Francis E. Wylie personal archives
Scope and Contents
Series 1, Personal and Photographs, contains a file from Wiley's retirement party in 1970. This includes photographs, correspondence, poetry, and well wishes from colleagues. Also in this series are photographs from Wiley's time at MIT as public relations director. There are photographs of MIT presidents, the Apollo 11 launch, an anti-Vietnam protest from 1965 and more.
Series 2, MIT Research, is a mix of research and writings from before and after Wiley's retirement. Within each folder there could be newspaper clippings, drafts of press releases or articles, and photographs. Most folders contain material compiled for writing biographies.
Series 3, 4, and 5, (Doc Edgerton Project, MIT in Perspective, and Tides and the Pull of the Moon), all contain drafts, correspondence, and research materials for these projects. Copies of MIT in Perspective, published in 1975, and Tides and the Pull of the Moon published in 1979 are included.
Dates
- 1954 - 1998
Creator
- Wylie, Francis E., 1905- (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open.
Conditions Governing Use
Access to collections in the Department of Distinctive Collections is not authorization to publish. Please see the MIT Libraries Permissions Policy for permission information. Copyright of some items in this collection may be held by respective creators, not by the donor of the collection or MIT.
Biographical Note
Francis “Jeff” E. Wiley, 1905-2003, was the Director of Public Relations at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a writer of MIT history. He was the public relations director at MIT from 1955 to 1970. (1) Wiley was born in Bloomfield, Indiana and received an A.B. from Indiana University. He began working in newspapers in Louisville, Kentucky. In the 1940s to 1955 he was the New England bureau chief for Time and Life magazines. (2)
1. MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “Former MIT Public Relations Director Francis Wylie Dies at 97.” Accessed March 3, 2021. https://news.mit.edu/2003/wylie
2. Wylie, Francis E. M.I.T. in Perspective: A Pictorial History of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1985.
Extent
4 Cubic Feet (8 legal document boxes, 1 letter document box)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Francis E. Wiley personal archives consists of drafts, correspondence, and research material relating to writing projects by Wiley. Most of the material is from writing projects such as the M.I.T. in Perspective book, Tides and Pull of the Moon book, and an unpublished project on Harold "Doc" Edgerton. Also included are photographs and retirement party records that relate to his work as the MIT Director of Public Relations (1955-1970).
Arrangement
Organized into five series: Series 1. Personal and Photographs; Series 2. MIT Research; Series 3. Doc Edgerton project; Series 4: MIT in Perspective; Series 5: Tides and the Pull of the Moon.
Physical Location
Materials are stored off-site. Advance notice is required for use.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Records were donated to the MIT Institute Archives by Francis Wylie's son, David Wylie, in 2020.
Appraisal
Duplicate copies of publications were not retained. Especially acidic and crumbling newspaper clippings were discarded.
Processing Information
Arrangement was based on original arrangement which put groups of materials together around writing projects. Folders that were very acidic were replaced with new folders. Original titles were used for most of the folders.
- Edgerton, Harold Eugene, 1903-1990
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology -- History Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Creator
- Wylie, Francis E., 1905- (Person)
- Title
- Guide to Francis E. Wylie personal archives
- Author
- Greta Kuriger Suiter
- Date
- 2021 March
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Libraries. Department of Distinctive Collections Repository
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Libraries
Building 14N-118
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge MA 02139-4307 US
distinctive-collections@mit.edu