Collections : [Florida Atlantic University Libraries]

In 2007, Sybil Weiner donated her collection of over 500 pieces of American popular print music to Florida Atlantic University. The collection dates from 1895 to 1966 and includes: patriotic songs, Negro spirituals, music from American musicals and motion pictures, as well as many popular standards.

The collection of Sy Canton (1918- ) consists primarily of American popular sheet music.

TEXT FOR HYAMS

Florida Atlantic University Libraries is the designated repository of the personal papers and manuscript archives of Florida author Theodore Pratt. The collection includes the author's personal copies of first and foreign editions of his works, original typescripts of his fiction and screenplays, correspondence, research notes, illustrative artwork for dustcovers and paperbacks, in addition to personal mementos and photographs. In 1934, Theodore Pratt and his wife Belle Jacqueline Jacques moved to Lake Worth, Florida and made it their home until his death in 1969. He published 35 novels, including four mysteries under the pseudonym of "Timothy Brace," two collections of short stories, two plays (adapted from his novels), and numerous short stories and articles. Pratt used a second pseudonym, "Peter Steel" for an adult novel titled The Amulet. Of the 35 novels, 14 of Pratt's novels and many of his short stories are set in Florida. His trilogy, consisting of The Barefoot Mailman, The Flame Tree, and The Big Bubble (reprinted as My Bride in the Storm), tell the story of the state between 1880 and 1924 and resulted in the author being dubbed "the literary laureate of Florida." Four of his novels and one article were adapted to screenplays and became feature films. His Florida novels were thoroughly researched and scrupulously portrayed the history of Florida people, institutions and events. He also kept detailed documentation on the practical and tedious aspects of making a living as a writer. His correspondence and photographs illustrate his unique character and provides a glimpse into the old Florida lifestyle. In 1950, Pratt began to publish most of his work in paperback as he wanted to address sexual themes which most serious publishers would not consider. Pratt's interest in sexology or the scientific study of human sexual behavior can be seen in his novels, The Tormented (1950), The Lovers of Pompeii (1961), and Without Consent (1962). The Tormented is a study of nymphomania that was rejected by thirty-four publishers. Once published, it sold more than a million copies. Because of the paperback format and mass market appeal of his books, critics paid little attention to most of his work.

The Theodore Massey Scrapbook is part of the Marvin & Sybil Weiner Spirit of America Collection. Massey compiled a scrapbook of newspaper clippings and greeting cards that are predominantly from 1935-1938; within the book, there are also some church membership cards that date to the 1920s. Very little is known about Theodore Massey except what can be discerned from his scrapbook. He was from Bay Shore, New York which is located on the South Shore of Long Island. He was a Shriner who actively followed church news, had conservative political views, and an interest in history. The clippings are primarily about politics in the U.S. and Great Britain, church news, and women.

This collection contains the correspondence of Virginia Huber (1927 – 2014) to and from six servicemen from the vicinity of her hometown in Forrest, Illinois during World War II. The correspondence was carefully collected, arranged, and preserved by Virginia who was a senior in high school when she began writing to several of these young men. Virginia's letters to the servicemen were originally handwritten but she carefully typed and preserved a copy on onion skin paper which she housed in brown folders with each man's name, rank, and location. After graduating from high school, Virginia held the position of secretary to the Traffic Manager at Honnegers' Feeds located in Fairbury, Illinois. She was active in her local church and community, which she writes about in her letters. Because Virginia and the servicemen were united by geographic location, the letters represent a wide range of American military experience during World War II. The six men include: Norman Funk, a Naval airman from Roanoke, Illinois stationed in Jacksonville, FL; Roy Funk, an Army serviceman from Gridley, Illinois stationed in Camp Crowder and Camp Polk; Art Hartman, an Army serviceman from Strawn, Illinois stationed in Camp Lee, Virginia; Raymond Johnson, a Naval serviceman from Illinois; Howard Sauder, an Army sergeant from Roanoke, Illinois stationed in Aleutian Islands; Albert Steffen, a Naval serviceman from Elgin, Illinois stationed in Okinawa. This collection is remarkable for its inclusion of letters by Virginia, providing a complete picture of the correspondence between this woman and the soldiers of World War II.

Born near Winchester, Virginia in 1920, Virginia Artrip Snyder moved to Boca Raton, Florida when she entered the inaugural class at Florida Atlantic University in 1964. She received a degree in government and politics in 1965 and went on to become an investigative reporter for the Ft. Lauderdale News and later the Boca Raton News. During her career in journalism she was accorded seven national, state, and local awards for investigative reporting. Mrs. Snyder gained prominence and credibility following her multi-part series that exposed the inhumane conditions at the South Florida State Mental Hospital. As a community activist, Mrs. Snyder spearheaded the establishment of the South County Neighborhood Center in Boca Raton which, in time, grew into the Florence Fuller Day Care Center and the Mae Volen Senior Center. Subsequent to her career as a reporter, Mrs. Snyder embarked on a new endeavor as private investigator. In 1975 she was named one of fourteen "Outstanding Women of Florida" by Governor Ruben Askew and one of "Florida's Finest" in 1996 by Governor Lawton Chiles. This collection is a compilation of Mrs. Snyder's work as a poet, news reporter, private investigator, and community activist.

The Visual Representation of Women Collection is a postcard collection that focuses on representational images of women from around the globe. Covering the gamut of postcard types, images portray the many social constructions of womanhood and their attendant meanings. Containing a variety of mass produced postcards to unique artist renditions, the collection is an ongoing project of FAU University Libraries' Special Collections that will build over time.

In 1984 the Commissioners of Palm Beach County unanimously accepted a proposal put forth by the Royal Palm Audubon Society and co-sponsors to develop and implement a county wide program which would preserve local, environmentally sensitive lands and establish these "wilderness parks" as natural historic sites. Rapid development within Palm Beach County had led to the destruction of the vast majority of the county's native ecosystems. The Audubon society referred to the remaining pockets of native or restorable lands, now surrounded by urban and/or agricultural development, as the "Wilderness Islands". In May of 1986, Dr. Daniel Austin, an FAU botany professor, and Dr. Grace Iverson were hired by Palm Beach County to conduct a survey and examination of the county's natural areas and create an inventory of the County's native ecosystems. The Inventory was used by county staff and advisory committees to identify the highest-quality environmentally sensitive lands that were purchased with the proceeds from voter approved bond referendums in 1991 and 1999. These properties became the foundation for the Natural Areas Program. This collection represents their research, the surveys, publicity, and administration of this project.