California State University, Sacramento Special Collections & University Archives

Table of Contents

Summary Information

Biography

Scope and Contents

Arrangement

Administrative Information

Controlled Access Headings

Collection Inventory

Customs and Folkways

Art, Crafts, Food and Material Culture

Cartoons

Music

Folk Narrative

Architecture, Building, Etc.

Ethnic Groups

Miscellaneous

Folklore in Institutions

Folklore Guide

Summary Information

Repository

California State University, Sacramento Special Collections & University Archives

Creator

Dickison, Roland

Title

Roland Bishop Dickison papers

ID

MSS 1993/03

Date [bulk]

Bulk, 1962-1980

Date [inclusive]

1961-1983

Extent

5.0 Linear feet (4 record cartons)

Language

English

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Biography

Professor Roland B. Dickison was first hired by Sacramento State College, predecessor to California State University, Sacramento, in April, 1961. His initial position was assistant to the Dean of the College of Curriculum Development. In the fall of 1962 Professor Dickison became a full time Associate Professor in the English Department. By 1969 Dr. Dickison was promoted to a full professor. Dr. Dickison officially retired in 1983, but has continued to teach as professor emeritus.

During his tenure at the University, Roland Dickison took several leaves of absence. In the fall of 1961 he accepted a Fulbright Fellowship at the University of Damascus, Syria. From 1966 to 1968 Professor Dickison left the college to teach at the College of Virgin Islands in St. Thomas. And 1970 and 1971 he went to the Caribbean Islands to research folklore.

During the summers Dr. Dickison took groups of students into Mexico for folklore research.

Dr. Dickison's education includes receiving his B.A. from Colorado College, a B.S. while in the United States Merchant Marines, and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Florida. Prior to accepting the position at Sacramento State, Dr. Dickison taught at several other institutions.

Roland B. Dickison currently owns a publishing company, The Bishop Publishing Company, through which he publishes books on folklore. These publications include folklore collected from his students at CSUS.

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Scope and Contents

These papers were donated by Professor Roland B. Dickison to the University Archives at California State University, Sacramento, in September 1993. The collection consists of 4 boxes, equalling 5 linear feet. There are 136 files within 4 boxes.

Dr. Dickison collected the materials from his students who attended folklore and English courses at CSUS. The course requirements varied between the lower and upper division classes. Students in the folklore classes collected and recorded a variety of folklore examples as well as term papers on folklore related topics.

Most documents are dated between the late 1960s and mid 1980s. Geographically, a large portion of the collection reflects Sacramento and northern California. The remainder of the materials represent national and international traditions. Folklore information collected by the students was often the result of an interview. Usually in these papers information is provided on both the informant as well as on the collector. Many of the papers indicate the narrator's occupation, age, ethnic background and language.

Some of the documents in this collection are magazine and newspaper articles. These materials may or may not be cited as to where or when they were collected. Many of these articles may be on the general subject of folklore, or a particular folklore tradition.

Subjects in the collection are numerous and varied. The subject matter and, or, graphic material may be offensive to the researcher. Topics such as sex, race and age are frequently encountered throughout the collection. These materials may be graphic or textual.

There are three major types of folklore: oral folklore, customary folklore and material folk traditions. The Roland B. Dickison papers consist of all three types of folklore. One or more type may be in a single document.

This collection appears to be incomplete. In several articles Dr. Dickison referred to having a five drawer file cabinet full of his students' folklore contributions. The collection, as received by the University, appears to be less than this amount.

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Arrangement

The collection was arranged according to a guide found in the collection. The file "Classification Guide" contained the document "Folklore Archives." This guide appears to have been used by Dr. Dickison and his assistants in categorizing and filing the folklore materials collected from students.

The titles of files were not changed except for the following. Under the Ethnic Groups category two files listed as "Chicano" were changed to "Chicano, Mexican, Mexican American, Latino and Hispanic." This title was more representative of the materials in those files.

Under several categories there was a file listed as miscellaneous, these were divided if possible. The miscellaneous files were renamed and a summary of contents is listed next to their entry in the finding aid.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

California State University, Sacramento Special Collections & University Archives

The Library
2000 State University Drive East
Sacramento, CA, 95819-6039
916-278-6144
scua@csus.edu

Access

Collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

Copyright is protected by the copyright law, Chapter 17 of the U.S. Code. Requests for permission to publish, quote, or reproduce from collections must be submitted in writing to the Head of the Department of Special Collections and University Archives. Permission for publication is given on the behalf of the Department of Special Collections and University Archives, The Library, California State University, Sacramento as the owner of the physical item and is not intended to include permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.

Processed by:

Rosie M. Ramirez.

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Controlled Access Headings

Personal Name(s)

• Dickison, Roland
• Dickison, Roland

Subject(s)

• California State University, Sacramento. College of Arts and Letters
• California State University, Sacramento. English Dept.
• Folklore

