William Paterson papers (Ms. 2005.1)

A collection of miscellaneous materials chiefly documenting the acting career of William Paterson from his start at the Cleveland Playhouse in 1947, where he remained for 20 seasons, to his 30-plus year stay at the American Conservatory Theatre, which he joined in its inaugural season in 1967. The bulk of the collection consists of photographs, mostly documenting Paterson in various acting roles. It also includes three unpublished manuscripts of plays, two of which were written by Paterson; a bound, typescript autobiography; reel-to-reel audio tapes of theatrical productions and one voice demo. In addition, the collection comprises such articles as a pen and ink portrait, various acting awards, military decorations, and other documents.