Alden and Allene G. Hatch Papers

The Alden and Allene G. Hatch Papers include manuscripts and related materials, such as notes, correspondence, tapes and transcripts of interviews, of the published and unpublished works of Alden Hatch and to a lesser extent the work of his wife, Allene Gaty Hatch. In addition to their professional work, some personal papers, including appointment books, diaries, correspondence, and family materials are included.

Papers emanate from approximately thirty books by Alden Hatch, primarily biographies of contemporary individuals, but also company histories, two novels, and publications for juveniles. Some of Hatch's works were written independently, some in collaboration with the subjects, and some ghost written, without any acknowledgment. Hatch's subjects include American presidents Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Dwight David Eisenhower; other political figures including Wendell Willkie, Clare Booth Luce, the Byrd family of Virginia and the Lodges of Massachusetts; first ladies Edith Bolling Wilson and Mamie Eisenhower; and religious figures Pope Pius XIII, John XXIII, Paul VI, and Brother Andre. International subjects include Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands and the Nehru and Mountbatten families. Other subjects are Martin Luther King, aviation pioneer Glenn H. Curtiss, sportsman Foxhall Keene, General George Patton, an Aleut Indian named Nutchuk, the Wadsworth family of New York, the Ringling Brothers, the American Express Company, and Remington Arms. Manuscripts of his two novels, Gaming Lady and Glass Walls, and of a semi-autobiographical juvenile work, Bridle-wise, are included. Also included are magazine articles, a number of short pieces, both fiction and non-fiction, an "Autobiography," and several unpublished works.

At the time of his death, Alden, together with Allene, was writing a biography of Marjorie Merriweather Post. This work was completed and rewritten by Allene and forms a major part of the Allene Hatch portion of the papers. Allene's other writings include a book on menopause, published in Dutch, several shorter writings, published in magazines and newspapers, and numerous illustrations. The 2002 accession (Group 4) includes manuscripts of her later works, The Best of Times (2002), a memoir of her life with Alden, and an unpublished memoir of her personal life after his death. Mrs. Hatch's artistic work includes illustrations for several of Alden's books.