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Collection Inventory

Series 1. Customs and Folkways n.d.
Religion n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 1
Funeral Rites and Ceremonies n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 2
Epitaphs (1 of 2) n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 3
Epitaphs (2 of 2) n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 4
Sub-Series 1. Festivals n.d.
Festivals n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 5
Sub-Series 2. Games and Sports n.d.
Team Games, Group Games n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 6
Finger Games, Bouncing Games, Clapping Games n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 7
Parlor Games n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 8
Games - Who's "it" n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 9
Sub-Series 3. Gesures n.d.
Gestures (non-superstitious) n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 10
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Series 2. Art, Crafts, Food and Material Culture n.d.
Art and Material Culture n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 11
Food, Desserts and Drink (Eating and Drinking Customs, Etiquette, Recipes and Cooking) n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 12
Fashion and Clothing n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 13
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Series 3. Names and Folk Speech n.d.
Names (onomastics) n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 14
Special Words and Vocabularies - General Slang n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 15
Special Words and Vocabularies - General Slang n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 16
Special Vocabularies - Secret Languages n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 17
Folk Wit n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 18
Insults n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 19
Wellerisms (parodies, folk poetry, nonsense poems) n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 20
Riddles - General n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 21
Riddles - Italian n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 22
Jokes - Cornish n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 23
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Series 4. Cartoons n.d.
Cartoons n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 24
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Series 5. Music n.d.
Music - Lullabies n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 25
Sub-Series 1. Folk Songs n.d.
American n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 26
Australian n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 27
Bawdy n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 28
English, Scottish, Irish n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 29
Etiology n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 30
European n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 31
General n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 32
General n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 33
General (no melody) n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   1 34
Mexican n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 1
Nonsense n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 2
People Songs are About n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 3
Protest n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 4
Variations on Folksongs n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 5
Folk Tunes (Instrumental Only) n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 6
Folk Musicians n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 7
Folk Instruments n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 8
Songs with Composers n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 9
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Series 6. Folk Narrative n.d.
Sub-Series 1. Myths and Legends n.d.
Myths n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 10
Legends n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 11
Legends - Automobiles n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 12
Lost Mines and Buried Treasure n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 13
Urban Legends n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 14
Life's Misfortunes n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 15
Heavenly Bodies (Sun, Moon, Planets, etc.) n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 16
Parables n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 17
Sub-Series 2. Tales and Stories n.d.
Tales n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 18
Tall Tales n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 19
Endless Tales n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 20
Creation - How Things Got Their Names n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 21
Ghost Stories n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 22
Haunted Houses n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 23
Little People n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 24
Murder n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 25
Mystery n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 26
Stories with Morals n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 27
Vampires n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 28
Sub-Series 3. Superstitions and Magic n.d.
Superstition - General n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 29
Good Luck n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 30
Bad Luck n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 31
Witches n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 33
Witches and Devils n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 34
Evil Spirits n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 35
Amulets, Medallions n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 36
Omens (good and bad) n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 37
Fortune-Telling n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 38
Sub-Series 4. Gambling n.d.
Gambling n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 39
Sub-Series 5. Local History n.d.
First Settlement n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 40
Communities n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 41
Farms n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 42
Churches n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 43
California n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 44
Sub-Series 6. Places n.d.
United States n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 45
California n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 46
Grass Valley n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 47
Folsom Prison n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 48
Place Names n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   2 49
Sub-Series 7. Local Characters and Individuals n.d.
Local Characters and Individuals n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 1
Outlaws n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 2
Sub-Series 8. Crime and Punishment n.d.
Crime and Punishment n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 3
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Series 7. Architecture, Building, Etc. n.d.
Dwellings n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 4
Functional Structures n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 5
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Series 8. Genealogy n.d.
Genealogy n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 6
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Series 9. Ethnic Groups n.d.
Sub-Series 1. History, Customs and Lore n.d.
American Indian - Hopi n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 7
Balkan States n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 8
Blacks (African Americans) n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 9
Chicano, Mexican, Mexican American, Latino, Hispanic (1 of 2) n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 10
Chicano, Mexican, Mexican American, Latino, Hispanic (2 of 2) n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 11
Chinese n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 12
Germans n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 13
Greek n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 14
Irish n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 15
Japanese n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 16
Middle East n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 17
Scandinavians n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 18
Others      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 19 General note Including: Italian, Portuguese, Hawaiian, Jewish, Kikuyo (Kenyan), Thai, Guamanian, Bolivian, Vietnamese, Russian, Australian, French, Madagascar, Indian (India), Phillipino, and Korean.
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Series 10. Subculture n.d.
Subculture n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 20
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Series 11. Occupational Folklore n.d.
Sub-Series 1. Armed Services n.d.
Airforce (and Aviation) n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 21
Army n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 22
Marines n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 23
Navy n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 24
Sub-Series 2. Other Occupations
Advertising n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 25
Automobiles n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 26
Business n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 27
Commercial Fishing n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 28
Construction n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 29
Fire Fighters n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   3 30
Government n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   4 1
Husbandry, Rural Lore, Domestic Traditions (1 of 2) n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   4 2
Husbandry, Rural Lore, Domestic Traditions (2 of 2) n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   4 3
Insurance n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   4 4
Labor Leaders n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   4 5
Lawyers n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   4 6
Logging n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   4 7
Medical Profession n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   4 8
Mining n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   4 9
Office Practice n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   4 10
Police n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   4 11
Politics n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   4 12
Postal Service n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   4 13
Railroads n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   4 14
Restaurant n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   4 15
Schools n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   4 16
Telephone Industry n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   4 17
Theater n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   4 18
Truck Drivers n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   4 19
Wine Making n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   4 20
General n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   4 21 General note Including: computer, journalism, supermarket, sales, "beauty shop", accounting, hospital, drive-in theaters, coal sales, flour milling, archaeology, gunsmithing, dentistry, chimney sweeps.
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Series 12. Miscellaneous n.d.			Box 4	Folder 22
Folklore - Miscellaneous (per original folder) n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   4 22
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Series 13. Folklore in Institutions n.d.
Sub-Series 1. Folklore in Schools n.d.
Teaching Units n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   4 23
Sub-Series 2. Other Institutions n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   4 24
Festival of American Folklife Program (Smithsonian Institution) 1994      Box Folder Mixed materials   4 24
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Series 14. Folklore Guide n.d.
Classification Guide n.d.      Box Folder Mixed materials   4 25
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