TABLE OF CONTENTS
Descriptive Summary of the Collection
Biography of Augustine J. Bowe
Scope and Content of the Collection
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Inventory of the Augustine J. Bowe Papers, ca. 1890-1966, bulk 1940-1966
Machine-readable finding aid encoded by Lisa Janssen, 2008. ©2008. |
Descriptive Summary of the Collection |
|
| Creator | Bowe, Augustine Joseph, 1892-1966 |
| Title | Augustine J. Bowe Papers |
| Dates | ca. 1890-1966 |
| Dates | bulk 1940-1966 |
| Extent | 16.3 linear feet (36 boxes and 1 oversize box) |
| Abstract | Correspondence, family and personal materials, works, photographs, and audiovisual materials of Chicago judge and poet Augustine J. Bowe. |
| Language | Materials are in English. |
| Repository | Newberry Library, Roger and Julie Baskes Department of Special Collections |
| Collection Call Number | Midwest MS Bowe |
| Collection Stack Location | 4a 37 3-4 |
Administrative Information
Cite As
Augustine J. Bowe Papers, The Newberry Library, Chicago.
Provenance
Gift of Julia Bowe, 1968.
Processed by
Lisa Janssen, 2008.
Acknowledgements
This inventory was created with the generous support of the Poetry Foundation. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this inventory do not necessarily represent those of the Poetry Foundation.
Access
The Augustine J. Bowe Papers are open for research in the Special Collections Reading Room; 1 box at a time (Priority III).
Ownership and Literary Rights
The Augustine J. Bowe Papers are the physical property of the Newberry Library. Copyright may belong to the authors or their legal heirs or assigns. For permission to publish or reproduce any materials from this collection, contact the Roger and Julie Baskes Department of Special Collections.
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Biography of Augustine J. Bowe
Chicago lawyer, judge, civic leader, and poet.
Augustine Bowe was born in Chicago on February 26, 1892 to John and Ellen Canavan Bowe. He attended Loyola University and Loyola Law School, receiving the degrees of A.B., M.A., and LL.B. Upon earning his law degree in 1913, Bowe founded the law firm Bowe & Bowe with his brother William, which specialized in worker's compensation cases. He continued to practice law in this capacity until 1960. He was president of the Chicago Bar Association in 1955 and 1956, and elected chief justice of the Chicago Municipal Court in 1960. Bowe was also passionate about civic issues and was active in several organizations including the Chicago Human Relations Commission, the Illinois Committee for Equal Job Opportunities, the Catholic Interracial Council, the National Conference on Christians and Jews, and the Cook County Prisioners Welfare Association.
Writing poetry was another passion of Bowe's. He became involved in Poetry through Inez Boulton, friend of he and his wife Julia and a Chicago society woman who taught poetry workshops and was a reader for the magazine. Bouton introduced the Bowe's to then editor George Dillon in 1940. Poetry was in dire financial straits at this time in the wake of Harriet Monroe's death, and the contentious removal previous editor Morton Dauwen Zabel. Julia and Augustine Bowe came to the rescue of the floundering journal, Julia by offering her expertise in fundraising and Bowe with legal advice. In 1941 they helped form the Modern Poetry Association as a not-for-profit organization whose board members undertook financial responsibility for the magazine. Julia acted as secretary to the board, and continued organize highly successful fundraising events throughout the 1950s and 1960s. These years were not without controversey, and the Bowes were privy to a series of editorial and organizational turnovers that nearly undermined the magazine. Bowe initially published his work in Poetry, but ceased to submit his poems after becoming president of the Modern Poetry Association. He continued to write daily, filling hundreds of legal pads and typed pages with his poems. A book, No Gods are False was edited by friend and fellow poet John Frederick Nims, and published posthumously in 1967.
Bowe married Julia Leonie Lecour in 1927. They had two children, John and Julie Ann and lived at 1120 North Lake Shore Drive for their entire marriage. Bowe enjoyed daily walks along the lake shore, and died of natural causes on one of these walks on February 6, 1966.
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Scope and Content of the Collection
Correspondence with friends and fellow poets including Inez Boulton, George Dillon, John Frederick Nims, and Karl Shapiro; family materials, including correspondence between Julia Bowe pertaining to Poetry, her diaries and writing; materials pertaning to Bowe's civil activities; drafts and revisions of Bowe's poetry; materials pertaining to he and Julia's support and involvement with Poetry and the Modern Poetry Association; and photographs, and audiovisual materials.
