Harry C. Perry, Jr. papers
Collection
0043-LIT
Harry C. Perry, Jr. (b. 1919), was Katherine Anne Porter's tax accountant for approximately five years in the early 1960s. He filed Porter's federal and District of Columbia tax returns from 1959 until 1964. The collection documents Porter's financial situation before and after the publication of Ship of Fools. Included in the collection are financial papers, correspondence, and newspaper clippings related to Porter.
This collection is open for research.
Photocopies of original materials may be provided for a fee and at the discretion of the curator. Please see our Duplication of Materials policy for more information. Queries regarding publication rights and copyright status of materials within this collection should be directed to the appropriate curator.
0.25 Linear Feet
The papers of Harry C. Perry, Jr., span the years 1958 to 1966, with the bulk created between 1959 and 1964. The collection contains financial papers related to Katherine Anne Porter's federal and District of Columbia income taxes, such as tax returns, itemized lists of expenses and income, and receipts. The collection also contains correspondence between Porter and Mr. Perry, mainly relating to Porter's finances. They also discuss political and personal topics such as Porter's experiences during her residence in Europe and her opinions of the Civil Rights movement.
Harry C. Perry, Jr., Katherine Anne Porter's first accountant in Washington, D. C., was born in Frederick, Maryland, on February 20, 1919. He was the second of thirteen children born to Nannie Frances (Bentz) and Harry Clay Perry, Sr. During the Depression, the Perry family moved from Frederick to Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Mr. Perry received his Master of Commercial Science degree in 1954 from Benjamin Franklin University, where he also earned his bachelor's degree. He worked in Washington, D. C., as an accountant for Malin and Dery, Public Accountants, from 1951 until 1962, when he was named a partner in the firm. He and his wife, Violet Fern Caldwell, have two children, Harry Clay III and Judith Suzanne. He has three grandchildren and continues to work in the District of Columbia as the surviving member of the Malin, Dery, and Perry accounting firm.
Mr. Perry became Katherine Anne Porter's accountant in 1960 through the agency of a mutual friend, John Prince. Mr. Perry acted as Porter's accountant from 1960 until 1964. He prepared and filed her federal and District of Columbia tax returns from 1959 until 1962. The final return, for 1962, was filed during Porter's 1963 residence in Europe.
The collection has been arranged into one series.
Harry Perry, Jr., donated his papers relating to Katherine Anne Porter to the University of Maryland Libraries in October 1983.
The collection was placed into one series. Items in the collection were arranged chronologically and foldered by tax year. All staples and paper clips were removed and replaced with plastic clips. All materials were placed in acid-free folders in an acid-free box.
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives