Botkin, Benjamin Albert, 1901-1975

Variant names
Dates:
Birth 1901-02-07
Death 1975-07-30
Americans,
English,

Biographical notes:

Benjamin A. Botkin was born in 1901 in Boston, Mass. He began Harvard at age 15, graduating magna cum laude at 19, and earned a MA in English literature from Columbia. He then taught english at the University of Oklahoma before studying with folklore scholar Louise Pound at the University of Nebraska where he received a Ph.D. in 1931. In 1937, Botkin accepted a position as the national folklore editor for the Federal Writers' Project. He also served as the co-founder and chairman of the WPA Joint Committee on Folk Arts, and chief editor of the Writers' unit of the Library of Congress. From 1942-1944 Botkin served as curator of the Library of Congress Archive of American Folk Song. He left this position to become a free-lance writer. He edited and published numerous regional folklore treasuries relating to American, Southern, Western, New England, railroad, and Mississippi River folklore. Botkin died in 1975.

From the description of [Poetry unpublished manuscripts and related materials] 1916-1970 [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 299575727

From the description of [Life treasury of American folklore (LTAF) manuscripts and related materials] 1959-1961 [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 244390230

From the description of [Book of the American West (AW) manuscripts and related materials] 1962?-1963? [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 244390742

From the description of [Treasury of Southern folklore (TSF) manuscripts and related materials] 1949-1950 [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 232688351

From the description of [Treasury of Mississippi River folklore (TMRF) manuscripts and related materials] 1955 [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 244206407

From the description of [Treasury of American anecdotes (TAA) manuscripts and related materials] 1939-1965 [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 244206492

From the description of [Illustrated book of American folklore (IBAF) manuscripts and related materials] 1946-1969 [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 244206180

From the description of [New York City folklore (NYCF) manuscripts and related materials] 1954-1962 [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 244206109

From the description of [Sidewalks of America manuscripts and related materials] [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 244206040

From the description of [Folk-say manuscripts and related materials] 1928-1937 [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 232684637

From the description of [Treasury of New England folklore (TNEF) manuscripts and related materials] 1944-1968 [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 232687860

From the description of [Funk and Wagnalls standard dictionary of folklore, mythology and legend (FWFD) manuscripts and related materials] 1949-1972 [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 232688601

From the description of [Lay my burden down (LMBD) manuscripts and related materials] 1944-1971 [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 232687713

From the description of [American Play Party (APP) manuscripts and related materials] [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 232686909

From the description of [Treasury of western folklore (TWF) manuscripts and related materials] 1951-1975 [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 232689139

From the description of [Treasury of American folklore (TAF) manuscripts and related materials ] 1940-1945 [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 232687495

From the description of [Treasury of railroad folklore (TRRF) manuscripts and related materials] 1952-1953 [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 232689267

From the description of [Talks] 1928?-1971 [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 299578072

From the description of [Professional and institutional files] [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 299583755

From the description of [Individual research files] [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 299578095

From the description of [People at Play (PP) unpublished manuscripts and related materials] 1959-1964 [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 299575690

From the description of [Subject research files] [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 299575796

From the description of [Reviews] [manuscripts] 1922-1972? / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 299578077

From the description of [Journal] 1918-1920 [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 299582280

From the description of [Miscellaneous unpublished manuscripts and related materials] 1923-1971 [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 299578056

From the description of [Negro Folklore (NF) unpublished manuscripts and related materials] 1965-1968 [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 299577960

From the description of Personal correspondence [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 227211200

From the description of [Civil War treasury (CWT) manuscripts and related materials] [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 244390143

From the description of [Badmen manuscripts and related materials] 1962-1964 [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 244391126

From the description of [Pocket treasury of American folklore (PTAF) manuscripts and related materials] 1950-195? [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 232688870

From the description of [Space manuscripts and related materials] 1934-1937 [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 232686484

Benjamin A. Botkin was born in 1901 in Boston, Mass. He began Harvard at age 15, graduating magna cum laude at 19, and earned a MA in English literature from Columbia. He then taught english at the University of Oklahoma before studying with folklore scholar Louise Pound at the University of Nebraska where he received a Ph.D. in 1931. In 1937, Botkin accepted a position as the national folklore editor for the Federal Writers' Project. He also served as the co-founder and chairman of the WPA Joint Committee on Folk Arts, and chief editor of the Writers' unit of the Library of Congress. From 1942-1944 Botkin served as curator of the Library of Congress Archive of American Folk Song. He left this position to become a free-lance writer. He edited and published numerous regional folklore treasuries relating to American, Southern, Western, New England, railroad, and Mississippi River folklore. Botkin died in 1975

From the description of Business correspondence [manuscripts] / Benjamin A. Botkin. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 227211348

Benjamin A. Botkin was born in 1901 in Boston, Massachusetts. At age 15 he began classes at Harvard and graduated magna cum laude at 19. He continued his education at Columbia where he earned a MA in English literature. In 1921 he moved to Norman, Oklahoma, where he taught in the Department of English at the University of Oklahoma. He left Norman and spent a brief period in New York until he decided to return to the Midwest and study with folklore scholar Louise Pound at the University of Nebraska. He received a Ph.D. from the university in 1931. In 1937 Botkin accepted a position as the national folklore editor for the Federal Writers' Project. He also served as the co-founder and chairman of the WPA Joint Committee on Folk Arts, and chief editor of the Writers' unit of the Library of Congress. From 1942-1944 Botkin served as curator of the Library of Congress Archive of American Folk Song. He left this position to become a free-lance writer. He edited and published numerous regional folklore treasuries relating to American, Southern, Western, New England, railroad, and Mississippi River folklore. Botkin died in 1975.

From the guide to the Benjamin A. Botkin Collection of Applied American Folklore, 1919-1975

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Subjects:

  • American literature
  • United States
  • United States
  • African Americans
  • Afro
  • Afro
  • American wit and humor
  • Anecdotes
  • Children's literature
  • City and town life
  • Folklore
  • Folklore
  • Folklore
  • Folklore
  • Folklore
  • Folklore
  • Folklore
  • Folklore
  • Folklorists
  • Folk music
  • Folk songs, English
  • Folk songs, English
  • Legends
  • New England
  • New York (N.Y.)
  • Oklahoma
  • Play-party
  • Poetry
  • Poetry of places
  • Railroads
  • Slaves
  • South Carolina
  • Southern States
  • Southwest, New
  • Spirituals (Songs)
  • Tales
  • Work songs

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