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Individual Series View, Merton's Correspondence with:

Fox, James, Dom, O.C.S.O., 1896-1987


Series 26, Correspondence between Gregory Zilboorg and James Fox from Gethsemani Archives


Descriptive Summary

Record Group: Section A - Correspondence
Dates of materials: 1948-1969
Volume: 949 item(s); 1432 pg(s)

Scope and Content

Herein is a large collection of letters spanning most of Merton's time at Gethsemani. Letters between Fox and Merton concern Merton's vocation to the monastery, his constant desires for greater solitude, thoughts about leaving Gethsemani and joining the

Biography

Dom James Fox came to Gethsemani in 1927. He was serving as guestmaster when Merton's younger brother, John Paul, visited the monastery, and Fox made arrangements for John Paul's baptism. In 1948, Fox was elected abbot after the death of Dom Frederic Du

Usage Guidelines and Restrictions

Please click here for general restrictions concerning Merton's correspondence.

Related Information and Links

See also published letters from Merton to Fox in The School of Charity and

Series List

Series NumberSeries NameTotal Records
1 Correspondence from original Merton papers (some later additions): Dom James Fox with Merton, Fr. Charles Dumont, Edward Glenn Hinson, Msgr. Alfred Frederick Horrigan, Fr. Giovanni Montini, James Morrissey, Naomi Burton Stone, etc. 93
2 Correspondence from Gethsemani Archives: Dom James Fox with the Abbot of Melleray, Dom Louis de Gonzague Le Pennuen. 21
3 Correspondence from Gethsemani Archives: Dom James Fox with the Abbot of Melleray, Dom Colomban Bissey. 6
4 Correspondence from Gethsemani Archives: Dom James Fox with Abbot General Dominique Noques. 4
5 Correspondence from Gethsemani Archives: Dom James Fox with Abbot General Gabriel Sortais. 202
6 Correspondence from Gethsemani Archives: Dom James Fox with Abbot General Ignace Gillet. 38
7 Correspondence between Dom James Fox and Merton: Special Binding (Archive - Stack 5). 101
8 Correspondence between Dom James Fox and Marie Tadié: (see "Tadié, Marie" file for all physical holdings). 153
9 Special Merton File: Correspondence between Dom James Fox and Abbot General Gabriel Sortais 30
10 Special Merton File: Notes concerning Merton's relationship with "M," from folder labeled "Clyde" 1
11 Special Merton File: Correspondence between Fox and Fr. John Eudes Bamberger concerning a biography of Merton, from folder labeled "Clyde" 2
12 Special Merton File: Correspondence concerning French translator Marie Tadié's grievance with Gethsemani after Merton's death, from folder labeled "Clyde" 6
13 Special Merton File: Correspondence between Dom James Fox and the Sacred Congregation for Religious at the Vatican, earlier with Arcadio Cardinal Larraona and then with Archbishop Paul (later Cardinal) Philippe 6
14 Special Merton File: Correspondence between Dom James Fox and Monsignor Loris Francesco Capovilla, Secretary to Pope John XXIII 5
15 Special Merton File: Correspondence with Fr. Heinrich Dumoulin, S.J., Sophia University in Japan, regarding Merton studying Zen and proposed trip to Japan 4
16 Special Merton File: Correspondence with Archbishop Giovanni Montini (later Pope Paul VI) 7
17 Special Merton File: Correspondence with Fr. Riccardo Lombardi, S.J. 18
18 Special Merton File: Correspondence between Dom James Fox and Abbot General Ignace Gillet, regarding Merton as novice master, studying Zen and proposed trip to Japan 4
19 Naomi Burton Stone, Doubleday, Inc. (earlier correspondence with Fox can be found in the "Curtis Brown, Ltd." file and in Series 1 of this file) 102
20 Publishers' Correspondence: Herder and Herder, Inc. 18
21 Publishers' Correspondence: Farrar, Straus and Cudahy, Inc.; and Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Inc. 34
22 Publishers' Correspondence: New Directions 38
23 Publishers' Correspondence: Foreign Rights 2
24 Merton Publicity File: Correspondence with film makers, book clubs, radio stations, etc. 21
25 Curtis Brown, Ltd. [See "Curtis Brown" file in Section A, correspondence from 1963 continues with Series 19 in this file] 1
26 Correspondence between Gregory Zilboorg and James Fox from Gethsemani Archives 22
27 Correspondence with Bishop Matthew A. Niedhammer, OFM Cap., Apostolic Vicar of Bluefields, Nicaragua, regarding Merton's character 3
28 Correspondence with Bishop James Peter Davis of San Juan, Puerto Rico, regarding Merton's character 3
29 Special File of Dom James on Thomas Merton, 70 Numbered Entries (click here) 1
30 Correspondence with Dom Baldwin Dworschak, O.S.B., Abbot of Saint John's Abbey, Collegeville, Minnesota 3

