Guide to the John M. Eccles Papers
1946-1977

John M. Eccles. Special Collections, UW Libraries, UW19577z

Biographical Note

John Eccles was a gay man whose missionary parents lived in Buckley, Washington. He tried unsuccessfully to establish a chapter of the Mattachine Society in Washington State in 1959-60. Eccles subsequently moved to Los Angeles. He was active in the Los Angeles Mattachine Society in the 1960s but resigned as Vice President in 1963 following a dispute.

Scope and Content

Much of the Eccles collection consists of published gay pamphlets, newletters, magazines and ephemera, including those of the Mattachine Society. Other materials include Eccles's notes for a thesis, a small amount of correspondence, photographs, including snapshots of men in drag clothing, audio tape recordings of lectures and discussions on homosexuality, and transcripts of interviews and radio programs.

Restrictions on Access

Open to all users.

Access to archival recordings: Due to the fragility of archival tape recordings, potential users may be required to arrange for transfer to digital format before the material can be accessed. Please contact Special Collections for further information.

Restrictions on Use

Some restrictions exist on copying, quotation or publication. Contact Special Collections for details.

Acquisition Info

The Eccles papers were transferred from Special Collections Division September 20, 1995, but were given to the Libraries some years previously by an unknown donor.

Processing Info

The collection was processed in 1995. Eight of the audio tapes were originally numbered L-2 through L-9. Two unnumbered tapes were numbered 10 and 11 during processing. A list of taped lectures found among the papers was annotated with the tape numbers of the corresponding tapes and appended to the inventory.

Separated Material

Only heavily annotated books were kept with the papers. The rest of Eccles's collection of books on homosexuality was dispersed between the book collections of the Special Collections division and the Libraries' general collection.

Inventory