Posted on

Women, Gender, and the Transition to Coeducation at Haverford

Introduction

This primary source packet contains materials pertaining to the movement to coeducation at Haverford College as well campus issues related to sexism, gender and gender discrimination, and student identities. The majority of the materials focuses on the movement to coeducation in the 1970s and how it transformed Haverford’s relationship with Bryn Mawr College, the development of the Women*s Center, and the experiences of female-identifying students from the 1980s through the 2000s. 

These materials may support classes and research topics related to gender and identity studies, the history of higher education, and the history of Haverford College.

Packet contents:

Primary Sources

Early Thoughts on Coeducation

“An Unfortunate Makeshift,” Haverford News, Volume 10, Number 21, January 14, 1919. [digitized version]

Robert M. Yoder, “Station-Wagon College,” Saturday Evening Post, October 8, 1949. Pamphlet Group 2: Coeducation. [digitized version]

The Shift to Coeducation at Haverford College

Haverford College coeducation questionnaire, ca. 1970. HCS-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 2, “Coeducation and Expansion, 1970.” [digitized version]

Commission on Women Students at Haverford meeting minutes, February 4, 1970. HCS-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 2, “Coeducation and Expansion, 1970.” [digitized version]

Commission on Women Students at Haverford meeting minutes, March 18, 1970. HCF-003, Women*s Center records, Box 1, “Administrative Files–History of Coeducation and the Women’s Center at Haverford, 1970-1977.” [digitized version]

William Ambler memorandum to Louis Green regarding women asking about admission to Haverford, November 8, 1971. HCS-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 2, “Coeducation and Expansion, 1971.” [digitized version]

Cooperation Targets with Bryn Mawr, 1971-1973, released January 21, 1972. HCS-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Bryn Mawr-Haverford Cooperation, December 1971 to June 1972.” [digitized version]

Committee on Coeducation recommendations, February 16, 1972. HCS-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Bryn Mawr-Haverford Cooperation, December 1971 to June 1972.” [digitized version]

William Ambler memorandum to John Coleman on cooperation with Bryn Mawr, September 11, 1972.  HCS-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Bryn Mawr-Haverford Cooperation, September 1972.” [digitized version]

John Coleman draft memorandum on cooperation with Bryn Mawr, September 20, 1972. HCS-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Bryn Mawr-Haverford Cooperation, September 1972.” [digitized version]

Mary Patterson McPherson letter to John Coleman, October 31, 1972. HCS-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Bryn Mawr-Haverford Cooperation, October 1972-December 1973.” [digitized version]

Haverford College faculty petition in support of coeducation, ca. November 1972. HCS-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 2, “Coeducation and Expansion, November 16-29, 1972.” [digitized version]

Letters from Margaret Mintz and Eva Gladstein to the Committee on Coeducation and Expansion and BiCo News, November 1972. HCS-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 2, “Coeducation and Expansion, 1971-1972.” [digitized version]

William Ambler memorandum to Gerhard Spiegler about admission of women to Haverford and Bryn Mawr, January 8, 1973. HCS-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 2, “Coeducation and Expansion, January to September 1973.” [digitized version]

Bryn Mawr College, Proposal for Increased Cooperation with Haverford College, April 25, 1973.  HCS-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Bryn Mawr-Haverford Cooperation, October 1972-December 1973.” [digitized version]

William Ambler memorandum to Harmon Dunathan on educating women, September 6, 1973. HCS-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 2, “Coeducation and Expansion, January to September 1973.” [digitized version]

Packet sent to the Haverford College Board of Managers with memoranda on Bi-College cooperation, October 23, 1973. HCS-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Bryn Mawr-Haverford Cooperation, October 1972-December 1973.” [digitized version]

Documents from Bryn Mawr regarding Haverford’s move to coeducation, October 25, 1973. HCS-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 2, “Coeducation and Expansion, October to November 1973.” [digitized version]

Bonnie Schectman letter to William Ambler, October 29, 1973. HCS-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 2, “Coeducation and Expansion, October to November 1973.” [digitized version]

Proposal to Haverford College Board of Managers regarding coeducation and expansion, November 1, 1973. HCS-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 2, “Coeducation and Expansion, October to November 1973.” [digitized version]

Thomas D’Andrea memorandum on student aid for female students at Swarthmore College, November 14, 1973. HCS-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 2, “Coeducation and Expansion, October to November 1973.” [digitized version]

Haverford College Board of Managers Decision on Coeducation and Expansion, January 14, 1974. HCS-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 2, “Coeducation and Expansion, January 1974.” [digitized version]

Committee on Admissions Policy Outline of Concerns, October 4, 1976. HCS-002-003, Jane Widseth papers, Box 1, “Women on Campus.” [digitized version]

Steve Stecklow, “Haverford Plans to Admit Women Students in 1977,” Philadelphia Sunday Bulletin, December 12, 1976. Pamphlet Group 2: Coeducation. [digitized version]

Julie Liedman, “First Coeds Arrive at Haverford College,” Philadelphia Bulletin, September 4, 1977. Pamphlet Group 2: Coeducation. [digitized version]

Note of Concern from Female Faculty, ca. 1977-1978. HCS-002-003, Jane Widseth papers, Box 1, “Women on Campus.” [digitized version]

Rob Harris letter to John Whitehead, April 1978, on disillusionment felt by female transfer students at Haverford. HCF-003, Women*s Center records, Box 1, “Administrative Files–History of Coeducation and the Women’s Center at Haverford, 1978-2002 and undated.” [digitized version]

Female-identifying Students at Haverford

Charles B. Fancher Jr., “A Revolution, But Campus is Quiet,” Philadelphia Inquirer, August 31, 1980. Pamphlet Group 2: Coeducation. [digitized version]

Women at Haverford pamphlet, ca. 1981. Pamphlet Group 2: Coeducation. [digitized version]

David Potter’s letter concerning the Barclay Hall rape incident, January 22, 1981. HCF-003, Women*s Center records, Box 9, “Barclay Rape Incident, 1981-1986.” [digitized version]

Cindy Brown, “Mancini Calls for Women’s Affairs Director,” Bi-College News, February 27, 1981. HCF-003, Women*s Center records, Box 1, “Administrative Files–Historic News Articles and Pamphlets, 1973-1993 and undated.” [digitized version]

Association for Women’s Concerns letter, March 4, 1981. HCF-003, Women*s Center records, Box 1, “Administrative Files–History of Coeducation and the Women’s Center at Haverford, 1978-2002 and undated.” [digitized version]

