MERTON'S CORRESPONDENCE WITH:
Steere, Douglas Van, 1901-1995
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Descriptive Summary
Record Group: Section A - Correspondence
Dates of materials: 1963-1968, 1972-1973
Volume: 32 item(s); 43 pg(s)
Scope and Content
This is a file in the correspondence of Thomas Merton under the heading: "Steere, Douglas Van".
Biography
Douglas Steere was a prominent Quaker author and philosopher, serving a long tenure as professor at Haverford College in Pennsylvania. He demonstrated leadership through organizing relief efforts in northern Europe through the American Friends Service Committee after World War II and in representing the Society of Friends at the Second Vatican Council in 1964. He first met Merton in 1962 at Gethsemani, traveling with John Heidbrink of the Fellowship of Reconciliation. (Source: Elliott, J. Michael. "Douglas Steere, 93, Author, Professor And Quaker Leader." New York Times obituary. 16 February 1995. Online. Bellarmine University Library, Louisville, KY. 2009/07/07. ‹http://www.nytimes.com/1995/02/16/obituaries/douglas-steere-93-author-professor-and-quaker-leader.html›.)
Usage Guidelines and Restrictions
Related Information and Links
All extant letters between Steere and Merton were published in The Merton Annual, Volume 6 (1993), pp. 29-53.
Other Finding Aids
If the person in correspondence with Merton has full text records in the Merton Center Digital Collections, there will be a numeric link to them below.
Series List
This Record Sub-Group is not divided into Series and is arranged chronologically.
Container List
| Series | Date | Type | To/From | First Lines | Pub | Full Text | Notes |
| | 1961/12/14 | TL[x] | from Heidbrink, John | I am enclosing the letter to Professor Lochman about which I spoke at our IFOR meeting. | |
| sending Steere's writings to Thomas Merton |
| | 1961/12/21 | TLS[x] | to Heidbrink, John | Thank you for sending me the letter for Lochman, which I will do my best to present to him when we | |
| thanking Heidbrink for arranging a visit with Thomas Merton |
| | 1962/01/04 | TL[x] | from Heidbrink, John | I have written to Thomas Merton about the possibility of your visit some time between February 5th | |
| Merton's interest in metaphysical poets and mystical writers |
| | 1962/02/no | transcript | by Steere, Douglas | John Heidbrink, who has been serving the Fellowship of Reconciliation as the secretary | |
| [from set of published letters, "Notes after First Visit and Correspondence 1962-1968," appearing in <u>The Merton Annual</u> 6 (1993), pp. 23-28, which contained the note and title, "The following single-spaced notes were typed just after Douglas V. Steere first met Thomas Merton." "Notes on Conference with Thomas Merton, February 1962."] |
| | 1962/03/27 | TLS[x] | to Heidbrink, John | I want you to know that we did have a very satisfying visit with Thomas Merton when we were | |
| Merton "moving deeply into the very center of the Christian pacifist position" but currently his Catholic articles place him as a more limited nuclear pacifist |
| | 1962/11/19 | TLS[x] | to Heidbrink, John | I am so sad to hear that you are having to go through this suffering today and you have been in my | |
| praise for <i>The Thomas Merton Reader</i> |
| | 1963/01/09 | TL[x] | from Heidbrink, John | Though I never see contributions to the FOR, let me say gratitude for your rememberance at this time | |
| importance of getting Merton into dialogue with Bede Griffiths and for Merton to stay "in contact with the world and its intercourse" |
| | 1963/03/07 | TALS | to Merton | It was so kind of you to send me the copy of <u>The Thomas Merton Reader</u> through your | Yes |
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| | 1963/04/23 | TLS | to Merton | Thank you so much for your wonderful letter of April 9th. I am looking forward so much to reading | Yes |
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| | 1963/06/13 | TLS | to Merton | It was wonderful to hear from you on the 16th of May and to have your two papers on Fenelon. | Yes |
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| | 1963/09/30 | TLS | to Merton | I am writing you from Rome where Dorothy and I are planted for the next period as Quaker Observer- | Yes |
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| | 1963/10/26 | TALS | to Merton | Thank you for your good letter and for your great kindness in sending Harpers those helpful words | Yes |
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| | 1964/04/19 | TALS | to Merton | We have stopped by at Rome on our way up from Africa and before we leave in the morning, I just | Yes |
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| | 1964/04/26 (#01) | TAL[c] | from Merton | It was very good to get your latest from Rome and to hear the news of your trip to Africa, | Yes |
| |
| | 1964/04/26 (#02) | TL[x] | from Merton | It was very good to get your latest from Rome and to hear the news of your trip to Africa, | Yes |
| [copied from Sub-Section H.7, Accession 2, Hart Working Files] |
| | 1965/02/20 | TAL[c] | from Merton | I am very glad to hear from you and to receive the booklet on Africa which I will read with much | Yes |
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| | 1965/09/14 | TL[c] | from Merton | It was very good of you to send me the resume of the discussions at Collegeville. I will go through | Yes |
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| | 1965/10/20 | TLS | to Merton | I so much appreciated your good letter and we have often thought of you in your solitary retirement. | Yes |
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| | 1966/01/17 (#01) | TL[c] | from Merton | Thank you very much for the charming piece on Bethlehem. I really enjoy it. What with Angelus | Yes |
| |
| | 1966/01/17 (#02) | TLS[x] | from Merton | Thank you very much for the charming piece on Bethlehem. I really enjoy it. What with Angelus | Yes |
| [Steere adds some notes to the letter in pen] |
| | 1966/02/14 | TLS[x] | to Heidbrink, John | I enclose a check for $25.00 from Dorothy and me for a small assist to the Muriel Lester visit fund. | |
| Merton finding "hermiting much to his taste" |
| | 1966/03/04 | TL[x] | from Heidbrink, John | Thank you for the contribution for Miss Lester's trip. She has arrived and is properly settled in | |
| Merton's new vocation as a hermit / Dan Berrigan in Mexico / Catholic Peace Fellowship and the Fellowship of Reconciliation |
| | 1968/03/25 | TALS | to Merton | I have long wanted to write you to share with you a number of things and to make a proposal about | Yes |
| |
| | 1968/03/29 | TL[c] | from Merton | You mention sending five letters last year and not getting a reply. I remember getting two | Yes |
| |
| | 1968/04/22 | TLS | to Merton | Thank you for your good letter. It raises one or two problems that I want to be absolutely sure | Yes |
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| | 1968/04/25 | TL[c] | from Merton | This is an immediate reply, in order to clear up any confusions about possibilities for the Meeting. | Yes |
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| | 1972/09/22 | TLS | to Center from Steere, Douglas | Thank you for your letter asking for material by or on Thomas Merton. I cannot at the moment go | |
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| | 1972/09/29 | TL[c] | from Center to Steere, Douglas | Thank you for your response to our recent request for Thomas Merton correspondence. The record | |
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| | 1973/01/19 | TL[c] | from Center to Steere, Douglas | Thank you for the xeroxed copy of the letter from Thomas Merton to you, dated January 19, 1966. | |
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| | 1973/02/02 | TLS | to Center from Steere, Douglas | I sent you the longish memo that I set down after our visit with Thomas Merton back in 1962. | |
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| | 1984/12/31 | TCS | to Friend | This sketch of summer time at the Snowmass Cistercian House may be well known to you. | |
| opinions about Michael Mott's book <i>The Seven Mountains of Thomas Merton</i> and Patrick Hart's <i>Thomas Merton, Monk</i> |
| | undated/no/no | TLS | to Merton | This is just a swift note to send with this copy of Edgar Brookes pamphlet that is just off | Yes |
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