Arthur Dunning Spearman, S.J. served as University Archivist at Santa Clara from 1957-1977. He was a prolific writer, producing books, essays and articles on the history of Mission Santa Clara and Santa Clara University, his family history, religion, and Native Americans. His first major book was The Five Franciscan Churches of Mission Santa Clara, 1777-1825, published in 1963. In 1967 he published a biography of local aviation pioneer John J. Montgomery titled, John Joseph Montgomery, Father of Basic Flying.

Spearman was born on August 26, 1899 in Wheaton, Illinois. His father, Frank Hamilton Spearman, was a well-known author of Western novels and short stories. He was the sixth child of Frank and Eugenie Amelia Lonergan Spearman. The six children listed in his genealogical table are Thomas Clark, Thomas Lonergan, Eugene, Elaine, Frank Hamilton and Arthur Dunning, however, Thomas Lonergan and Elaine do not appear anywhere else in his papers or photographs.

The Spearman family moved from Wheaton, Illinois to Hollywood in 1905 after Frank Hamilton Spearman's best-selling novel, Whispering Smith, was purchased by early filmmakers for adaptation to the big screen. The Spearman family was quite well-travelled. In 1906, they spent a year in Rome and Florence. During this time, an audience with the Pope made a deep impression on Spearman. The family spent summers on Nantucket, perhaps also visiting relatives in Maryland.

Spearman's education began at parochial schools in Rome, Evanston and Chicago (Loyola). He attended Saint Vincent's Preparatory School in Los Angeles, before entering the Society of Jesus at the University of Santa Clara in 1918. Spearman spent two years as a scholastic at Santa Clara before continuing his studies at Gonzaga. In 1921, constant insomnia and headaches forced a break from his studies at Gonzaga. He was sent home to live with his parents for a year. Subsequently Spearman was stationed at St. Ignatius Mission, Montana. There he began to write stories, which were related to him by the missionaries, and these stories were published regularly in the Western Jesuit. During this period, he became increasingly interested in Native American culture.

Spearman returned to Gonzaga and completed his BA in Theology in 1926 and his MA in English in 1927. In 1927-28 he taught high school English and history as a scholastic at Gonzaga. Spearman began studies for the Sacred Theology Licentiate (STL) in 1928 at Wheaton College in Illinois. The rector at Wheaton thought he was "too meticulous" to be ordained; Spearman was transferred to St. Louis and ordained a week later on June 25, 1931. He was awarded the STL at St. Louis University in l932.

After ordination Spearman suffered a physical breakdown from which he never fully recovered. He attributed this to the "over-intensity and mild friction" of 13 years of novitiate and difficult study. It is unclear how long this illness lasted, or where he was when it overtook him. Spearman returned to Santa Clara in 1933-34 to teach English and religion, before moving to Los Angeles to become director of the Loyola University library from 1935 to 1947. He was transferred to San Diego in 1947 to work in Spanish-speaking and African American parishes. During the 1949 to 1954 period, he began his research in the history of early Maryland and Delaware, and he compiled a four-volume family history.

In 1954 Spearman returned to Loyola University in Los Angeles and began his research on the early years of Mission Santa Clara and Santa Clara University. He returned to Santa Clara in 1957 to serve as University Archivist and continue his historical research. From 1957 to 1971 Spearman also served as chaplain of the Santa Clara Carmelite nuns and of the Catholic Daughters of San Jose. He was chairman of the Historical Landmarks Commission for the city of Santa Clara from 1960 to 1964, and was curator of Mission exhibits at the de Saisset Museum from 1960 to 1971. Spearman suffered a stroke in 1971, which sharply curtailed his involvement in local history and research, although he continued to serve as University Archivist. Spearman died in Santa Clara on April 9, 1977.

The biographical information provided here is an edited version of the Biographical History section of a legacy finding aid at our institution.

Collection processed and finding aid written and EAD encoded by Andrea Hoff in 2018.