To Haverford Archives: photographs of the library, photographs of faculty and board members, pamphlets about Haverford, memorial to Christopher Morley by the Library Associates, map of the college, reprint of a paper by William Cadbury, Jr. and paper by Lewis Green.
To stacks or Philips Wing: pamphlets, maps, art photographs
To Cricket: Cricket program at Haverford.
To P.G.: pamphlets
Gift, 1976
James Phineas Magill was born in 1885, son of Andrew and Mary Eleanor Magill. He attended Westtown Boarding School and received his B.S. from Haverford College in 1907. In 1920, he married Ruth Marshall. Magill, a Quaker and member of Germantown Monthly Meeting, was an investment banker, a partner of Eastman, Dillon in Philadelphia. He was an overseer and treasurer of William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia from 1929 to 1959. He served on the Board of Managers of Haverford College from 1959 to 1969, as well as on the boards of University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and others. His benevolence forwarded several programs at Haverford College
These papers, primarily in the form of letters to James Magill, 07, reflect his philanthropic concerns, deep friendships and wide interests, particularly in the arts and medicine. They are letters from authors, artists, scholars, scientists and politicians, including George Bass, Alfred Bendiner, Hugh Borton, Nathaniel Burt, Norman Cousins, A.J. Cronin, Richardson Dilworth, Walker Hancock, Samuel Kramer, Eva Le Gallienne, Jacques Lipchitz, Katharine McBride, Fosco Maraini, William Menninger, Felix Morley, Frank Morley, John Powell, Froelich Rainey, Lessing Rosenwald, Gayle Stine, George Taylor and Franklin Watkins. These are housed in boxes 1-5.
In addition, there is miscellaneous material, such as awards given to Magill and photographs of him and his family in boxes 5 and 6.
[consoling letter on the death of his mother.]
[fascinating letter about archaeological work in Guatemala].
[encloses poems about them.]
[note of thanks].
[description of the underwater archaeological expedition in Turkey.]
[description of Bodrum, Turkey, shipwreck expedition site.]
[describes trip to Bodrum and archaeological excavations.]
[report on progress and future of underwater archaeology.]
[as an archaeologist, he is interested in world problems.]
[ancient shipwreck discovered off Turkish coast, report of expedition and "historic" envelope enclosed].
[tells of his acceptance of a position at Haverford, and asks if he (Magill) will serve on board of Philosophy Education Society.]
[thanks her for funds for portrait of JPM]
[thanks them for additional gift of $100,000 towards library.]
[describes trip to Japan and settling in Tokyo.]
[Christmas letter describing trip to Japan and impressions.]
[thanks him for contributing money for a book on the history of Jordans, England].
[apologizes for lack of decorum].
[is leaving for Africa and will visit with Schweitzer].
[concerned about the international situation; mentions Anthony Eden.]
[frustration with static condition of grant to have Penn papers published under editorship of Fred Tolles.]
[is grateful for honorary degree received from Haverford.] (There are 47 additional letters, including period when Dilworth was mayor of Philadelphia and ran for Governor of Pennsylvania)
[sorry he will not see Magill in London].
[descriptions of Florence & Pietrosanta, Italy.] (There are 120 Hancock letters filed)
[expects to see Magill in Italy where Hancock's statue is being cast.]
[getting ready to cast state of a Mr. Litchfield.]
[preparing for work on Confederate Memorial and 2 other pieces.]
[projects being worked on.]
[mentions Stone Mountain work.]
[describes sculpting job in correction of Stonewall Jackson carving on Stone Mountain.]
[must convince West Point Committee of Generals about size of MacArthur statue.]
[re a relief he is executing in plaster for the Washington Cathedral.]
[condolences on the death of Ruth.]
[has completed the figure of a Confederate soldier.]
[is sending Magill a cast of his sculpture "Young Shepherd".]
[is to do seated marble statue of James Madison for the Library of Congress.]
[concerning Magill's generosity to the University of Chicago and Magill's health].
[attending a Congress of Orientalists in India; met by the President of India; heard Nehru speak.]
[re Jim's service on the art commission.]
[description of his European visit.]
[Mrs. Zimbalist has arranged her program; her company has received praise while in N.Y.]
[he has sent them a small sculpture in which they were interested.]
[quote price on a piece of his work "Improvization on the chisel."]
[tells them the two pieces of sculpture in which they were interested are still available, but very expensive.] (also 3 more letters)
[concerns location of Thomas P. Cope's diary and Cope Clipper ship paintings.]
[touches on several subjects, including Watergate.]
[one mentions his oil well and that a new one is being drilled with Getty.] (total of 19 letters filed)
[thanks him for progress report on a pilot film].
[thanks Magill for portrait of him (Morley) for Haverford.]
[thinks Russians might use this time of political confusion to take over the western sector of Berlin; pleased at "Mac" Mathias' election.]
[has completed a historical novel.]
[thinks student representative to the Board of Managers a good idea at Haverford.]
[is against coeducation at Haverford, which would constitute "a great divide"; sends copy of a letter enlarging on this subject.]
[re a book on Friends at Jordans Meeting House and preparations for publication.]
[about his book
[discusses Magill's proposed visit to England.]
[biographical information on Thomas Mayne Reid.]
[more information on Mayne Reid.]
[has begun work on founder of
[is sending photo of Mayne Reid's bed along with explanatory note for possible display in Morley alcove at Haverford College; possible gift to Haverford by D. McCord of Morleyana.]
