ABEEL, Mary Stille, 1773-1826.
Letters sent, 1821-1823.
20 items (1 envelope).
Born Mary Stille, the daughter of John Stille, of Philadelphia; married the Rev. John Neilson Abeel (1768-1812), whom she survived.
Letters sent from New York City and Philadelphia to her son and only child, Gustavus Abeel (1801-1887), while he was a student at the New Brunswick, N.J., seminary of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church. The letters pertain in part to the finances of mother and son, including income from boarders and relatives.
The letters are accompanied by typed transcripts.
ADVANCE CLUB (Westfield, N.J.)
Records, 1892-1992.
.83 cubic ft. (3 boxes).
Literary and social club organized in 1892; included both women and men as members (chiefly married couples living in Westfield); promoted "mutual improvements of the members in literary and musical work"; met seven or eight times per year from October through May or June; held meetings primarily at club members' homes, except for most annual banquets; organized programs of various types (primarily lectures, musical presentations, debates and readings) which were followed by a social hour; maintained a membership of between 40 and 50 persons during much of its existence; disbanded in 1993?
Minutes, 1892-1941, 1947-1974 and 1989; annual programs, 1916/17-1990/91 (with gaps), listing planned events, officers, committees and club members; scripts and papers read, 1917-1992 (with gaps), including two histories of the club (1917 and 1964); and miscellaneous other records, 1894-1991 and undated, among which are press clippings and letters received.
Publication: Clark, Lucille. The Advance Club of Westfield, New Jersey: Centennial Year, 1892-1992 [1991].
ALCOTT, Louisa May, 1832-1888.
Letter sent, [1884] Dec. 9.
1 item.
American author best known for her children's books.
Letter to "Mr. Milliken" thanking him for his letter and responding that her schedule of engagements is such that she writes very little and thus she declines to send anything.
ALLEN, Hope Emily, 1883-1960.
Papers concerning Sigrid Undset, 1938-1951 (bulk 1941-1948).
.8 cubic ft. (2 boxes).
Resident of Oneida, New York, who lived in or near Kenwood; born in 1883; shared literary interests with and became a friend of the Norwegian novelist and critic Sigrid Undset (1882-1949), who lived in exile in the U.S. during World War II; died in 1960.
Over 100 letters, 1941-1948, received from Sigrid Undset or which pertain to her in some way, including a few carbon copies of letters written by Allen; 13 letters, 1944-1947, which Undset sent to Carlotta Kinsley, who was evidently Allen's friend and neighbor; articles and other published writings by Undset, including one book; press clippings, most or all of which pertain to Undset; three photographs of Undset and her home in Norway; and miscellaneous items relating to Undset or Norway, some of which may have been enclosures in Undset's letters.
The letters which Undset wrote are in English. Until the middle of 1945, most of them were sent from Brooklyn, New York City; thereafter, they were all posted from Lillehammer, Norway. Among the topics covered in the letters are World War II – especially events in Norway and Sweden – and the deprivations and hardships of life in Norway after the war. Undset's literary activities while in the U.S. are also mentioned, as are radio broadcasts that she made, including one (accompanying her letter of February 4, 1942) which she sent to Allen in the form of an edited script.
Some printed items in French and Norwegian.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN. CAMDEN COUNTY BRANCH.
Records, 1929-1994.
5 cubic ft.
Organized in 1929 as the Camden-Merchantville Branch; changed its name to the Camden County Branch in 1930; sought "to unite the alumnae of Association approved colleges and universities for work on the educational, civic and social problems of the community [,] to cooperate with the Association on State, Regional and National levels[,] and to participate in the development and promotion of the policies and programs of the Association" (per the 1956 by-laws).
Yearbooks, by-laws, minutes, newsletters, scrapbooks of press clippings, annual reports, cash books and other records.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN. HUNTERDON BRANCH.
Records, 1975-1996.
ca. .5 cubic ft.
Bulk arranged chronologically with most materials dated 1975-1979, 1983-1987 and 1996 mounted in scrapbooks.
Chartered in 1956 as the Flemington Branch; voted to change its name to the Hunterdon County Branch in 1972, but met resistance from the A.A.U.W.'s New Jersey State Division, so compromised on the name Hunterdon Branch; sponsored study groups (e.g., focusing on books, the arts and gourmet cooking); began giving area women scholarships to further their education in 1973, raising funds in various ways, including by conducting used book sales.
