IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): GB 0369 BET
Held at: School of Slavonic and East European Studies
Title: Betts Collection
Date(s): c 1928-1960
Level of description: Collection (Fonds)
Extent: 4 boxes
Name of creator(s): Betts | Reginald Robert | 1903-1961 | historian
CONTEXT
Administrative/Biographical history:
Reginald Robert Betts (1903-1961) was born in Norwich. After completing his studies at Oxford University he took up a post there as a temporary lecturer. This was followed by positions as lecturer at Liverpool and Belfast Universities. In 1934 he became a professor at Southampton University. As a medieval historian, Betts specialised in the history of Bohemia but later developed a great interest in the modern Czechoslovak state, becoming an expert in Czech affairs. This knowledge led to his appointment at the BBC, during the later years of the Second World War as editor of the broadcasting service for Czechoslovakia and later of the whole European service. After the war Betts was briefly, 1945-1946 a professor at Birmingham University before becoming Masaryk Professor of Central European history at SSEES in 1946, a position he held until his death. He was also head of the History Department at SSEES until 1957.
CONTENT
Scope and content/abstract:
Manuscripts of writings, lecture notes and other notes by Reginald Robert Betts; notes, transcripts and photostats from Latin manuscripts in Austrian and Czech libraries on Jan Hus, Peter Payne and the Reformation and also notes taken from more recent books on these subjects, c 1928-1960.
ACCESS AND USE
Language/scripts of material: Czech, English, French, German and Latin
System of arrangement:
The papers are arranged in four classes, BET/1 - Betts' writings (1928-1960), BET/2 - Betts' lecture notes (1934-1956), BET/3 Betts' notes taken from original manuscripts and early writings (1928-1948) and BET/4 Writings by and notes from books by other writers
Conditions governing access:
Unrestricted access. Researchers wishing to consult the archives or seeking further information should contact UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies Library, 16 Taviton Street, London, WC1H 0BW.
Conditions governing reproduction:
Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Librarian.
Physical characteristics:
Finding aids:
Online catalogue available on the UCL Archives website.
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Accruals:
Archival history:
Immediate source of acquisition:
Not known
ALLIED MATERIALS
Existence and location of originals:
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/libraries-and-study-spaces/ucl-school-slavonic-and-east-european-studies-library
Related material:
Publication note:
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Archivist's note: Revised by Alan Kucia as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project.
Date(s) of descriptions: Revised Feb 2002