Overview
Norman Thomas Newton (1898-1992), landscape architect, was a professor of landscape architecture at Harvard University from 1939 to 1966. During World War II, Newton served as Senior Monuments Officer of the British 8th Army during the Italian Campaign, surveying damaged architectural monuments and advising Allied officers and troops on the historical value of buildings at risk of destruction. The collection consists of biographical materials, correspondence, memoranda, manuscripts, newspaper clippings, photographs, meeting minutes, and teaching materials and reports, relating to Newton’s relationships with colleagues, including Walter Gropius and Frederick Law Olmsted; his work with professional organizations; his various publications; his teaching duties at the Harvard Graduate School of Design; his duties as a "Monuments Man" during World War II; and condolence letters to his wife, Lyyli Lamsa Newton, after his death. The collection also contains Newton's World War II military uniform and related accoutrements.
Dates
- Creation: 1837-2003 [and undated]
Researcher Access
The Papers of Norman T. Newton are open for research with the following exceptions: Harvard University records are restricted for 50 years. Student and personnel records, as well as medical records, are closed for 80 years. Requires further review by the archivist; please see reference staff for details.
Extent
20.04 cubic feet (14 record cartons, 9 document boxes, 3 flat file boxes, 2 half-document boxes, 2 folders, 1 half-record carton, 1 portfolio box, 1 pamphlet binder)The Papers of Norman T. Newton consists of correspondence, memoranda, manuscripts and writings, newspaper clippings, photographs, meeting minutes, teaching materials and reports related to Newton’s professorship at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, relationships with colleagues, publishing activities, work as a "Monuments Man" during World War II, and involvement with professional organizations. The collection chiefly contains Newton’s correspondence, including correspondence with colleagues, such as Frederick Law Olmsted and Walter Gropius, as well as with publishers regarding his research and writings, and letters related to landscape architecture departments at various schools and universities.
Newton's extensive notes, lecture materials, student grades for landscape architecture courses, and correspondence concerning departmental matters document his teaching duties at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
Reflecting Newton’s involvement with professional organizations, correspondence, memoranda, newsletters, minutes and reports relating to the American Society of Landscape Architecture, as well as correspondence and certificates relating to Newton's membership in various organizations and honor societies, such as the Century Association, the Theta Delta Chi at Cornell University, and the Sigma Lambda Alpha National Honor Society are also found in the collection.
Newton's writings in this collection include manuscripts on landscape architecture and other subjects, including the British Eighth Army's Italian campaign during the Second World War, and Newton's uncle and grandfather.
The collection also includes condolence letters written to Newton's wife, Lyyli Lamsa Newton, upon his death in 1992.
The files contained in the Accessions 14968 and 15008 series include Newton's biographical materials, correspondence, photographs, subject files, teaching materials, and writings, dating from his birth to his death. Some items of particular note are scrapbooks, a transcript of an oral history from 1971, a letter regarding the death of President Lincoln, written by Norman Newton's grandfather, George Oscar King (1842-1917) to his father, Hollis King (1811-1891), Newton's personal ledger books, lecture notes, and Newton's World War II military uniform and related accoutrements.
Biographical note on Norman T. Newton
Norman Thomas Newton (1898-1992), landscape architect, was a professor of landscape architecture at Harvard University from 1939 to 1966. He received his BS from Cornell University in 1919 and his Master's degree in Landscape Design the following year. Newton was a Fellow at the American Academy in Rome, Italy, from 1923 to 1926. Upon his return to the United States in 1926, he worked for Ferruccio Vitale designing gardens for private country estates. Newton opened his own office in 1932, and became involved with public works projects under the Civilian Conservation Corps. He was appointed resident landscape architect for the northeastern region of the National Park Service from 1933 to 1939 and redesigned the setting for the Statue of Liberty.
Newton taught Landscape Architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design from 1939 to 1966. He served as Assistant Professor from 1939 to 1947; and subsequently became Associate Professor from 1947 to 1955; Professor from 1955 to 1966; and Charles Eliot Professor of Landscape Architecture from 1963 to 1966. Newton was Chairman of the Department of Architectural Sciences from 1949 to 1964 and Secretary of the Faculty of Design from 1950 to 1964.
During World War II, Newton served as Senior Monuments Officer of the British 8th Army during the Italian Campaign. He surveyed damaged architectural monuments and advised Allied officers and troops on the historical value of buildings at risk of destruction. He also served as the Director of the Subcommittee on Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives, Allied Commission in Italy. Newton was awarded the Italian Order Star of Solidarity in 1951 for his work in recovering Italian art from Germany.
Newton was involved with several professional organizations and received many awards; he was President of the American Society of Landscape Architecture (ASLA) from 1957 to 1961. He received the ASLA Gold Medal in 1979 and was awarded the Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture in 1923. Newton became the American Academy’s resident landscape architect in 1967. Newton also published numerous books, including Design on the Land, the Development of Landscape Architecture , 1971. He died in 1992.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in six series:
- Correspondence and Other Papers, 1922-1986 (HUGFP 110.10)
- Condolence letters sent to Lyyli Lamsa Newton, 1992 (HUGFP 110.12)
- Course Materials, 1944-1966 (HUGFP 110.65)
- Photographs, [undated] (HUGFP 110.10 p, HUGFP 110.10 pf)
- Accession: 14968, Norman T. Newton personal records, correspondence, photographs, subject files, and works and writings, 1837-2003 (HUGFP 110.66)
- Accession: 15008, Norman T. Newton biographical materials, correspondence, photographs, teaching materials, and writings, [circa 1910s]-1993 (HUGFP 110.67)
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Specific acquisition information, when available, is noted at the series level:
- Gift of Norman T. Newton, received October 3, 1989; Accession 11845
- Gift of Mrs. Lyyli Newton, received September 24, 1999; Accession 14054
- Gift of Mrs. Lyyli Newton, received February 4, 2004; Accession 14968
- Gift of Mrs. Lyyli Newton, received April 1, 2004; Accession 15008
Inventory update
This document last updated 2023 April 21.
Processing Information
This finding aid was created by Olivia Mandica-Hart in August-September 2020. Information in this finding aid was assembled from legacy paper inventories and container management data. Folder titles were transcribed from the legacy paper inventory. The collection was not re-examined by the archivist.
Description for the series Accession: 14968, Norman T. Newton personal records, correspondence, photographs, subject files, and works and writings (HUGFP 110.66) was updated by Erin Clauss in April 2023.
- Title
- Newton, Norman T., 1898-1992. Papers of Norman T. Newton, 1837-2003 [and undated] : an inventory
- Status
- completed
- Author
- Harvard University Archives
- Date
- August 28, 2020
- Description rules
- dacs
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- hua72020
Repository Details
Part of the Harvard University Archives Repository
Holding nearly four centuries of materials, the Harvard University Archives is the principal repository for the institutional records of Harvard University and the personal archives of Harvard faculty, as well as collections related to students, alumni, Harvard-affiliates and other associated topics. The collections document the intellectual, cultural, administrative and social life of Harvard and the influence of the University as it emerged across the globe.
Pusey Library
Harvard Yard
Cambridge MA 02138 USA
(617) 495-2461
archives_reference@harvard.edu