Manuscript Register

 

THE PAPERS OF BRUCE BLIVEN
 

Collection Dates: 1952 -- 1965

1.5 linear ft.

 

This document describes a collection of materials held by the
Special Collections Department
University of Iowa Libraries
Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1420
Phone: 319-335-5921
Fax: 319-335-5900
e-mail: lib-spec@uiowa.edu

 

Posted to Internet: June 2002

 

 

Acquisition Note: These papers were donated to the University of Iowa Libraries by Bruce Bliven in 1953 and 1968.

 

Access and Restrictions: This collection is open for research.

 

Digital Surrogates: Except where indicated, this document describes but does not reproduce the actual text, images and objects which make up this collection. Materials are available only in the Special Collections Department.

 

Copyright:  Please read The University of Iowa Libraries' statement on "Property Rights, Copyright Law, and Permissions to Use Unpublished Materials"

 

Use of Collections: The University of Iowa Libraries supports access to the materials, published and unpublished, in its collections. Nonetheless, access to some items may be restricted by their fragile condition or by contractual agreement with donors, and it may not be possible at all times to provide appropriate machinery for reading, viewing or accessing non-paper-based materials. Please read our Use of Manuscripts Statement.

 

Biographical Note

Bruce Bliven was born in Emmetsburg, Iowa, in 1889. He grew up there, attended the public schools, and graduated from high school in 1907. His family had fallen on hard times in Iowa and after he graduated from high school, the entire family moved to Los Angeles, California. A cousin offered to pay $40.00 each month for him to attend Stanford University. For extra money, Bliven, who had won prizes for writing in Emmetsburg, found a job as the campus correspondent on the San Francisco Bulletin. When he graduated in 1911, he moved to Los Angeles and began to write advertising copy for local businesses as well as teaching at the University of Southern California. In 1914 he became the director of USC's department of journalism. He continued working as the Southern California correspondent for a number of trade magazines including Printer's Ink. After attending an advertising convention where he met the publishers of Printer's Ink, he was invited to move East and join the staff as assistant managing editor. From there he moved to the New York Globe where he was the managing editor. In 1923, he moved to the The New Republic. Bliven became editor-in-chief in 1930, a position that he held until a heart attack forced his retirement in 1953.

Bruce Bliven freelanced articles for Harpers, Atlantic Monthly, American Heritage and other publications, along with writing books such as Preview for Tomorrow, The World Changers, Men Who Made the Future, and his autobiography Five Million Words Later. Bliven died on May 27, 1977, following a fall at his home.

Scope and Contents

 

The papers of Bruce Bliven consist of one box of manuscripts, which document the writing of Preview for Tomorrow and The World Changers. He gave these to the University of Iowa in 1953 and in 1968. Included are early typescripts, final typescripts, galley and page proofs, specimen illustrations, and more.

 

Box List

 

Box 1

Clippings and publications about Mr. Bliven, 1954 -- 1977, includes Mr. Bliven's obituary

 

Preview for Tomorrow, published in 1953

The World Changers, published in 1965