Container List

Series#DateFrom/ToFirst LinesPub ✓Notes
 y/m/dMerton Scan ✉ 
Series 26 #1.
«All Series«		 1956/08/13 TAL[c] to Zilboorg, Gregory Please pardon my delay in not writing sooner to express all that you meant for us Trappists at least «detailed view»
Series 26 #2.
«All Series«		 1956/08/24 TLS from Zilboorg, Gregory Circumstances entirely beyond my control prevented me from answering your very sweet letter sooner. Naomi Burton Stone - telling her of psychoanalytic discussions with Zilboorg / idea of Merton taking classes in New York «detailed view»
Series 26 #3.
«All Series«		 1956/09/03 TL[c] to Zilboorg, Gregory We received your very kind and eagerly awaited letter of August 24. We know how busy you are, [verso: letter from Cecil B. deMille to Fox] Naomi Burton Stone / idea of Merton taking classes in New York (at either Fordham University or Columbia University) to study pre-Cassian monasticism at Columbia University library - difficulty of anonymity / idea of analysis by Zilboorg while in New York / Hilda Graef review / Rorschach tests on novices by Merton halted / Merton offered New York accommodations by Fathers of the Blessed Sacrament «detailed view»
Series 26 #4.
«All Series«		 1956/09/10 TLS from Zilboorg, Gregory Your letter is more deeply appreciated than you will ever know. Your directness, frankness, Merton as a "revengeful person" / warns that Merton's practice of journaling was a "serious impediment to the [psychoanalytic] treatment which is being contemplated" - need for Merton to stop writing in order to get better «detailed view»
Series 26 #5.
«All Series«		 1956/09/14 TL[c] to Zilboorg, Gregory We received your charming letter of September 10. I certainly appreciate all the time and thought possibilities of Merton coming to New York to stay at a monastery where farm work could be done but close enough to the city for Zilboorg to treat him / Merton's current duties as Master of Novices «detailed view»
Series 26 #6.
«All Series«		 1956/11/07 TAL[c] to Zilboorg, Gregory We saw your article in JUBILEE. It certainly was very fine. Father Eudes writes us occasionally, Merton's reaction to be limited in writing and receiving letters / dates for a possible visit by Zilboorg «detailed view»
Series 26 #7.
«All Series«		 1956/11/12 TLS from Zilboorg, Gregory Your letter arrived last Friday while I was away attending a psychiatric meeting. I just came back details for Zilboorg's trip to Gethsemani from December 27th through December 30th, 1956 «detailed view»
Series 26 #8.
«All Series«		 1956/11/20 TL[c] to Zilboorg, Gregory We received your charming letter of November 12. How delighted we are that you can arrange to spend Fox plans not to tell Merton of Zilboorg's trip to Gethsemani so Merton will not "start cogitating and planning and getting all kinds of schemes in his head" «detailed view»
Series 26 #9.
«All Series«		 1956/11/21 TLS from Stone, Naomi Burton What a perfectly lovely surprise. All those beautiful prints of the photograph of St. Therese. passing on a message of praise for Merton by Fr. Thibodeau - asking if Fox would pass the message to Merton - recent letter to her from Merton found him "a little bit discouraged" «detailed view»
Series 26 #10.
«All Series«		 1956/11/26 TL to Stone, Naomi Burton We received your two letters, the enquiry of the 15th concerning censor names on the poems, will not pass along the letter with a message from Fr. Thibodeau sent by Naomi Burton Stone to Merton - Fox does not want to encourage Merton in his writing but wants him to first focus on monastic life «detailed view»