Records in various formats, most of which have been mounted in three scrapbooks. Included are several annual membership rosters ["Blue Books"], press clippings, photographs, broadsides, pages and clippings from branch A.A.U.W. newsletters, a clipping from a state A.A.U.W. publication, lists of meeting dates, a proposed budget, a committee report, a "telephone list for special interests," whole and partial event programs (e.g., for anniversary celebrations), an admission ticket, several letters received, a handout from a workshop and a certificate.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN. NEW JERSEY DIVISION.
Records, 1928-1985.
5.7 cubic ft. (18 boxes).
Organized in 1927 as the New Jersey State Division of the American Association of University Women by members of the three existing A.A.U.W. branches in N.J. and some general A.A.U.W. members; as a primary goal, promotes education at the local, national and international levels, particularly with regard to the concerns of women and children; also has promoted other causes over time, including world peace through participation in the New Jersey Committee for the Cause and Cure of War, the improvement of child welfare conditions in N.J., activities of relief organizations during the Great Depression, consumer affairs and other concerns during World War II (when it also was active in issues relating to women in industry) and, during the 1960s and 1970s, a safe environment; first organized a standing committee on the economic and legal status of women in 1942; has sponsored numerous workshops and seminars on various topics for its membership and, for many years beginning in the 1950s, an annual creative arts festival; shortened its name about 1973 to New Jersey Division.
By-laws, 1929-1983 (with gaps); directories, ca. 1928-1984 (with gaps); annual reports, 1930-1975 and 1982-1983; newsletters, 1930-1985; branch president and program development chairperson's reports, 1969-1970; minutes and agendas, 1935-1976, of the board of directors; and records of the president, 1928-1983, consisting of annual reports to headquarters, 1938-1944, 1953-1956, 1962-1969 and 1975-1976, an annual meetings file, 1933-1976, and general files, 1928-1983. A copy of a 1952 history of the organization is included in the general files.
Persons represented in the records include Dr. Anna S. Starr, the first woman professor hired at Rutgers University outside of Douglass College.
Note: This manuscript collection includes additional records which are not yet described in this entry.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN. PEQUANNOCK TOWNSHIP BRANCH (Pequannock, N.J.)
Records, 1968-1983.
.6 cubic ft. (2 boxes).
Organized in 1968.
Minutes, 1968-1983, of board meetings; by-laws and policy statements, 1967-1978 and undated; minutes, 1968-1983, of membership meetings; yearbook, 1975/76; correspondence of the president, 1967-1980 (with gaps) and of the secretary, 1968-1980 and 1982; and general files of the Community Problems Study Group, 1968-1976 and undated, Education Study Group, 1974-1976 and undated, Fellowship Committee, 1971-1973 and undated, and Legislative Committee, 1974, 1978-1979 and undated.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN. RANCOCAS VALLEY BRANCH.
Records, 1939-1996.
ca. 3.33 cubic ft.
Organized in 1938; covered all of Burlington County, N.J., until 1960 when the first additional branch was formed within the county; raised money in various ways, including through the sale of calendars, cookbooks and used books; among its numerous civic activities, participated actively in supporting the war effort during World War II and in promoting the establishment of Burlington County Community College in the 1960s.
Organizational histories, 1977 and 1986-1987; by-laws, undated and [1964]-1983 (with gaps), including proposed revisions; minutes, 1954-1959, 1963-1970, 1977-1980 and 1993-1995 (incomplete), of board and membership meetings; annual reports, 1939/40-1984/1985, which vary in content; directories, 1939/40-1940/41, 1942/43-1959/60 and 1961/62-1995/96, containing annual lists of officers, members and scheduled programs; newsletters, 1953-1991; budgets, 1949/50-1982/83; treasurer's reports, 1978-1980, consisting of monthly reports and an annual report for 1977/78; correspondence, 1958-1996 (with gaps); photographs, [1977] and 1995; certificates and proclamations, 1978-1995 (with gaps); scrapbooks, 1957-1988; and other records.
ANDOVER SHOE COMPANY (Andover, N.J.)
