University of Massachusetts Lowell
The Jack and Stella Kerouac Center for the Public Humanities
Visions of Kerouac: The John Sampas Collection
Collection Number: Unassigned
Repository: University of Massachusetts Lowell, Center for Lowell History, Lowell, MA
Creator(s): Jack Kerouac, John Sampas
Title: Visions of Kerouac: The John Sampas Collection
Dates: 1922-2009
Extent: 100 boxes, oversized material
Language(s): Collection materials are in English, French, and other languages.
Donated to the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 2018, Visions of Kerouac includes photostatic copies of Kerouac's writings as well as administrative records of the Kerouac estate. Among the items and records are original artifacts, photographs, multimedia items, original and photostatic copies of Kerouac’s artwork, correspondence, journals, as well as books (English and international editions).
John Sampas (1933-2017) was a personal collector of antique and historical material. Following Stella Sampas Kerouac’s 1990 death, the Sampas family appointed Sampas as literary representative for the Estate of Jack and Stella Kerouac. Sampas managed Kerouac’s literary assets and continued promoting Kerouac's literary legacy until his own death. He was a generous donor to Kerouac-related programs at UML and accepted an honorary degree on behalf of Kerouac in 2015.
Arrangement
Following Jack Kerouac’s arrangement of his personal archive with the addition of series numbers, the records are arranged by Cabinet, drawer, series, and box number. The series are:
Series 1. Original Kerouac Items and Records
Series 2. Photostatic Copies of Kerouac Material
Series 3. Items and Records created Posthumously, from Estate, or 3rd Party Sources
Series 4. Kerouac’s Notebooks
Access and Use
Conditions Governing Access: Some material is restricted per the Jack Kerouac Estate. Permission to access restricted files must be approved, in writing, by the Kerouac Estate and presented prior to research appointment.
Physical Access Restrictions: Some records and items are fragile and require special handling.
Technical Access Restrictions: Some audio files require special equipment.
Reproduction and Use
A portion of this material is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
Researchers are reminded that it is their obligation to comply with copyright law when quoting, publishing, or otherwise using materials from the Center’s collections. Permission must be obtained from the holders of the copyright.
Custodial History
Begun by Jack Kerouac and eventually passed down to the Kerouac Estate’s literary executor John Sampas.
Acquisition History
Donated by John Shen Sampas.
Conservation Notes
Some records and artifacts are fragile and require special handling. Newspaper and other pulp products are separated by acid-free paper, photographs are in acid-free envelopes or Mylar sleeves.
Processing Information
Processed by Erin Monahan, Emily Parsons, Shaylyn Silva, Timothy Murphy, Brianne Puls, 2019-2022; updated by Erin Monahan, October 2022.
Names and Places
Adams, Joan; Allen, Don; Allen, Steve; Amburn, Ellis; Anderson, Tom; Ansen, Alan; Apostolos, George J.; Aunt Louise; Aronwitz, Al; Avakian, Albert; Avakian, George; Baker, Keith; Balch, Albert; Baraka, Amiri, 1934-2014; Beauchesne, Bruce; Beaulieu, Joseph Henry (Scotcho)(Scotty); Beckwith, Jacques; Beckwith, L. (Lois); Beland, Pauline; Beneson, James (Jim); Bertrand, Freddy; Bethany, Bob; Binchuraun, H.; Blake, Carolyn; Blake, Carolyn Kerouac; Blake, Mrs. John; Blake, Paul, (Mechanic); Blake, William; Blickfelt, Norma; Blue Cloud, Peter; Bogan, Louise; Boston College; Bowles, Frank; Bremser, Ray; Brierly, Justin; Brooks, Eugene (Ginsberg); Brown, Andreas; Brownrigg, N.G.; Buckley, William F., Jr., 1925-2008; Budd, John; Burford, Bev; Burford, Bob; Burford, Veda; Burmeister, Dan; Burroughs, William S., 1914-1997; Caputo, Orsola Monadori; Carney, Mary (Maggie Cassidy); Carr, Lucien, 1924?