Dave DeWitt collection
Collection
Identifier: Ms-0484
Scope and Content
The Dave DeWitt Collection spans the years 1944-2011. The bulk of the material spans 1984-2011. The collection is divided into nine series: Correspondence, Writing, Research, The Chile Pepper Institute, The Fiery Foods Show, Video Projects, Press, Financial, and Photographs.
The Correspondence series consists of letters, faxes, cards, e-mail, and postcards. The Correspondence series is divided into personal, professional, and third party correspondence and is organized chronologically within these categories. The Writing series consists of bound manuscripts, book chapters, articles, and column excerpts written by Dave DeWitt and a compact disc which contains many of DeWitt’s books and articles. The Writing series also includes research, which consists primarily of articles, book excerpts, and handwritten notes. The Research series primarily consists of research conducted by Dave DeWitt about chile peppers and spicy foods. Most of this research is in the form of articles, book excerpts, recipes, scientific studies, booklets, and newsletters. This series also contains many handwritten notes. The Chile Pepper Institute series contains papers relating to the creation and operation of the Chile Pepper Institute. This includes a mission statement, member directory, agendas, memos, board meeting minutes, newsletters, information on the formation of the chile center, press, and correspondence. The Fiery Foods Show series contains primarily press for the Fiery Foods Show and is organized chronologically. The Video Projects series is divided into three separate projects: The Chile Pepper Kitchen series, the Green Gold series, and the Heat Up Your Life! documentary series. This series consists primarily of tape transcripts, proposals, and shooting schedules. The Press Series is divided in subject categories organized chronologically within these categories. The series is made up primarily of newspaper and magazine articles. The Financial series consists of one folder, which contains bills. The Photograph series consists of photographs, contact sheets, contact prints on paper, negatives, and slides.
The Correspondence series consists of letters, faxes, cards, e-mail, and postcards. The Correspondence series is divided into personal, professional, and third party correspondence and is organized chronologically within these categories. The Writing series consists of bound manuscripts, book chapters, articles, and column excerpts written by Dave DeWitt and a compact disc which contains many of DeWitt’s books and articles. The Writing series also includes research, which consists primarily of articles, book excerpts, and handwritten notes. The Research series primarily consists of research conducted by Dave DeWitt about chile peppers and spicy foods. Most of this research is in the form of articles, book excerpts, recipes, scientific studies, booklets, and newsletters. This series also contains many handwritten notes. The Chile Pepper Institute series contains papers relating to the creation and operation of the Chile Pepper Institute. This includes a mission statement, member directory, agendas, memos, board meeting minutes, newsletters, information on the formation of the chile center, press, and correspondence. The Fiery Foods Show series contains primarily press for the Fiery Foods Show and is organized chronologically. The Video Projects series is divided into three separate projects: The Chile Pepper Kitchen series, the Green Gold series, and the Heat Up Your Life! documentary series. This series consists primarily of tape transcripts, proposals, and shooting schedules. The Press Series is divided in subject categories organized chronologically within these categories. The series is made up primarily of newspaper and magazine articles. The Financial series consists of one folder, which contains bills. The Photograph series consists of photographs, contact sheets, contact prints on paper, negatives, and slides.
Dates
- 1944-2011
- Majority of material found in Placeholder Unit Date Text
Language of Materials
English
Access Restrictions
Open. All materials in this collection are available for research under supervised conditions in the Research Room.
Copy Restrictions
Copyrights associated with materials in this collection have not been transferred to New Mexico State University.
Biography / History
Dave DeWitt is known as the Pope of Peppers for his abundant knowledge of chile peppers and his large role in the chile industry. DeWitt visited New Mexico in July of 1974 and fell in love with the food, the scenery, and the culture. He moved to New Mexico in November of 1974. He researched and wrote many newspaper and magazine articles on chile peppers in the late 1970’s. St. Martin’s press published his first cookbook about spicy foods, The Fiery Cuisines, co-authored with Nancy Gerlach, in 1984. In the seventeen years since, DeWitt has written over thirty cookbooks about chile peppers and spicy foods, and is considered to be the world’s foremost expert on chile peppers.