Marilou Allen memorandum on the creation of the Women*s Center, October 13, 1981. HCF-003, Women*s Center records, Box 1, “Administrative Files–History of Coeducation and the Women’s Center at Haverford, 1978-2002 and undated.” [digitized version]

Letter sent to Haverford students with statements on sexism by male students, ca. early 1980s. HCF-003, Women*s Center records, Box 1, “Administrative Files–History of Coeducation and the Women’s Center at Haverford, 1978-2002 and undated.” [digitized version]

Feminist Group Meeting Minutes for September 25, 1983, defining the group and relationship to the Women*s Center. Feminist Group and Feminist Alliance records, Box 1, “Feminist Group Meeting Minutes and Organization Materials, 1983-1984.” [digitized version]

Feminist Group meeting minutes for February 9, 1984, discussing the Honor Council’s role in cases involving sexism. Feminist Group and Feminist Alliance records, Box 1, “Feminist Group Meeting Minutes and Organization Materials, 1983-1984.” [digitized version]

Herstory, 1984. HCF-003, Women*s Center records, Box 4, “Herstory, 1983-1986.” [digitized version]

Comments from the Rape Culture Project, ca. 1985. HCF-003, Women*s Center records, Box 7, “Rape Culture Materials, 1985 and undated.” [digitized version]

“Being female, minority and professional” event poster, October 1985. HCF-003, Women*s Center records, Box 5, “Event Posters, 1983-2007.” [digitized version]

Women’s Center Advisory Committee meeting minutes, November 15, 1985. HCF-003, Women*s Center records, Box 2, “Women’s Center Advisory Committee, 1985-1987.” [digitized version]

Feminist Group meeting minutes for November 18, 1985, with discussion of how to get minority women more involved in the group. Feminist Group and Feminist Alliance records, Box 1, “Feminist Group Meeting Minutes and Organization Materials, 1985-1987.” [digitized version]

Feminist Group budget form, ca. 1986. Feminist Group and Feminist Alliance records, Box 1, “Feminist Group Meeting Minutes and Organization Materials, 1985-1987.” [digitized version]

Women*s Center Report, May 21, 1987. HCF-003, Women*s Center records, Box 1, “Administrative Files–History of Coeducation and the Women’s Center at Haverford, 1978-2002 and undated.” [digitized version]

Tallies of 1991 Coeducation Survey. HCF-003, Women*s Center records, Box 6, “Coeducation Survey, 1991.” [digitized version]

The Other Side of Silence, Spring 1991. Feminist Group and Feminist Alliance records, Box 1, “Feminist Alliance Publications.” [digitized version]

“The Tenth Year of Coeducation: Celebration and Reflection” symposium mailer. April 1991. HCF-003, Women*s Center records, Box 5, “Event Posters, 1983-2007.” [digitized version]

Vicissitudes, October 1991. HCF-003, Women*s Center records, Box 5, “Newsletters, 1982-2005.” [digitized version]

1992 Survey on Sexual Violence, selected comments from students identifying as male. HCF-003, Women*s Center records, Box 6, “Survey on Sexual Violence, 1992.” [digitized version]

1992 Survey on Sexual Violence, selected comments from students identifying as female. HCF-003, Women*s Center records, Box 6, “Survey on Sexual Violence, 1992.” [digitized version]

Herstory, 1992. HCF-003, Women*s Center records, Box 4, “Herstory, 1992-1999.” [digitized version]

Readings for participation in The Triple Consciousness of Women of Color Symposium, April 1992. Women of Color Group records, Box 1, “Women of Color Symposium, 1992.” [digitized version]

Letter to faculty asking them to consider how the management of the classroom and course material affects the women of the Tri-College community, May 18, 1992. HCF-003, Women*s Center records, Box 1, “Administrative Files–History of Coeducation and the Women’s Center at Haverford, 1978-2002 and undated.” [digitized version]

Women of Color Group, Spring 1993 budgeting form. Women of Color Group records, Box 1, “Women of Color Group Organizational Materials, ca. 1993-1995.” [digitized version]

Women’s Center Events, 1993-1994. HCF-003, Women*s Center records, Box 5, “Event Posters, 1983-2007.” [digitized version]

Francine Jacobs, Women*s Center End-of-Year Report, May 6, 1994. HCF-003, Women*s Center records, Box 1, “Administrative Files–History of Coeducation and the Women’s Center at Haverford, 1978-2002 and undated.” [digitized version]

Sarah McMane, Women*s Center End-of-Year Report, May 1994. HCF-003, Women*s Center records, Box 1, “Administrative Files–History of Coeducation and the Women’s Center at Haverford, 1978-2002 and undated.” [digitized version]

Survivors of Rape open letter, ca. 1995. HCF-003, Women*s Center records, Box 3, “Correspondence, 1985-2009.” [digitized version]

Letter to Christine Choy by Women*s Center and Women of Color Group, December 8, 1995. HCF-003, Women*s Center records, Box 3, “Correspondence, 1985-2009.” [digitized version]

Information on the Women*s Center, Fall 1999. HCF-003, Women*s Center records, Box 1, “Administrative Files–History of Coeducation and the Women’s Center at Haverford, 1978-2002 and undated.” [digitized version]

Vicissitudes, Vol. 1, No. 1, February 2007. HCF-003, Women*s Center records, Box 3, “Correspondence, 1985-2009.” [digitized version]

History of Coeducation at Haverford, ca. 2009. HCF-003, Women*s Center records, Box 1, “Administrative Files–History of Coeducation and the Women’s Center at Haverford, 1978-2002 and undated.” [digitized version]

Guiding Questions

  • Who created these sources?  For what purpose?
  • Describe the implied audience for these materials. What informs your opinion?
  • How did Haverford’s move to coeducation affect its relationship with Bryn Mawr College?
  • What issues did Haverford’s administration consider when planning for the admittance of female students? Are there issues or concerns they did not address in these materials?
  • How did Haverford students conceptualize “women’s issues” over time?
  • Who is involved in conversations around feminism, sexual discrimination and violence, and gender and gender identity on campus? Does this change over time?
  • How does the language regarding issues of gender and identity change over time?
  • How are the issues and concerns expressed in these materials still relevant today?
  • Whose voices are heard in these sources? Whose are not?