Cash Book, 1886-1890.
1 v.
Shoe manufacturer, of Andover, N.J.; begun July 7, 1886, with $27,000 from 22 investors; manufactured shoes for ladies, misses and children.
Cash Book, July 7, 1886-August 31, 1889, which also includes a record of company loans for 1890.
ANGEVINE, Erma.
Consumer papers, 1957-1984.
6 cubic ft. (6 cartons).
Consumer advocate; born in 1917; served as a consumer columnist and assistant editor of Cooperative News Service issued by the Cooperative League of the U.S.A., as director of women's activities and consumer specialist at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, as executive director of the Consumer Federation of America and as president of the National Consumers' League.
Papers, including writings, speeches and testimony relating to Angevine's activities as a consumer advocate. The papers also frequently include copies of relevant by-laws, directors' manuals, minutes, annual reports, newsletters and publications from the organizations for which Angevine worked.
Note: This manuscript collection includes additional papers which are not yet described in this entry.
APPLETON, Agnes Morgan Reeves, 1839-1901.
Diary, 1856-1864.
Partial microfilm reel.
Daughter of Samuel Morgan Reeves (1790-1886), a Haddonfield, N.J., merchant of Quaker antecedents; married the Rev. John H. Appleton in 1865.
Diary, Sept. 21, 1856-June 26, 1857, kept while a student at the Moravian Seminary for Young Ladies in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Also a diary, Sept. 25, 1859-Oct. 23, 1864, in which she describes family, social and Baptist religious activities in Haddonfield and vicinity.
ARBEITER, Joan.
Papers, 1941-2017.
8.3 linear ft. (13.5 manuscript boxes and 4 audiovisual boxes).
New Jersey multimedia visual artist, author, educator and feminist. Attended Douglass College and received bachelor’s from Brooklyn College; received her MFA from Pratt Institute in 1981. Arbeiter became involved with the feminist art world in the 1970s, beginning with an internship at the New York Feminist Art Insitute in 1979 and later working with the Women’s Caucus for Art, the College Art Association and the Ceres Gallery.
Records pertain to Arbeiter’s professional life as an artist and educator. Records include audiovisual material, 1976-2010, including materials related to the NYFAI, the Women’s Caucus for Art and the Ceres Gallery, works and exhibitions, 1941 and 1978-2017, teaching files, 1963-2007, writings, 1965-2015, and catalogs and newsletters, 1979-2015, including catalogs related to the feminist art movement.
Advanced notice required to consult this collection.
ART EDUCATORS OF NEW JERSEY.
Records, 1940-1994.
ca. 12 cubic ft.
Organized in 1940 as the New Jersey Art Education Association, a statewide organization concerned with the visual arts at all educational levels; changed its name to Art Educators of New Jersey in 1971; in earlier years included both general educators and art educators interested in fostering the development of art education in the state, but later narrowed its membership to persons teaching visual arts, directing programs of art education or engaged in closely related pursuits; has included both women and men as members throughout its existence.
Minutes (including agendas and other supporting documentation) of the executive board and steering council, conference kits and programs, publications, membership lists and other records.
ASSOCIATION FOR THE RELIEF OF THE SICK POOR (Rahway, N.J.)
Minute books, 1817 Oct. 11-1957 Jan. 10.
3 v.
Charitable association organized by a group of women in or before 1816; known initially as the Female Association of Bridge Town; adopted the name Association for the Relief of the Sick Poor; dissolved and transferred its assets to the Rahway Junior Service League, Inc., ca. 1957.
Minutes, including several loose documents relating to the disposition of the organization's assets.
ATKINSON FAMILY.
Papers, 1793-1955.
ca. 7 cubic ft.
Residents of New Brunswick, N.J., including sisters Mary Josephine Atkinson (1854-1933), a teacher and tutor; Sarah Atkinson (1861-1956), a teacher and later a translator (including for the American peace commissioners in Paris in 1898); and Florence Atkinson (1863-1889), a teacher.
Correspondence and diary of Mary Josephine Atkinson, correspondence of Sarah Atkinson, correspondence and diary of Florence Atkinson, other papers of these three individuals and papers of other family members.
