Ellsworth C. Carlson Papers

Collection

Identifier: RG 30-176

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The papers of Ellsworth C. Carlson document his undergraduate days at Oberlin College, his years as an Oberlin Shansi Memorial Association representative to China and Shansi board member, his professional contributions as a faculty exchange member, and his special interest in East Asian History. About one-third of this collection documents Carlson's service as a Shansi representative to China and OSMA board member correspondence. Of some significance are two (Chinese) maps, hand-written statistics, and tabular data compiled by Carlson (ca. 1941) tracing the Ming Hsien migrations after the Japanese invaded China in 1937 (see Series 3).

The collection has been arranged in twelve series: 1. Biographical Files; 2. Letters Sent Home (from Oberlin College); 3. Files Relating to OSMA; 4. Correspondence; 5. Miscellany; 6. Faculty and Student Exchanges; 7. Scholarly Publications; 8. Speeches and Talks; 9. Files of Florence “Bobbie” Carlson; 10. Files relating to The Oberlin Band: the Christian Mission in Shansi, 1882-1900 (Materials are arranged chronologically within folders), 11. Photographs and Albums, and 12. Moving Images.

Although a Professor of History at Oberlin College for over thirty years, documentation on his teaching at Oberlin College is very thin. For instance, no teaching files, other than those covering his faculty exchanges, are included in these papers.

Carlson's professional memberships were extensive, but no materials exist in this collection to document these contributions in a specific way. For the basic information that does exist, researchers should reference Series 1.

The initial accession (1985/025) contained duplicate copies of OSMA board member minutes (around 1.1 l.f.), which are found in RG 15: Records of the Oberlin Shansi Memorial Association.

A number of documents relating to Carlson's term as Provost and his Acting Presidency in 1970 and 1974 were also of a duplicate character. For reference to these papers, researchers should inquire about RG 2: Presidents, and RG 4: Office of the Provost. A succinct summary of a 1974 assembly talk given by Carlson as Acting President can be found in the Oberlin Alumni Magazine (Nov/Dec, 1974): 5-6.

Series 9 is devoted to the writings and correspondence of Florence “Bobbie” Dunn Carlson, Ellsworth’s spouse. Series 11, from Florence Carlson, consists of photographs documenting the couple’s life in China from 1939 to the 1940s, and a 1985 trip to the same locations.

Series 12 includes films taken in the 1940s by the Carlsons at Oberlin and Jintang, China.

Dates

Creation: 1935-2012, undated
Other: Date acquired: 00/00/1985

Creator

Carlson, Florence Dunn (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Unrestricted, except for a student paper (reference only).

Biographical Sketch

Ellsworth Clayton Carlson was the first son born to Frank Emanuel and Gladys (Veghte) Carlson in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on May 27, 1917. Both Frank and Gladys graduated from the University of Nebraska. Frank Carlson also attended Yale University School of Divinity, following his calling to be a Congregational minister. The Carlsons moved around a great deal during Ellsworth's childhood, living in Helena, Montana, Portland, Oregon, Olympia, Washington, and Pocatello, Idaho. Carlson graduated from Pocatello High School in 1935. Carlson enrolled at Oberlin College in the Fall of 1935, graduating in 1939 with Phi Beta Kappa honors and his A.B. degree in History.

Like a good number of Oberlin students during the 1930s, Carlson's concerns about world peace led him to join the Oberlin Peace Society. In 1939, Carlson was chosen to serve as an "Oberlin in China" rep for the Oberlin Shansi Memorial Association (OSMA); he taught English in China from 1939-43. Due to his strong interest in China, Carlson remained there during the war, working as Administrative Secretary, National Student Relief Committee, in Chungking, China from 1943-44. Utilizing the knowledge he gained in the Far East, Carlson was able to fill jobs as Regional Planner, Office of Strategic Services (1944-45), and Country Specialist, United States Department of State (1945-47).

When he returned to the U.S., Carlson completed his formal education. He studied under both Edwin Reischauer and John Fairbank at Harvard University, graduating with his M.A. in 1949, and his Ph.D in History in 1952.

In the Fall of 1950, Carlson joined the faculty ranks at Oberlin College as Assistant Professor of History. Carlson soon was granted tenure and promoted to Associate Professor (1954-62), and later to Professor of History (1962). Courses taught and created by Carlson include Modern China, Modern India, and Traditional Chinese Civilization.

