A. Ruth Fry Papers
Scope and Contents
The Fry Papers contain biographical information; correspondence (1918-1948); a scrapbook (1925-1942); photographs; hand-drawn maps of Friends' relief work in Poland and the Soviet Union; and her writings. The latter consist of books, numerous peace tracts, articles and reports that were printed in newspapers and periodicals, and manuscript reports and journals about her trips to France, Holland, Belgium, Austria, the Soviet Union, Germany, the United States, Switzerland, and South Africa (with her father and alone).
Dates
- Creation: 1905-1957
Creator
- Fry, A. Ruth (Anna Ruth), 1878-1962 (Person)
- Albright, William A. (Correspondent, Person)
- Beaton, Grace M. (Correspondent, Person)
- Brown, H. Runham (Herbert Runham), 1879-1949 (Correspondent, Person)
Language of Materials
Materials are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
None.
Conditions Governing Use
None.
Biographical note
[Anna] Ruth Fry was born in Highgate, England on September 4, 1878, into a Quaker family. Her father, Sir Edward Fry, was both a judge and a lawyer who gained international repute for his role as a skilled negotiator at the Hague Tribunal in 1917. Ruth was educated at home, and then went on to work for peace as an activist and a writer. From 1914-1924, she served as general secretary of the Friends Relief Commission, a committee organized by British Quakers to provide help for refugees and others ravaged by the war. Fry toured the war zones as a traveling commissioner and wrote about the various relief efforts in her book A Quaker Adventure (1926). She was also the first chairman of the Russian Famine Relief Fund in 1921. In 1926-1927, she served as the secretary for the National Council for the Prevention of War, and in 1936-1937 as the treasurer of the London branch of the War Resisters' International. The pacifist journal Reconciliation appointed her to its editorial board in 1935. During the Boer war, Fry was treasurer of the Boer Home Industries Commission. Fry wrote numerous books, pamphlets and tracts, many of which are available in the Swarthmore College Peace Collection. She died on April 26, 1962.
Extent
1 linear ft. (3 boxes)
Abstract
[Anna] Ruth Fry was an activist and a writer born into a prominent Quaker family in England. From 1914-1924, she served as general secretary of the Friends Relief Commission, which provided help for refugees and others ravaged by World War I. Fry wrote about her experiences in A Quaker Adventure (1926). She was also the first chairman of the Russian Famine Relief Fund in 1921. Fry went on to write numerous books, pamphlets and tracts, on a variety of Quaker and peace topics. She died on April 26, 1962.
Arrangement
Box 1 contains biographical information about A. Ruth Fry and her correspondence, and some of the books and pamphlets she wrote. Box 2 contains more writings, mostly published, by and about Fry. Some of these items have been cataloged on Tripod.
Custodial History
The Swarthmore College Peace Collection is the official repository for these papers/records.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of A. Ruth Fry, 1948-1960.
Separated Materials
Photographs, 1920-1921, of Quaker relief efforts in Hungary, Poland, Germany, Serbia and Austria and Russia (including the famine in 1921); Watercolor drawings of Russia by V. Mirolubovka; Maps, including hand-drawn maps of American Friends Service Committee relief work in Poland and the Soviet Union, 1921-1925; Scrapbook of newspaper clippings, articles, correspondence and a manuscript by Fry, 1925-1942.
Bibliographic References
Bibliographic References
Legal Status
Copyright to the materials created by A. Ruth Fry has been transferred to the Swarthmore College Peace Collection. Copyright to all other materials is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Processing Information
Collection originally processed and checklist prepared by Martha Shane, April 1986 (under a grant from the Ford Foundation);updated finding aid by Anne Yoder, November 1997. This version of the finding aid by Wendy E. Chmielewski, October 2009.
Subject
- Fry, A. Ruth (Anna Ruth), 1878-1962 (Person)
- Women's Peace Campaign (Organization)
- War Resisters' International (Organization)
- National Council for Prevention of War (Great Britain) (Organization)
- Friends' War Victims' Relief Committee (London, England) (Organization)
- Friends' Emergency & War Victims' Relief Committee (London, England) (Organization)
Topical
- Authors, English -- History -- Sources
- Charities -- France
- Conscientious objection -- Societies, etc. -- History -- Sources
- International relief -- History -- Sources
- Pacifists -- Great Britain -- History -- Sources
- Peace -- Societies, etc. -- History -- Sources
- Peace Movements -- Great Britain -- History -- Sources
- Quaker women -- Great Britain -- History -- Sources
- Quakers -- Great Britain -- History -- Sources
- Social service -- France
- War relief -- History -- Sources
- Women and Peace -- History -- Sources
- World War, 1914-1918 -- Civilian relief -- Sources
- World War, 1914-1918 -- War work -- Society of Friends -- Sources
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
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 repoductions from Swarthmore College Peace Collection Library
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Swarthmore 19081-1399 USA US
610-328-8557
610-328-8544 (Fax)
peacecollection@swarthmore.edu
