Scope and Contents
The papers document the life and work of D. Michael Quinn, and include research files, writings, personal correspondence, photographs, and family documents. Research files consist of Quinn's notes, as well as copies and transcripts of primary sources that informed many of Quinn's writings on Mormon history, focusing on Church governance, plural marriage, sexuality and gender relations (especially same-sex relationships), and the involvement of Church members in business and politics. Writings include drafts of articles, lectures, and books by Quinn. Other material includes reviews of Quinn's work and other writings about Quinn. Personal papers document the professional and personal life of D. Michael Quinn from the 1950s to the 2000s.
Dates
- 1910 - 2019
- Majority of material found within 1960 - 2019
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
Box 62, 163 (computer media): Restricted fragile material. Reference copies may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.
Boxes 43, 58, 59, 82, 89, 96, 99, 107, 114, 152 (audiovisual material): Use of originals is restricted. Reference copies may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.
Existence and Location of Copies
Portions of the collection are available on microfilm, as noted on folder labels.
Conditions Governing Use
The D. Michael Quinn Papers is the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from D. Michael Quinn on the Frederick W. and Carrie S. Beinecke Fund for Western Americana and the Arthur Corbitt Hoskins Memorial Fund, 1988-2021.
July 2021 acquisition: Gift of Mary Quinn, Lisa Quinn Harrison, and Moshe Quinn, 2021.
Arrangement
Organized into eighteen groupings: October 1988 Acquisition, September 1989 Acquisition, June 1991 Acquisition, February 1992 Acquisition, October 1992 Acquisition, January 1993 Acquisition, December 1996 Acquisition, December 1997 Acquisition, February 1999 Acquisitions, March 1999 Acquisition, June 2003 Acquisition, February 2007 Acquisition, October 2008 Acquisition, January 2014 Acquisition, January 2015 Acquisition, November 2018 Acquisition, January 2021 Acquisition, July 201 Acquisition.
Material within this collection has been organized by acquisition reflecting the fact that the collection has been acquired in increments over time. Researchers should note that material within each acquisition overlaps with or relates to material found in other acquisitions. For example, correspondence and writings can be found in most of the thirteen groupings. In order to locate all relevant material within this collection, researchers will need to consult each acquisition described in the Collection Contents section.
Researchers should also note that similar material can be arranged differently in each acquisition, depending on how the material was organized when it was received by the library.
Extent
241.26 Linear Feet (294 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Abstract
The papers document the life and work of D. Michael Quinn, and include research files, writings, personal correspondence, photographs, and family documents. Research files consist of Quinn's notes, as well as copies and transcripts of primary sources that informed many of Quinn's writings on Mormon history, focusing on Church governance, plural marriage, sexuality and gender relations (especially same-sex relationships), and the involvement of Church members in business and politics. Writings include drafts of articles, lectures, and books by Quinn. Other material includes reviews of Quinn's work and other writings about Quinn. Personal papers document the professional and personal life of D. Michael Quinn from the 1950s to the 2000s.
D. Michael Quinn (1944-2021)
D. (Dennis) Michael Quinn (March 26, 1944 to April 21, 2021) was an American historian who specialized in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as the Mormon Church or LDS). As a young man, Quinn served for two years on a Latter-day Saints Church mission in England. After graduating from college, he served for three years in the U.S. Army. Quinn received a Ph.D. in History from Yale University in 1976. He taught at Brigham Young University from 1976 until he resigned in 1988. In September 1993, Quinn, along with five other Mormon writers, was excommunicated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His many publications focus on the history of LDS Church governance and organization, sexuality and gender relations (especially same-sex relationships), and plural marriage.
Processing Information
Collections are processed to a variety of levels, depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived research value, the availability of staff, competing priorities, and whether or not further accruals are expected. The library attempts to provide a basic level of preservation and access for all collections, and does more extensive processing of higher priority collections as time and resources permit.
This collection received a basic level of processing at or around the time of acquisition, including rehousing and minimal organization. Additional processing was carried out in 2011. Various acquisitions associated with the collection have not been merged and organized as a whole. Each acquisition is described separately in the contents list below, titled according to month and year of acquisition.
Information included in the Description of Papers note and Collection Contents section is drawn from information supplied with the collection and from an initial survey of the contents. Folder titles appearing in the contents list below are often based on those provided by the creator or previous custodian. Titles have not been verified against the contents of the folders in all cases. Otherwise, folder titles are supplied by staff during initial processing.
This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
Former call numbers: Uncat WA MS 98, Uncat WA MS 119, Uncat WA MS 155, Uncat WA MS 229, Uncat WA MS 236, Uncat WA MS 244, Uncat MSS 758, Uncat MSS 936, Uncat MSS 1046
- Audiotapes
- Audiovisual materials
- Bigamy
- Born digital
- Christian gays
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Color slides
- Electronic documents
- Gay couples -- Religious life
- Historians -- United States
- Historians -- United States -- Archives
- Homophobia -- Religious aspects -- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Homosexuality
- LGBTQ resource
- Mormon Church
- Mormon gays
- Mormons
- Photographic prints
- Polygamy
- Quinn, D. Michael, 1944-
- Religion and politics
- Sex role -- United States
- United States -- Religious life and customs
- Utah -- History
- Videotapes
- Title
- Guide to the D. Michael Quinn Papers
- Author
- by Lisa Conathan
- Date
- 2011
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Revision Statements
- August 2021: Updated with July 2021 Acquisition.
- February 2021: Updated with January 2021 Acquisition.
- 2019-05-02: Updated by Beinecke staff in order to add recent acquisition.
Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository
Location
121 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Opening Hours
Access Information
The Beinecke Library is open to all Yale University students and faculty, and visiting researchers whose work requires use of its special collections. You will need to bring appropriate photo ID the first time you register. Beinecke is a non-circulating, closed stack library. Paging is done by library staff during business hours. You can request collection material online at least two business days in advance of your visit, using the request links in Archives at Yale. For more information, please see Planning Your Research Visit and consult the Reading Room Policies prior to visiting the library.