Mary Ellicott Arnold (1876-1968) Papers

Mary Ellicott Arnold (1876-1968) was a Quaker writer and social activist, known for her work with consumer cooperatives. After an unsuccessful farming venture in her youth, Mary Ellicott Arnold and her lifelong companion, Mabel Reed, worked with the Karuk tribe in California as employees of the United States Indian Bureau. After a period as chief organizer for the U.S. Employment Service in New York State, she and Mabel Reed were involved in a number of successful cooperative ventures, including cafeterias and an apartment building in New York City, miners' housing in Nova Scotia, cooperative credit unions among lobster fishermen in Maine, and the Tanguy and Cheyney Cooperative Homesteads in the Philadelphia area. She was an early Treasurer of the Cooperative League, was very active in the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, and was a member of Providence Monthly Meeting, Media, Pennsylvania. Mabel Reed died in 1962, and Mary Ellicott Arnold died on May 23,1968, in Media, Pa.

• 1876 Born, April 23, at New Brighton, New York City.
• 1894 Attended Drexel Institute, Philadelphia, Pa.
• 1901-6? Farming on the Reed family farm with Mabel Reed, her lifelong companion.
• 1908 Work with the Karok Indians in California.
• 1910-14 Organized two cafeterias in Ithaca, New York to instruct students at Cornell in dietetics.
• 1915-16 Special studies in economics at the University of California.
• 1918 Chief Organizer, U. S. Employment Service for the State of New York.
• 1919-37 Managed 10 cafeterias and a 12-story cooperative apartment house for the Consumers Cooperative Services in New York City.
• 1937-39 Organized three cooperative housing projects for coal miners in Nova Scotia.
• 1939-40 Administrator of land settlement program for fishermen in Newfoundland.
• 1940-42 Organized credit unions for lobster fishermen in Maine.
• 1942 Visit to relocation camp for Japanese-Americans at Poston, Arizona.
• 1943 Began work with the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Federation.
• 1947-49 Organized, cooperative housing project, Tanguy Homesteads, Glen Mills, Pa.
• 1949 Interim Coordinator, Eastern Cooperatives, Inc.
• 1950-52 Planning for Cheyney Cooperative Homesteads, Cheyney, Pa. Proposal abandoned before work began, 1952.
• 1954-57 Chairman, Finance Committee of the Pennsylvania Branch of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom; Treasurer, Jane Addams House, Philadelphia, Pa.
• 1958-63 Work for Native American (especially Karuk) rights.

1876

Born, April 23, at New Brighton, New York City.

1894

Attended Drexel Institute, Philadelphia, Pa.

1901-6?

Farming on the Reed family farm with Mabel Reed, her lifelong companion.

1908

Work with the Karok Indians in California.

1910-14

Organized two cafeterias in Ithaca, New York to instruct students at Cornell in dietetics.

1915-16

Special studies in economics at the University of California.

1918

Chief Organizer, U. S. Employment Service for the State of New York.

1919-37

Managed 10 cafeterias and a 12-story cooperative apartment house for the Consumers Cooperative Services in New York City.

1937-39

Organized three cooperative housing projects for coal miners in Nova Scotia.

1939-40

Administrator of land settlement program for fishermen in Newfoundland.

1940-42

Organized credit unions for lobster fishermen in Maine.

1942

Visit to relocation camp for Japanese-Americans at Poston, Arizona.

1943

Began work with the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Federation.

1947-49

Organized, cooperative housing project, Tanguy Homesteads, Glen Mills, Pa.

1949

Interim Coordinator, Eastern Cooperatives, Inc.

1950-52

Planning for Cheyney Cooperative Homesteads, Cheyney, Pa. Proposal abandoned before work began, 1952.

1954-57

Chairman, Finance Committee of the Pennsylvania Branch of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom; Treasurer, Jane Addams House, Philadelphia, Pa.

1958-63

Work for Indian rights.