Hatch, Orrin, 1992

The Judith Barcroft collection fills 63 boxes and spans the years 1932-2019. Included are biographical materials, correspondence, photographs, television periodicals, newspapers and magazines, datebooks, journals, written work by Judith Barcroft, written work by various authors, theater scripts, theater-related items, television-related items, art-related records, legal-sized materials, and oversized items.

The biographical materials section is arranged in a rough chronological order and contains various documents dating between 1932 -2018. Included are scrapbooks from Barcroft’s childhood as well as many items from her involvement in religious organizations.

Correspondence is first arranged alphabetically by surnames of names of prominent and regular correspondents. Thereafter, correspondence is grouped by topical headings in a rough chronological flow. This section includes correspondence from some significant individuals in television broadcasting such as Agnes Nixon and Karen Lynn Gorney. Photographs in this collection primarily capture Barcroft’s career in television and theater. They include many of her headshots, as well as photographs from plays in college and her professional career.

The television magazines section is arranged in chronological order and includes periodicals covering daytime television primarily from the 1960s and 1970s. Barcroft, or one of the soap operas in which she appeared, is featured in each of the magazines found here.

The newspaper and magazine section includes additional, but more broadly-based magazines Barcroft was featured in, such as People and Time. This section also includes newspaper clippings regarding plays in which Barcroft acted, dating from her high school and college productions to Broadway shows.

The datebooks in this collection are arranged in chronological order and span the years 1969-2018. These consist of datebooks annotated with both personal and professional appointments.

The journals in this collection are arranged in chronological order and include journals belonging to both Barcroft and to her mother, Jean McCardell Williams. This section also includes journals with notes relating to Barcroft’s classes at Stephens College.

The written work by Judith Barcroft is arranged chronologically and contains plays, short stories, and poetry written by Barcroft. It also includes class notes from Stephens College and Northwestern University, as well as personal essays relating to Barcroft’s religious beliefs.

The written work by various authors is arranged chronologically and includes poetry, plays, and sermons written by authors other than Barcroft. This section also includes a memorial essay written for James Williams by his stepdaughter, as well as a draft of his book.

The theater scripts form the largest section in the collection and are arranged alphabetically by title. This section spans most of Barcroft’s career in theater career, with scripts dating from the period 1957-2019. Most of the scripts found here have been annotated by Barcroft.

The theater-related items section contains documents pertaining to Barcroft’s theater career. The first half of the section is arranged chronologically and contains items such as playbills and Barcroft’s acting resumes. The second half of the section contains files on plays in which Barcroft performed, arranged alphabetically by title. Each file may contain various materials relating to a specific production, including correspondence, schedules, or scripts. The television-related items section contains documents associated with Barcroft’s television career. This includes a set schedule from All My Children and a script from Another World.

The art-related items section contains documents relating to Barcroft’s art career. This includes Barcroft’s sketches and art resumes, as well as documents from her time in the Art Students League of New York.

The legal-sized items include various documents such as contracts for Barcroft’s art and theater work, as well as poetry written by Barcroft.

The oversized items include many biographical materials such as yearbooks from St. Mary’s Hall and Stephens College, scrapbooks, and Barcroft’s sketchbooks.