Posted on

Race at Haverford: Policy, Relationships, and Representation

Introduction

This primary source packet contains materials pertaining to race and ethnicity at Haverford College between the 1940s and the 1990s. It is by no means an exhaustive list of materials, but these sources do shed light on histories of discrimination, solidarity, racial identity, diversity initiatives, and student activism at Haverford. Because administrative records constitute the bulk of the College Archives’ holdings, the majority of these materials were produced by offices and individual administrators on campus. However, there are also materials created by students and alumni that offer an alternative perspective on many topics.

These materials may support classes and research topics related to race and identity studies, the history of higher education, the history of student activism, and the history of Haverford College.

Packet contents:

Primary Sources

Howard Comfort letter to Morris Leeds regarding the admission of Black students to Haverford, November 23, 1942. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “War Emergency, 1941-1942”
[digitized version]

Felix Morley and Brint Stone correspondence on the performance of the Main Line Community League Inter-Racial Chorus at Haverford, June 14, 1944. HCB-001-006 Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 3, “Scattergood Files–May 1943-December 1944”
[digitized version]

Jan Long letter to Felix Morley regarding admission of Black students to Haverford, December 21, 1944. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “War Emergency, 1943-1945”
[digitized version]

Charles Silberman letter to John Coleman on Black students and housing, December 4, 1969. HCB-001-012 John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Black Students, 1969-May 1971”
[digitized version]

Greg Kannerstein’s reaction to Charles Silberman’s letter, January 5, 1970. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Black Students, 1969-May 1971”
[digitized version]

Greg Kannerstein letter to Leonard Krivy on Black Studies at Haverford, January 14, 1970. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Black Students, 1969-May 1971”
[digitized version]

Sid Perloe and John Coleman correspondence on Black students and housing, January 1970. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Black Students, 1969-May 1971”
[digitized version]

Greg Kannerstein letter to Sid Perloe on Black students and housing, February 25, 1970. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Black Students, 1969-May 1971”
[digitized version]

Black Students League statement on the Vietnam War, ca. 1970. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Black Students, 1969-May 1971”
[digitized version]

Richard Luman to Gerhard Spiegler regarding Black students and library collections, May 10, 1971. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Black Students, 1969-May 1971”
[digitized version]

Black Students League letter to the Board of Managers, May 21, 1971. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Black Students, 1969-May 1971”
[digitized version]

John Nelson, Class of 1973, letter to the staff of the Bryn Mawr-Haverford College News regarding the Committee on Student Standings, September 13, 1971. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Black Students, August-December 1971”
[digitized version]

John Coleman memo to Black students at Haverford, September 15, 1971. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Black Students, August-December 1971”
[digitized version]

John Coleman memo to John Nelson, Kendall Martin, and Theodore Williams, November 8, 1971. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Black Students, August-December 1971”
[digitized version]

Black Students League, “Several Concerns, or, A Bill of Facts,” February 9, 1972. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Black Students League, February 1972”
[digitized version]

Black Students League, “Our Specific Concerns,” February 20, 1972. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Black Students League, February 1972”
[digitized version]

Thomas D’Andrea memo to faculty on BSL statements, February 21, 1972. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Black Students League, February 1972”
[digitized version]

Puerto Rican Students at Haverford, “Some of Our Concerns,” February 22, 1972. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Black Students League, February 1972”
[digitized version]

John Coleman, “Perspectives on the Black Students’ Statement,” February 23, 1972. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Black Students League, February 1972”
[digitized version]

“A Summary and Chronology of Events Leading to and Related to the Boycott by the Black Students’ League and Puerto Rican Students of Haverford,” March 10, 1972. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Black Students League, March 1972-1973”
[digitized version]

Greg Kannerstein memo on summer program, March 21, 1972. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Black Students League, March 1972-1973”
[digitized version]

John Coleman memo on new athletics facility, March 30, 1972. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Black Students League, March 1972-1973”
[digitized version]

The Sisterhood and the Black Students League, “The Status of Afro-American History in the Bi-College Community,” March 27, 1973. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Black Students League, March 1972-1973”
[digitized version]

PRSH, AASH, BSL memo to John Coleman, February 19, 1975. HCS-003-079, Rick DeJesús-Rueff, Documents pertaining to the history of Puerto Rican students at Haverford College, Box 1.
[digitized version]

Puerto Rican Students at Haverford memo to Stephen Cary, March 31, 1975. HCS-003-079, Rick DeJesús-Rueff, Documents pertaining to the history of Puerto Rican students at Haverford College, Box 1.
[digitized version]

Student Affairs Committee memo, May 6, 1975. HCS-003-079, Rick DeJesús-Rueff, Documents pertaining to the history of Puerto Rican students at Haverford College, Box 1.
[digitized version]

Juan Albino and Rick DeJesús, History of Puerto Rican Students at Haverford, ca. 1975. HCS-003-079, Rick DeJesús-Rueff, Documents pertaining to the history of Puerto Rican students at Haverford College, Box 1.
[digitized version]

Minorities Coalition Memo, April 13, 1977. HCS-003-079, Rick DeJesús-Rueff, Documents pertaining to the history of Puerto Rican students at Haverford College, Box 1.
[digitized version]

William M. Harris, Report on Diversity at Haverford College, 1980. HCB-001-014, Harry C. Payne presidential papers, Box 4, “Minority Affairs, 1987-1988”
[digitized version]

Report of the Joint Bryn Mawr College-Haverford College Diversity Review Committee, 1983. HCB-001-015 Thomas G. Kessinger presidential papers, Box 2, “Committee on Diversity, 1983”
[digitized version]

Report of the Committee on Diversity: Minority Concerns, 1984-1985. HCB-001-014, Harry C. Payne presidential papers, Box 2, “Committee on Diversity, September-October 1987”
[digitized version]

Harry C. Payne memo to Committee on Diversity, October 9, 1987. HCB-001-014, Harry C. Payne presidential papers, Box 2, “Committee on Diversity, September-October 1987”
[digitized version]

Marilou Allen’s response to Payne’s memo, October 28, 1987. HCB-001-014, Harry C. Payne presidential papers, Box 2, “Committee on Diversity, November 1987-May 1988”
[digitized version]

Matthew Hamabata, Report from the Office of Minority Affairs, January 1988. HCB-001-015 Thomas G. Kessinger presidential papers, Box 4, “Minority Affairs 1988-1989, Background Material, 1978-1988”
[digitized version]

Correspondence between Harry C. Payne and Vernon Dixon on affirmative action in hiring, May 18, 1988. HCB-001-015 Thomas G. Kessinger presidential papers, Box 1, “Affirmative Action, 1988-1989”
[digitized version]