Narrative descriptions of the subject matter, types of material, and arrangement of each series are available through the Organization section of the finding aid.
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Organization
Papers are organized in the following series:
- Series 1: Correspondence, Family, and Personal, 1904-1966. Box(es) 1-8
- Series 2: Poetry, 1942-1965. Box(es) 9-10
- Series 3: Works, 1917-1960. Box(es) 11-26-34
- Series 4: Photographs and Audio/Visual, ca. 1890-1966. Box(es) 35-36
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Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Newberry Library's public catalog. Researchers desiring additional materials on a particular topic should search the catalog using these headings.
Names
- Boulton, Inez
- Bowe, Augustine Joseph, 1892-1966
- Bowe, Julia Lecour, 1921-
- Dillon, George, 1906-1968
- Modern Poetry Association
- Nims, John Frederick, 1913-1999
- Poetry (Chicago, Ill.)
- Shapiro, Karl Jay, 1913-2000
Subjects
- Poets, American--20th century
- Correspondence -- 1951-2000
- Judges -- Illinois -- Chicago
- Manuscripts, American -- Illinois -- Chicago
- Photographs -- 1901-1950
- Photographs -- 1951-2000
- Poetry -- 1901-1950
- Poetry -- 20th century -- Periodicals
- Sound recordings -- 1951-2000
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Container List
Series 1: Correspondence, Family, and Personal, 1904-1966 |
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| Materials pertaining to Bowe's family and personal life, and also his work as a lawyer and judge on the Municipal Court of Chicago. Correspondence with colleagues, fellow poets, and organizations that Bowe belonged to, datebooks, campaign materials from his election to the Municipal Court and the presidential campaign of John F. Kennedy whom Bowe actively supported. Family materials include wife Julia Bowe's correspondence, diaries, and writings. Of particular note is what appears to be an attempt by Julia Bowe to write a biography of Augustine Bowe. This incomplete memoir contains her perspectives on the Bowes' involvement in saving Poetry financially, and the controversial changing of the guard at the magazine, both administratively and editorally, during the late 1940s and early 1950s. | |||||||||||
| Arranged alphabetically. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | Contents | |||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Address books, n.d. | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Biographical information, 1960-1066, n.d. | |||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Bowe & Bowe - legal documents (includes Grasse case), 1946-1952 | |||||||||
| 1 | 4 | Catholic Interracial Council, 1946-1961 | |||||||||
| 1 | 5 | Certificates and memberships (see also oversize box), 1955-1965, n.d. | |||||||||
| 1 | 6 | Charities, 1961-1966 | |||||||||
| 1 | 7 | Chicago Bar Association, 1917-1963 | |||||||||
| 1 | 8 | Commission on Human Relations, 1945-1960, n.d. | |||||||||
| 1 | 9 | Correspondence - Bowe, Ellen, Bill, and Anna, 1923-1928 | |||||||||
| 1 | 10 | Correspondence - Douglas, Paul, 1948-1966 | |||||||||
| 1 | 11 | Correspondence - Engle, Paul (includes photos), 1941-1944 | |||||||||
| 1 | 12 | Correspondence - Fowler, Elsie Melchert, 1044-1945 | |||||||||
| 1 | 13 | Correspondence - Gogarty, Oliver St. John, 1945-1950 | |||||||||
| 1 | 14 | Correspondence - Spirer, André, May, 1945 | |||||||||
| 1 | 15 | Correspondence - Stevens, Wallace, Sep. 28, 1943 | |||||||||
| 1 | 16 | Correspondence - Re: Geocaris and Carlinville comments from WBBM interview, 1962 | |||||||||
| 1 | 17 | Correspondence - letters from citizens, 1960-1964 | |||||||||
| 1 | 18 | Correspondence - various - A-Z, 1935-1966, n.d. | |||||||||
