Scope and arrangement
The collection consists of correspondence, a few personal papers, writings, lecture notes and outlines, teaching and student records, research notes and printed material, pertaining largely to Pinson's academic career. Correspondence with colleagues and other scholars in the U. S. and abroad (1930's-1960) reflects his association with Queens College, the New School for Social Research, Jewish History Publications, the Menorah Journal and other organizations. There is substantial correspondence with Hans Kohn (authority on nationalism) and Carlton J. H. Hayes (Pinson's teacher at Columbia University) as well as letters by Gertrud Jaspers (wife of Karl Jaspers), Elena Croce (daughter of Benedetto Croce), Henry Hurwitz, Alvin Johnson and Paul Klapper. The personal file consists of a photographic portrait of Pinson, announcements of his lectures and tributes to him. The writings contain typescripts of scholarly articles by Pinson, while the lecture series includes notes and outlines for public lectures. The teaching file consists of lecture notes, outlines, reading lists and examination questions for courses taught by Pinson at Queens College, City University of New York and the New School. The student records are comprised of his notes as an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania and as a graduate student at Columbia University. The research notes include notes for his dissertation, "Pietism as a Factor in the Rise of German Nationalism", notes for his book Modern Germany..., bibliographies of works relating to Russian history and literature, and to periodical articles in German relating to Jews and anti-semitism. Many of the notes are on index cards. There is also a file of printed matter including three scrapbooks of clippings from the Frankfurter Zeitung and the Judische Rundschau (1932-1937).