A GUIDE TO THE PAPERS OF
Will James
Collection no. NC579
Prepared by:
Carrie M. Townley
September, 1978
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF WILL JAMES
Will James was born Joseph-Ernest Dufault on June 6, 1892, at St. Nazaire de Acton in Quebec, Canada. His parents, Jean and Josephine Dufault were French. The family moved to Montreal where James spent his childhood.
In 1907, at age fifteen, James left home for the Canadian west. After a scrape with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, James escaped to the American West. There he became a cowhand, changing his name to William Roderick James. Accused of rustling horses, he was convicted of grand larceny in Ely, Nevada, and was sentenced to the Nevada State Prison at Carson City for a year to fifteen months.
During his prison term, James began sketching and writing, the turning point in his life which led to his becoming one of the best known Western writers and artists. After his release, and until his death in 1942, he wrote and illustrated twenty books and numerous articles.
James married Alice Conradt of Reno, Nevada. They lived in Washoe Valley, Nevada, and Billings, Montana, where James died in 1942.
The secret of his real identity James kept to his death. Not even his wife was aware of it until a dispute arose over the estate. It forced James' brother, Auguste, to prove that Ernest Dufault and Will James were the same person.
Anthony Amaral found the well-guarded estate papers and published in Will James, The Gilt Edged Cowboy the true story of James' life with the help of James' widow, Alice James Ross.
SCOPE AND CONTENT
The Will James Collection was given to the University of Nevada-Reno by Anthony Amaral and Alice James Ross in 1967.
The materials Amaral collected and used for James' biography, Will James, the Gilt Edged Cowboy, comprise the bulk of the collection. Included are correspondence with many individuals who knew James, photocopies of legal documents relating to James, photocopies of James' correspondence, clippings, and notes.
In addition, the collection contains a typescript manuscript and galley proof of Amaral's book as well as a typescript manuscript of James' The Three Mustangeers with the author's holograph corrections.
Other items in the collection are three original pencil sketches done by James, photos of James' art work and copies of his illustrations taken from printed materials.
James family photographs and the John Newbery Medal presented to James for his book, Smoky, complete the collection.
The collection is divided into the following series:
579/1 Correspondence of Anthony Amaral (1960-1967).
579/2 Correspondence of Will James (1921-1937).
579/3 Legal Documents.
579/4 Manuscript of Anthony Amaral.
579/5 Galley Proof of Will James, the Gilt Edged Cowboy.
579/6 Manuscript of Will James.
579/7 Typescripts.
579/8 Art Work of Will James.
579/9 Photographs and Negatives.
579/10 Notes on Will James.
579/11 Printed Materials.
579/12 Clippings and articles.
579/13 John Newbery Medal.
Correspondence of Anthony Amaral (1960-1967).
579/1/1 1960-61. Including Joe De Yong, Alice James Ross (wife of Will James), Victor Jory, and Ross Santee.
579/1/2 1962.
579/1/3 1963.
579/1/4 1964. Including Auguste Dufault(brother of Will James)
579/1/5 1965-66. Including Auguste Dufault.
579/1/6 1967.
579/1/7 No date.
Correspondence of Will James (1921-37).
579/2 1921-37. (photocopies).
Legal Documents.
579/3/1 Estate papers and will of William Roderick James and birth certificate of Joseph Ernest Dufault (Will James).
579/3/2 Trial transcript and Nevada State Prison record of Will James.
Manuscript of Anthony Amaral.
579/4/1-3 Typescript manuscript of Anthony Amaral's Will James, the Gilt Edged Cowboy.
579/5 Galley proof of Will James, the Gilt Edged Cowboy.
Manuscript of Will James.
579/6/1-3 Typescript manuscript of Will James', The Three Mustangeers.
Typescripts.
579/7 Typescripts by L. B. Robinson and E. T. Springer about James.
Art work of Will James.
579/8/1 "The Turning Point", original pencil sketch by Will James.
579/8/2 "Miss Nevada", original pencil sketch by Will James.
579/8/3 "The Nevada Mustang", original pencil sketch by Will James.
579/8/4 Photos of Will James' art work.
579/8/5 Copies of Will James' work taken from printed material.
Photographs and negatives.
579/9/1 Photographs of Will James and family.
579/9/2 Negatives.
Notes on Will James.
579/10 Notes on Will James used by Anthony Amaral in preparing his biography of James.
Printed materials.
579/11 Printed materials used by Anthony Amaral in preparing his biography of Will James.
Clippings and articles.
579/12 Clippings and articles used by Anthony Amaral in preparing his biography of Will James.
John Newbery Medal.
579/13 John Newbery Medal awarded to Will James in 1926 for his book, Smoky.