[has sent first copy of his book,
[encloses article about himself and his life.]
[anecdote about Rendel Harris rustling up Frank Morley, Sr., for math dept. at H.C.]
[re his book about the 1920s.]
[about the booklet "Christopher Morley and Captain Mayne Reid" & autographing of same.]
[ideas on college growth.]
[possibility of his preparing a literary atlas of Britain.]
[concerning career of author Albert J. Nock.]
[Felix has written memoirs of the period when he was president of H.C.; sees this as a possible publication of the Library Associates.]
[does not feel "private" letters in a library's collections should be read by "all & sundry"; inflation in U.K.]
[sends Magill several math texts & bibliography.]
[has completed fourth act of his play on Walter Raleigh, and "adult western."]
[his play has been returned from Knopf.]
[opinions on Richardson Dilworth and other Philadelphians; some Powell family history and Indian history of the area, Ottumwa, Iowa.]
[gives his impressions of the characters in his play,
[has completed writing
[encloses letter from his agent concerning the production and publication of his play.]
[has decided to write a biography of John Dickinson.]
[recounts scenes from a trip with his mother to Nebraska.]
[has sent articles for publication to
[has received a hopeful letter concerning the publication of his play.]
[has revised his play "The Trust of Time", with description of changes.]
[must give a speech and go to conferences about his plays.]
[hard at work on his Dickinson biography.]
[expresses concerns about power plants, what he would like to write about (Westtown School, Robert Frost.]
[etymological derivation of the name Iowa.]
[working on a project for the Library Company — collating a lost inventory of Dickinson papers.]
[has completed the first of 4 chapters on the Constitutional Convention.]
[appreciative note of Segal's selection for a judicial post.]
[thanks them for clippings which give information he recycles to others.]
[has finished his play — relates opinions of critics.]
[local & national political scene.]
[local & national political scene.]
[considering taking a position in Department of History at University of Arizona.]
[is being interviewed & photographed for an article about him as author for
[sends a new edition of his
[has turned down a position at University of Florida.]
[gives a progress report on his work.]
[has accepted a 1-year appointment at University of Texas; reports which classes he will teach.]
[thanks them for photo of Watkins portrait of JPM.]
[tells of problems of Mexican-American students at El Paso.]
[recommends a man for an administrative position at Haverford College.]
[events in his current and past life — including dealings with the U of P Press, Philadelphia libraries and Universities.]
[congratulates Jim on his honorary Haverford degree.]
[has finished & mailed his book of essays to a publisher.]
[is in the hospital for surgery and must undergo therapy & more operations.]
[has given a speech on history and attended a convention.]
[is reading proof for his book.]
[is reading his own article in a book entitled
[thanks him for praise of his book of essays.]
[his new book,
[includes 2 photos of Powell.]
[has read and enjoyed Felix Morley's book; cites reviewing work he must do.]
[
[does not know whether to append notes to his play.]
[work he has done thus far on his life of Dickinson.]
[advises to read
[contains humorous proposed interview with
[political opinions on Dilworth, Green Clark, etc.]
[opinions on people and places.]
[has a new second act and revised third act for "White Queen".]
[tells of excavation in Jordan of a large Persian palace.]
[excavation in Lebanon produces Phoenician city.]
[reports strafing runs in the area; further excavations which produced a Byzantine church and beginning of Phoenician period.]
[excavation project in Italy.]
[problems in getting started with excavation in Egypt.]
[description of his living quarters; is writing a dramatization for TV of a book and films for Lincoln Center.]
[is doing a film for Nelson Rockefeller to use in his campaign.]
[had spent 2 months in Europe looking for a place to retire to; description of a folk festival in Arles.]
[is doing a film commemorating Eisenhower's 75th birthday for a Republican fund-raiser.]
[has taken up residence in Florence.]
[tells of his experiences in Europe and/why he has returned to N.Y.]
[gives details of a trip to Europe to study medieval history.]
[again at work on a film for Republican party and one for the U.S.I.A.]
["The Lovers", a play which Magill backed did not do very well.]
[is conducting a seminar at Duke; problem of getting a replacement for Haverford's Quaker bibliographer and other Haverford news.]
[retirement from Haverford; acceptance of a teaching post at Penn.]
[painting underway in a little private church which doubles as a library.]
[saddened by the death of Rouault whom he considered the great painter of our time; is painting a man with a "grand head"].
[shows building where he has decided to paint a portrait (p.c.)]
[talk about price paid for Wyeth picture showing lack of foresight.]
[has received his $100 contribution toward Dilworth portrait.]
[sends list of contributors toward Dilworth portrait.]
[is finishing up the Magill portrait which will soon be ready for her to see.]
[is sending (probably) a color photo of his Magill portrait noting corrections that must still be made.]
[thanks Jim for color print of his portrait of him.]
[has rigged up a studio in an old carport.]
[thanks her for loan of one of his paintings for an exhibit].
[contains self sketch].
[internal motivation upon beginning a painting.]
[at a tense point in the painting of a portrait.]
["Art in the American Public mind is tainted salacious wise..."]
[hopes Jim will maintain P.A.F.A. connections, so his opinions may still be sought.]
[is painting portrait of a man with a "dandy" head]
[sketch of him as a patient being chased by a nurse.]
[is working on 2 paintings, about one of which he is unhappy. "Painting with me is always
[needs to borrow some FCW paintings for an exhibit & J.P.M. has the mother lode.]