Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Virgil Ellsworth Poling Papers, 1939-1974, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.polivirg
Creators:
Poling, Virgil Ellsworth, 1908-2001
Dates:
1939-1974
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
1.6 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of educator and administrator Virgil Ellsworth Poling measure 1.6 linear feet and date from 1939 to 1974. The collection comprises Poling's files from his work in Korea, Nigeria, and other countries evaluating and developing industry programs for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and professional files containing correspondence, photographs, printed materials, and other material relating to Poling's position as Director of Student Workshops at Dartmouth College, and his work with the American Industrial Arts Association.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of educator and administrator Virgil Ellsworth Poling measure 1.6 linear feet and date from 1939 to 1974. The collection comprises Poling's files from his work in Korea, Nigeria, and other countries evaluating and developing industry programs for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and professional files containing correspondence, photographs, printed materials, and other material relating to Poling's position as Director of Student Workshops at Dartmouth College, and his work with the American Industrial Arts Association.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged as 2 series.
  • Series 1: U.S. Agency for International Development Files, 1965-1974 (0.6 linear feet; Box 1)
  • Series 2: Professional Files, 1939-1973 (1.0 linear feet; Boxes 1-2, OV 3-4)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Virgil Ellsworth Poling (1908-2001) was an educator and administrator in Little Deer Isle, Maine.
Poling was born in rural southern Ohio, and as a young boy became acquainted with the local blacksmiths, carriage makers, homebuilders, and other tradesmen who influenced his interest in crafts. He studied English at Ohio State University and intended to work in journalism but was discouraged by the low pay he received as a freelance writer. Poling moved to New Haven, Connecticut, after accepting a teaching job at Hamden Hall Country Day School. In 1941, he began an over 20 year career at Dartmouth College as Director of Student Workshops. He was instrumental in establishing the School for American Craftsmen at Dartmouth in 1943 with Mrs. Vanderbilt Webb, who provided funding. The school moved to the Rochester Institute of Technology in 1953.
In addition to being an educator, Poling acted as an advisor on industrial production to small industries in New England and for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) with assignments in Korea, Nigeria, and several other countries.
Poling retired in the early 1970s and died in 2001.

Administration

Author
Sarah Mundy
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Virgil Ellsworth Poling papers were donated in 1980-1981 by Virgil Poling.
Processing Information
The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Sarah Mundy in 2022.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Use
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Preferred Citation
Virgil Ellsworth Poling papers, 1939-1974. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Related Materials
Also at the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Virgil Poling conducted on February 8, 1980 by Robert Brown for the Archives of American Art.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Administrators -- Maine Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Educators -- Maine Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Crafts Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
United States. Agency for International Development Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Dartmouth College Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
American Industrial Arts Association Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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