The scattered diaries of Mary Atkinson for 1876 to 1925 contain information on her travels to California and Europe, her activities as a teacher (at Riverdale, New York, 1882-1884, and Lexington, Kentucky, 1884-1885) and tutor (in Lenox, Massachusetts, 1885-1892) and her life in New Brunswick.
Among the letters included in Sarah Atkinson's correspondence are several which pertain to the suffrage movement in the U.S., as well as letters from her former classmate Sarita Sanford Ward (d. 1944) which were posted from various places (chiefly in England, France and the U.S.) before, during and after World War I. (Ward was the spouse and then widow of the adventurer, author, sculptor and World War I Red Cross worker Herbert Ward who died in 1919.) Letters which Sarah Atkinson wrote to members of her family while out of the country (including in Argentina in the 1880s and in England and France in 1898) are also present in the collection.
Florence Atkinson's diary, July 24, 1883-May 8, 1886, and related letters which she sent to family members concern her trips to and from Argentina, her stay there and a visit to Chile in early 1885. She had been recruited by the Argentine government (along with her sister Sarah Atkinson and other women teachers) to serve as an instructor in a women's normal school and taught for two years at the Escuela Normal de San Juan.
Finding aid for Mary Josephine Atkinson papers also available online.
Some items in Spanish.
Publication: Sharkey, Eugene G., "The Diary of Florence Atkinson, 1883-1886," Journal of the Rutgers University Library, XXXIV (1970/71): 23-27.
Advance notice required to consult this collection.
BACON, R. Goldy Haines, b. 1894.
Letters received, 1889-1936 (bulk 1909-1929).
1.16 cubic ft. (4 boxes).
Resident of Burlington County, N.J.; grew up in Columbus, Mansfield Township, where her father was a businessman; married Joseph W. Bacon, Jr., in 1929; subsequently resided at Vincentown, Southampton Township. Used the name "Goldy."
Over 500 letters received, chiefly from other young women (both friends and relatives) residing in central and southern N.J., together with miscellaneous letters addressed to other family members and several printed programs. Among the topics represented in the letters are social events, dating, courtship and marriage. Included among Bacon's correspondents are "Alma," who married a soldier and was subsequently abandoned by him; Sarrah Sharp, who describes the details of running a household at length (and, in one letter, discusses women and farming in relationship to World War I); and "John," whose letters pertain to his relationship with Bacon (when unmarried), which apparently alternated between romance and friendship.
BARBOZA-CLARK, Frances, 1938-2021.
Papers, 1970-2002.
4 cubic ft. (13 manuscript boxes and 1 artifact box).
American medical technologist, feminist and political activist. Received degree from Rutgers University’s College of Medicine and Dentistry in 1970 (now the University of Medicine and Dentistry New Jersey); served on the National Organization for Women as delegate to national conferences, 1979-1982 and as coordinator of Middlesex County chapter, 1979-1981, 1988-1989. Barboza-Clark was also involved in the political campaigns of local, state and federal officials.
Papers consist of personal and professional files. Included are Democratic National Convention files, 1984, including a handwritten diary, files related to the Equal Rights Amendment, and files related to the National Organization for Women (NOW) on the local, state and national level, as well as files related to other miscellaneous activities and interests, such as boycotts and speeches.
BAYLES, Sarah Staats, 1787-1870.
Diary, 1835 June 28-1851 Apr. 17.
1 item (32 pages).
Born Sarah Staats; married William Bayles; left her husband in 1817 after three years of a difficult marriage and returned to the Staats family farm in present-day South Bound Brook, N.J., where she lived for the remainder of her life.
Diary, including notes about sermons heard at the Bound Brook Presbyterian Church and comments about neighborhood marriages, deaths, births, visits and domestic activities, such as candlemaking. Also included are formulas and medical receipts, verse and records of servants, including at least two African-American slaves.
Accompanied by an annotated typed transcript.
For papers which pertain to Bayles' daughter, consult the entry for Cornelius Wyckoff LaTourette.
BEGGS, Vera W. (Vera Wadsworth), d. 1968.
Papers, 1928-1951 (bulk 1928-1944).
.8 cubic ft. (2 boxes).