| 1 | 19 | Correspondence - various outgoing (including letters to editors), 1947-1966, n.d. | |||||||||
| 2 | Datebooks, 1949-1956 | ||||||||||
| 3 | Datebooks, 1956-1964 | ||||||||||
| 4 | 20-24 | Death - Letters of condolence, 1966 | |||||||||
| 5 | 25-28 | Death - Letters of condolence, 1966 | |||||||||
| 6 | 29-30 | Death - Memorials and dedications, 1966 | |||||||||
| 6 | 31 | Death - Memorial guestbook, 1966 | |||||||||
| 6 | 32 | Equal Job Opportunities, 1959, 1961 | |||||||||
| 6 | 33 | Events - Invitations and programs, 1960-1965, n.d. | |||||||||
| 6 | 34 | Family - Bowe, John, 1946, 1952, n.d. | |||||||||
| 6 | 35 | Family - Bowe, Julia - correspondence, 1925-1962, n.d. | |||||||||
| 7 | 36-37 | Family - Bowe, Julia - diaries/datebooks, ca. 1920s-1930s | |||||||||
| 7 | 38 | Family - Bowe, Julia -diaries - travel, 1925-1931, n.d. | |||||||||
| 7 | 39 | Family - Bowe, Julia - miscellaneous, 1025-1966 | |||||||||
| 7 | 40 | Family - Bowe, Julia - writing, memoirs of Augustine Bowe and Poetry, n.d. | |||||||||
| 7 | 41 | Family - Bowe, Julia - writing, miscellaneous, n.d. | |||||||||
| 7 | 42 | Family - Bowe, Julie Anne, 1948, n.d. | |||||||||
| 7 | 43 | Family - Freborg, Stan and Dodie (Lecour), 1944-1954, n.d. | |||||||||
| 8 | 44 | Family - Lecour family ledger, 1939-1950 | |||||||||
| 8 | 45 | Family - miscellaneous, 1912-1961, n.d. | |||||||||
| 8 | 46 | Financial, 1934-1963 | |||||||||
| 8 | 47 | Kennedy, John F. - campaign and election (includes signed form letter), 1960-1961 | |||||||||
| 8 | 48 | Loyola University, 1948-1964 | |||||||||
| 8 | 49-51 | Municipal Court, 1960-1964 | |||||||||
| 8 | 52 | National Conference on Christians and Jews, 1944-1961 | |||||||||
| 8 | 53 | St. Ignatius College, 1904-1908 | |||||||||
| 8 | 54 | Travel (see also oversize box for scrapbook), 1927-1963, n.d. | |||||||||
Series 2: Poetry, 1942-1965 |
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| Primarily materials pertaining to Julia Bowe's involvement in fundraising events for Poetry and the Modern Poetry Association including invite lists, programs, seating charts, clippings, and correspondence. Also contains personal correspondence and writing by Inez Boulton, a reader for Poetry and board member during the transitional years between 1949-1954. The Boulton correspondence contains detailed documentation of the controverisal editorships of Hayden Carruth and later Karl Shapiro, and the inner workings of the board which was struggling to keep Poetry afloat amid divergent visions for the magazine, and funding shortfalls. | |||||||||||
| General materials arranged chronologically, Inez Boulton materials arranged alphabetically. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | Contents | |||||||||
| 9 | 55-65 | General materials - events and administration, 1955-1965 | |||||||||
| 10 | 66 | Boulton, Inez - correspondence - Bishop, Elizabeth, Apr. 11, 1951 | |||||||||
| 10 | 67 | Boulton, Inez - correspondence - Bowe, Augustine, 1944, n.d. | |||||||||
| 10 | 68 | Boulton, Inez - correspondence - Brooks, Gwendolyn, 1950-1951 | |||||||||
| 10 | 69 | Boulton, Inez - correspondence - Cummings, E. E., Dec. 16, 1950 | |||||||||
| 10 | 70 | Boulton, Inez - correspondence - Dillon, George, 1950-1951 | |||||||||
| 10 | 71 | Boulton, Inez - correspondence - Engle, Paul, 1951, 1953 | |||||||||
| 10 | 72 | Boulton, Inez - correspondence - Harper & Brothers, 1950-1951 | |||||||||
| 10 | 73 | Boulton, Inez - correspondence - Rhine, J. B. (Duke University Parapsychology Laboratory), 1948-1949 | |||||||||
| 10 | 74 | Boulton, Inez - correspondence - Shapiro, Karl, 1950-1951 | |||||||||
| 10 | 75 | Boulton, Inez - correspondence re: editorship and board of Poetry magazine (includes letters from Tom Lea, Marion Strobel, Hayden Carruth, George Dillon, Margaret Peters, Julia Bowe, Paul Engle, and Stanley Pargellis), 1949-1954 | |||||||||
