H. Willard Reninger Papers
Scope and Contents
The Reninger papers consists of a mix of Reninger's personal and professional materials. Included is correspondence, photographs, writings and publications, and teaching notes. The inventory goes into greater detail regarding the collection's contents. Of particular note is a series of four letters written to Reninger by writer Ernest Hemingway from 1930 to 1933, in which they discussed literary theory and Reninger's wish for Hemingway to write an introduction and review for a book he had written.
Dates
- 1932-1985
Creator
Language of Materials
Materials entirely in English.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions. Materials are open for research. Please note that the Hemingway estate maintains copyright on the content of the letters.
General Use, Reproduction, and Copyright Policies
Many items housed in the Rod Library Special Collections & University Archives, including unpublished images and manuscripts, may be protected by copyright, publication rights, trademarks, or model release rights which the library does not own and for which the library cannot grant permission or licensing. Materials currently under copyright are usually still available for research and limited reproduction under Fair Use laws. However, it is the sole responsibility of the patron to determine whether or not their use of a given material falls within Fair Use guidelines and to obtain permission for said use from the rightful copyright owner.
Sensitive Materials Statement
Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy or similar laws, and the Iowa Open Records Law (see Iowa Code ยง 22.7). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of Northern Iowa assumes no responsibility.
Biographical / Historical
Harry Willard Reninger was born March 20, 1900, in Youngstown, Ohio. He received his academic degrees from the University of Michigan: his B. A. in 1924, his M. A. in 1927, and his Ph. D. in 1938.
Professor Reninger started his teaching career as a high school teacher in Detroit but soon moved on to college level teaching. He taught at the Michigan State Normal College as well as the University of Michigan before coming to the Iowa State Teachers College in 1939 as an associate professor of English.
Professor Reninger was promoted to Head of the English Department in 1940. In 1943 he took a leave of absence in order to join the US Navy. He was commissioned a Lieutenant Senior Grade and sent to Missouri to teach in the V-12 program. Professor Reninger was an important member of the college administration. Along with Professor William C. Lang and other faculty members, he helped to develop the new Humanities program for the college. In addition, he sat on the committee that suggested changing the name of the Iowa State Teachers College to State College of Iowa. In 1961 Professor Reninger was named a Fulbright Scholar and went to India for a year to teach American Literature at the University of Gorakhpur and Lucknow University.
Professor Reninger's most famous student was Mona Van Duyn, who was appointed US Poet Laureate and won a Pulitzer Prize for her poetry. He is also remembered for bringing James Hearst, one of Iowa's finest poets, to the college faculty.
Professor Reninger retired in 1968 but came back to the University in 1970 to serve as Acting Vice President. He served in that position for one year.
He was a scholar as well as a teacher and administrator. He published articles in journals such as American Literature and American Schoolmaster. Professor Reninger also co-authored several publications including an American literature textbook designed specifically for Indian students; Interpreting Literature (1960), a textbook that went through a number of editions; and "A Psychological Approach to Literary Criticism" (1933).
Professor Reninger was active in several organizations. He was a member of the Modern Language Association of America, the National Council of Teachers of English, and the American Association of University Professors. He was a member of the Iowa College Conference on English and served as its President from 1946-1948 and its Vice President from 1941-1942.
H. W. Reninger died December 13, 1988. He was survived by his wife Bette, son John, and daughter Katherine.
Extent
2.92 Linear Feet (7 boxes)
Processing Information
Collection processed by University Archivist Gerald L. Peterson, 1990. Updated by Library Associate Dave Hoing, January 2017 and April 2018; and Archival Processor Tessa Wakefield, August 2022. Linear feet updated September 13, 2017.
- Title
- H. Willard Reninger Papers
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script