Rulon S. Wells papers
Collection
Identifier: ACCN 2121
Scope and Contents
The Rulon S. Wells papers (1916-2008) contain notes, essays, and correspondence about the phonemics of the Korean language. This collection also contains manuscripts authored by Wells, manuscripts by other authors, personal materials, and information on The Plato Microfilm Project.
Dates
- 1916-2008
Creator
- Wells, Rulon S. (Person)
Language of Materials
Collection materiasl are in English, French and Korean.
Conditions Governing Access
Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.
Conditions Governing Use
The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library’s Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.
Biographical Sketch
Rulon S. Wells III (1919-2008) was born 30 April 1919, in Salt Lake City, Utah to Rulon S. Wells Jr., and Helen Clawson Wells. Wells received his B.A. from the University of Utah in 1939, and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1941 and 1942 specializing in Philosophy and Science of Languages. He was recruited by the Armed Services during World War II. He worked first for the Office of Naval Research, producing a monograph on the matrix method in linguistics, and then for the Army Specialized Training, teaching Japanese to special operatives who would act as interrogators to extract information from captured Japanese prisoners. During this time he met Virginia H. Bennett, whom he married 21 July 1945.
After the war, he joined the Yale faculty in philosophy in 1945 and was appointed professor of linguistics and philosophy in 1962. While there, Wells emerged as one of the leading linguists of the country, setting solid and critical standards for future linguistic research in a series of seminal articles that included "The Pitch Phonemes of English," "Immediate Constituents," "De Saussure’s System of Linguistics," "Automatic Alternation" and "Meaning of Use." For his unique contributions to the field, Wells was elected president of the Linguistic Society of America in 1976.
Parallel to his researches in linguistics, Wells also wrote extensively on logic, metaphysics, epistemology and semantics – considering the latter more closely allied with philosophical issues than with linguistic ones. The mind of 19th-century logician Charles S. Peirce held a special fascination for Wells, and he explored Peirce’s ideas in a number of studies. In recognition of these, he became president of the Charles S. Peirce Society in 1973. He was also a co-founder, with fellow Yale philosophy professor Robert S. Brumbaugh, of the Plato Microfilm Project, which began in 1957. The goal of the project was to microfilm the 260 extant manuscripts in Greek prior to 1600 that contain Plato’s texts. Finally completed in 1990, The Plato Project now allows a researcher to compare variant readings in critical passages of Plato in order to explore differences in meaning.
After the war, he joined the Yale faculty in philosophy in 1945 and was appointed professor of linguistics and philosophy in 1962. While there, Wells emerged as one of the leading linguists of the country, setting solid and critical standards for future linguistic research in a series of seminal articles that included "The Pitch Phonemes of English," "Immediate Constituents," "De Saussure’s System of Linguistics," "Automatic Alternation" and "Meaning of Use." For his unique contributions to the field, Wells was elected president of the Linguistic Society of America in 1976.
Parallel to his researches in linguistics, Wells also wrote extensively on logic, metaphysics, epistemology and semantics – considering the latter more closely allied with philosophical issues than with linguistic ones. The mind of 19th-century logician Charles S. Peirce held a special fascination for Wells, and he explored Peirce’s ideas in a number of studies. In recognition of these, he became president of the Charles S. Peirce Society in 1973. He was also a co-founder, with fellow Yale philosophy professor Robert S. Brumbaugh, of the Plato Microfilm Project, which began in 1957. The goal of the project was to microfilm the 260 extant manuscripts in Greek prior to 1600 that contain Plato’s texts. Finally completed in 1990, The Plato Project now allows a researcher to compare variant readings in critical passages of Plato in order to explore differences in meaning.
Extent
5.5 Linear Feet
Abstract
The Rulon S. Wells papers (1916-2008) contain notes, essays, and correspondence about the phonemics of the Korean language. This collection also contains manuscripts authored by Wells, manuscripts by other authors, personal materials, and information on The Plato Microfilm Project.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Rulon S. Wells III Trust in 2008.
Separated Materials
Photographs were transferred to the Multimedia Division of Special Collections (P1558).
Processing Information
Processed by Elizabeth Rogers in 2004.
Addenda processed by Erin McCarthy and Aaron Curtis in 2009.
Addenda processed by Erin McCarthy and Aaron Curtis in 2009.
Creator
- Wells, Rulon S. (Person)
- Title
- Inventory of the Rulon S. Wells papers, 1916-2008
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Elizabeth Rogers
- Date
- © 2006 (last modified: 2009 and 2019)
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid encoded in English in Latin script.
Repository Details
Part of the J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections Repository
Contact:
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City Utah 84112 United States
801-581-8863
special@library.utah.edu
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City Utah 84112 United States
801-581-8863
special@library.utah.edu