Skip to Main Content

Southeast Asian Studies: Archival Collections

Finding Aids for SEA Archival Collections

 

The Donn V. Hart Southeast Asia Collection includes a number of archival collections of research materials donated to NIU by scholars of Southeast Asian Studies. These collections can be viewed onsite in the Reading Room of the Rare Books and Special Collections, located on the 4th floor of the main library. Finding aids for the archival collections are linked to the titles of the collections in the list below, and also available in ArchivesSpace.  

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-Bea Wehrly Collection

Journal articles, mailings from D.C. offices addressing the refugee situation, as well as research reports from Minneapolis, San Diego, and Philadelphia and a copy of Dr. Wehrly's study of Indochinese students in Illinois schools.

 

-Edward Law-Yone Papers

Articles about different aspects of Burmese society, from politics to folklore, to Buddhism, includes some personal materials, as well as a manuscript of My Life, Edward Law-Yone's autobiography. 

 

-May Ebihara Collection 

Mostly teaching materials and papers, also includes photos of Ebihara's travels and research in Cambodia, and a review of Usha Welaratna’s Beyond the Killing Fields, and various other pamphlets and brochures.

 

-Paul J. Bennett Collection

Contains Dr. Bennett’s research on Burma in the form of primary and secondary sources such as newspaper articles (both clippings and photocopies) in English and Burmese, papers, handwritten notes, short stories, photos, correspondences, statements by various government agencies, and book chapters. 

 

-Field notes, Donn V. Hart

Manuscript and research materials related to Donn V. Hart's research for his 1954 book Barrio Caticugan : a Visayan Filipino community.

 

-Kenton Clymer Cambodia Collection

Documents and notes from the collection of Professor Clymer chiefly on Cambodian history, politics and government. (Boxes 40-51 are housed in the basement).

 

-Robert A. Bullington Collection

Reports, clippings, and memoranda about Cambodia, Zimbabwe, and other places.

 

-Stephen R. Lyne Collection

Photographs and slides featuring Ankor Wat, Ankor Thom and Phnom Phen, as well as various places around Bangkok Thailand, such as the floating market, the temple of Dawn and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

 

-Ethel Nurge Collection

The collection consists of field notes, research, and census data of Dr. Ethel Nurge.

 

 -King Norodom Sihanouk Special Collection

This Collection features photographs of His Late Majesty King Norodom Sihanouk as well as two DVD's from the Kings funeral and a book about the Late Kings works of service and international initiatives.  Materials for this collection have been donated by Ambassador Julio A. Jeldres, the Late King's personal secretary and official biographer, as well as Professor Kenton and Marlee Clymer.

 

-Daw May Kyi Win Letters

This collection features the letters of Daw May Kyi Win, who was the curator of the Donn V. Hart Southeast Asia Collection from 1990 to 2002.  In these letters she talks about a variety of topics from the issues facing Burma in the 1980's to everyday Burmese life to her own personal life.  The collection also features photographs and clippings from a Burmese newspaper.

 

-Marybeth Clark Collection

This collection focuses on Marybeth Clark's personal and professional life as an educator of Vietnamese.  Materials include personal and professional correspondences, photographs and slides, as well as handmade artwork.  A majority of the collection consists of language teaching materials and scholarly papers written by Marybeth Clark, and others, about numerous Southeast Asian Languages.

 

-Kenton Clymer Burma Papers

This collection consists of declassified state department correspondences to and from the Burmese government, which Professor Clymer used as research for his book, A Delicate Relationship:  The United States and Burma/Myanmar since 1945.  The documents provide a look into U.S Foreign policy and attitude towards Burma from the country's independence in 1948 to anti communism attitudes during the cold war to the emergence of an opposition in the 1980's, concluding with President Barack Obama's visits in 2012 and 2014.  (This collection is housed in the basement)

 

-George V. and Chrystal S. Smith Slide Collection

This is a collection of personal photographs from George V. and Chrystal S. Smith taken during their time in Southeast Asia. The collection features slides from Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos. The slides feature photographs of temples, markets, festivals, villages and daily life in Southeast Asia.

 

-Kenton Clymer Philippines Papers

This is a collection of materials used by Professor Kenton Clymer when writing his second book, Protestant Missionaries in the Philippines, 1898-1916:  An Inquiry into the American Colonial Mentality (Urbana:  University of Illinois Press, 1986). (This collection is housed in the basement).

 

-Kenton Clymer John Hay Papers

The collection consists of notes that professor Kenton Clymer used to write his first book:  John Hay: The Gentleman as Diplomat (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1975).  Hay was Abraham Lincoln's private secretary, then Ambassador to Great Britain (1897-98), and Secretary of State (1898-1905).  As Secretary of State, he presided over the annexation for the Philippines, and for a few months was in charge of US policy in the Philippines.  A few months after war broke out between the US and Filipino forces, the responsibility for Philippine affairs went to the War Department.  As Secretary of State, however, Hay was deeply involved with US-Asian policy generally. (This collection is housed in the basement).

 

-Kenton Clymer India Papers

Materials used by Professor Kenton Clymer to research his third book Quest for Freedom:  The United States and India's Independence (New York:  Columbia University Press, 1995).  (This collection is housed in the basement).

