Missouri State University Libraries

Special Collections and Archives:
William J. Jones French Literature Collection

The William J. Jones Collection was established in the early 1960s by Frederic C. St. Aubyn (b. 1921 - d. 2004), a 1943 graduate of Missouri State University. St. Aubyn established the collection as a memorial to his friend and classmate, William J. Jones, who died in World War II. The collection focuses on the literary works of Arthur Rimbaud (b. 1854 - d. 1891) and Michael Butor (b. 1926). The collection also contains materials regarding Stephane Mallarme and general works on French literature and literary criticism.

The collection contains over 2,000 items including monographs, anthologies, and articles written by Rimbaud and Butor (and translations of the works in numerous languages) and works about Rimbaud and Butor such as bibliographies, biographies, essays, critiques, and reviews. The collection also holds photographs, films, musical recordings, and hundreds of newspaper and article clippings regarding the two authors and French literature in general.

Materials in the collection can be accessed through SWAN, the university’s online catalog.

The collection also boasts two comprehensive catalogs, the first printed in 1965, the second in 1986. Both catalogs are available for purchase by contacting the Special Collections and Archives Department.