]> kn2010-14 Guide to the David Knapp Papers, 1946 - 1949 Processed by: Abbey Francis; machine-readable finding aid created by: Abbey Francis and Leith Johnson &hdrsca;

© 2012 Wesleyan University. All Rights Reserved.

 Machine-readable finding aid derived from XML authoring program. Date of source: October 2012 Description is in English Finding aid was prepared using DACS Guide to the David Knapp Papers1946-1949 Special Collections & ArchivesWesleyan University Middletown, CT, USA

© 2012 Wesleyan University. All Rights Reserved.

 Descriptive Summary Special Collections & Archives, Wesleyan University Wesleyan University (Middletown, Conn.) David Knapp Papers1946-1949 2010-14 Material in English 0.5 1 For current information on the location of these materials, please consult Special Collections & Archives staff. David Knapp (1926- ) was a student at Wesleyan University, class of 1949. He worked for the Boy Scouts of America and then later as a salesman for educational publishing companies. In the 1980s, he revealed that he was gay and was dismissed by the Boy Scouts in 1993. The Donald Knapp papers (1946-1949) include documentation of pledging practices and 14 letters addressed to members of his family at home. In these letters, he is unusually candid and often thoughtful about various aspects of life at Wesleyan, including sex, drinking, and academics, as well as class, race, and religious relations. Knapp also gives unique insight into fraternity life in the period, as he was a member of Beta Theta Pi. Administrative Information Access Restrictions

No restrictions.

 Copyright Notice

Copyright for Official University records is held by Wesleyan University; all other copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

 Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], David Knapp Papers, Collection #2010-14, Special Collections & Archives, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, USA.

 Acquisitions Information

Gift of David Knapp, 2010.

 Processing Information

Processed by Abbey Francis, July 2012. Finding aid by Abbey Francis, July 2012, and Leith Johnson, November 2012.

Encoded by Leith Johnson, November 2012

 Historical Note

David Knapp was born in New York, NY, on Sept. 2, 1926. He joined the Boy Scouts of America in 1938 and became an Eagle Scout in 1944. Soon after, he matriculated to Wesleyan University, from which he graduated in 1949. During his time at Wesleyan, Knapp was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity and lived in the fraternity's house. Following his graduation from Wesleyan, Knapp worked as a Boy Scouts of America district executive from 1951 to 1961. He then was a sales representative for educational companies.

In 1958, Knapp married Mary Adelaide Wheeler, who previously had two daughters. Knapp and Wheeler also had a daughter of their own. Knapp and his new family lived in Connecticut. In 1986, Knapp came out as gay to his wife and they divorced. He said that he still remained "deeply closeted." Soon after his divorce, and then retired and living in Guilford Ct., Knapp was asked by local boy scout leaders to volunteer to recruit and train adult leaders.

Knapp began to make local and national headlines in 1993, after he was dismissed from the Boy Scouts. Since then, Knapp has been a vocal advocate for changes in the BSA's policies that would allow for more inclusive membership, including membership for gays and atheists; organized protests; and given interviews to the press about his life and work in scouting.

 Collection Overview

The collection begins in 1946 with documents from Knapp's time as a Beta Theta Pi pledge. One is a letter from the pledge-masters with a task (involving a trip to Connecticut Women's College) as well as Knapp's partial documentation of that task. The other is a Beta Theta Pi banquet program.

The collection continues with letters that Knapp wrote home to his family. He typically writes to some combination of his mother, father, and sister. These letters are often long and detailed, and usually include information about his daily life at school.

Knapp spends a lot of time describing various events he went to and people he knew, as well as his academic and social concerns. He is also, however, unusually explicit about other aspects of Wesleyan life, including drinking, gambling, dating, and sex. He describes a few trips taken to other schools by himself and the brothers, as well as other Beta Theta Pi events.

Collection Arrangement

The papers are arranged chronologically.

Online Catalog Headings

These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.

Wesleyan University (Middletown, Conn.)--Students. Knapp, David Winthrop, 1926- . Detailed Description of the Collection Series I. Papers 11 Beta Theta Pi, 1946 April-1947 February Pledge task letter, 1946 April Initiation banquet, 1947 February 12 Letters, 1947 February-1947 May Mom and Dad, 1947 February 23 Mom and Dad, 1947 Mar 2 Mom and Dad, 1947 April 2 Mom and Dad, 1947 May 3 13 Letters, 1947 September-1948 April Mom and Pat, 1947 September 30 Mom and Dad, 1947 October 26 Mom and Dad, 1948 April 25 14 Letters, 1948 October-1949 February Mom and Pat, 1948 October 25 Mom and Pat, 1948 October 31 Mom, 1948 December 3 Mom, 1949 January 27 Mom, 1949 February 20 Mom, 1949 April 27 Mom and Dad, 1949 June 6