 

-Anti-Communist Posters and Booklets in Thailand

The materials in this collection are Thai anti-communist propaganda posters and booklets.  These materials were collected by the Kalasin Boy's High School in Kalasin, Thailand from 1967 to 1969 and were almost certainly funded by the United States Information Service.

 

-David Steinberg Collection

This is a collection consisting mostly of papers and newspaper articles.  A majority of the materials are about Burma/Myanmar and Korea (North and South). There are also materials about other Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Indonesia and Cambodia. (This collection is housed in the basement).

 

-Cao-Dai Collection

Materials in this collection cover aspects of the Cao-Dai religion. Caodaism is a monotheistic syncretic religion officially established in the city of Tay Ninh in Southern Vietnam in 1926.  This collection consists of pamphlets and books.  (This collection is housed in the basement).

 

-Philippine Sheet Music Collection

This is a collection of sheet music.  Some items featured include, Hating Gabi (At Midnight) Filipino Serenades for violin and Piano by Antonio J. Molina, Burlesque, A Piano Solo by Lucrecia R. Kasilag and Recuerdos de Capiz by J. Nakpil.

 

-Charles Frake and Ralph Lynch Articles

The collection features two articles about the Philippine regions of Sindangan and Northern Mindanao.  (This collection is housed in the basement).

 

-Lucien M. Hanks Letters and Photos

The collection consists of letters sent to Dr. Lucien M. Hanks from friends and co-workers in the O.S.S Burma project and photos of India taken in 1945. (This collection is housed in the basement).

 

-Brian L. Foster Collection

The content of this research archive includes the following:  Census questionnaires for three Mon villages and one Thai village from 1970-71, all in Thai, along with copies of the questionnaires with questions in English and answers in Thai, Census questionnaires from three Mon villages from 1981, in Thai, along with copies of the questionnaires with questions in English and answers in Thai, Other questionnaires on language use/fluency, friendships, over age 16, and others, Census interviews done by Thai university students, Interview notes, primarily in English, Tape recordings of interviews and transcripts, Code book coding sheets, Brian Foster's dissertation, Reprints of articles/chapter publications by Foster, A four-volume HRAF publication with detailed data and data analysis based on 1971 field work, A Report to the National Research Council of Thailand based on 1981 field research, Genealogy data: notebooks, coded data, Old copies of ethnographic work on Burma, Small notebooks on household composition and economic status, Documentation of SONET social network computer program by Foster and Stephen Seidman. (This collection is housed in the basement).

 

-UN Documents

The collection consists of UN documents from the UNTAC peace-keeping mission in Cambodia.  These are internal documents from the mission that were on a 25 year embargo that has now passed. The categories are:  Analysis Reports, Digest and Analysis, Information Control, Military Situation Reports, Provincial Activity Reports, Mixed Military Working Group Reports, Civil Police Situation Reports, Civil Administration Reports, Control Team Reports. (This collection is housed in the basement).

 

-Daniel Wit Collection

The collection features materials used by Dr. Wit for researching and writing his book "Thailand: Another Vietnam?" such as newspaper articles, journal articles, press releases, memos, notes and pamphlets.  These materials are mainly concerned with the political situation in Thailand at the time.  The collection also includes correspondences with Dr. Wit and his publishers, promotional materials as well as select draft copies and final copies of sections of "Thailand: Another Vietnam?" (This collection is housed in the basement).

 

-Philippine 2010 Election Materials Collection

This collection features election materials from the Philippines elections in 2010.  These include, posters, flyers, pocket calendars, t-shirts, hats, advertisements and various other campaign materials of candidates running for: President, Vice-President, Governor, Vice-Governor, Senator, Congressman/woman, Mayor, Vice-Mayor, City Council Member and other offices. (This collection is housed in the basement).

 

-Indonesian 2009 General Election Collection

Collection of campaign and election materials for the 2009 Indonesia election. Political parties represented include Partai Patriot, Partai Peduli Rakyat Nasional, Partai Keadilan Pancasila. Items include 10 posters, 10 banners, 5 decals, 10 pins, 2 keychains, 1 rubber bracelet, 1 embroidered patch, 4 t-shirts and 2 baseball caps with political party logos, 1 plastic, 1 cloth and 1 paper bag, many printed materials including guide and information materials distributed by the Media Center of the Komisi Pemilihan Umum (KPU = National Election Commission).

 

-SEADAG Papers Collection

The collection consists of issues of the SEADAG Papers, a publication of the Southeast Asian Development Advisory Group (Asia Society, New York, USA), that publish essays on development problems in Southeast Asia.  It also features six issues of The SEADAG Chairman's Report. (This collection is housed in the basement).

 

-Cambodian Poster Collection

The posters in the collection cover many topics including: voting, corruption, vote bribing, election integrity, military, tourism, women, and Cambodian silk.

 

-Philippine 2004 Election Materials Collection

This is a collection of election materials from the Philippine 2004 general election.  It contains posters, pamphlets, stickers, banners, and comics for candidates for president, vice-president, governor, councilor, mayor and other offices.  The collection also includes political party posters, party lists, and sample ballots. (This collection is housed in the basement)

 

Northern Illinois University