As an OSMA board member for more than thirty years, Carlson traveled extensively, teaching and doing research in the Philippines, Taiwan, India, and Hong Kong. On campus, he acted as Shansi's leading spokesperson.

Carlson gave significant service to Oberlin College. Not only did Carlson serve as Provost from 1969-74, but also was elected Acting President in July-August 1970, and again from February 1974 - April 1975. His service as President occurred during tumultuous times at Oberlin. When Emil C. Dannenberg was selected as Oberlin's eleventh President, Carlson returned to teaching full-time as Professor of History (1975-81) and East Asian Studies (1977-81). While Carlson retired in 1981, he continued to remain professionally active and to serve as Honorary Trustee for the OSMA Board.

While teaching and serving as an administrator, Carlson managed to produce some scholarship. His publications have included The Kaiping Mines ,1877-1912 (1957), "The Wu-shih-shan Incident of 1878" (Festschrift for Frederick B. Artz, 1964), "Obstacles to Missionary Success in Nineteenth Century China" (Asian Studies, 1966), The Foochow Missionaries, 1847-1880 (1974), "Oberlin in Asia: The First Hundred Years, 1882-1982," and numerous other reviews, essays, and notes.

Carlson was a professional member of the American Association of University Professors, the American Historical Association, the Association for Asian Studies, and the Society of Ch'ing Studies.

For his many professional accomplishments Carlson was recognized. Included were: the Social Science Research Council Fellowship Award (1949-50), Fulbright Lecturer, University of the Philippines (1956-57), Fulbright-Hays Faculty Fellowship, University Science Center, Hong Kong (1967-68), Honorary Research Associate in East Asian Studies, Harvard University (1975-76), and the Oberlin News-Tribune's Oberlinian of the Year Award, 1974.

While a Shansi rep, Carlson married Florence ("Bobbie") Dunn. Bobbie, a native of Los Angeles, California, was also an Oberlin alumnus (OC'40) and Shansi rep to China. The couple not only met in China, but also decided to marry there on Christmas Day, 1943. The Carlson children include James R. Carlson (OC'69), Frank S. Carlson (OC'71), Elizabeth M. Carlson, and Sarah Carlson.

Carlson was a member of the First Church in Oberlin and the Oberlin City Club. Ellsworth Carlson died on 24 July 1999 at the Kendal Community in Oberlin after a long illness. Bobbie Carlson passed away on 16 February 2014.

SOURCES CONSULTED

Oberlin College Alumni and Faculty Files (RNG 31), the 1995 Oberlin College Alumni Directory, OCA, an interview with Ellsworth Carlson, 17 August 1998, and Carlson's Obituary Note, Oberlin News-Tribune, 27 July 1999. Bobbie Carlson’s obituary notice on the Oberlin Shansi Memorial Association website, 21 February 2014 by Director Gavin Tritt.

Note written by Julie A. Petersen.

Extent

7.96 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Method of Acquisition

The papers of Ellsworth C. Carlson were deeded over to the Oberlin College Archives by Carlson himself under five separate accessions: 1985/025, 1993/106, 1998/056, 1999/88, and 1999/109. Additional material was given to the Archives in 2001, 2008 and 2009 by Florence Carlson (2001/058, 2008/039, 2009/004, 2011/088) and Carl W. Jacobson (2001/059). Digital copies of the 1940s films, made by a vendor for the Archives, were added in 2012. Accession 2012/054 of Shansi materials from Carl Jacobson's tenure as director included the digital surrogates on CD-ROMs described in Series XI, and the disbound album pages in that same series.

Accruals and Additions

Accessions: 1985/025, 1993/106, 1998/056, 1999/088, 1999/109, 2001/058, 2001/059, 2006/085, 2008/039, 2009/004, 2011/088, 2012/007, 2012/054

Related Materials

For correspondence files of Acting President Ellsworth Carlson see Robert Fuller Papers (2/10) Subgroup VI. For correspondence files of Ellsworth Carlson as Acting Provost and Provost, see the Provost Records (RG 4) Subgroup V, Series 4. For more information relating to the Oberlin Shansi Memorial Society and the Oberlin Band see RG 15. For a scrapbook of Florence Dunn's (Mrs. Ellsworth Carlson) student days at Oberlin College, 1936-40, see Scrapbooks and Diaries (RG 19/4).