1945 correspondence of Theodora Elkinton

ca. 130 items through December

Primarily correspondence of Theodora Elkinton who is still at Smith and reports on her studies, life and friends there, and others report on their personal lives, attending Quaker meeting

Letter writers include: Katharine Elkinton (KE), Howard Elkinton (HE), Lois Kelly, Caesar --, Peter Elkinton, R.P. Alexander, Frances Lukens, Charles Wood, Hali Giessler, Frances Stokes (aunt), Anne Sharpe, Tobie van Rosen, Joey Burns, Theodore Wright, Alix Feist

Highlights include:

H.E. Philadelphia 1.24. On reading insurance policies

Elkinton, Peter to parents. Northampton, 1/30. Thinking of applying for a more challenging position as a C.O.

2/7. copy of The Unification of Europe / by Felix Morley, which appeared in Human Events, which apparently came to HE (graduate of Haverford College where Felix Morley was president)

"Blue book" essays by TE, with additions by Thomas Waring

TE to parents. 2/18. weekly attendance at Smith Quaker Meeting

HE to TE. 2/25. "...each month [in America] brings some shift toward an involuntary world..."; woman in the armed forces; reference to Katharine Elkinton's diabetes

TE to parents. 2/25. Thoughts of doing AFSC relief work after the war in Europe

TE to parents. 3/4. Started freshman Bible Study group at Smith

KE to TE. 3/5. Brother Pete (a C.O.) was "inoculated with something."

HE to TE. 3/5. Pleased TE has chosen to be a religion major; philosophical thoughts on life, now that TE turns 18

von Rosen, Tobie. Stockholm, Sweden, 3/11. Refers to TE's engagement; loves being home and attends a folk high school for working youth who have only been able to go to public school, are very enthusiastic about studying and are mostly socialists, some students have been in concentration camps

TE to mother. 3/30. Asks that she not say anything about her relationship with Tom Waring

KE to TE. 4/8. The English army is in Zwolle, so must have bypassed Ommen (Holland) and can visualize the area well,

HE to TE. 4/10. Reference to the meeting of Joseph Elkinton and the Doukhobors at Halifax; his and her mother's concern for good race relations; change in the neighborhood where they live as a situation with which she and Pete will have to live, if they live there

TE to parents. 4/16. Heard a lecture by T.Z. Koo about his experiences in Shanghai under three years of Japanese rule

TE to parents. 4/23. As she hears news of the war in Europe, her own experiences in Holland and Germany allow her to visualize people and places and the future for Germany

KE to TE. 4/23. Story of Joseph Elkinton (TE's grandfather) influencing T.Z. Koo at the moment in his life when he had to decide whether to go into YMCA work and because Joseph Elkinton spoke to him, it turned him toward Christian work; life as a Christian speaker

HE forwarding copy of report from Margaret Jones to TE. 4/20. Report concerns the work of the AFSC for relief among Italian refugees in Switzerland, in some measure supported by Arturo Toscanini

KE to TE. 4/29. Report that Hitler, Goering and Goebbels have all been shot, supposedly by Himmler

HE to TE. 5/6. In a world in revolution, what does a school grade mean -- better to have understood content

KE to TE.5/7. "What folly to punish the leaders [of Germany] tho they may be guilty, or to condemn a whole nation, when we ourselves show the same spirit in many ways."

Elkinton, Peter to TE. 5/24. Announces his engagement to Harriet Francke

HE to TE. 6/9. Various references to Haverford College and Haverfordians,

Example of TE's work as a summer employee of Rumsey Electric Co., 6/28

HE to TE. Canada, 7/20. Wished TE had accompanied him, but gives reasons why it was good that she didn't

Elkinton, Peter to TE. 8/21. They both oppose having Howard Elkinton go to Germany for a 5 year stint

Elkinton, Peter to TE. 9/25. Since he went AWOL, his punishment will be an additional 3 months in C.P.S. camp

Elkinton, Peter to TE. 9/27. Civilian Public Service to be closed and all C.O.s to be released by June 1946

TE to parents. 9/30. Mentions that she will be going to hear T.Z. Koo lecture

HE to TE. Germantown, 10/6. Has turned down a post-war stint for the AFSC that would have taken him to Germany for up to a year in order to stay with family

KE to TE. 11/19. Approves of Tom Waring as husband for TE

HE to TE.11/22. Thinking about joining a group for relief efforts in Germany