Matthew Hamabata letter on race relations programming at Haverford, June 2, 1989. HCB-001-015 Thomas G. Kessinger presidential papers, Box 4, “Minority Affairs, 1988-1989”
[digitized version]

Calendar of Events for Black History Month at Haverford College, sponsored by the Black Students League, February, 1990. HCQ-003-043, Black Students League records, Box 1.
[digitized version]

BGALA agenda for a workshop on race and sexuality, February 13, 1995. HCQ-003-013, Sexuality and Gender Alliance records, Box 1, “Miscellaneous Materials, 1994-1996”
[digitized version]

Budgeting form for the Women of Color Group, ca. 1994-1995. Women of Color Group records, Box 1.
[digitized version]

Black Students League, “On Race Relations at Haverford: Where we are and where we could be.” HCQ-003-043, Black Students League records, Box 1.
[digitized version]

Guiding Questions

  • Who created these sources?  For what purpose?
  • Describe the implied audience for these materials. What informs your opinion?
  • How do discussions of race relations on campus by students differ from discussions by College administrators? How do different groups “measure” the campus climate as it relates to race and ethnicity?
  • How does the language regarding issues of race and identity change over time?
  • What tactics did student groups employ to express their needs and demands? How did administrators respond to these tactics?
  • How are the issues and concerns expressed in these materials still relevant today?
  • Whose voices are heard in these sources? Whose are not?
Posted on

Haverford College During World War II

Introduction

This primary source packet contains materials related to Haverford College’s responses to World War II, and the experiences of a transformed campus community during wartime. Haverford College’s administration, led by President Felix Morley, pursued many strategies to keep the College afloat during the war, none of which pleased all faculty, staff, students, members of the Board of Managers, and alumni. Major topics emerging from these sources include the tensions between the College’s professed Quaker principles and the political, social, and economic pressures to support the national war effort; changes to the curriculum and campus community brought on by the war; and collaborations between Haverford College and the U.S. government, and between Haverford and other national and international organizations.

These materials may support classes and research topics related to the history of World War II, peace and conflict studies, Quaker studies, military history, the history of higher education, and the history of Haverford College.

Packet contents:

Primary Sources

Nearly all of the textual sources can be found in HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers. The finding aid for this collection is available here. 

Haverford’s Early Adaptations to Wartime and Discussions of Quaker Principles

Felix Morley memo to the Board of Managers and faculty regarding an accelerated college program, January 15, 1942. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 3, “Scattergood Files–War Activities–January to October 1942”
[digitized version]

Felix Morley letter to Fred J. Kelly, Chief of the Division of Higher Education within the U.S. Department of Education, July 26, 1942. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 3, “Scattergood Files–War Activities–January to October 1942”
[digitized version]

American Council on Education, “Proposed Plan for Enlisted Training Corps,” October 14, 1942. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “War Emergency, 1941-1942”
[digitized version]

Edward W. Evans letter to Felix Morley objecting to military recruitment on campus, October 17, 1942. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “War Emergency, 1941-1942”
[digitized version]

Felix Morley letter to Senator Gerald Nye on the war’s effect on colleges and the proposed draft of 18- and 19-year-olds, October 24, 1942. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 3, “Scattergood Files–War Activities–January to October 1942”
[digitized version]

Felix Morley letter to Senator Robert Reynolds concerning the draft, October 26, 1942. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “War Emergency, 1941-1942”
[digitized version]

Felix Morley memo to Board of Managers on cooperation with the federal government, November 15, 1942. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 3, “Scattergood Files–War Activities–November to December 1942”
[digitized version]

Richard M. Sutton letter to Felix Morley regarding pre-meteorological program, November 20, 1942. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “War Emergency, 1941-1942”
[digitized version]

Howard Comfort letter to Morris Leeds on Quaker principles and the pre-meteorological program, November 23, 1942. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “War Emergency, 1941-1942”
[digitized version]

Frederic Sharpless letter to Felix Morley on Haverford’s response during World War I, November 23, 1942. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “War Emergency, 1941-1942”
[digitized version]

Thomas Drake letter to Felix Morley on Quaker principles and the pre-meteorological program, November 25, 1942. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “War Emergency, 1941-1942”
[digitized version]

Felix Morley letter to Morris Leeds on Relief and Reconstruction, the Board of Managers’ reaction to his plans, and the “Quakerness” of the College, November 25, 1942. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “War Emergency, 1941-1942”
[digitized version]

Douglas Steere letter to Morris Leeds from the Civilian Public Service Camp, November 25, 1942. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “War Emergency, 1941-1942”
[digitized version]

Faculty vote on allowing a military training unit on campus, November 1942. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “War Emergency, 1941-1942”
[digitized version]

Letter from Wilson H. Pile, Class of 1941, to Felix Morley, December 2, 1942. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “War Emergency, 1941-1942”
[digitized version]

Confidential memo by Felix Morley outlining Haverford’s role in the national war effort, December 8, 1942. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “War Emergency, 1941-1942”
[digitized version]

Felix Morley and Bernard Waring correspondence on Quaker principles and the “Quakerness” of the College, December 1942. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “War Emergency, 1943-1945”
[digitized version]

Felix Morley and Joshua L. Baily, Jr., correspondence on Whittier College and the possibility of Haverford’s closure, February 1943. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “War Emergency, 1943-1945”
[digitized version]

Morley report to the War Manpower Commission entitled “The More Effective Utilization of Small College Facilities in the National Interest,” February 11, 1943. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 3, “Scattergood Files–War Activities–January to March 1943”
[digitized version]

Alumni Association, “Haverford in Wartime,” 1943. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “War Emergency, 1943-1945”
[digitized version]

Felix Morley, “Can the Small College Survive?” The Saturday Evening Post, October 16, 1943. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 3, “Scattergood Files–War Activities–May 1943 to December 1944.”
[digitized version]

The Army Specialized Training Program (A.S.T.P.) at Haverford College

Felix Morley letter to Colonel E.J. Oliver making formal application for the establishment of a Language and Area Study Unit and a Basic Pre-Professional Unit, July 17, 1943. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “Army Specialized Training Program, 1943”
[digitized version]

Felix Morley memo to faculty on the instruction of the A.S.T.P. unit, August 25, 1943.  HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “Army Specialized Training Program, 1943”
[digitized version]

U.S. War Department memo to presidents of colleges and universities on reductions in the A.S.T.P., February 1944. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “Army Specialized Training Program, 1944”
[digitized version]

Felix Morley memo to Board of Managers and faculty on the contraction of the A.S.T.P., March 10, 1942. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “Army Specialized Training Program, 1944”
[digitized version]

