Overview
| Repository: |
Manuscripts and Archives
Sterling Memorial Library 128 Wall Street P.O. Box 208240 New Haven, CT 06520 Web: http://www.library.yale.edu/mssa/ Email: mssa.assist@yale.edu Phone: (203) 432-1735 Fax: (203) 432-7441 |
| Call Number: | MS 1940 |
| Creator: | Knapp, David |
| Title: | David Knapp papers |
| Dates: | 1944-2009 |
| Bulk Dates: | 1984-2009 |
| Physical Description: | 1 linear foot (12 boxes) and 1976.23 megabytes |
| Language(s): | The materials are in English. |
| Summary: | The papers consist of an oral history interview, newspaper clippings, correspondence, legal documents, and video recordings documenting the activism of David Knapp for gay and lesbian rights. The bulk of the papers concern Knapp's involvement in efforts to change the Boy Scouts of America's (BSA) position on homosexuality. Knapp's oral history provides an overview of his life, providing a rich source of information on his youth, family life, career, discovery of his homosexuality, and activism. The papers also contain newspaper clippings on various gay and lesbian issues but very little on the gay and lesbian organizations in which Knapp is involved. |
| View/Search: | To view and/or search the entire finding aid, see the Full HTML(NOTE: for large finding aids, the full HTML view may take up to 30 seconds to render) or the Printable PDF. |
| Finding Aid Link: | To cite or bookmark this finding aid, use the following address: http://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/mssa.ms.1940 |
| Catalog Record: | A record for this collection, including location information, may be available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog. |
Administrative Information
Provenance
Gift of David Knapp, 2009.
Information about Access
This collection is open for research.
Original audiovisual materials, as well as preservation and duplicating masters, may not be played. Researchers must consult use copies, or if none exist must pay for a use copy, which is retained by the repository. Researchers wishing to obtain an additional copy for their personal use should consult Copying Services information on the Manuscripts and Archives web site.
Copies of commercially produced audiovisual materials contained in this collection cannot be made for researcher use outside of the repository.
Ownership & Copyright
Copyright has been transferred to Yale University for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of this collection, with the following exception: copyright is retained by the creator of this collection for the oral history of David Knapp. After the lifetime of the creator, copyright of the oral history of David Knapp passes to Yale University. Copyright status for other collection materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Cite As
David Knapp Papers (MS 1940). Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library.
Information about the Creator(s)
David Knapp was born in New York City on September 2, 1926. He joined the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) at the age of twelve and later worked for the BSA in volunteer and professional positions for many years. He graduated from Wesleyan University in 1949. He has been an active church member throughout his adult life. Knapp married Mary Adelaide Wheeler in 1958, becoming a stepfather to her two daughters. A year later, they had another daughter. After he married, he left his professional position at the BSA and became a salesman. Knapp moved his family to Connecticut in 1970 to pursue career advancement.
Knapp discovered he was gay in the late 1970s at the age of fifty. Ten years later, he and his wife divorced. Knapp was outed to the BSA and to his church by family members and was consequently expelled by both organizations. His experiences prompted him to become an activist for gay and lesbian rights. He is engaged in a long term campaign to change the BSA position on homosexuality. He is involved in Scouting For All, an organization that also seeks to make the BSA welcoming of gay boys and men. He led his church, the First Church of Christ of Guilford, in its efforts to become open and affirming. He is a member and former leader of Stonewall Speakers, a Connecticut-based lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender speakers bureau. Additionally, Knapp started GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) and PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) chapters in Connecticut. [Source: David Knapp Oral History, 2007]
Description of the Papers
The papers consist of an oral history interview, newspaper clippings, correspondence, legal documents, and video recordings documenting the activism of David Knapp for gay and lesbian rights. The bulk of the papers concern Knapp's involvement in efforts to change the Boy Scouts of America's (BSA) position on homosexuality. Knapp's oral history provides an overview of his life, providing a rich source of information on his youth, family life, career, discovery of his homosexuality, and activism. The papers also contain newspaper clippings on various gay and lesbian issues but very little on the gay and lesbian organizations in which Knapp is involved.
Arrangement
The papers are arranged by topic.