Elmo Scott Watson Writings on Illinois History, 1921, 1934-1935, 1951 | Illinois History and Lincoln Collections

Scope and Contents:

The collection contains clippings from "True Stories from Illinois History," a syndicated column that Watson wrote for the Midland Feature Service in 1921, as well as Watson's scripts on topics in Illinois history that aired on WILL-AM from 1934 to 1935. The collection also includes an issue of The Brand Book, 7:7 (July 1951), which was devoted to Watson.

Biographical/Historical Context:

Elmo Scott Watson (1892-1951) was a journalist and professor who wrote extensively on the history of Illinois and the American West. From 1918 to 1924, he taught journalism at the University of Illinois. In 1924, he left the University of Illinois to work as a feature editor for the Western Newspaper Union, and in 1945 he went back to full-time teaching at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.

Acquisition Source: Mrs. James C. Colvin of Urbana, Illinois, donated these materials to the Illinois Historical Survey in 1982. The Newberry Library contains a large collection of Watson's writings on the American West.