Guide to the William Arnold Spicer, III papers, 1901-2004

(bulk 1960-2004)

John Hay Library , Special Collections
Box A
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Tel: 401-863-2146
email: hay@brown.edu

Published in 2013

Collection Overview

Title:	William Arnold Spicer, III papers
Date range:	1901-2004, (bulk 1960-2004)
Creator:	Spicer, William A., 1920-2008
Extent:	4.0 linear feet
Abstract:	This small collection of materials consists of scattered correspondence; travel brochures, maps, and postcards; memorabilia; printed materials; photographs and photographic slides; ephemera; and various artifacts, including an antique stereoscope with accompanying glass slides. The sum total of this collection offers a glimpse into the social and intellectual life of William A. Spicer, III, a Brown University alumnus and administrator, world traveler, and expert in the care and restoration of clocks. The materials date from 1901 to 2004, with the bulk from the 1960s to 2004.
Language of materials:	English
Repository:	John Hay Library , Special Collections
Collection number:	Ms.2012.023

Scope & content

The William A. Spicer III papers contains scattered correspondence; personal and business documentation; photographs and photographic slides; vintage postcards; travel brochures and maps; ephemera; and a few artifacts. Of special note is an antique stereoscope (manufacturer and date of manufacture unknown) in near perfect condition, with accompanying glass slides. This small collection dates from 1901 to 2004, with the bulk between the late 1950s to 2004.

Series 1, Antique Clocks, consists of a variety of materials documenting William A. Spicer's interest in the history, care, and restoration of antique clocks. It includes business correspondence, dealers' catalogs, auction catalogs, photo documentation, and other snippets of technical and historical information that Spicer collected over the years.

Series 2, Friends and Associates, includes a small number of files of Spicer's friends and associates, including materials relating to some prominent families of Rhode Island--namely, the Browns, the Lippitts and the Chafees. They include scattered correspondence, invitations, programs, and various newspaper and magazine clippings referencing them, and others, in a variety of contexts.

Series 3, Brown University, includes a small assortment of materials related to Brown University, particularly within the context of Spicer and his lifelong association with Brown--as student, as an administrator, and later on in his life, as a caretaker of the John Hay Library's antique clocks. It includes materials documenting Spicer's undergraduate years at Brown, including a small file on his graduating class of 1942, as well as a few files documenting his extracurricular contributions--most notably his participation in the management of sets and designs for various theatrical productions. It includes issues of The Brown Daily Herald (from 1939) and a program from the 1941 Brownbrokers' production of "Run for your life," all attesting to Spicer's contributions to various theatrical productions. It also includes an assortment of commencement programs that he collected over the years as well as a complimentary calendar from Brown's Division of Engineering where Spicer worked as an administrator.

Series 4, Travel, contains materials relating to Spicer's travels. It includes a hefty collection of travel memorabilia--brochures, maps, postcards, photographs, slides--as well as some topical files about various modes of transportation, including trips by rail or by ocean liner.

Series 5, Subject Files, comprises an eclectic assortment of files by topic, all of which document Spicer's various interests. It includes files on sailing, the Statue of Liberty and Charles Lindbergh, among others. Of special note is a file of materials on Helen Hayes, which includes Hayes' signature on a 1947 issue of The Playbill highlighting the role she played in the comedy "Happy Birthday" as well as a biographical overview of her stellar career in theatre and film.

Series 6, Artifacts, is a small collection of disparate objects, including a cap from China, a novelty handkerchief from the manufacturer Girard-Perregaux, and a graphic print from Elgin watch company. The most striking and noteworthy item in this series is an antique stereoscope which is in pristine condition, accompanied by glass slides of images depicting various historical sites and works of art.

Access Points

Subject Names

• Snapp, Marcy Arnold

Subject Organizations

• Brown University

Subject Topics

• Clock and watch making
• Clocks and watches--Repairing
• College administrators
• Tourism
• Voyages and travels

Document Types

• Brochures
• Ephemera
• Maps
• Photographs
• Postcards
• Printed materials
• Slides (photographs)
• Stereoscopes

Subject Topics

• Education

Arrangement

• Series 1: Antique Clocks
• Series 2: Friends and Associates
• Series 3: Brown University
• Series 4: Travel
• Series 5: Subject Files
• Series 6: Artifacts

Biographical/Historical note

William Arnold Spicer III (1919-2008) was born and raised in Providence, R.I., and, like his father, William A. Spicer, Jr. (Brown 1905), graduated from Brown University in 1942. During World War II, Spicer served under Gen. George S. Patton as a U.S. Army guide and French interpreter, taking part in Operation Torch in North Africa. After the war, he worked for the St. Regis Paper Company in Rumford, R.I; for Brown & Sharpe Co. in Chicago; and for B.I.F. Industries, Inc. in Providence before joining the Division of Engineering at Brown, where he served as an administrator for ten years. He then worked for the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) for 2 years in administration under President Lee Hall.

Spicer was a man of myriad interests. He developed an abiding interest in the care and restoration of antique clocks that he turned into a vocation during his retirement years. Known around town as "the clock guy," he cared for vintage clocks belonging to nearly every local institution including Brown, the RISD Museum, the Rhode Island Historical Society, the First Unitarian Church on Benefit Street, and the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol. He was something of a fixture at the John Hay Library at Brown, where he wound and cared for the Library's numerous clocks. He was also an accomplished genealogist who traced his family roots back to the Mayflower and to Deacon Edward Taylor of Providence, an early Congregational leader. He belonged to a number of clubs and organizations, including the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, the Providence Art Club, the Brown Faculty Club, the Handicraft Club, the Providence Athenaeum, the Sons of the American Revolution, the Agawam Hunt Club of Rhode Island and the Beneficent Congregational Church.

Access & Use

Access to the collection:	There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Use of the materials:	Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Preferred citation:	William Arnold Spicer, III Papers, Ms. 2012.023, Brown University Library.
Contact information:	John Hay Library , Special Collections Box A Brown University Providence, RI 02912 Tel: 401-863-2146 email: hay@brown.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION
Acquisition:	Collection received as gifts from William Spicer's neice Marcy Snapp between 2009-2011.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID
Author:	Finding aid prepared by Robert Rosa.
Encoding:	This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2013-06-25
Descriptive rules:	Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Additional Information

Related material:

See also the William A. Spicer Collection which is part of the Anne S.K. Brown Military Collection. That set of materials from William Spicer relates to his military career during World War II.

Inventory

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