Relief and Reconstruction

Excerpt from the American Friends Service Committee, “What Shall the Answer Be?”, 1942. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “War Emergency, 1941-1942”
[digitized version]

Felix Morley and Howard Elkinton correspondence on Relief and Reconstruction and Civilian Public Service Camps, December 1942. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “War Emergency, 1941-1942”
[digitized version]

Felix Morley and Joseph Willits correspondence on Relief and Reconstruction and conscientious objectors, December 1942. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “War Emergency, 1941-1942”
[digitized version]

Felix Morley letter to Douglas Steere regarding Haverford’s Citizenship and Reconstruction Unit, January 12, 1943. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “Relief and Reconstruction–General, January-June 1943”
[digitized version]

Reconstruction and Relief Unit announcement, early 1943. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “Relief and Reconstruction–General, January-June 1943”
[digitized version]

Second announcement of the Reconstruction and Relief Unit, early 1943. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “Relief and Reconstruction–General, January-June 1943”
[digitized version]

Application for the Reconstruction and Relief Unit of the Citizenship and Reconstruction Division, 1943. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “Relief and Reconstruction–General, January-June 1943”
[digitized version]

Felix Morley memo to the Board of Managers on the establishment of a Relief and Reconstruction unit to serve in China, May 12, 1943. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “Relief and Reconstruction–General, January-June 1943”
[digitized version]

Douglas Steere memo to the Women’s Unit of the Haverford College Relief and Reconstruction Training Divisions, May 27, 1943. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “Relief and Reconstruction–General, January-June 1943”
[digitized version]

Memo on the Reconstruction and Relief Training graduate course, ca. September 1943. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “Relief and Reconstruction–General, July 1943-July 1944”
[digitized version]

Reconstruction and Relief training schedule, Fall 1944. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “Relief and Reconstruction–Appointments, Courses, Budget and Expenses, Housing, etc.”
[digitized version]

Letter from Reconstruction and Relief staff to Felix Morley on the termination of the program with completion of current junior unit’s training in December 1945, November 17, 1944. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “Relief and Reconstruction–General, September 1944-1945”
[digitized version]

Reconstruction and Relief training schedule, Spring 1945. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “Relief and Reconstruction–Appointments, Courses, Budget and Expenses, Housing, etc.”
[digitized version]

Relief and Reconstruction curriculum for special area course on Germany, March 5, 1945. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “Relief and Reconstruction–General, September 1944-1945”
[digitized version]

Harry W. Pfund, “Report on the Present Status of the Reconstruction & Relief Unit,” October 19, 1945. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “Relief and Reconstruction–General, September 1944-1945”
[digitized version]

Relief and Reconstruction special area course on Austria, Czechoslovakia, Germany, and Poland in Washington, D.C., December 1945. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “Relief and Reconstruction–General, September 1944-1945”
[digitized version]

“Positions Filled by Haverford College Reconstruction and Relief Unit (1943-1945) Members,” ca. 1947. HCB-001-006, Felix Morley presidential papers, Box 1, “Relief and Reconstruction–Appointments, Courses, Budget and Expenses, Housing, etc.”
[digitized version]

Excerpt from Lois V. Stanton, “Tales of a Haverford R and R Girl,” 1992. HCS-000-010, Lois V. Stanton, “Tales of a Haverford R and R Girl,” Box 1.
[digitized version]

Photographic Sources

Army Specialized Training Program students marching on campus with books, ca. 1944. HCT-001, Haverford College Photograph collection, Box 34, “Campus Life III”
[digitized version]

Army Specialized Training Program students studying, ca. 1944. HCT-001, Haverford College Photograph collection, Box 34, “Campus Life III”
[digitized version]

Wartime Haverford A.S.T.P. unit, ca. 1944. HCT-001, Haverford College Photograph collection, Box 34, “Campus Life III”
[digitized version]

Relief and Reconstruction students learning auto mechanics, ca. 1945. HCT-001, Haverford College Photograph collection, Box 34, “Campus Life III”
[digitized version]

Relief and Reconstruction auto mechanics, ca. 1945. HCT-001, Haverford College Photograph collection, Box 34, “Campus Life III”
[digitized version]

Barclay interior, ca. 1944. HCT-001, Haverford College Photograph collection, Box 34, “Campus Life III”
[digitized version]

Guiding Questions

  • Who created these sources?  For what purpose?
  • Describe the implied audience for these materials. What informs your opinion?
  • What was Haverford College’s initial response to the exigencies of the war effort? How did that response change over time? What were some suggested strategies for keeping the College open that were not adopted?
  • How did Haverford collaborate with the U.S. federal government during World War II? How did it collaborate with other national and international groups?
  • Many of these sources describe Haverford’s adherence (or lack of adherence) to Quaker principles during the war. Do these sources clearly define what those principles are? Does there seem to be a broad consensus regarding Quaker principles and their role in the College’s administration?
  • At this moment in its history, is Haverford a Quaker college? Why or why not?
  • How did the character of the campus community change during this period? Were any of these changes longlasting after the war?
  • Whose voices are heard in these sources? Whose are not?

Posted on

Haverford College’s Response to World War I

Introduction

This primary source packet contains materials related to Haverford College’s response to the United States’ increased tensions with Germany and subsequent entry into World War I in 1917. As these sources demonstrate, the College implemented a number of strategies to support the war effort, including forming an emergency service unit, attempting to coordinate relief training with the Red Cross, and working in conjunction with the newly-formed American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) to provide relief in Europe. However, these sources also show that not everyone approved of the steps the College took to prepare students for a world at war.

These materials may support classes and research topics related to the history of World War I, peace and conflict studies, Quaker studies, military history, the history of higher education, and the history of Haverford College.