Series 26 #11.
«All Series«		 1956/11/28 TLS from Zilboorg, Gregory A silly problem arose. My secretary and I nearly quarreled. I seem to believe that I did write you agreement with Fox not to warn Merton of Zilboorg's visit «detailed view»
Series 26 #12.
«All Series«		 1956/12/18 TL[c] to Zilboorg, Gregory We received your charming note of November 28, and also of December 3. I have been out to visit Merton asking if Zilboorg plans to come and Fox stalling answer «detailed view»
Series 26 #13.
«All Series«		 1956/12/19 TAL[c] to Zilboorg, Gregory I forgot to mention in our letter of yesterday, although I think I mentioned it in the one way asking if Zilboorg would speak to the community at three morning gatherings Friday through Sunday of his visit to Gethsemani «detailed view»
Series 26 #14.
«All Series«		 1957/01/03 TLS from Zilboorg, Gregory It took us twenty-two minutes from Louisville to Cincinnati and after the regular wait, it took just became more acquainted with the "purely human" side of Merton and came to like him better - remaining convinced that Merton should not have psychoanalysis but possibly infrequent guidance by Zilboorg via correspondence «detailed view»
Series 26 #15.
«All Series«		 1957/01/07 TAL[c]  from Zilboorg, Gregory / to Charleen M. Schwartz I cannot tell you how grateful I am to you for having written me and for having enclosed Father «detailed view»
Series 26 #16.
«All Series«		 1957/01/14 TLS from Zilboorg, Gregory By this time you will have heard from Leo Bartemeier about Father Gilbert. I had dinner with him «detailed view»
Series 26 #17.
«All Series«		 1957/01/18 TLS from Zilboorg, Gregory I am very sorry indeed that the psychotherapist in question seems to be so very refractory a psychotherapist sent book [possibly Charleen Schwartz's Neurotic Anxiety] and its relation to Thomistic philosophy «detailed view»
Series 26 #18.
«All Series«		 1957/01/28 TL[c] to Zilboorg, Gregory It is about time I would show signs of life. I am so happy that you enjoyed your all too brief stay Dr. Leo Bartemeier of the Seton Institute in Baltimore, Maryland / Fr. John Eudes Bamberger, at the time studying at Georgetown University «detailed view»
Series 26 #19.
«All Series«		 1957/02/26 TLS from Zilboorg, Gregory How are you? How is your community? I had a telephone call from Leo Bartemeier last night Zilboorg advising Thomas Merton to drink milk «detailed view»
Series 26 #20.
«All Series«		 1957/03/13 TL[c] to Zilboorg, Gregory It is about time I would show signs of life. I am so happy that you enjoyed your all too brief stay Dr. Leo Bartemeier of the Seton Institute in Baltimore, Maryland / Fr. John Eudes Bamberger / Dr. Charleen Schwartz / Workshop at Collegeville, Minnesota (priests and religious and psychotherapy) «detailed view»
Series 26 #21.
«All Series«		 1957/03/25 TLS from Zilboorg, Gregory Yes, I did receive the cheeses and the ham, and I did live in sort of a fog which made me not forget received letter from Merton - "he is beginning to see some of his former misconceptions" - would like to continue correspondence with Merton «detailed view»
Series 26 #22.
«All Series«		 1957/06/11 TL[c] to Zilboorg, Gregory My, how the time has flown. Here I see your last unanswered letter of March 25-- I hope I am Merton doing well in abstaining from writing and less mail - "He is not the hermit he would like to think that he would like to be." «detailed view»

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