Cate, James Lea. Papers, 1925-1980

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Military, War and Veterans

The collection is open for research, with the exception of material in Series VII. This series contains restricted fundraising and student materials. Fundraising records are restricted for 50 from date of record creation, and student records are restricted for 80 years from date of record creation.

When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: James Lea Cate. Papers, [Box #, Folder #], Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library

James Lea Cate was born on November 16, 1899 in Little Rock, Arkansas to Clifford Julian Cate and Nathalie Virginia O'Hair. He spent his formative years in Uvalde, Texas, and remained in Texas for the early part of his teaching career. Cate taught high school in Lockhart, Texas from 1923 to 1924, received his A.B. and A. M. at the University of Texas, Austin, in 1925, and worked as an instructor at Schreiner Institute in Kerrville, Texas, from 1925 to 1928. He married Frances Elizabeth Cohn in 1927, with whom he had two children: Mary Allison and James Lea, Jr.

In 1929 Cate spent a year studying medieval history in Belgium under the tutelage of historian Henri Pirenne. Upon his return to the United States he accepted a position as instructor in history at the University of Chicago. In 1935 he earned his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago, and was made an Assistant Professor in 1936. He was much loved by his students and his talent for teaching was recognized in 1940 when he received the Ernest E. Quantrell Award for excellence in teaching. That same year he was promoted to Associate Professor. In 1948 Cate was appointed Professor of Medieval History. He was made a professor of history in the humanities in 1965. Cate's primary research and teaching subjects included medieval history, historiography, and aviation history.

Cate served in the Army Air Force with the rank of major during World War II and received the Legion of Merit. From 1946 to 1956 he was a consultant in the Historian's Office of the Department of the Air Force. Drawing from these experiences, Cate co-edited a seven-volume book, Army Air Forces in World War II, with Wesley Frank Craven between 1948 and 1958.

In addition to his teaching duties, Cate served the University in many ways. Administratively, his contributions were numerous. He was Dean of Students in the Division of Humanities from 1940 to 1941. He was elected nine times by fellow faculty members to the Committee of the Council of the University of Chicago Senate. He was chosen twice by his colleagues as Spokesman of the Committee of the Council. He was a gifted fundraiser for the University, and established multiple fellowship funds in honor of colleagues in the History Department. During the last seven years of his official association with the University of Chicago, Cate served as Director of a co-operative three-year Master of Humanities program funded by the Ford Foundation. He engaged in the lighter side of campus life through his activities with the Quadrangle Club, authoring five musical comedies for the Club's annual "Revels."

Beyond the University of Chicago, Cate was an active member of multiple learned societies and a regular consultant. He served on the Nominating Committee of the American Historical Association in 1956, taught as a visiting professor at Stanford University in 1958, directed a survey of National Defense Education Act History Institutes in 1965, and was a member of the Historical Advisory Committees of the Atomic Energy Commission and NASA, to name a few. The United States Air Force awarded him a medal for exceptional civilian service in 1959 for his work as an historian.

Cate died at home in Chicago on November 1, 1981.

The James Lea Cate Papers are organized into seven series.

Series I documents Cate's study of military history, particularly as a post-World War II consultant to the Air Force Historical Division, and co-editor of the seven-volume Army Air Forces in World War II (1948-1958). The series includes correspondence, photographs, manuscripts and reviews. Particularly notable is a 1953 letter sent to Cate by ex-President Truman recounting the facts and discussions that led to his decision to authorize atomic bomb strikes on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Series II contains material documenting Cate's career at the University of Chicago. It includes administrative files pertaining to the Division of the Humanities and the Department of History, as well as files related to Cate's service on University-wide committees, particularly the Committee of the Council of the University Senate. Also included are records of Cate's extensive efforts to raise funds on behalf of several University fellowships. Files on teaching and campus life contain reading lists, lecture notes, unmarked student papers, and course materials, as well as files related to Cate's participation in non-academic activities on campus, such as the annual Quadrangle Club "Revels," a theatrical parody of the University staged by faculty and friends of the University since 1904.

Series III contains Cate's professional correspondence with colleagues from the University of Chicago and in the fields of military and medieval history. A very small amount of personal correspondence is included

Series IV contains articles, essays and speeches written by Cate, along with supporting material such as notes, drafts and correspondence regarding research, publication and speaking engagements. These materials document both Cate's scholarly publications and his role as a popular speaker to professional and community groups and on college and university campuses. Materials relating to Cate's writings on military history are in Series I.

Series V contains material documenting James Lea Cate's participation as an historian in various conferences, organizations, and projects. The series is divided into four subseries. Subseries 1, Various, contains records of Cate's contribution to a variety of initiatives, including acting as an advisor for an educational film, writing an organizational history for Blue Cross, and serving as a guest lecturer or examiner for other universities. Subseries 2, Conferences, contains programs, correspondence, and meeting materials for history conferences in which Cate was involved. In the 1960s, Cate served on the Historical Advisory Committee of the Atomic Energy Commission and he led a survey of history institutes for the National Defense Education Act. These activities are represented in Subseries 3 and 4.

Series VI contains a small amount of personal ephemera and biographical information, including clippings from books and articles acknowledging Cate's work and reports he compiled regarding his professional and scholarly activities. Files in this series also document Cate's receipt of the Air Force's Exceptional Service Award in 1959.

Series VII includes files to which access is restricted. Materials related to fundraising for university fellowships are restricted for 50 years. Files containing student evaluative material, primarily in the form of letters of recommendation, are restricted for 80 years.

The following related resources are located in the Department of Special Collections:

• Names
  • Cate, James Lea, 1899-
  • University of Chicago. Dept. of History
  • Quadrangle Club (Chicago, Ill.)
  • United States. Air Force -- History
• SubjectMiddle Ages -- Historiography