History Bump

The primary research question will be, "what would a twenty-first century student or practitioner in the field of composition need to know to understand Perrin's dissertation and its relevance?" Some supporting questions are:

- What does the reader need to know about the author? (This is the biographical part.)
- What allusions, literary, social, or otherwise, shape the meaning of the text?
- With whom was Perrin working/studying at the University of Chicago? How, if at all, do the values or theories of those people influence the text?
- How much of Perrin's dissertation work is revealed, followed, or departed from in his later work?
- How widely used were Porter's Writer's Guide, Reference Handbook, Index, and Guide used?
- What other information about Perrin's work in the field is important and relevant?

My goal will be to write an introduction to the dissertation, along with such footnotes as seem appropriate for the text itself. If the project were to advance to publication, i would anticipate a bibliography being included.

Preliminary Bibliography:
Brown, Leonard Stanley, and Porter G. Perrin. A Quarto of Modern Literature. New York:  Charles Scribner's Sons, 1935.

Perrin, Porter G. An Index to English. Chicago: Scott, Foresman, 1939.

Perrin, Porter G., with Karl W. Dykema. Writer's Guide and Index to English. 3rd ed.  Chicago:  Scott, Foresman, 1959. 

These are the editions available at Bird Library. I would like to try to obtain different editions of these works from ILLIAD. I'm interested in learning more about Karl Dykema and his involvement with Perrin, since he appears more than once in newer editions of Perrin's older texts. Also, John Breretson placed Perrin at the University of Washington in an administrative capacity. It's possible they have some of his papers or other documents that reveal aspects of his work. I will contact both the English department and the library to find out.

Other potential works (final ones to be included will be based on availability as well as content):

Perrin, Porter G. "For a Responsible Rhetoric." College English 10.4 (1949):  222-223. 

Perrin, Porter G.  "Freshman Composition and the Tradition of Rhetoric."  Perspectives on English:  Essays to Honor W. Wilbur Hatfield.  Ed. Robert C. Pooley.  New York:  Appleton-Century-Crofts;  National Council of Teachers of English, 1960.  119-132. 

Perrin, Porter G., George H. Smith, and Jim W. Corder.  Handbook of Current English.  3rd ed.  Glenview, IL:  Scott, Foresman, 1968. 

Perrin, Porter G., and William Kelley Wright.  The History of Modern Philosophy.  Hanover, NH, 1917. 

Perrin, Porter G.  "Maximum Essentials in Composition."  College English 8.7 (1947):  352-360. 

Perrin, Porter G.  "Notes on Lectures by Porter G. Perrin."  Transcribed by Emily Ann Beatty.  Publication of the Fifth Workshop in Basic Communication, University of Denver, 1947.  Ed. Thelma R. Sherman.  U Denver P, 1947.  6-30. 

Perrin, Porter G., and George H. Smith.  The Perrin-Smith Handbook of Current English.  Chicago:  Scott, Foresman, 1955. 

Perrin, Porter G.  "A Realistic Philosophy for Teachers of English."  College English 9.5 (1948):  256-264. 

Perrin, Porter G.  Reference Handbook of Grammar and Usage.  New York:  Morrow, 1972.

Perrin, Porter G.  "Text and Reference Books in Rhetoric before 1750."  Chicago, 1940. 

Platt, Harrison Gray, and Porter G. Perrin.  Current Expressions of Fact and Opinion.  Chicago:  Scott, Foresman, 1941. 

Warnock, Robert, Porter G. Perrin, Frank Earl Ward, and Harrison Gray Platt.  Using Good English:  A Textbook and Workbook in Writing, Reading, and Speaking.  Chicago:  Scott, Foresman, 1944.