DeWitt and his wife, Mary Jane Wilan, created Sunbelt Shows, Inc., a media company that specializes in promoting chile peppers, fiery foods, and barbeque, in 1988. Sunbelt Shows, Inc. has produced the National Fiery Foods and Barbeque Show, an annual spicy foods trade show, since 1988. Sunbelt Shows, Inc. also publishes the Fiery Foods and Barbeque supersite at http://fiery-foods.com/ . DeWitt, Nancy Gerlach, and Robert Spiegel started a trade magazine devoted to chile peppers and spicy foods called The Whole Chile Pepper Magazine in 1987. The magazine had over 50,000 subscribers by 1995. DeWitt sold the magazine in 1996 and launched another trade publication called Fiery Foods & Barbeque Business Magazine. DeWitt additionally co-produced, wrote, and starred in a three-part documentary about chile peppers and spicy foods called “Heat Up Your Life.”
DeWitt co-founded the Chile Pepper Institute with Paul Bosland in 1992, and is currently one of its board members. The Chile Pepper Institute is an international nonprofit organization devoted to education, research, and archiving information related to chile peppers. The Institute collaborates with the New Mexico State University Chile Breeding and Genetics Program to preserve chile germplasm, of both cultivated and wild species, and to advance the studies of chile pepper diseases. Furthermore, the Institute seeks to be an authoritative source of all types of information regarding Capsicum. The Institute is housed on the main campus of New Mexico State University, in Gerald Thomas Hall room 265, and is officially known as the Chile Pepper Institute Center for Chile Education. The Center offers a Chile Library with more than 600 books, a chile plant grow cart, displays on current NMSU chile research, chile art, the Institute's Hall of Flame, books, posters, seeds, and other chile-related educational exhibits.
DeWitt and his wife, Mary Jane Wilan, created Sunbelt Shows, Inc., a media company that specializes in promoting chile peppers, fiery foods, and barbeque, in 1988. Sunbelt Shows, Inc. has produced the National Fiery Foods and Barbeque Show, an annual spicy foods trade show, since 1988. Sunbelt Shows, Inc. also publishes the Fiery Foods and Barbeque supersite at http://fiery-foods.com/ . DeWitt, Nancy Gerlach, and Robert Spiegel started a trade magazine devoted to chile peppers and spicy foods called The Whole Chile Pepper Magazine in 1987. The magazine had over 50,000 subscribers by 1995. DeWitt sold the magazine in 1996 and launched another trade publication called Fiery Foods & Barbeque Business Magazine. DeWitt additionally co-produced, wrote, and starred in a three-part documentary about chile peppers and spicy foods called “Heat Up Your Life.”
DeWitt co-founded the Chile Pepper Institute with Paul Bosland in 1992, and is currently one of its board members. The Chile Pepper Institute is an international nonprofit organization devoted to education, research, and archiving information related to chile peppers. The Institute collaborates with the New Mexico State University Chile Breeding and Genetics Program to preserve chile germplasm, of both cultivated and wild species, and to advance the studies of chile pepper diseases. Furthermore, the Institute seeks to be an authoritative source of all types of information regarding Capsicum. The Institute is housed on the main campus of New Mexico State University, in Gerald Thomas Hall room 265, and is officially known as the Chile Pepper Institute Center for Chile Education. The Center offers a Chile Library with more than 600 books, a chile plant grow cart, displays on current NMSU chile research, chile art, the Institute's Hall of Flame, books, posters, seeds, and other chile-related educational exhibits.
Extent
13 linear feet (31 boxes).
Abstract
The research, writing, and personal and professional papers of Dave DeWitt, dating from 1944-2011. Most of the materials range from 1984-2011.
Processing Information
Processed by Misty Bargman, reviewed by Charles Stanford, August 2011.
- Title
- Guide to the Dave DeWitt collection, 1944-2011
- Status
- Edited Full Draft
- Author
- Misty Bargman
- Date
- © 2012
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is in English
Revision Statements
- Monday, 20210524: Attribute normal is missing or blank.
Repository Details
Part of the New Mexico State University Library Archives and Special Collections Repository