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Swarthmore Schools Collection

 Collection
Identifier: SFHL-RG7-022

Scope and Contents

The Swarthmore School District, Delaware Co, Pa., was created in 1893 with the incorporation of the Borough of Swarthmore. This is an artificial collection, composed of records and memorabilia from various sources and organized by the staff of Friends Historical Library.

Dates

  • Creation: 1896-2011

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Some of the items in this collection may be protected by copyright. The user is solely responsible for making a final determination of copyright status. If copyright protection applies, permission must be obtained from the copyright holder or their heirs/assigns to reuse, publish, or reproduce relevant items beyond the bounds of Fair Use or other exemptions to the law. See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/.

Biographical / Historical

The Swarthmore School District, Delaware County, Pa., was created in 1893 with the incorporation of the Borough of Swarthmore. Previous to the incorporation, the area that became Swarthmore was part of Springfield Township. The new School District took over the public school building located on Yale Avenue. A second, larger structure was erected on the same site in 1898. The District graduated its first class in 1899 and subsequently erected buildings on Yale Avenue and Rutgers Avenue. From the beginning, many members of Swarthmore College faculty and staff have participated in the Borough's educational system.

Swarthmore also has a long tradition of private schools. In 1892 Arthur Hibbs Tomlinson opened a coeducational preparatory school which became the Swarthmore Preparatory School. This was converted to a boys-only school in 1913, and in the same year, Mr. and Mrs. Haldy Miller Crist opened the Mary Lyon School, a school for girls.

The great majority of Swarthmore students have attended the public schools. Swarthmore School District merged with Rutledge in 1955. In 1971, the Swarthmore-Rutledge School District was consolidated with Nether Providence School District to form the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District. The merger was completed in 1983 with the opening of Strath Haven High School.

Extent

12 linear ft. (27 boxes (and oversize photographs))

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The Swarthmore School District, Delaware County, Pa., was created in 1893 with the incorporation of the Borough of Swarthmore. This is an artificial collection, composed of records and memorabilia from various sources and organized by the staff of Friends Historical Library.

Arrangement

The collection is divided into five series:

  1. Swarthmore Rutledge Elementary School
  2. Swarthmore High School
  3. Swarthmore-Rutledge K-8
  4. Swarthmore Preparatory School
  5. Mary Lyon School

Physical Location

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

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donor: Friends Historical Library collected material, PG 2, Swarthmore Preparative School and Mary Lyon

Donor: David and Eunice Ullman, 1997

Donor: Rosemary Meding, FHL 2005.006

Donor: Deborah Berggren, FHL 2006.011

Donor: David Ffrench, SHS 2012.004

Donor: Anne Stauffer Papa, SHS 2011.012

Donor: Robert A. Detweiler, SHS 2013.016

Donor: Mrs. Charles Ennis, SHS 2013.001

Donor: John MacAlpine, III, SHS.2014.001

Donor: Marshall Schmidt, SHS 2013.015

Donor: Graeme Taylor, SHS 2015.003 Donor: Estate of Alice P. Willetts, SHS 2022.004

Processing Information

The materials were received from multiple sources and combined with materials collected by Friends Historical Library staff concerning the Swarthmore Prep School and Mary Lyon School. In 2014 the collection was arranged according to school units and a finding aid created.

Title
Swarthmore Schools Collection
Status
In Progress
Author
FHL staff
Date
2015
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 repoductions from Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College Library

Contact:
500 College Avenue
Swarthmore Pennsylvania 19081 USA