Discussion of a Team Approach to Literary Lesson Plans for Children, Undated (Reel-to-Reel Audiotape)
42 "Fifth Grade" with Children Reading Poems and Telling Stories, Undated (Reel-to-Reel Audiotape)
43 Poetry Readings by James J. Mauch and Eve Merriam of their Own Works, Undated (Reel-to-Reel Audiotape)
44 Children Reading Letters, 1969 November 20 (Reel-to-Reel Audiotape)
Series V: Oversize Objects
BoxFolder
51 "Bumble-Bee", Thorp High School Newsletter-Includes a Poem and Valedictory Speech by Hazel Brain [Dunnington], 1927 May 18 (Removed from Box 1, Folder 7)
52 50-Year Thorp High School Reunion, Newspaper Article, 1977
53 Newspaper Article Showing Poetry Created as a Result of the 1966 Institute, Ellensburg Daily Record, 1938 November 12 (Removed from Box 8, Folder 21)