JUD MS 25 Nathan F. Cogan Collection Finding Aid

Authors

Katelynn Paul, University of Southern Maine

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-2022

Keywords

Nathan F. Cogan, Jewish Community, Bath, Maine, Vital records, Personal essays

Abstract

Biographical Note

Nathan Franklin Cogan was born in Bath, Maine in 1937 and was the youngest of seven children. Nathan’s father, Morris Cohen, had originally arrived in Maine in 1914, following the outbreak of World War I. Nathan spent his childhood in Bath, where his father and family members assisted immigrants to Maine as a part of the Hebrew Benevolent Society. Nathan ultimately moved to Portland, Oregon in 1956 to attend Reed College. Nathan served two years in the U.S. Army, and upon ending service he pursued a doctorate in English at UC-Berkeley. Nathan became a professor emeritus of English at Portland State University in Oregon. He married Sarah Rebecca Glasgow (1939-2006) in Portland, Oregon on August 28, 1960. Nathan recorded his experiences of growing up Jewish in Bath and created a series of memoirs and papers documenting the history of the Jewish community and their legacies.

Description of the Papers

This collection spans from 1916 to approximately 2016. The collection includes two historical documents, Morris Cohen’s marriage license and clippings from his obituary. The collection also includes personal essays and memoirs written by Nathan Cogan documenting the history, stories, and cultural relations of the Jewish community in Bath, Maine.

Date Range:

1916-2016

Size:

1 box (0.25 linear feet)

Selected Digitized Items

Nathan F. Cogan Collection

Comments

Provenance:

These papers were donated on March 4, 2021 by Frederic C. Weinberg. Frederic received these papers from Nathan Cogan in 2009.

Ownership and Literary Rights:

The Nathan Cogan Collection is the physical property of the University of Southern Maine Library. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the creator or her legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the Special Collections Librarian.

Restrictions on access:

This collection is open for research.

Recommended Citation

Nathan F. Cogan Collection, Judaica Collection, Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine, Special Collections, University of Southern Maine Library.