Packet contents:

Primary Sources

Excerpts from the Haverford College Emergency Unit scrapbook, 1917. HCS-000-005, Haverford College Emergency Unit scrapbook, 1917.
[digitized version]

Haverford Emergency Unit, ca. 1917. HCT-001, Haverford College Photograph Collection, Box 32, “Campus Life I, undated”
[digitized version]

Record of the Class, 1917. HCL-003-002, Haverford College Yearbooks, Box 5.
[digitized version]

Record of the Class, 1918. HCL-003-002, Haverford College Yearbooks, Box 5.
[digitized version]

Record of the Class, 1919. HCL-003-002, Haverford College Yearbooks, Box 6.
[digitized version]

President William Wistar Comfort correspondence with the Red Cross War Council, 1918. HCB-001-005, William Wistar Comfort presidential papers, Box 1, “Letters A-C”
[digitized version]

Francis Cope Hartshorne letter to William Wistar Comfort on the teaching of German at Haverford, May 25, 1918. HCB-001-005, William Wistar Comfort presidential papers, Box 1, “Letters D-H”
[digitized version]

Francis Cope Hartshorne letter to William Wistar Comfort on lack of military preparation at Haverford, August 9, 1918. HCB-001-005, William Wistar Comfort presidential papers, Box 1, “Letters D-H”
[digitized version]

Guiding Questions

  • Who created these sources?  For what purpose?
  • Describe the implied audience for these materials. What informs your opinion?
  • What does visual and textual evidence tell us about the attitudes of Haverford faculty, students, and staff towards military service and noncombatant service to support the war effort? 
  • In what ways were Haverford’s curriculum and campus activities challenged during this period?
  • Do these sources tell us anything about broader American attitudes towards the war?
  • What do “relief and reconstruction” efforts entail?
  • How did the character of the campus community change during this period? Were any of these changes longlasting after the war?
  • Whose voices are heard in these sources? Whose are not?

Posted on

Haverford College and the Vietnam War

Introduction

This primary source packet contains materials pertaining to Haverford College’s response to the Vietnam War from John R. Coleman’s presidential papers (HCB-001-012) and the Haverford College Photograph collection (HCT-001). Although most of these materials come from the archival records of Haverford’s Office of the President, they highlight the voices and experiences of students, faculty, and staff members.

These materials may support class and research topics related to student life and activism at Haverford, the history of the anti-war movement, the history of higher education, and the culture and politics surrounding the Vietnam War.

Packet contents:

Primary Sources

Haverford and Swarthmore students participate in an anti-war rally, 1965. HCT-001, Haverford College Photograph collection, Box 39, “Campus Life VB”
[digitized version]

Haverford students at an anti-war protest, 1967. HCT-001, Haverford College Photograph collection, Box 40, “Campus Life VIA”
[digitized version]

Haverford and Bryn Mawr students at an anti-war protest, 1967. HCT-001, Haverford College Photograph collection, Box 40, “Campus Life VIA”
[digitized version]

John Coleman statement on the draft to Haverford News, February 21, 1968. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 5, “Statements, 1967-1978”
[digitized version]

Community Concerns Committee memo on the Vietnam moratorium, September 23, 1969. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 5, “Vietnam Moratorium, 1969” 
[digitized version]

John Coleman’s statement and letter to Richard Nixon, October 1969. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 5, “Vietnam Statement, 1969–Presidents’ Letters”
[digitized version]

John Coleman memo on the Vietnam moratorium, October 7, 1969. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 5, “Vietnam Moratorium, 1969” 
[digitized version]

Marcel Gutwirth letter on the Vietnam moratorium, October 9, 1969. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 5, “Vietnam Moratorium, 1969” 
[digitized version]

John Coleman and Louis Green correspondence on the Vietnam moratorium, October 1969. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 5, “Vietnam Moratorium, 1969” 
[digitized version]

President of the Students’ Association Stan Murphy’s letter to John Coleman on the Vietnam moratorium, November 11, 1969. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 5, “Vietnam Moratorium, 1969” 
[digitized version]

Linda Gerstein memo, “What Shall We Do on Friday?” November 13, 1969. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 5, “Vietnam Moratorium, 1969” 
[digitized version]

Preston Rowe memo to faculty regarding voluntary relinquishing of pay, November 1969. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 5, “Vietnam Moratorium, 1969” 
[digitized version]

Statement of the Black Students League on the Vietnam War, ca. 1970. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Black Students, 1969-1971”
[digitized version]

Memo to student body regarding “Classes to Congress,” ca. May 1970. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 1, “Black Students, 1969-1971”
[digitized version]

Haverford College to Congress, May 5, 1970. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 5, “Washington Trip, May-August 1970”
[digitized version]

Harriet Beardsley letter to College staff regarding the Washington trip, May 5, 1970. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 5, “Washington Trip, May-August 1970”
[digitized version]

C.W. Smith memo to the campus regarding essential services during the Washington trip, May 5, 1970. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 5, “Washington Trip, May-August 1970”
[digitized version]

Fundraising for the Washington trip, May 6, 1970. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 5, “Washington Trip, May-August 1970
[digitized version]

Telegram from Senator Charles Goodell to John Coleman, May 6, 1970. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 5, “Washington Trip, May-August 1970”
[digitized version]

Washington trip seminar schedule, May 7, 1970. HCB-001-012, John R. Coleman presidential papers, Box 5, “Washington Trip, May-August 1970” 
[digitized version]

Guiding Questions

  • Who created these sources?  For what purpose?
  • Describe the implied audience for these materials. What informs your opinion?
  • What kind of tactics did members of the campus community employ to protest U.S. involvement in Vietnam?
  • Was there an institutional response from Haverford College to the Vietnam War? If so, what was it? If not, why do you think there was not?
  • What role do Quaker principles play in the student and administrative responses to the Vietnam War, if any?
  • Whose voices are heard in these sources? Whose are not?

Posted on

LGBTQ+ History at Haverford College

Introduction

This primary source packet contains materials related to the experiences of LGBTQ+ students and LGBTQ+ activism at Haverford College from the 1970s to the 2000s. Although there were certainly LGBTQ+ individuals present on campus prior to the earliest materials in this packet, few archival records capture this aspect of their identities or broader discussions of gender and sexuality at Haverford. 

In 2016, Chris Bechen ’18 conducted oral histories with LGBTQ+-indentifying alumni from the Classes of 1965 through 2014 as part of a project entitled “That which is renamed, but always remains: an archival representation of LGBTQ+ life at Haverford College.” Recordings are available here and may be accessed by logging in with your Haverford credentials.

These materials may support classes and research topics related to the history of gender and sexuality, LGBTQ+ social movements, queer culture on college campuses, and student life and activism at Haverford.

