Standish Library: Siena Special Collections: T.E. Lawrence

Browse collection by format (book, article, etc.) or search by keyword using your browser's edit-find in page feature. Please refer to CYRIL, the online catalog, for additional information on accessing the books in this collection.

The collection can also be accessed by going to the Siena College Library online Special Collections & Archives Finding Aids, and selecting T.E. Lawrence Collection.

Other Major T.E. Lawrence Collections

Pepperdine University Library: Payson Library
Contains over 400 books on T.E. Lawrence and the Middle East
The University of Texas at Austin: Harry Ransom Center
Collection includes 14 boxes of correspondence, drafts, and manuscripts from 1912 to 1966.
University of Oxford: Bodleian Library
Includes copies of T.E. Lawrence's correspondences, personal papers, manuscripts, and an extensive photograph collection.
The Dorset County Museum
Collection contains photographs, photocopies of letters, published books, periodicals, booklets, pamphlets, newspaper articles, artifacts, glass slides, a genealogical record, and a chronology of his life.
Brown University: Andrew Carvely Collection
Includes various works by and about T.E. Lawrence collected by Andrew Carvely.
Harvard College Library: Houghton Library
Consists of letters and manuscripts by T.E. Lawrence.
Texas State University : Flora Armitage T.E. Lawrence Collection
Collection focuses on T.E. Lawrence and Armitage's biography, The Desert and The Stars. Includes correspondence, newspaper clippings, photographs, published literary journals, print material, and book covers.

T.E. Lawrence Timeline

August 1888: Birth of Thomas Edward Lawrence

1909: Visited Syria and Palestine

1910: Joined archaeological dig in Syria, stayed on to learn Arabic from 1911 to 1914

1914: WWI began; Lawrence went to Cairo as an intelligence officer for the British

June 1916: Arab Revolt began in Turkey; Lawrence was liaison officer to revolt leader’s son

June 1917: Arab army won first major victory

October 1918: Damascus fell; Lawrence went to London and from there to the Paris Peace Conferences to garner support for Arab independence; British and French divided up the territories and Lawrence felt that he had failed to deliver his promise of Arab self-governing; Lawrence was now a celebrity

1921: Lawrence appointed as an adviser by Colonial Secretary Winston Churchill

1920s/1930s: Lawrence served in Royal Air Force (RAF) and Tank Corps

1926: “The Seven Pillars of Wisdom” by T.E. Lawrence published

February 1935: Lawrence resigned from the RAF

May 19, 1935: Lawrence died as a result of a motorcycle accident

References: TE Lawrence (1888-1935) (2011). Retrieved from

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/lawrence_te.shtml

Donor Jane I. Murray Biographical Sketch

“Her world of books and drama has placed around our routine world a magic screen." ¹

Born: 17 November 1919, Albany, N.Y.
Died: 25 November 2001, Albany, N.Y. ²Buried: St. Agnes Cemetery, Menands, N.Y.

Education: Cathedral Academy, Albany; B.A. in English and Math, 1940 from College of St. Rose, Albany; one course at Siena College

Occupation: Actress – off Broadway; Casting Agent, Hollywood, California.

During her years at the College of St. Rose, Jane was actively involved in theatre. After graduation, she went to New York City to become an actress. She performed off-Broadway and in several television shows such as “One Man’s Family.” In 1955 she went to Hollywood to help cast “Matinee Theatre,” and from there became a casting agent for many MGM shows, including “Dr. Kildare,” “Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” “Hawaii Five-O,” the “Doris Day Show” and “Gunsmoke.” During the 1970’s, she worked with Tandem Productions, which produced television shows such as "All in the Family," "The Jeffersons," "The Facts of Life," "Good Times” and “Sanford and Son.” Her filmography also includes:³

1. The Outlaws, 1960, TV Series
2. Hang ‘Em High, 1968
3. Sanford & Son, 1972, TV Series
4. Maude, 1972, TV Series
5. Awake and Sing, 1972, TV
6. Good Times, 1974, TV Series
7. Freeman, 1977, TV

In 1975, Jane was given an Outstanding Alumni Award from the College of St. Rose, at her 35th College reunion.4 In 1988, she returned to the Capital District and lived in Troy until her death in 2001.

At some point along the way, Jane also became an avid collector of T.E. Lawrence materials, searching all over the world for specialized articles, books, artifacts and photos on him and his life. Much of this collection of over 3,987 items was later donated by her brother, Joseph.

Family History: Jane was born in Albany 17 November 1919 to James R. Murray and Hazel Kilroy. Her father, an accountant, died 27 June 1941.⁵ According to the 1910 and 1920 census, her grandfather was Patrick H. Murray, an Albany policeman,⁶ and her great grandparents appear to be John and Bridget Murray who were born in Ireland and lived in Albany’s first ward.⁷

Jane had four brothers, all of whom graduated from Siena College:
1. James Ryan Murray was born about 1918. He graduated from Siena College in 1941, with a B.A. in English. From the 1953 Historical Catalog of Siena College, he was listed as a publicity writer for the NYS Dept. of Commerce.

2. Joseph Emanuel Murray was born 23 June 1922 in Albany.⁸ He graduated from Siena College in 1947 with a B.A. in Modern Languages. He served in both WWII and in the Korean War. Joseph died 21 June 2005 in Monroe, NY.

3. William Peter Murray was born about 1925. He went to Christian Brothers Academy, and Siena College. He also served in WWII, and graduated from Siena College in 1948 with a B.A. in Sociology.⁹ He later received an LLB from Catholic University and practiced law in New York City and Washington. The William P. Murray ’48 Scholarship was created by Jane and Joseph in honor of William, a decorated soldier, a renowned attorney, member of the bar of Washington, D.C., New York and the U.S. Supreme Court.

4. John G. Murray was born about 1927. He graduated from Siena College in 1950 with a B.A. He received an LLB from the University of Maryland.

The collection includes books, original and photocopied newspaper and magazine articles, photocopies of books and book chapters, travel brochures, memorabilia, photographs, videos, a play script, post cards, 6 framed pictures, and newspaper and magazine clippings.

¹ College of St. Rose Yearbook, class of 1940, pg. 95.
² Obituary, Troy Record, 26 November 2001. (Note: She was living in Troy after 1988, but died in Albany.)
³ From the Internet Movie Database, www.imdb.com, Feb. 2006
⁴ College of St. Rose Alumni Newsletter, vol. 4 (9), November 1975.
⁵ Albany City Directory, 1942.
⁶ See 1910 and 1920 Census, Albany, N.Y., 5th Ward and 15th Ward.
⁷ See 1870 Census, Albany, N.Y., 1st Ward, and also 1860 Census, Albany, N.Y.
⁸ Obituary of Joseph E. Murray, Times Herald Record (Orange Co., N.Y.), 24 June 2005.
⁹ 1948 Siena College Yearbook.

Use Policy

Siena students and faculty may use the T. E. Lawrence Collection by presenting their Siena I.D. Materials from the T. E. Lawrence Collection at Siena College are available for use within Standish Library by scholars with a letter of introduction or official identification, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., or by appointment. Scholars may also request items via Interlibrary Loan. Some items may be available for in Library use only. Please contact Sean Conley.