Scope and Contents
Dates
- 1975 - 2012
Creator
- Davis, Tom, 1952-2012 (Author)
Conditions Governing Access
Boxes 51-56 (audiovisual materials): Restricted fragile. Reference copies may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.
Conditions Governing Use
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Arrangement
Extent
56 Linear Feet (55 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Overview
Biographical / Historical
Davis worked for SNL from 1975 to 1980, and again from 1986 to 1994. During his tenure on the show, Davis created or co-created many notable sketches, including “Theodoric of Yorik, Medieval Barber,” “Nick the Lounge Singer,” “The Continental,” and “Coneheads.” In addition to his writing work for SNL, Davis wrote many screenplays for films, including the 1993 film, Coneheads. He also wrote several screenplays for films that were never produced, including an adaptation of the Kurt Vonnegut novel, The Sirens of Titan (co-written with Grateful Dead member, Jerry Garcia), and a third installment of the original Ghostbusters film series (co-written with Dan Aykroyd). In 2009, Davis published his memoir, Thirty-Nine Years of Short-Term Memory Loss, and in 2012 he co-authored the book Owsley and Me: My LSD Family with Rhoney Gissen. The latter book chronicled the life of Grateful Dead sound engineer, Owsley “Bear” Stanley and his role in the 1960s counterculture in San Francisco, California.
In 2009, Davis was diagnosed with throat and neck cancer and died on July 19, 2012 at age 59. He was survived by his wife, Mimi Raleigh, whom he married in 1991.
Processing Information
Prior to receipt the collection was preliminarily organized by Jennifer Thompson Elder on behalf of Mimi Raleigh. After receipt the collection received a basic level of processing, including rehousing and minimal organization, by Beinecke Library staff
Information included in the Description of Papers note and Collection Contents section is drawn from information supplied with the collection and from an initial survey of the contents. Folder titles appearing in the contents list below are often based on those provided by the creator or previous custodian. Titles have not been verified against the contents of the folders in all cases. Otherwise, folder titles are supplied by staff during initial processing.
This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
Concert posters were deaccessioned and returned to Mimi Raleigh in May 2019. Boxes 49 and 50 no longer exist in the collection.
Creator
- Davis, Tom, 1952-2012 (Author)
- Aykroyd, Dan (Collaborator)
- Franken, Al (Collaborator)
- Garcia, Jerry (Collaborator)
- Title
- Guide to the Tom Davis Papers
- Author
- by Matthew Gorham and Jennifer Garcia
- Date
- February 2019
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository
Location
121 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Opening Hours
Access Information
The Beinecke Library is open to all Yale University students and faculty, and visiting researchers whose work requires use of its special collections. You will need to bring appropriate photo ID the first time you register. Beinecke is a non-circulating, closed stack library. Paging is done by library staff during business hours. You can request collection material online at least two business days in advance of your visit, using the request links in Archives at Yale. For more information, please see Planning Your Research Visit and consult the Reading Room Policies prior to visiting the library.