-; Carroll, Paul; Cass, Rainey; Cassady, Carolyn; Cassady, Neal; Cast, David; Chandler, Anne; Chandler, Billy; Chandler, Jack; Charters, Ann; Chase, Hal; Chippindale, Harry; Coffey, Margaret; Colbert, Stanley; Columbia University; Corso, Gregory; Cowley, Malcolm, 1898-1989; Cramer, William; Creeley, Robert, 1926-2005; Cru, Anna Marie; Cru, Henri; Cudworth, James; Curtis, James (Attorney); Dalenberg, Claud; Dastou, George; DeSole, Dan; Diamond, David; Donlin, Bob; Donovan, Vincent C., Father; Doran, Alma; Dorfman, Ellie; Dundy, Elaine; Durand, Bob; Duss, V. Benedict (Rev. Mother Benedict Duss); Esperanza (Tristessa); Everitt, Rae; Eversole, Bill; Farrar, John; Fettes (?), Nessie "Bessie Jones"; Ferlinghetti, Lawrence; Ferril, Thomas Hornsby; Fitzgerald, Jack, 1945-; Fitzgerald, Jeanne; Fles, John; Fournier, Mike; Fox, Edward; Frank, Robert; Franco, Bea ("Terry" in On the Road); Friedauer, Eleanor; Friedman, Ed; Frimet, Hillel "Dick Newman"; Furey, Ralph (Columbia University Athletics); Garen, Leo; Garver, William; Gelpi, Al; Geoghegan, John; Gibson, Jacqueline ("Billie Dabney" in Big Sur); Gifford, Barry; Gilbert, Eddie; Gilmore, Bill; Ginsberg, Allen, 1926-1997; Giroux, Robert; Gioscia, Victor; Glassman, Joyce; Goldbart, Lionel; Gouveia, Marty; Guernic (Gwernig), Youenn; Gutman, Walter; Harrington, Alan; Haverty, Joan; Hawkes, H.E. (Columbia College Dean); Hoffman, Michael; Hohnsbeen, John; Holmes, John Clellon, 1926-1988; Holmes, Shirley; Holmes, Van Vogt Liz; Houedard, Dom Sylvester; Houde, Pete "Gene Plouffe" in Dr. Sax; Huscher, Harold; Huot, Jeannette; Imamura, Jane; Huncke, Herbert, E; Jackson, Joseph Henry; Jeffries, Frank; Kazin, Alfred, 1915-1998; Johnson, Joyce; Johnson, Nancy ("Sally" in On the Road); Jones, Granville Hicks; Jones, Leroi; Jure, Tony; Kanemitso, Mike; Kaprow, Allen; Kathey; Kazin, Alfred; Keady, Tom; Kelly, John; Kennedy, Joe; Kerouac, Edie Parker, 1923-1992; Kerouac, Gabrielle; Kerouac, Jack, 1922-1969; Kerouac, Jean Lebris, 1922-1969; Kerouac, John, 1922-1969; Kerouac, Joan, -1990; Kerouac, Leo; Kerouac, Stella; Kidd, Bruce; Kingsland, John; Klots, Allen; Knight, Arthur; Knowles, John; Koshembahe, Cordula Von; Krim, Seymour, 1922-; Kristna; Kyriacopoulos, John; Lamantia, Philip, 1927-2005; LaTouche, John; Laughlin, James; Lavigne, Robert; Lawrence, Seymour; Lax, Robert; Leahy, Frank (Boston College); Leary, Timothy, 1920-1996; Lebris, Pierre; LeMaitre, Yvonne; Lemire, Bernice; Lenrow, Elbert; Leontine, Aunt; Leslie, Alfred; Levesque, Gerard Rev.; Levesque, R. Dion; Little, Lou; Livornese, Maria; Livornese, Tom; Lord, Sterling, 1920-; Lyman, Fred; Madeleva, Sister M, CSC; Manocchio, Tony; Marion, Paul; Martin, Loretta; Marton, Howard; May, Joe; McArthur, Barney; McDonald, John (Ian); MacManus, Patricia; McFadden, Dave; McClure, Mike, 1971-; Micheline, Jack, 1929-1998; Milemore, Lois; Miller, Doris; Moll, William J.; Mondadori, Alberto; Money, Norman; Montgomery, John; Morales, Adele; Morales-Mailer, Adele; Moraff, Barbara; Moriarty, George; Morley, Frank; Morrisette, Melaye (Iddboy); Muller, Dody, -2001 (Artist); Orlovsky, Peter, 1933-2010; Padgett, Ron, 1942-; Pivano, Fernanda Sottsass; Reynolds, Kelly; Rosset, Barney; Saijo, Albert; Salvas, Roland; Sampas, Jim; Sampas, John; Sampas, Sebastian; Sampas, Stella; Snyder, Gary, 1930-; Sorrells, Lois; Sublette, Al; Twardowicz, Stanley, 1917-; Van Doren, Mark, 1894-1972; Webber, Hugo; Welch, Lew; Whalen, Philip; White, Ed (Architect); Wyse, Seymour; Catholic Church; Lowell (Mass.); Lowell High School (Lowell, Mass.); Bartlett School (Lowell, Mass.); New York City (NY); Los Gatos (Cali.); St. Petersburg (FL); Paris (France); Mexico City (Mexico); Horace Mann (Bronx, NY); American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP)
Subject Headings
Alcoholism; Automobile travel in literature; Beat generation – Fiction; Buddhism; Drug abuse; Homosexuality; Mothers and sons; Spirituality; Clippings; Contracts; Correspondence; Diaries; Games; Notebooks; Photographs; Sports; Baseball; Track; Spontaneous Prose; Poetry; American Literature; Art; Geneaology; The Dharma Bums; On the Road; The Town and The City; Tristessa; Maggie Cassidy; Vanity of Duluoz; Satori in Paris; TripTrap; American Haiku
University of Massachusetts Lowell, Jack and Stella Kerouac Center for the Public Humanities, Visions of Kerouac: The John Sampas Collection. Indicate series, box and folder, description of item and date accessed.
Center for Lowell History: archives@uml.edu