| 10 | 76 | Boulton, Inez - correspondence - miscellaneous, 1942-1951, n.d. | |||||||||
| 10 | 77 | Poetry (by Boulton), n.d. | |||||||||
Series 3: Works, 1917-1960 |
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| Augustine Bowe wrote poetry prodigously during his life. This series contains over 50 long yellow legal pads on which friend and colleague John Frederick Nims says Bowe wrote, "night after night, year after year." According to Nims, there are approximately 1500 poems in 50 legal pads, handwritten and typed drafts. Bowe published a few poems in Poetry, but stopped seeking publication of his work when he became president of the Modern Poetry Association. Exact dates on this work is difficult to acertain, as Bowe revised repeatedly, and had poems typed and retyped at various times. John Frederick Nims eventually went through the entirety of the various drafts and edited a volume of selected poems titled No Gods are False published in 1967. Correspondence, galleys and manuscripts of this book are located at the end of the series. | |||||||||||
| Arranged alphabetically. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | Contents | |||||||||
| 11-26 | 78-158 | Poetry - handwritten on legal pads, 1930s-1950s | |||||||||
| 27 | 159-163 | Poetry - handwritten on loose paper, 1930s-1950s | |||||||||
| 28 | 164-168 | Poetry - Handwritten on loose paper, 1930s-1950s | |||||||||
| 28 | 169 | Poetry - Notebooks, 1930s-1950s | |||||||||
| 29 | 170-174 | Poetry - Notebooks, 1930s-1950s | |||||||||
| 30-31 | 175-185 | Poetry - Typed on loose paper, 1930s-1950s | |||||||||
| 32 | 186-191 | Poetry - typed - organized with notation by John Frederick Nims, 1927-1941 | |||||||||
| 33 | 192-196 | Poetry - typed - organized with notation by John Frederick Nims, 1942-1960 | |||||||||
| 33 | 197 | Miscellaneous - clippings, speeches, 1917-1957, n.d. | |||||||||
| 33 | 198 | No Gods are False - Selected Poems - orginial manuscript, 1967-1968 | |||||||||
| 34 | 199-200 | No Gods are False - Selected Poems - introduction and manuscript copies (includes correspondence), 1967 | |||||||||
| 34 | 201 | No Gods are False - Selected Poems - galley and cover, 1967 | |||||||||
Series 4: Photographs and Audio/Visual, ca. 1890-1966 |
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| Contains photographs of Augustine Bowe, family snapshots and portraits, and photos of several poets. Audiovisual materials include a reel-to-reel tape of a radio program featuring Judge Augustine Bowe, and an LP of Bowe reading his own poetry. | |||||||||||
| Arranged alphabetically and by format. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | Contents | |||||||||
| 35 | 202 | Photographs - Bowe, Augustine - childhood and school (see also oversize box), ca. 1895-1915 | |||||||||
| 35 | 203 | Photographs - Bowe, Augustine - group photos and events, ca. 1950-1966 | |||||||||
| 35 | 204 | Photographs - Bowe, Augustine - portraits, ca. 1940-1960 | |||||||||
| 35 | 205 | Photographs - Bowe, Julia (1 with Burt Lancaster), ca. 1950-1962 | |||||||||
| 35 | 206-209 | Photographs - Bowe family snapshots, ca. 1930s-1962 | |||||||||
| 35 | 210-212 | Photographs - Bowe travel and family snapshots, ca. 1920s-1930s | |||||||||
| 35 | 213 | Photographs - Bowe and Canavan families (see also oversize box), ca. 1890-1900 | |||||||||
| 35 | 214 | Photographs - poets: T. S. Eliot, Archibald Macleish, Oliver St. John Gogarty, Karl Shapiro and others, 1952, n.d. | |||||||||
| 36 | 1/4 inch reel-to-reel audiotape - WGN radio program featuring Judge Augustine Bowe, "Juvenile Delinquency," Oct. 22, 1961 | ||||||||||
| 36 | 12" LP of Augustine Bowe reading his poetry, n.d. | ||||||||||