Jesse Herman Holmes Papers
Scope and Contents
Collection contains correspondence, biographical data, writings, and sermons. Also audio cassettes of reminiscences of friends, former students, and others, compiled by Albert J. Wahl, and relating to Holmes' life and career as an influential philosophy professor at Swarthmore College (1900-1937).
Dates
- Creation: 1905-1973
Creator
- Holmes, Jesse Herman, 1864-1942 (Person)
- Wahl, Albert John, 1909-1996 (Contributor, Person)
- Holmes, Jesse Herman, 1864-1942 (Contributor, Person)
- Swarthmore College (Contributor, Organization)
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
Jesse Herman Holmes was born 1864 in Iowa, the son of Jesse and Sara Morgan Paxson Holmes. He attended Nebraska State University and John Hopkins University, where he received a Ph.D. in Chemistry. He married Rebecca S. Webb, daughter of William B. and Rebecca [Turner] Webb in 1892. Holmes taught at Sidwell Friends School in Washington D.C. and then George School in Bucks County, PA until 1899, when he set sail for Oxford to prepare to teach philosophy at Swarthmore College. He became Professor of the History of Religion and Philosophy at Swarthmore College in 1899 and Professor of Philosophy in 1922. He continued to teach at the College until 1937. After his retirement, he became professor emeritus. Holmes was an active participant in AFSC relief after World War I, travelling to oversee work in reconstruction throughout Europe. Holmes was the president of the National Federation of Religious Liberals and an active member of the Socialist party.
Jesse and Rebecca had three children, Elizabeth Webb, Robert Sinclair, and Jesse Herman Holmes Jr. [III]. Elizabeth died at 16 of complications from diabetes. The family lived in Swarthmore, and Jesse attended Swarthmore Meeting. He died in 1942.
Extent
0.5 linear ft. (1 box)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Jesse Herman Holmes (1864-1942), was a Quaker philosophy professor at Swarthmore College, 1900-1937. Holmes was an active participant in AFSC relief after World War I, travelling to oversee work in reconstruction throughout Europe. Holmes was the president of the National Federation of Religious Liberals and an active member of the Socialist party. Collection contains correspondence, biographical data, writings, and sermons. Also audio cassettes of reminiscences of friends, former students, and others, compiled by Albert J. Wahl, and relating to Holmes' life and career as an influential philosophy professor at Swarthmore College (1900-1937).
Arrangement
The collection is divided into four series:
- Biographical
- Correspondence
- Writing
- Tape records
Physical Location
For current information on the location of materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donor: Gift of Franklin S. Wambold, 1965.
Gift of Eleanor Stabler Clarke, 1966.
Gift of unknown donor, 1970 and earlier.
Gift of William H. Cleveland, Jr., 1970.
Gift of George W. Stewart, 1975.
Gift of Albert J. Wahl, 1979.
This collection was compiled from various sources.
General
Bibliography
- Wahl, Albert. Jesse Herman Holmes, A Quaker's Affirmation for Man. BX7796 +.H765 W2
Processing Information
Materials received before 1970 originally catalogued as separate MSS. In 1970 papers from various sources, including PG 7 Biographical and genealogical files, were combined into an RG 5 collection. Later gifts added in 1975 and 1979.
Genre / Form
Topical
- Title
- An Inventory of the Jesse Herman Holmes Papers, 1905-1973
- Author
- FHL staff
- Date
- 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
Find It at the Library
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