By Sammie Morris
Title: Louis Martin Sears papers, 1911-1960
Predominant Dates:1928-1958
Primary Creator: Sears, Louis Martin (1885-1960)
Extent: 4.0 Cubic feet. More info below.
Arrangement:
The Papers are comprised of the following series:
I. Writings by Sears, 1911-1960; II. Correspondence, 1936-1959; III. Research Materials, 1935-1957; IV. Printed Material, 1922-1958; V. Photographic Material, undated.
The Writings series includes journal articles and reprints, typescripts, books, critical reviews, speeches, commencement addresses, talks for conference proceedings, course papers, essays, and memoirs. Also included in this series are two sets of meeting minutes of the Parlor Club taken by Sears in 1946.
The Correspondence series includes incoming and outgoing correspondence primarily relating to Sears' various writing projects.
The Research Materials series includes Sears' notes and references to sources used by him in his writings and research.
The Printed Material series includes journal articles, pamphlets, and other assorted materials given to Sears or collected by him.
The Photographic Material series consists of one photographic print of Sears, undated
Date Acquired: 00/00/2005
Subjects: Academy of Political Science, American Historical Association, Phi Beta Kappa, Sears, Louis Martin (1885-1960)
Forms of Material: Correspondence, Manuscripts (document genre), Photographic prints, Speeches
Languages: English
Author and historian Louis Martin Sears was born in Chicago on June 4, 1885. Sears received Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees from the University of Chicago, which awarded him its Alumni Citation for Public Service in 1950. Sears joined the faculty of Purdue University in 1920. Prior to coming to Purdue as an assistant professor in 1920, he taught in high schools at Birmingham, Alabama, Joliet, Illinois, and Chicago. Sears became an associate professor at Purdue in 1922, and was promoted to a full professor of history in 1925. In 1953, Sears received the Sigma Delta Chi "Best Teacher" award, and he was commencement speaker to the 1955 graduating class of Purdue University. In addition to his teaching duties at Purdue, Sears taught summer terms at the University of Missouri, University of Nebraska, University of West Virginia, University of Cincinnati, University of Wisconsin, and New York University. He also taught for a full year at Duke University. After retiring from Purdue in 1956, Sears went to Washington, D.C. to complete work on several books he was writing. Sears authored several history texts and numerous journal articles, primarily relating to United States diplomatic history. Some of his books include John Slidell, Jefferson and the Embargo, A History of American Foreign Relations, George Washington, and George Washington and the French Revolution.
Sears was active in the Indiana and Mississippi Valley historical societies, the American Historical Association, and the Academy of Political Science. He was a fellow of the Royal History Society of Great Britain, a member of the University of Chicago Literary Society, the Cosmos Club in Washington, and Phi Beta Kappa. He was an honorary member of the Purdue chapters of Sigma Delta Chi, Scabbard and Blade, Phi Gamma Mu, Alpha Phi Omega, and the Town and Gown Club of Lafayette, Indiana.
Dr. Sears was Professor Emeritus of History at Purdue when he died on May 14, 1960, in George Washington Hospital in Washington, D.C. Sears is buried in Lockport Cemetery in Lockport, Illinois. He never married, and members of his family preceded him in death
Academy of Political Science
American Historical Association
Phi Beta Kappa
Sears, Louis Martin (1885-1960)
Repository: Purdue University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections
Alternate Extent Statement: 4 cubic feet and 2 faculty folders
Access Restrictions: Collection is open for research.
Physical Access Note: The collection is stored offsite; 24 hours notice is required to access the collection.
Separated Materials: Photographic print was placed in Purdue File.
Preferred Citation: MSF 338, Louis Martin Sears Papers, Archives and Special Collections, Purdue University Libraries
Other URL: http://collections.lib.purdue.edu/fa/pdf/sears.pdf
French Opinion of the Spanish-American War, Sears, Louis Martin. Reprinted from The Hispanic American Historical Review, vol. VII, no. 1, February, 1927, pp. 25-44. (2 copies)
"George Washington in 1932", address given by Louis M. Sears for Addresses in Celebration of the Washington Bicentenary 1932, (2 copies)
