Guide to the George Oliver Curme, Sr. (1860-1948) Papers

Biographical/Historical Information

George Oliver Curme was born in Richmond, Indiana, on January 14, 1860, the son of Arthur Allen and Elizabeth Jane (Nicholas) Curme. Curme's scholarship focused on German and English philology. In 1896, he joined the faculty of Northwestern University, where he remained until retirement. Curme was a prolific writer, as well as an active member of many professional associations, including Modern Language Association of America (of which he served as President), the Linguistic Society of America, the National Institute of Social Sciences, and Phi Beta Kappa.

Scope and Content

The George Oliver Curme Papers consist entirely of a small amount of biographical material and the manuscript for A Grammar of the English Language. Included with the biographical material are newspaper clippings, press releases, and obituaries.

Also included are two sets of correspondence, one involving the donation of a portrait of Curme to the university and another between the Minnesota State Historical Society and various university officials concerning Curme's involvement in the discovery of the Kensington Rune Stone in 1898.

The most significant part of the collection is a manuscript of A Grammar of the English Language which clearly reflects the meticulous care and depth of approach Curme took in writing and revising his work.

Subjects

Subjects

College teachers--Illinois--Evanston

English language--Grammar