Frederick Albert Pottle papers

The correspondence, teaching materials, and writings in the Frederick Albert Pottle Papers focus primarily on Pottle's scholarly interests and to a lesser extent on his personal life. Although the earliest material dates from the nineteenth century, the papers are concentrated in the period of Pottle's teaching at Yale, ca. 1928-1970. Pottle's contributions to the study of James Boswell are evident throughout the papers, though his responsibilities as head of the Yale Editions of the Private Papers of James Boswell are not reflected in them.

The papers also document Pottle's involvement in several endeavors outside of Yale University. Pottle's religious commitment to the Episcopal Church is highlighted in the files for his work on the Joint Commission on Holy Matrimony, for the General Theological Seminary, and for his church and diocese. Pottle's devotion to his alma mater, Colby College, is evident in his files as a trustee and in the many speeches and lectures he gave there. Pottle's army service during World War I and his continuing involvement with the members of Evacuation Hospital #8 are reflected in his correspondence and writings.

The papers are organized in series by record format, but certain types of material can be found in more than one series. For instance, general correspondence with publishers is arranged in Series I, but correspondence concerning a particular title is in Series III.