Guide to the J. W. T. Mason Papers, 1903-1993 (bulk, 1903-1943)

Biographical Note

J. W. T. (Joseph Warren Teets) Mason (1879-1941) was an American who devoted himself to the study of Eastern philosophy and religion. Born on January 3, 1879 in Newburgh, New York, Mason graduated from New York University and decided to become a journalist to follow in his father’s footstep. He worked for the Scripps McRae Press Association as its London Editor, and when the company merged into the United Press Associations in 1907, he became the European Manager. A year after the appointment at the United Press, however, he resigned from the post and returned to the United States. In the following years, he worked for the Daily Express as the New York Editor (1908-1931), specifically as the war writer during the World War I. After the War, he also worked for the United Press as the foreign affairs writer (1918-30). While he was in Europe on his job, he became acquainted with famous philosophers, such as Henri Bergson, Benedetto Croce, and F. C. S. Schiller. He also met Japanese diplomats Suematsu Kenshō and Hayashi Gonsuke, who introduced him to Japanese Shinto, the native religion of Japan, and Confucianism. His interest in Eastern civilization grew, and he published two books, Creative East (1926) in New York and Creative Freedom (1928) in London.

Although he had been already acquainted with many Japanese officials, scholars, and priests both in and out of Japan, a visit to Japan was not realized until 1932. During his stay in Japan, he attended many Shinto ceremonies and lectured on Japanese religions and cultures all over in Japan. He published Kaminagara no michi (1933) (English language edition, The Meaning of Shinto , was published in New York in 1935) and The Spirit of Shinto Mythology (1939) in Tokyo. He was a member of many associations including the Meiji Japan Society, the Asiatic Society of Japan, and the Kyoto Buddhist Association. Although the year he departed Japan is unknown, he died in New York on May 13, 1941.

Scope and Content

This collection contains correspondence, manuscripts, notes, articles, books, ephemera, postcards and black-and-white photographs. Correspondence in Series 1 includes letters from Henri Bergson, Benedetto Croce, F. C. S. Schiller, Arthur Waley and Kimura Hideo, dated 1912-1938. Manuscripts in Series 2 include drafts of Mason's published and unpublished works, as well as letters, contracts, advertisements and notes related to his publications and lectures. Subject files in Series 3 include notes written by Mason and quotes and articles collected by him on various topics in Eastern religions and philosophies. This series also includes miscellaneous notes, “Obras Publicadas,” a list of Mason's publications. Photographs in Series 5 and postcards in Series 6 were taken or collected during Mason's stay in Japan in the 1930s (see Related Materials).

Related Materials

Postcards and photographs collected by J. W. T. Mason are included in the Japanese Photographs and Postcard Collection. , C. V. Starr East Asian Library, Columbia University.

Bibliography

Mason, J. W. T. Sōzō no Nihon: fu shoka no Mēson-kan . Tokyo: Daitō Shuppansha, Shōwa 9 [1934].

Mason, J. W. T. The Spirit of Shinto Mythology. Tokyo: Fuzambō, [c1939].

Rainichi Seiyō jinmei jiten. Tokyo: Nichigai Asoshiētsu; Hatsubaimoto Kinokuniya Shoten, 1995.