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Anna Gillingham Papers

 Collection
Identifier: SFHL-RG5-051

Scope and Contents

The collection includes correspondence, journals and other writings of Anna Gillingham (1878-1964), prominent Quaker educator and author, who was a founder of the Orton Dyslexia Society. Also includes the correspondence of her parents, Theodore T. and Elizabeth H. Gillingham. Of particular interest in the latter are correspondence with Theodore Gillingham while he was an Indian agent at the Pine Ridge Agency in Dakota from 1881-1889.

Dates

  • Creation: 1849-1962

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research. Access to material in Series 7 is restricted.

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

Anna Gillingham (1878-1964) was a prominent Quaker educator and author. Born in Batavia, Illinois, the daughter of Theodore Tyson and Elizabeth (Heacock) Gillingham, she attended Swarthmore and Radcliffe Collages and earned an M.A. from Teachers College, Columbia University, in 1910. She taught at Friends Central School in Philadelphia from 1901-05, was school psychologisrt in the Ethical Culture School in New York City from 1905-36, directed the remedial reading program at the Punahon School in Honolulu from 1936-38, and was a consultant on remedial reading after 1938. She also co-authored a book on remedial training for children with Stillman. She was co-founder of the Orton Society, a national organization promoting research and treatment of language disabilities.

Extent

4 linear ft. (8 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Anna Gillingham (1878-1964) was a prominent Quaker educator and author. She taught at Friends Central School in Philadelphia from 1901-05, was school psychologist in the Ethical Culture School in New York City from 1905-36, directed the remedial reading program at the Punahon School in Honolulu from 1936-38, and was a consultant on remedial reading after 1938. She also co-authored a book on remedial training for children with Stillman. She was co-founder of the Orton Society, a national organization promoting research and treatment of language disabilities. The collection includes correspondence, journals and other writings of Anna Gillingham. Also includes the correspondence of her parents, Theodore T. and Elizabeth H. Gillingham. Of particular interest in the latter are letters written by Theodore Gillingham while he was an Indian agent in Iowa and Dakota from 1881-1889.

Arrangement

The collection is divided into five series:

  1. Family Papers
  2. Anna Gillingham correspondence
  3. Writing
  4. Pictures
  5. Miscellaneous and reference material

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Mrs. Margaret Rawson, 1968-70

Gift of Mrs. Beth H. Slingerland, 1970

Gift of Mrs. Sally B. Childs.

Gift of Omie T. Diefenderfer, 1969.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Collection was given by several different donors.

Related Materials

For biographical sketch of Anna Gillingham, see:

  1. Education and Specific Language Disability: The Papers of Anna Gillingham, compiled by Sally B. Childs (Pomfret Conn.: The Orton Society, 1968), pp.1-19. BX7617.G46E3

Separated Materials

The following items have been removed to the Swarthmore College Library:

  1. A Bibliography on the Nature, Recognition and Treatment of Language Difficulties, prepared by Margaret B. Rawson for The Orton Society, Inc.
  2. “Pedagogical Implications of Specific Language Disability”, by Anna Gillingham. Reprint from Jan. 1952 The Independent School Bulletin.
  3. “Prognosis in Dyslexia”, by Margaret Rawson. Reprint No. 114 from Academic Therapy Quarterly, Vol.1, No. 3.
  4. Photographs in Series 4 removed to PA 142, Anna Gillingham Pictures. Abbreviated list of contents is described in Series 4 of this Finding Aid. More detailed inventory stored with the photographs.

Processing Information

When received, letters were in packets and the rest of material was unsorted. Materials were arranged in categories and placed in document boxes in Record Group 5. In 2007, the photographs in Series 4 were removed for better storage and placed in a Picture Collection, PA 142.

Subject

Title
An Inventory of the Anna Gillingham Papers, 1849-1962
Author
FHL staff
Date
ca. 1970
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English
Sponsor
Encoding made possible by a grant by the Gladys Kriebel Delmas Foundation to the Philadelphia Consortium of Special Collections Libraries

Revision Statements

  • 2024: This finding aid was reviewed in order to change or contextualize any outdated, harmful terminology related to Indigenous Peoples, except where it appears in a title, quotation, or subject heading.

Find It at the Library

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