Marguerite Johnston Barnes Personal Papers

Collection

Identifier: MS 0491

Staff Only

Finding aid note: Stored offsite at the Library Service Center and require 24-hour notice for retrieval. Please contact the Woodson Research Center at 713-348-2586 or woodson@rice.edu for more information.

Scope and Contents

The Marguerite Johnston Barnes Personal Papers represent Barnes’ writing career, from her college years to her career at the Houston Post newspaper and a small amount of biographical family materials, calendars, financial records, and photographs. The bulk of the materials represent her writing career, from her book A Happy Wordly Abode, to her newspaper work for Birmingham, AL newspapers to the Houston Post (later purchased by the Houston Chronicle). Newspaper materials include notes relating ideas for news stories, photocopies of her articles, columns, reviews and editorials, typescripts of her works.

For papers related to Barnes' Houston, The Unknown City, 1830-1991, see Marguerite Johnston Barnes Research Materials for Houston, The Unknown City, 1830-1991, MS 455, Woodson Research Center.

Dates

Creation: 1926-2000

Access Restrictions

This material is open for research. Stored offsite at the Library Service Center and require 24-hour notice for retrieval. Please contact the Woodson Research Center at 713-348-2586 or woodson@rice.edu for more information.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish must be obtained from the holder of copyright on the articles, columns, the Houston Chronicle (parent company that purchased the Houston Post), or Marguerite Barnes.

Biographical Note

Born in Birmingham, AL, Barnes’ early journalistic experience was as assistant editor of her college newspaper at Birmingham-Southern College. She worked on the Birmingham News newspaper as a reporter and as Washington correspondent, and continued as correspondent for the Birmingham Age-Herald and the London Daily Mirror. She was accredited to the Senate and House Press Galleries and White House, and also as United Nations correspondent.

Barnes joined the Houston Post in 1947 as reporter and columnist, and added foreign news editor and assistant editor to her credentials. She served as writing lecturer and instructor for University of Houston and Rice University. She is the recipient of numerous awards from a variety of respected Texas groups, and is well known for her books Public Manners, A Happy Worldly Abode, and Houston, the Unknown City 1836-1936.

Ms. Barnes passed away on December 13, 2005, in Houston, Texas.

Extent

7.5 Linear Feet (15 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The bulk of these papers represent Barnes’ writing and journalism career, from her early college years to her lengthy career at the Houston Post newspaper. Included are photocopies of her articles, columns, reviews and editorials, typescripts of her works, photographs, and a small amount of family and biographical materials.