Packet contents:

Primary Sources

Letter to Bryn Mawr and Haverford Departments of Psychology, December 15, 1976. HCQ-003-027, Gay People’s Alliance records, Box 1.
[digitized version]

Gay People’s Alliance newsletter, ca. 1977. HCQ-003-027, Gay People’s Alliance records, Box 1.
[digitized version]

Gay People’s Alliance newsletter, March 1979. HCQ-003-027, Gay People’s Alliance records, Box 1.
[digitized version]

Gay People’s Alliance proposal for Customs, ca. 1984. HCQ-003-013, Sexuality and Gender Alliance records, Box 1.
[digitized version]

Feminist Group writing exercise on lesbianism, ca. 1985. Feminist Group and Feminist Alliance records.
[digitized version]

BGALA, Prism, ca. 1988. HCQ-003-027, Gay People’s Alliance records, Box 1.
[digitized version]

BGALA, Prism, September 1991. HCQ-003-028, Bisexual, Gay, and Lesbian Alliance records, Box 1. 
[digitized version]

BGALA “Queers ‘n’ Customs packet,” 1993. HCQ-003-013, Sexuality and Gender Alliance records, Box 1.
[digitized version]

BGALA workshop on race and sexuality, February 13, 1995. HCQ-003-013, Sexuality and Gender Alliance records, Box 1.
[digitized version]

Name change from “BGALA” to “SAGA,” 2001. HCQ-003-013, Sexuality and Gender Alliance records, Box 1.
[digitized version]

Pride Week flyer, February 2010. HCQ-003-013, Sexuality and Gender Alliance records, Box 1.
[digitized version]

Guiding Questions

  • Who created these sources?  For what purpose?
  • Describe the implied audience for these materials. What informs your opinion?
  • What kinds of discussions were Haverford students having regarding sexuality and identity in the 1970s? How did these discussions change over time? 
  • Did the goals of Haverford’s LGBTQ+ groups change over time? If so, how?
  • How does the language used to describe the LGBTQ+ community and LGBTQ+ activism in these documents change over time? What might that tell you about how the LGBTQ+ social movements changed over time?
  • Whose voices are heard in these sources? Whose are not?

Posted on

Mental Health

Introduction

This packet contains materials related to mental health from the 1800 to present, focusing on Friends Hospital and changes in mental health care of the early 1800s. These materials can support classes and research in public health, health studies, psychology, and history. Potential pedagogical goals from using these materials might include evaluating the changing role of mental health over time, examining whose voices are represented and whose are not, and exploring, analyzing, and putting materials in conversation.

The majority of the materials in this packet originate from Friends Hospital, which was founded in 1813 by a group of Quakers in Philadelphia who were concerned about the care of mentally ill Quakers. It was established on the Quaker idea that there is that of  God in everyone, and that mental illness does not change that. The touchstones of life at Friends Hospital were community and religious life, and these were to become part of its unique take on moral treatment.  The Hospital still exists today.

The materials listed here are only a small number of those related to Friends Hospital and mental health in the collections. More can be found at our research guide on the topic or by contacting Quaker & Special Collections.

Packet contents:

  • List of primary sources
  • Guiding questions for engaging with the primary sources
  • Materials which provide background on this topic
    • Cherry, Charles L. A Quiet Haven: Quakers, Moral Treatment, and Asylum Reform. Cranbury: Associated University Presses, 1989.
    • Godlee, Fiona. “Aspects of Non-Conformity: Quakers and the Lunatic Fringe.” In The Anatomy of Madness Volume II, edited by W.F. Bynum, Roy Porter, and Michael Shepherd, 73-82. London: Tavistock Publications, 1985.
    • Quakers and Mental Health portal

Primary Sources

Committee on an Asylum for the Insane Poor of Pennsylvania. An appeal to the people of Pennsylvania on the subject of an asylum for the insane poor of the Commonwealth. Philadelphia: Printed for the Committee, 1838.
[Digitized materials]

Elizabeth Shoemaker Taylor. Diary. Taylor Family papers. HC-MC-962
This collection contains the diary of Elizabeth R. Shoemaker Taylor who gives an account of Morgan Hinchman’s commitment to Friends’ Asylum in 1847, which resulted in a lawsuit against his family.
[Digitized materials]

Building Committee. Minutes. Friends Hospital records. HC-MC-1261 
The The Building Committee planned and supervised the construction of Friends Hospital. This volume of minutes holds information about the decisions the Committee came to concerning issues like paint color, windows, door locks, etc. They put a lot of thought into their architectural decisions because, according to the tenets of moral treatment, architecture influenced patients’ recovery.
[Digitized materials]

Asylum for the Relief of Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason. Annual report. 1819.
[Digitized version]

Kirkbride, Thomas Story. On the construction, organization, and general arrangements of hospitals for the insane.  Philadelphia : Lindsay & Blakiston, 1854
[Digitized version via Hathi Trust]

Guiding Questions

  • Who created these items? For what purpose?
  • How does these items contribute to your understanding of this subject?
  • In what ways do these items contribute or not contribute to destigmatizing mental health treatment?
  • What do you find interesting about these items?What additional contextual information would you need to understand these documents? Where might you might find this information, and why might you choose a particular source over another?
Posted on

Women and Abolition

Introduction

This packet contains materials related to women and the abolition in the 1830s-1850s.  These materials can support classes and research in religion, women and gender studies, and  African-American studies. Potential pedagogical goals from using these materials might include examining  the ways enslaved or free peoples voices are represented or not, exploring, analyzing, and putting materials in conversation, comparing accounts of similar time periods and topics by different authors, and examining intersectionality and patronization within the records.

Packet contents:

  • List of primary sources
  • Guiding questions for engaging with the materials
  • Resources which provide background on this topic:
    • Cross-Hansen, Jody L. “Hicksite and orthodox abolitionists.” In The contribution of Quaker women to the political struggle for abolition, women’s rights, and peace: from the Hicksite Schism to the American Friends Service Committee. Lewiston : The Edwin Mellen Press, 2015.
    • Lerner, Gerda. The Grimké sisters from South Carolina pioneers for women’s rights and abolition. Chapel Hill : University of North Carolina Press, 2004.
    • Quakers & Slavery Exhibition.

Quaker & Special Collections holds a wide variety of materials on this topic beyond those listed here. For more information consult our research guide on the topic or contact Special Collections.

Primary Sources

Sarah Moore Grimké. Letters to Joseph Tallcot. 1836-1837. HC-MC-1015
[Digitized letter 1836-10-14]       
[Digitized letter 1837-10-25]
[Digitized letter 2 1837-10-25]

John Greenleaf Whittier. Letter to Angelina and Sarah Moore Grimké on the importance of abolition in relation to the women’s rights movement. 1837. HC-MC-851
[Digitized version]

Julia Wilbur. Diaries. 1844-1895. HC-MC-1158
Julia A. Wilbur was an active anti-slavery and women’s rights proponent during the 19th century.
[Digitized version]
[Digitized journal briefs]

The Female Anti-Slavery Sewing Society Minutes. 1852-1854. HC-MC-975-09-010
“We organise ourselves a Sewing Society, for the purpose of relieving the sufferings of that class of our countrymen, who have fled from the oppression which they endured under the unjust laws of our country, and found a refuge in Canada.
[Digitized version]

Marguerite DeAngeli. Thee, Hannah! New York: DoubleDay, 1940.
[Digitized version]

Guiding Questions

  • Who created these items? For what purpose?
  • How does these items contribute to your understanding of this subject?
  • What do you find interesting about these items?
  • What additional contextual information would you need to understand these documents? Where might you might find this information, and why might you choose a particular source over another?
  • Describe the intended audience for this material? How do you know this?

