Helen Calder Robertson letters

The Helen C. Robertson letters contain the personal correspondence of Helen Robertson, Bryn Mawr class of 1916. The collection, which ranges from 1913-1916, primarily consists of Robertson’s correspondence during her time at Bryn Mawr.

The collection is housed in one box holding four folders. Each folder houses Robertson’s correspondence, which has been kept in the order in which it was received, chronologically by academic year.

The letters were written to Robertson’s family and are detailed and informative, providing valuable insight on a range of topics: student life; faculty rapport; descriptions of faculty members and coursework; dorm life (Robertson lived in Rockefeller all four years); Christian Association; Self-Government; visiting lecturers; traditions, etc. It should be noted that before the letters were given to the Archives, pages and/or paragraphs not pertaining to Bryn Mawr were removed. In some cases, the pages were cut apart and segments were cut out of a page. The result is that the bulk of the letters are fragments, many undated and/or unsigned. However, it was possible to date many of the fragments by the content (events, etc.), in which case the date was penciled in, in brackets.

These letters contain a wealth of information on a wide range of topics. They provide a personal, detailed view of student life at Bryn Mawr during the early twentieth century. It offers especially valuable insight into the Christian Association, which was among the most popular student groups on campus for many years.