GOVERNMENT OF PUERTO RICO

UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO

RIO PIEDRAS, P. R.

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

February 11, 1941

Mr. W. C. Williams
9 Ridge Road
Rutherford, N. J.

Dear Mr. Williams:

Thank you for your letter of February 4. I am proceeding to make plane reservations for yourself and Mrs. Williams from New York on April 14, and returning from San Juan on April 21. As soon as the arrangements are complete I shall notify you. I am only sorry that we cannot pay for Mrs. Williams's passage as well as for your own.

The subject of your lecture is very appropriate and promises to be exceedingly interesting. Owing to the varying times when people will come and go, we have had to change the date of your lecture to Wednesday, April 16, at 8:30 P.M., with the round table discussion the following morning. I hope this change will not inconvenience you.

Your interest in Puerto Rico is a happy coincidence for us all. We are very glad to be able to offer you this opportunity to visit the island, and hope you will find much material here for the biography of your mother. We hope also that you will thoroughly enjoy your visit and that you will return to us again.

Frederick O. Bissell,
Chairman, Inter American Writers' Conf.

aa

UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO

RIO PIEDRAS, P. R.

May 9, 1941

Dear William Carlos Williams: -

Ripples and phosphorescence still mark your Caribbean passage! You may be sure that Puerto Rico will not forget you and has very evidently taken you to her heart as her prodigal son. I enclose some clippings about you and yours; there will undoubtedly be others which I shall forward as they appear. I have been informed that two *Puerto Rico Ilustrados* have been sent you direct, one with Writers Conference pictures, and the other (this weeks) with an article on you by Toro Nazario, who would I am sure greatly appreciate a word of acknowledgment.

It is Toro who avowedly sees you as the Atlas bearing the entire burden of U.S. literature on your shoulders (one foot, of course, firmly planted in Puerto Rico).

There should have been not one but several packages of books received in Rutherford by this time; one, the most sizable, of University publications presented by the University; another, the books published by the Biblioteca de Autores Puertorriqueños, given by the editor of that publishing concern, Manual García Cabrera, who is also a recently appointed University trustee. This latter collection includes Dr. Tomás Blanco’s *Frontuario Histórico*, the best book to date on Puerto Rico, not published here but distributed by the Biblioteca.

Do tell us your Mother’s reactions to the story of your trip! With most cordial regards to you and Mrs. Williams,

MLMM/gcr

RIO PIEDRAS, P. R.

November 7, 1941

Dr. William C. Williams
9 Ridge Road
Rutherford, N. J.

Dear Dr. Williams:

At last we have collected all the manuscripts
of the addresses given at the Inter-American Writer's
Conference and are preparing them for early publi-
cation.

We recall that you read some seven of your
poems in your talk, to illustrate various points.
As they are not included in the text of your address,
we wish you would mark the place where each should
be inserted and give us the title of each. We can
look up the poems in our collection of your poems.

These addresses we expect to publish in the
December Bulletin of U. P. R., which we shall send
you as soon as it appears.

I hope you have been prospering and that you
will soon visit Puerto Rico again.

My best regards to you and Mrs. Williams.
Muna Lee and Conchita Meléndez also send greetings.

Faithfully yours,

Frederick O. Bissell
Head of the Dep't. of English
University of P. R.

fob/ru

WILLIAM C. WILLIAMS M. D.

9 RIDGE ROAD
RUTHERFORD, N. J.

March 20, 1956

Jaime Benítez
Chancellor
University of Puerto Rico
Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico

Dear Mr. Benitez:

With the greatest pleasure I accept the invitation to read my poetry at the University of Puerto Rico early in April. The terms I have been offered are satisfactory to me, namely return trip tickets for my wife and by airplane, housing at the University Guest House during our stay and a fee of two hundred dollars.

I should want to have the reading set as soon after Easter as possible. I could plan to arrive any time after the 3d and deliver the reading during the next few days if possible, Thursday, Friday or Saturday.

The airplane seats have been secured in advance at this time of year so I have to know - if you want me to take care of that detail or would prefer to take care of it yourself. Please let me know.

I wish my mother were still alive so that I could bring her with me to enjoy your hospitality. I should like when I am there to visit the island of St. Thomas where my father grew up and that I intend to do for I missed it the last time we were in Puerto Rico.

I think I have spoken of all the points to be covered in the preliminary arrangements for the trip. When I shall have heard from you again I will let you hear from me again.

Looking forward with pleasure to making your acquaintance when I am on the Island, believe me,

Sincerely yours