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Somerville Literary Society Records

 Collection
Identifier: SFHL-RG6-Q001

Scope and Contents

Contains the records of the Somerville Literary Society including constitution, minutes, financial papers, writing, correspondence and material concerning the Lucretia Mott and Martha F. Tyson Scholarships.

Organized into seven series:

  1. Constitution and Bylaws, Published Proceedings and Membership
  2. Minutes
  3. Lucretia Mott and Martha F. Tyson Scholarships
  4. Financial Papers
  5. Writings
  6. Correspondence
  7. Miscellaneous

Dates

  • 1871-1978

Creator

Limitations on Accessing the Collection

Collection is open for research.

Copyright and Rights Information

Copyright has not been assigned to Friends Historical Library. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in to the Director. Permission for publication is given on behalf Friends Historical Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by reader.

Biographical / Historical

The Somerville Literary Society was a women students' literary organization founded at Swarthmore College in 1871. The purposes of the organization were to discuss literature, to strengthen the friendship between its members, and to prepare them for the wider field of action and influence opening to women, according to the group's constitution. The society was named after Mary Somerville (1780 -1872), a 19th century Scottish mathematician and scientist.

The Society organized an annual celebration, Somerville Day, which featured plays, songs, and lectures on literary topics and was held through 1964. The group produced a literary journal and was active on campus through the 1940s. However, by the mid 20th century, it had become primarily an organization for Somerville alumnae and concentrated its efforts on managing the Lucretia Mott and Martha F. Tyson Scholarships.

Extent

5.25 Linear Feet (11 boxes)

Language

English

Overview

The Somerville Literary Society was a women students' literary organization founded at Swarthmore College in 1871. The purposes of the organization were to discuss literature, strengthen the friendship between its members, and prepare them for the wider field of action and influence opening to women, according to the group's constitution. The collection contains the records of the Somerville Literary Society, including constitution, minutes, financial papers, writing, correspondence and material concerning the Lucretia Mott and Martha F. Tyson Scholarships

Physical Location

For current information on the location of materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donor: Somerville Literary Society

Separated Materials

Autographs donated to the Somerville Literary Society by Charles Jenkins have been transferred to the Charles Jenkins Autograph Collection. Photocopies are filed in Series 6, Miscellaneous, Somerville Literary Society.

Autographs and Letters (in original order):

  1. Williamina Palton Fleming
  2. Lillie Devereux Blake
  3. Mary S. Sogar
  4. Octavia Walton LeVert
  5. Florence Earle Coates
  6. Caroline Atwater Mason
  7. Jeannette L. Gilder
  8. Carter Goodloe
  9. Ruth Hall
  10. Frances Aymar Mathews
  11. Amelia Küssner
  12. Caroline Chesebro
  13. Emily Sartain
  14. May Wright Sewall
  15. Gwendolen Overton
  16. Mrs. James K. Polk
  17. Bessie C. Parker
  18. Alice Morse Earle
  19. Kate Sanborn
  20. Mrs. Potter Palmer
  21. Dorothea Dix
  22. Anna Dickinson
  23. Elizabeth Cady Stanton
  24. Evelyn Noble Armitage
  25. Grace Greenwood
  26. Wendell Phillips
  27. Rachel G. Foster
  28. Elizabeth Cady Stanton (#2)
  29. Belva A. Lockwood

Processing Information

Rehoused and a new finding aid produced in 2003. Autographs transferred to Small Collections, 2011.

Title
Finding aid for Somerville Literary Society Records, 1871- 1978
Author
Finding Aid Prepared by FHL staff
Date
2007
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Find It at the Library

Most of the materials in this catalog are not digitized and can only be accessed in person. Please see our website for more information about visiting or requesting reproductions from Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College Library

Contact:
500 College Avenue
Swarthmore Pennsylvania 19081 USA