Olivia Stokes Hatch papers

The Olivia Stokes Hatch papers is a collection that consists largely of correspondence between the Phelps, Stokes, Mitchell, and Hatch families. The collection, which ranges from 1859 to 1993, also includes photographs, essays, diaries, and other printed material. It provides insight into women’s work during World War I.

The collection is divided into three series: “Series I: Olivia Stokes Hatch,” “Series II: Anna V.S. Mitchell,” and “Series III: Collected Correspondence.” Each of these series is divided into subseries.

“Series I: Olivia Stokes Hatch,” is divided into five sub-series: “Biographical Information;” “Collected Personal Material;” “Correspondence;” “Family Material;” and “Photographs.” “Biographical Material” includes clippings about Olivia Stokes Hatch and written accounts of her life and work. Within “Collected Personal Material,” are items such as address books, notebooks, and elementary and high school yearbooks. The third sub-series is “Correspondence.” As noted, the largest component of this collection is Olivia Stokes Hatch’s family correspondence and it is arranged into outgoing and incoming sub-series, according to the principals in the Phelps, Stokes, Mitchell, and Hatch families. The sub-series includes the extensive correspondence of Olivia Stokes Hatch, her father and mother Anson Phelps Stokes and Caroline Mitchell Phelps Stokes, her husband John Davis Hatch Jr., and their children John Davis Hatch III, Daniel Lindley Hatch, James Stokes Hatch, and Sarah Stokes Hatch. Also included within the correspondence is the correspondence of Gethel Gregg Hatch, John Davis Hatch Sr., and other friends and relatives. Topics discussed in the correspondence include family relationships, work in the Red Cross, and travel. Researchers may also wish to review the correspondence within the “Anna V.S. Mitchell” series, as well as the final series, “Collected Correspondence,” when studying the family correspondence. The fourth sub-series within “Series I: Olivia Stokes Hatch,” is “Family Material.” This sub-series includes childhood keepsakes of Olivia Stokes Hatch and John Hatch Jr.’s children, press releases and reports regarding the Phelps-Stokes Fund. Also found within “Family Materials” are the wills and estates of Anson Phelps Stokes and Olivia Stokes Hatch. The fifth subseries within “Series I: Olivia Stokes Hatch” is “Photographs,” which consists of images of Olivia Stokes Hatch and her family, as well as locations in Egypt and across the United States.

“Series II: Anna V.S. Mitchell,” refers to the sister of Olivia Stokes Hatch’s mother, Caroline Mitchell Phelps Stokes. This series is divided into five sub-series: “Biographical Information;” “Correspondence;” “Collected Material;” “Diaries;” and “Essays.” “Biographical Material” contains travel documents and accounts of Anna V.S. Mitchell’s work during and after World War I. The second sub-series within “Series II: Anna V.S. Mitchell” is “Correspondence.” Again, correspondence is a large component of this series, documenting the relationships of the Mitchell family. The sub-series includes the correspondence of Anna V.S. Mitchell, her sister Caroline Mitchell Phelps Stokes, Anson Phelps Stokes and Olivia Stokes Hatch, and other relatives and friends. Much of the correspondence is regarding her work during World War I and domestic fundraising efforts on behalf of Russian refugees in Constantinople. When reviewing this correspondence, researchers may also be interested in examining the final series in the collection, “Collected Correspondence,” for additional information. Following “Correspondence” is Anna V.S. Mitchell’s “Collected Material,” which contains publications, notes, and records of her life and specifically, World War I. Of note in this sub-series are excerpts of her letters from July 1916 to May 1919, that have been transcribed. The fourth sub-series within “Anna V.S. Mitchell” is “Diaries.” Her diaries provide an intimate and firsthand account of her work and experiences in World War I. The diaries date from 1896 through 1925. The final sub-series is “Essays” and here researchers will find her handwritten reflections and recollections of her relief work.

The final series in this collection is “Series III: Family Correspondence.” This series contains the correspondence of Sarah Lindley Mitchell, Lucy Mitchell Molteno, Sarah Rood, and other members of the Mitchell and Stokes families.

This collection is an excellent resource for those researching family dynamics and relationships in the early to mid 20th century. The collection also provides an intimate look into the relief work of women during World War I through correspondence and diaries created by those involved directly. The work of women in the American Red Cross is also well documented through correspondence within the collection.