Elling Oliver Eide (1935-2012) was a scholar of Chinese language, history, literature, and society. He is best known for his translations of the 8th century poet Li Bai and as the author of several seminal articles on Tang (618-906) dynasty poetry. Eide was a Harvard Junior Fellow (1965-1968), lectured on Japanese at the University of Maryland Extension, was an Associate Professor of Chinese at the University of Illinois, president of the T’ang Studies Society, and editor of CLEAR, a journal of Chinese literature. Eide had notable scholarly relationships with other Sinologists including Victor Mair, Edward Shaughnessy, Susan Naquin, John Krueger, Irving Lo, William H. Nienhauser, and Cynthia Chennault.
The Elling Eide Center Research Library and Preserve is proud to house the archives of the papers of Elling Eide. These documents consist of his professional correspondence, research notes, published scholarship, unpublished work on Chinese language pedagogy and other projects, documents detailing the acquisition of his Asian studies library collection, as well as records of the professional societies and associations where he held a membership. His papers also include material of a personal nature, including personal correspondence, family photographs and family records, student and teaching records, documents related to his service in the United States Marine Corps and his political activity, and audio-visual materials about his family. The archives also include files related to his wide-ranging personal interests such as horticulture, genealogy, architecture, Florida Native American languages, fine art, stamp collecting, Florida and Sarasota County history and archaeology, Sarasota politics, performing arts, world travel, and culinary arts.
The papers of Elling Eide are currently being processed with the generous support of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, which provided the funds to purchase archival housing for this important collection. When finished, the archives will include a finding aid to assist researchers and will be accessible with an appointment.
The Elling Eide Center seeks professional and personal papers and photographs concerning the life of Elling Eide. Please send originals or scanned copies to:
The Elling Eide Center
Attn: Harold G. Mitchell
8000 S. Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34231
hmitchell@ellingoeide.org