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Bruce family papers

 Collection
Identifier: MSS 16876

Dates

  • Creation: 1880-1951

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

The baby album contains photographs and gloves should be worn for handling these photographs. The scrapbook in Box 1 and the removed contents in Box 2 should be viewed together.

Biographical / Historical

Philip A. Bruce (1856-1933) was a historian, essayist, and poet of Scotch descent. The son of Charles and Sarah Seddon Bruce, Philip spent his youth at Staunton Hall Plantation in Charlotte County, Virginia. Deeply influenced by the social and cultural life of the plantation, Bruce received a good education from various tutors. Later, he attended Norwood Academy; and then the University of Virginia from 1873 to 1875. He obtained a Bachelor of Law degree from Harvard in 1879.

Bruce's career was varied and colorful. His first position as editorial writer for The Richmond Times brought him recognition as a promising writer. As corresponding secretary of the Virginia Historical Society, Bruce played a major role editing its quarterly publication. Bruce never taught, but devoted his full creative energies to writing. In 1896 his major work The Economic History of Virginia in the Seventeenth Century appeared. Bruce spent time in England to research colonial Virginia records. He published a social and institutional history of Virginia and a History of the University of Virginia (5 vols.) in 1921. For additional biographical information, see Darrett B. Rutman, "Philip Alexander Bruce: A Divided Mind of the South" Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, LXVIII (Oct. 1960), pp. 387-408.

Full Extent

10.6 Cubic Feet (2 legal size document boxes in Series 1. 10 legal document boxes in Series 2. One letter document box and one small flat box in Series 3. One legal document box and one small flat box in Series 4.) : These are not all housed together in the stacks.

Language of Materials

English

Metadata Rights Declarations

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Additions ViU-2024-0136 and ViU-2025-0012 were purchases from Black Swan Books to the Small Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia Library on 16 July, 2024 and 15 November 2025.

MSS 2889, -a,-b,-c and was a gift to Small Special Collections by his daughter, Mrs. Archibald B. Shepperson, in 1948.

MSS 38-207 provenance is unknown.

Related Materials

MSS 38-207 Papers of Philip Alexander Bruce and ViU-2025-0012 Papers of Philip Alexander Bruce Addition 1 are part of this collection.

Another addition of this collection is MSS 2889, -a,-b,-c and was a gift to Small Special Collections by his daughter, Mrs. Archibald B. Shepperson, in 1948.

These have been combined along with two recent additions (ViU-2024-0136 and ViU-2025-0012) into this one ArchivesSpace record.

ViU-2024-0136 is related to the University of Virginia collection of the History of Childhood MSS 16758 but is not part of it.

Related Materials

This collection includes several additions such as (MSS 2889) the papers regarding Philip Alexander Bruce's historical writings and personal correspondence, including correspondence with A. Henderson, 1917 July and 15 January 1925, Dunbar Rowland, 18 March 1933, and Carter Woodson, 3 February, 1921 and 15 January, 1940. Included is a brief letter of thanks from Woodrow Wilson, 1912 July 23.(Boxes 1-2)

Another addition MSS 38-207 contains the typescript of Philip Alexander Bruce's history of the University of Virginia together with some chapters from his writings on Thomas Jefferson and on the education of African-Americans. (Boxes 3-12)

Genre / Form

Title
Bruce family papers
Status
Completed
Author
Ellen Welch
Date
2025-03-25
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library Repository

Contact:
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
P.O. Box 400110
University of Virginia
Charlottesville Virginia 22904-4110 United States