Special Collections Blog: Dragon Tales

Cars and Spies, Oh My!

Written by Caitlin Snyder, Class of Dec '19, Alden Room Research Assistant

In memory of Dr. Richard L. Knudson

Within Special Collections there can be found hidden gems, some of which are College Biography Files.  One may find something unexpected, like journals for the International Spy Society.  Dr. Richard L. Knudson, a former English professor at SUCO, brought his passion for spies and cars into his work.  He had owned about 15 MG cars by 1980, and was an avid collector of models as well.  People from all over the world would call for information on the vintage cars.  Knudson had written 6 books about MG cars by 1980.  His passion for the cars could be found within the majority of his work.  Dr. Knudson went on to inspire a younger generation of elementary students to do the same.  Knudson participated in the Cooperstown PARP program, in an effort to teach children of his passion and encourage them to use their own in deciding what they wanted to do one day.

Photograph of Dr. Knudson from The Dossier

With his love for vintage sports cars, it is no surprise that Knudson’s other interests lied in espionage.  He was part of the renewal of fascination with espionage, especially  the famous James Bond.  Dr. Knudson’s work reflected his interests again when he co-produced The Dossier: The Official Journal of the International Spy Society.  The journals consist of information about both fictional and real spies, for an audience interested in espionage. Everything from weapons to codes, both in fiction and reality, are covered in the journals.  Spy movies such as James Bond are featured throughout it, serving a fanbase on a global scale.