Posted on

Quaker Tracts

Introduction

This packet contains materials related to the 2000+ tracts written by Quakers or against Quakers in England from the 1650s to early 1700s. These materials can support classes and research in women’s studies, communications, material culture, religion, and theology. Potential pedagogical goals from using these materials might include understanding the rise of Quakerism and anti-Quaker movements, examining the role of women in developing theology, 17th century British culture, and practicing analyzing primary sources and material objects.

These tracts started to be written as Quakerism was developing, around the time of the English Civil War, which was both an exciting and unsettling time, with many religious movements developing. Quakers used tracts to communicate with each other, including having “pamphlet wars” where people would respond to others’ tracts and pamphlets. These conflicts were often with non-Quakers who were against Quakers and their beliefs. Not only were these distributed among Quakers, but they were also posted in store and press-fronts. The front pages of tracts were beautifully designed as an advertisement for the message of the tract.

The materials in this packet come from Haverford’s Jenks rare book collection. This collection has over 1400 tracts, and was named for William H. Jenks, a  member of the Haverford College Board of Managers from 1895-1907. His wife Hannah M. Jenks gave these to Haverford in 1909 in memory of her husband, along with money to care for and add to the collection. Over time, approximately 300 more tracts have been added to the collection. In an act of preservation and uniformity, these tracts were bound in similar leather decorated bindings.

Contents of this packet include:

  • List of primary sources
  • Guiding questions
  • Secondary sources which can provide context:
    • Calkins, Susanna. “Print Culture and the Early Quakers.” Seventeenth-century news, 2006, Vol. 64 (1/2) 54.
    • Hagglund, Betty. “Quakers and the Printing Press.” Early Quakers and Their Theological Thought. Ed. Stephen Angell and Pink Dandelion. Cambridge University Press, 2015.

Primary Sources

Margaret Fell. Womens speaking justified, proved and allowed of by the Scriptures, all such as speak by the spirit and power of the Lord Jesus. London: 1666.
[Page 1 image]
[Page 2 image]
[EEBO digitized version]

Judith Boulbie. A testimony for truth against all hireling-priests and deceivers. London: 1665?
[Cover image]
[Page 1 image]
[EEBO digitized version]

George Fox. The beginning of tythes in the law, and ending of tythes in the Gospel. London: 1676.
[Pastedown Endpaper image]
[Page 1 image]
[EEBO digitized version]

Jonathan Clapham. A full discovery and confutation of the wicked and damnable doctrines of the Quakers. London: T.R. & E.M. for Adoniram Byfield, 1656.
[Cover image]
[Page 1 image]
[Page 2 image]
[Page 3 image]
[EEBO digitized version]

Richard Baxter. One Sheet Against the Quakers. London: Robert White for Nevil Simmons, 1657.
[Endpaper image]
[Page 1 image]
[Page 2 image]
[EEBO digitized version]

Guiding Questions

  • Explore the materiality of the tracts: Why were they the size they are? Do you notice any accommodations the printers made because of their equipment?
  • Who created these tracts? For what purpose?
  • What do you find interesting or surprising about these tracts?
  • How do these tracts contribute to your understanding of this subject?
  • What additional contextual information would you need to understand these documents? Where might you might find this information, and why might you choose a particular source over another?
Posted on

Borderlands and Treaties

Introduction

This primary source packet contains materials related to borders, borderlands, treaties, and Indigenous peoples. Materials can support classes and research on topics including Indigenous history, treaties between Indigenous nations and settler communities, how we define borders, and the construction of maps and boundaries. Pedagogical goals from using these materials might include analysis of visual and textual sources, analyzing maps, and considering the ways Indigenous peoples are and are not present in representations of the United States. 

These materials cover a wide range of time, from the 1680s to the 1960s, and include maps, manuscripts, and images. 

Packet contents:

  • List of primary sources
  • Guiding questions for engaging with the primary sources
  • Articles which provide background on this topic
    • David Minderhout and Andrea Frantz. “Invisible Indians: Native Americans in Pennsylvania.” Human Organization 67 no. 1 (Spring 2008), 61-67. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44127040  
    • Julian Aguon. “Our Stories Are Maps Larger Than Can Be Held” In Formations of United States Colonialism, ed. Alyosha Goldstein. Duke University Press, 2014. 264-288.

Primary Sources

Penn Treaty Elm trade cards. HC-MC 801-11-011.
[Digitized version]

Joseph Samson journal. 1791. HC-MC 1008, Morris family papers.
[Digitized version]

David Bacon journal. 1794. HC-MC 975-01-003.
[Digitized version]

A New and Accurate Map of the Province of New York and Part of the Jerseys, New England and Canada. London: J. Bew, 1780. 
[Digitized version]

Map of the South and East Bounds of Pennsylvania. London: John Thorton, 1681. 
[Digitized version from the Lower Merion Historical Society]

Map of the Province of Pensilvania. T. Kitchin, 1756.
[Digitized version]

Walter Taylor and the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Indian Committee. “The 1964 crisis for Seneca Indians.” MC 1168, Box 3, folder “Kinzua Project, 1964.” 
[Digitized version]

Theodore Hetzel. Letter to President Kennedy about the Pickering Treaty. Philadelphia Yearly Meeting report. MC 1168, Box 3, folder “Kinzua Project, 1961.”
[Digitized version]

Olean Times Herald clippings on Seneca relocation. MC 1168, Box 4, folder “Kinzua Project, 1965.”
[Digitized version]

“The Kinzua Dam Controversy: A Practical Solution Without Shame.” MC 1168, Box 5, folder “1960-1961.”
[Digitized version]

Guiding Questions

  • Who created these materials? For what purpose? 
  • Who is the implied audience for these materials? What informs your opinion?
  • How are indigenous people portrayed in the materials? From whose perspective? 
  • What arguments are the documents making?
  • What background information can you find about these materials?