Ace Lundon Collection

Collection

Identifier: SPC-2021-036

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Ace Lundon Personal Collection (1862-2013, undated; bulk 1990-2013) includes writings, letters, photographs, videotapes, posters, drawings, audiotapes, and ephemera from the Ace Lundon Estate. The collection contains different types of mixed medium material such as CDs, photographs, negatives, cassettes, reel to reels, and publications. The majority of the collection contains material regarding Ace Lundon's life as an actor, singer, writer and businessman. Series one contains 14 boxes of materials related to Ace Lundon's personal life, such as materials that were owned by Ace Lundon, Patrick Algarin, and the Lundberg Family such as diary, letters, cassettes, floppy disks, CDs, photographs, and legal documents. Series two contains material from Ace Lundon and Jean London's military show called the "Jean London Show" including reel to reels, CD's, photographs, and publications. Series three contains material related to Ace Lundon's company called ITNAVA Corporation founded in the 1970s (of which presumably included the involvement of Ace Lundon's plans to create a combination hotel,casino, and theme park), including business plans, organization charts, architecture layout maps, and financial documents. Series four contains materials regarding Ace Lundon's writing career, such as his two autobiographies and other poetry including drafts, bound books, press releases, notes, and publications. Series five contains materials related to the other various careers that Ace Lundon had apart from his main endeavors such as acting, radio shows, and teaching including floppy disks, CDs, course syllabi, and handwritten notes. Series six contains material that are unrelated to Ace Lundon but were in his possession such as publications and event posters.

Dates

1862-2013, undated
Majority of material found within 1990-2013

Creator

Lundon, Ace (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Most material in this collection do not have access restrictions. However, some materials are restricted, are hidden from view in this finding aid, and are not accessible for public viewing for the forseeable future. If you have questions or concerns, please email us at archives@csudh.edu.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Archives and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical materials and not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Biographical / Historical

Ace Lundon, previously named Adrian Raymond Lundberg, was born on August 1, 1936 in South Dakota to parents Raymond and Amy Lundberg and passed away on October 24, 2016. He [Ace Lundon] had a younger brother named Manford Lee Lundberg. Growing up on a farm instilled both his love for animals and the work ethics that he would in turn maintain throughout life. In 1974, he married Jean London, who was an actress but later divorced in 1974. Two years later, he would go on to become lifelong partners with Patrick Algarin, who died in 1989.

One thing that Ace Lundon studied was to be a vocalist with Harry Fields and Myrton Backler, where he also learned stage presence. Some of his formal education was spent at the following institutions: Pasadena City College, Citrus College, Azusa Pacific College, and the University of Minnesota. It was there that he majored and minored in various different subjects, some of which included: English, Abnormal Psychology, Theology, Psychometry, History, and much more. Later in life, Ace Lundon would go on to have a full career from journalism to ambitious business plans including a combination theme park casino hotel and a music festival in South Dakota. Some of his writing and journalism experience include “The Closets are Empty … The Dining Room’s Full” (1993), poetry, and being the editor of Zipper Magazine. Other aspects of his career would include teaching acting, radio host, and creator of the Handikapp (a hat of his own design). One of his most ambitious business ventures was his passion to build a theme park, casino, and hotel combination business, which would unfortunately not come into fruition.

Sources: "Scrapbook of Ace Lundon's Life Part 1, 1914-1984"; " Scrapbook of Ace Lundon's Life Part 2, 1951-October 28, 1986" and other material located in the Ace Lundon Collection, SPC 2021.036

Extent

42 boxes

19.74 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Ace Lundon Collection (1862-2013, undated; bulk 1990-2013) is a collection about Ace Lundon, a writer, actor, singer, and entrepreneur from South Dakota. It includes personal papers, business records, manuscripts, photographs, audio-visual materials, posters, and more primarily concerning writer, activist, journalist, teacher, entertainer, and entrepreneur Ace Lundon.

Arrangement

The Ace Lundon Collection is arranged into 6 series: Series I: Ace Lundon and Family Materials, (1862-2011, undated) Sub-Series A: Ace Lundon Materials, (1932-2011, undated) Sub-Series B: Family Materials, (1862-1967, undated) Sub-Series C: Patrick Algarin Materials, (1977-1988, undated) Series II: Jean London Show Materials, (1966-2008, undated) Series III: ITNAVA Corporation, (1970-2012, undated) Series IV: Writing Materials, (1955-2013, undated) Sub-Series A: Articles and Other Various Writing Materials, (1955-2013, undated) Sub-Series B: "A Legacy: The Closets Are Empty But The Dining Room's Full" by Ace Lundon, (1984-2006, undated) Sub-Series C: "The Legend of the Planet Itnova" by Ace Lundon, (1989-2005, undated) Sub-Series D: "A Passage Through The Needle's Eye" by Ace Lundon, (1989-2005, undated) Sub-Series E: Miscellaneous Writings, (1981-2002, undated) Series V: Various Other Professional and Career Materials, (1960-2011, undated) Series VI: Materials Not Related to Ace Lundon, (1971-2011, undated)