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Friends School Haverford records

 Collection
Identifier: HC.MC-1142

Scope and Contents

This collection includes minutes and agendas from the School Committee and other subcommittee meetings, such as the Instruction Committee, the Committee on Distribution, Scholarship Committee, and others. Some of the agendas also include notes. Also includes related documents, such as treasurers' reports, lists of needs for Haverford Friends School Building, a memorandum related to a scarlet fever outbreak, and a menu for the week of November 18, 1935.

Also included are letters, primarily correspondence of Miriam Jones Brown as Principal (1950-1980). Later years are predominately thank you notes to Brown, with little official correspondence (except 1977-1980 folder).

The collection also documents discussion of the place of Friends schools in society, including the admission of the first African American child to Haverford Friends School and reactions from the Haverford School community; there are letters both for and against the admission of Black children to the school. Related discussions include the objectives of Friends School Haverford in general, as well as in music, art, French, and physical education; discussions of nearby Quaker and non-Quaker schools; the results of a questionnaire on opportunities provided by Friends' schools in the Philadelphia area for their students to work for peace during World War II; and the results of a survey on integrating Westtown School, 1943, as well as comparisons of Westtown to other schools.

Included in the collection are also lists of students in each class, lists of members of various iterations of the school committee, lists of staff and faculty members, and lists of parents of students. The curriculum is documented as well, through outlines of various units taught across all levels and subjects. These outlines include aims, methods, benefits, activities, and bibliographies. Also includes outlines for education by year. Documents generated by the Parent-Teacher Association and by Teachers’ Meetings are also included.

Miriam Brown’s personal and official papers as the head of the school, as well as the official papers of Elizabeth B. Jones as the treasurer, are also included, as well as financial documents generated by Jones as well as John Forsythe.

Photographs, films and audio recordings are contained in this collection as well.

Dates

  • Creation: 1885-2010

Creator

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research use.

Use Restrictions

Standard Federal Copyright Laws Apply (U.S. Title 17).

Biographical / Historical

Friends School Haverford, located on Buck Lane in Haverford, Pennsylvania, opened in 1885 as the first Quaker elementary school on the Main Line, and expanded to serve up to grade 8 in the early part of the 20th century. It is run by the School Committee, which is under the care of Haverford Friends Meeting.

Extent

28 Linear Feet (36 horizontal document boxes, 15 volumes, 12 vertical document boxes.)

Language

English

Overview

The records include minutes, reports, newsletters, correspondence, photographs, lists, financial records, curriculum records, notes, printed material, school publications, book manuscript and drafts, clippings, and other papers of Friends School, Haverford. Many of the records originated during the tenure of Miriam Brown as principal, 1950-1980, and include her notes, drafts, etc. for "Friends School Haverford, 1885-1985," a centennial history of the school.

Arrangement

Unless stated otherwise, each series is arranged chronologically.

Acquisition

The Friends School Haverford records were placed on permanent loan to Special Collections, Haverford College in 1982 by Friends School Haverford. Addition to the records was placed on permanent loan to Special Collections, Haverford College in 2010 by Friends School Haverford.

Processing Information

Processed by Diane Rofini, Diana Franzusoff Peterson, and Jon Sweitzer-Lamme; completed 2006.

Title
Friends School Haverford records, 1885-2010
Status
In Progress
Author
Diane Rofini, Diana Franzusoff Peterson, Jon Sweitzer-Lamme
Date
2006
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Revision Statements

  • May 2022: by Nathaniel Rehm-Daly, Harmful Language Revision Project

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 reproductions from Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections Library

Contact:
370 Lancaster Ave
Haverford PA 19041 USA US