Skip to main content

Douglas Huntly Gordon, Jr. papers

 Collection
Identifier: MS-0368

Scope and Contents

The collection of Douglas Huntly Gordon, Jr. consists mostly of items related to his interest in collecting and his support of museums. A few student papers of his father, Douglas Huntly Gordon, Sr. are also part of the collection.

Gordon, Jr.'s papers include art catalogs, notices of exhibitions and lectures, correspondence with book sellers, and membership information from the many societies and trusts of concern to him. The papers of his father Douglas Huntly Gordon, Sr. include student notes from his studies at Hopkins, 1884-1890. Some notes are from classes taught by Professor Richard T. Ely in Political Science and History. Diplomas (A.B., Hopkins 1887 and LL.B., University of Maryland 1889) awarded to Gordon, Sr. are also in collection.

The earliest item is a family letter dated December 12, 1845 written to Mrs. Judith Page (Waller) Aylett (1804-1860) in King William County, Virginia from her son in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Mrs. Aylett was the aunt of Douglas Huntly Gordon, Sr.) Obituaries of both men and a copy of Douglas Huntly Gordon, Jr.'s will (later revised) are included in the collection. Lastly, a 19th to early 20th century woman's scrapbook once collected by Gordon, Jr. is found in the holding. The collection spans circa 1800 to 1975.

Dates

  • Creation: approximately 1800-1975

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is housed off-site and requires 48-hours' notice for retrieval. Please contact Special Collections for more information.

Collection is open for use.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions. It is not necessary to seek our permission as the owner of the physical work to publish or otherwise use public domain materials that we have made available for use, unless Johns Hopkins University holds the copyright.

Douglas Huntly Gordon, Sr.

Douglas Huntly Gordon, Sr. who was born in Baltimore in 1867 and received the B.A. degree from The Johns Hopkins University in 1887. He continued with graduate work at the University until 1890 while at the same time studying at the University of Maryland. Gordon entered the banking business in the city and was elected president of the Baltimore Trust Company in 1912. The Gordon family home in the early 1900s was on North Charles Street close to Mount Vernon Square which may have motivated Gordon, Jr.'s later efforts to preserve the area. Douglas Huntly Gordon, Sr. was a collector of books, and his collections formed an important private library.

Douglas Huntly Gordon, Sr. died in Baltimore in April 9, 1918.

Douglas Huntly Gordon, Jr.

Douglas Huntly Gordon, Jr. was born in Baltimore in 1903. He completed his undergraduate studies at Harvard University and graduated from the Harvard Law School in 1928. During the 1930s, he served in the Maryland legislature and was appointed president of St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland. In 1938, he founded the Mount Vernon Improvement Association and spent much of the rest of his life fighting to retain the original architectural integrity of Baltimore's Mount Vernon Place. Gordon was a collector of art and books and was particularly interested in French Renaissance studies. He was the author of The Censoring of Diderot's Encyclopedie and the Re-Established Text in 1947. The French government awarded Gordon both the Palmes Academiques (1957) and the French Legion of Honor (1959) for his promotion of French culture. He was also a founder of the Johns Hopkins University Milton S. Eisenhower Library's Friends of the Library.

Douglas Huntly Gordon, Jr. died in Baltimore in March 24, 1986.

Extent

1.09 Cubic Feet (1 legal size document box, 1 flat box (21 x 17 x 3 inches), 1 oversize folder (21 x 25 inches))

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Douglas Huntly Gordon, Jr. was born in Baltimore in 1903. During the 1930s, he served in the Maryland legislature. In 1938, he founded the Mount Vernon Improvement Association and spent much of the rest of his life fighting to retain the original architectural integrity of Baltimore's Mount Vernon Place. He was also a founder of the Johns Hopkins University Milton S. Eisenhower Library's Friends of the Library. The collection of Douglas Huntly Gordon, Jr. consists mostly of items related to his interest in collecting and his support of museums. A few student papers of his father, Douglas Huntly Gordon, Sr. are also part of the collection. The collection spans circa 1800 to 1975.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The collection was given to the University by Professor Orest Ranum and Mrs. Douglas Gordon, 1992-1994.

Accruals

Professor Ranum gave the student papers of Douglas H. Gordon, Sr. and Douglas H. Gordon, Jr. (Accession 93-94.35). Letters and membership cards were included with books donated by Mrs. Gordon, 1992-1993 (Accession 92-93.39). Diplomas of Douglas H. Gordon, Sr. were given by Mrs. Gordon in June, 1994 (Accession 93-94.48). The scrapbook was came in a later accrual donated by Ranum (Accession 2015-16.MS.043).

Processing Information

Finding aid prepared by Joan Grattan in November 1994, with additional processing by Annie Tang in February 2016.

Title
Douglas Huntly Gordon papers
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections Repository

Contact:
The Sheridan Libraries
Special Collections
3400 N Charles St
Baltimore MD 21218 USA