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Jan Cox Speas Manuscript

 Collection
Identifier: MSS 0011

Scope and Contents

This collection includes the typescript carbon for Speas' novel, Bride of the MacHugh (Bobbs-Merrill, 1954). There are twenty-one chapters in four folders. Bride of the MacHugh is set in early 17th-century Scotland and, like much of Speas' work, reflects her interest in the Scottish highlanders from whom her own family descended.

Dates

  • 1954

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright is retained by the creators of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information. Please see our Sensitive Materials Statement.

Biographical or Historical Information

Short story writer and novelist Jan Cox Speas was born in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1925. She studied creative writing with Hiram Haydn at Woman's College (now the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, or UNCG) from which she graduated in 1945. She returned to UNCG and secured her master's degree in English in 1964, after which she began teaching at Guilford College, also in Greensboro. Speas was well known for her historical romances during the 1950s and 1960s. Following her death from a heart attack in 1971, Avon Publications brought out paperback editions of her romances. By 1978 there were more than a million copies of her books in print. The author was married to John Speas; they lived in Greensboro and had two children, Cynthia and Gregory.

Extent

0.21 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Jan Cox Speas, an alumna of Woman's College (now UNCG), was well known for her historical romances during the 1950s and 1960s.

This collection includes the typescript carbon for Speas' novel, Bride of the MacHugh.

Arrangement Note

The typescript that comprises this collection is arranged by ascending page number.

Method of Acquisition

Gift of Jan Cox Speas, 1955.

Offensive Language Statement

The UNC Greensboro University Libraries collects, preserves, and makes accessible unique and historical materials for learning and research. The nature of historical materials is such that some material may represent positions, norms, and values that are offensive and objectionable. These materials represent the opinions and actions of their creators. By providing access to these records in our reading room and through our digital collections, we recognize that archives and rare books can play a vital role in holding those creators accountable and in helping us learn from the past.

Our finding aids and other collection descriptions may occasionally re-use language provided by creators or former holders of the materials, but we strive to place outdated or offensive terminology in context. That said, we recognize that we may not always make the right decision and welcome feedback from all sources so we can learn and adjust our practices. Please contact us at scua@uncg.edu if you encounter problematic language in our finding aids or other collection description. We will review the language and, as appropriate, update it in a way that balances preservation of the original context with our ongoing commitment to describing materials with respectful and inclusive language.

Processing Information

Processed by archives staff, Encoded by Jason Alston, July 2009;

Title
Jan Cox Speas Manuscript
Author
archives staff
Date
2009
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
eng

Repository Details

Part of the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives Repository

Contact:
P.O. Box 26170
320 College Ave.
Greensboro NC 27402-6170 US
336-334-5246