Vassar to display recent acquisitions in McCarthy collection through December 22; lecture by Reuel Wilson, October 1

In celebration of a major addition to the Vassar College Library's Mary McCarthy collection, Vassar College's Archives and Special Collections will host an exhibition, titled "Mary McCarthy: Adding to the Legacy," through December 22 in the library lobby.

Additions to the McCarthy collection include correspondence from Hanna Arendt, William Faulkner, and Albert Camus, among many others. They provide a unique window for viewing the literary scene in America in the mid-20^th century.

On Wednesday, October 10, at 5 p.m., McCarthy's son Reuel Wilson will give a talk titled "Remembering Mary McCarthy" on his mother's papers. Wilson was educated at Harvard University and the University of Chicago. Currently he is a professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at the University of Western Ontario, in London, Ontario, Canada. Wilson is the author of "The Literary Travelogue: A Comparative Study with Special Relevance to Russian Literature from Fonvizin to Pushkin" and co-author, with Jan Pachonski, of "Poland's Caribbean Tragedy: A Study of Polish Legions in the Haitian War of Independence, 1802-1803."

Since graduating from Vassar in 1933, McCarthy maintained close ties with the college. During the 1980s, discussions took place concerning the possibility of the writer's papers coming to Vassar. Through an agreement, dated 1985, ownership of the papers was formally transferred to Vassar College. The agreement also stipulated that Vassar would have first right of refusal of any additional papers that were located or produced in the future.

The college's newest additions to the McCarthy papers are several publications that document McCarthy's participation in a variety of campus literary projects from 1929 to 1933. The library possesses, for example, rare copies of a "The Sampler," created by Vassar English classes, which include writings by McCarthy from the fall of 1929.

For additional information, call the office of campus activities at (845) 437-5370.

Vassar College is a highly selective, coeducational, independent, residential liberal arts college founded in 1861. Vassar was featured in the Kaplan/Newsweek "How to Get Into College Guide 2002" as a "hot school" due to its interdisciplinary learning environment, its proximity to New York City, and a 40% increase in applications over the past five years.

Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations or information on accessibility should contact Campus Activities Office at (845) 437-5370. Without sufficient notice, appropriate space and/or assistance may not be available.

Vassar College is a highly selective, coeducational, independent, residential liberal arts college founded in 1861.

This article was posted on Monday, October 1st, 2001.