Cataloged by O. Brian Kaufman, Doctoral Candidate, URI

Directed by Dr. Robert A. Schwegler

3 May 2005 

Box 751 contains more than 130 folders (dated 1968-1974) with items gathered by Richard S. Beal (1915-1989) who served as an independent editorial consultant reviewing proposals and manuscripts for Little Brown, Holt Rinehart Winston, and Prentice Hall during the 1960s and 1970s. Beal began teaching writing in the English department at Boston University in 1947, and eventually became director of freshman and sophomore English. He later served as associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts until his retirement in 1976. Beal received his bachelor's degree in English from Tufts University in 1937, and a master's degree from University of Wisconsin in 1939. From 1942 to 1946, he served in the U.S. Navy and rose to the rank of lieutenant commander. His works include Thought In Prose (Prentice Hall 1958); The Complete Reader (Prentice Hall 1961); and Search For Perspective: A Study Of Prose (Holt Rinehart Winston 1965).

The file contents vary with nearly all containing reviews; in addition, many contain letters, handwritten notes, sample tables of content (TOC) or sample chapters. Some files contain partial manuscripts. A few files contain materials from more than one source or author.

Beal’s reviews are one or more pages in length with the majority no longer than five pages. The reviews are written as memos to editors of the book publishers. Some of Beal’s reviews take the form of a response letter. The reviews appear to be carbon copies of Beal’s typewritten responses. Some items include handwritten notes and other notations which can be presumed to be from Beal. Some files also contain numerous lined pages of handwritten notes. The correspondence and letters are generally to and from Beal (but there are exceptions to this). The correspondence usually involves notice of the receipt of a proposal, manuscript or other author materials. Some personal correspondence may be included but is not noted separately from other correspondence.

Click on the following link to view the catalogued index of Box 751: