Henry W. Clune papers

Collection

Identifier: D.141

Staff Only

Biographical/Historical note

Henry W. Clune was born in Rochester, New York on February 8, 1890. As a young boy he lived in the Linden Street neighborhood of the fourteenth ward. He attended West High School and for a short time was a student at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. At the age of twenty, Clune joined the staff of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, first as a volunteer, then as a paid employee. For almost forty years his column "Seen and Heard" appeared in the paper approximately three times a week. The column captured the color and flavor of life in Rochester, and was based on thousands of interviews Clune conducted with residents and visitors to the city.

In 1933 a compilation of Clune's newspaper columns was published in the book Seen and Heard. His other book publications include: The Good Die Poor (1937), Monkey on a Stick (1940), Main Street Beat (1947), By His Own Hand (1952), The Big Fella (1956), Six O'Clock Casual (1960), The Genesee (1963), O'Shaughnessy's Cafe (1969), The Rochester I Know (1972), I Always Liked It Here (1983), and Souvenir, and Other Stories (1990).

In 1921 Clune married Charlotte Boyle, a national swimming champion who competed in the 1920 Olympics. The Clunes, who had four sons, lived for many years in Scottsville, New York. Mrs. Clune died in 1990 at the age of 91.

In 1963 Henry Clune was named a Fellow of the Rochester Museum of Arts and Science and in 1965 he was given the Friends of the Rochester Public Library's Annual Literary Award. Clune died on October 9, 1995 at the age of 105.

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of correspondence, including letters from such notables as Herbert Hoover, H.L. Mencken, Billy Rose, and Walter Winchell. Also included are the manuscripts of his books, copies of the "Seen and Heard" columns and his other publications, newspaper clippings, and photographs. Some correspondents include Samuel Hopkins Adams, Louise Brooks, Carl Carmer, Jacob Robert Cominsky, Eva Gabor, Frank Gannett, Herbert Hoover, J. Edgar Hoover, Beatrice Kaufman, Claire Boothe Luce, Jerre Mangione, Irene Castle Mc Laughlin, Henry Lewis Mencken, Frank Sullivan, Booth Tarkington, Gene Tunney, Walter Winchell.

Creator

Clune, Henry W., 1890-1995 (Person)
Adams, Samuel Hopkins, 1871-1958 (Person)

Dates

Creation: 1924-1993

Language of Materials

English

Extent

20 box(es)

Access

The Henry W. Clune Papers is open for research use. Researchers are advised to contact the Rare Books Special Collections & Preservation Department prior to visiting. Upon arrival, researchers will also be asked to fill out a registration form and provide photo identification.

Use

In consultation with a curator, reproductions may be made upon request. Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from a curator. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

In 1963 Henry W. Clune donated his papers to Syracuse University Library. They generously presented the papers to the University of Rochester Library in 1980 as part of the celebration of Mr. Clune's ninetieth birthday. Other material came to the Library as part of Mr. Clune's estate. The materials in boxes 14-20 were added in 2003.

Preferred Citation

[Item title, item date], Henry W. Clune Papers, D.141, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester