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Thomas O'Dea university work materials, 1951-1974

 Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 1417 Series 5

Scope and Contents

Contains correspondence, memorandums, student records, and course materials produced by O'Dea on sociology and religion. Materials date from between 1951 and 1974.

Dates

  • 1951-1974

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

For the first twenty years (1976-1996), the access rights to this collection were controlled by a committee of selected individuals who were personally acquainted with Thomas O'Dea during his career. Following this twenty-year period, and with the now availability of the collection to researchers, L. Tom Perry Special Collections controls use of the papers. Because of the private and sensitive nature of several of O'Dea's journals, permission to consult them must be obtained from the Board of Curators, Special Collections.

Conditions Governing Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.

Permission to publish material from the Thomas F. O'Dea collection must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services and/or the Special Collections Board of Curators.

Biographical History

From the Collection:

Thomas F. O'Dea (1915-1974) was an American sociologist, author, and teacher.

Thomas F. O'Dea was born December 1, 1915, in Amesbury, Massachusetts to father Patrick J. O'Dea and mother Mary Quinn. Historically, his life bridged the period from World War I to the Vietnam War. During his youth he attended Saint Joseph's Parochial School in Amesbury and Amesbury High School, after which he studied printing at the Wentworth Institute in Boston. After serving in the United States Army Air Force during World War II, he entered Harvard University and graduated summa cum laude in 1949. He continued at Harvard, earning an M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology, in 1951 and 1953 respectively. In 1966 he authored the book "The Sociology of Religion." He was a member of the faculty at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1951-1956), The University of Utah (1959-1964), and Columbia University (1964-1966). He completed his teaching career at the University of California, Santa Barbara as a professor of religious studies and sociology. He married his wife Gertrude Stillman on June 5, 1936 in New York City. He died on November 12, 1974 in Santa Barbara, California.

Extent

4 boxes

17 folders

Language of Materials

English