Clubwoman, peace advocate and international relations specialist; married Paterson, N.J., attorney Frederic Beggs (b. 1875) in 1914; resided in Wyckoff, N.J., from at least the late 1920s until ca. 1943, but had earlier lived in Paterson and may have resided there again later in her life; participated actively in local women's clubs; served the New Jersey State Federation of Women's Clubs as chairperson of its International Relations Committee, 1929-1934; as a representative of the New Jersey State Federation of Women's Clubs, served the New Jersey Committee on the Cause and Cure of War as chairperson of its annual conference in 1931 (and one other year?), as vice chairperson in 1932-1933 and as organizer and chairperson from 1933 to 1938 of an (almost) annual leadership institute "designed to help women who have the qualities of leadership to attain confidence in their own ability and to develop the technique with which to carry on the work in which they are interested"; served the New York City-based National Committee on the Cause and Cure of War from 1933 to 1938 as its chairperson for Marathon Round Tables (local study and discussion groups which utilized both specially written literature and existing pamphlets in an effort to create an informed public on the subject of U.S. foreign policy and its relationship to requirements for world peace) and became the organization's last chairperson in or before 1942; as one of 12 American delegates, attended the congress of the International Alliance of Women for Suffrage and Equal Citizenship held in Turkey in 1935; served the General Federation of Women's Clubs as chairperson of its International Relations Department for (at least) two terms: 1938-1941 and 1950-1952.
Correspondence, reports, writings (including articles for serial publications and texts prepared for radio broadcasts), pamphlets relating to international relations and Latin America, event programs and other documentation of Beggs' activities pertaining to international relations. The papers relate in part to a study course, in the form of an imaginary tour of Latin America, that was prepared with the cooperation of the Pan American Union for use by member clubs of the General Federation of Women's Clubs. Included among the writings is a short typescript essay (which may have appeared in print in a magazine or newsletter) describing the 1935 Istanbul meeting of the International Alliance of Women for Suffrage and Equal Citizenship.
Additional Vera W. Beggs papers are available in the Sophia Smith Collection (Women's History Archive) at Smith College.
BERGEN COUNTY WCTU (N.J.)
Records, 1892-1948.
7 v.
Minutes, 1896-1909 and 1924-1940, of executive committee meetings, monthly meetings, annual conventions and spring institutes of the Bergen County Woman's Christian Temperance Union.
Accompanied by minutes, 1892-1908 and 1943-1948, of monthly meetings of the Hackensack WCTU.
BERKELEY HEIGHTS BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL WOMEN.
Records, [1975?]-1996 (bulk [ca. 1985]-1995).
2 cubic ft.
Organized in 1967 as the Berkeley Heights Area Business and Professional Women's Club; changed its name to The Berkeley Heights Business & Professional Women in 1986 or 1987; merged with other BPW clubs in 1995 or 1996 to form the Berkeley Heights, Clark, Westfield Business and Professional Women; as with other units of the BPW federation, worked "to elevate the standards for women in business and the professions[,] to promote their interests[,] to bring about a spirit of cooperation among women[,] and to extend opportunities through education"; included among its activities the sponsoring of three Nike clubs in local high schools to mentor girls intending to enter business and the granting of several annual scholarships to graduating Nike club members planning to pursue business education.
Club history (written in 1975?), yearbooks ["membership rosters"], minutes, newsletters, programs for installation dinners, programs (and related records) for fashion shows, scrapbooks ["press books"] kept by the public relations chairperson and other records, including a copy of the 1996 by-laws for the successor organization, the Berkeley Heights, Clark, Westfield Business and Professional Women.
BERMUDA HONEYMOON JOURNAL, 1956 Mar. 25-30.
1 v. (42 pages).
Journal of Marilyn and David, apparently of N.J., containing observations and accounts of touring and entertainment while staying at the Coral Island Club Hotel in Bermuda.
BLEECKER, Ann Eliza, 1752-1783.
Letters sent, 1777-1778.
6 items (1 folder).
Poet; resided in Albany, New York, for parts of 1777 and 1778.
Letters sent to her brother-in-law, Leonard Bleecker (a captain in the American army at Fort Schuyler), concerning hardships resulting from the Revolutionary War and, especially, social activities in Albany.
BOROUGH OF ROOSEVELT HISTORICAL COLLECTION, 1933-1996.
10.7 cubic ft.
Roosevelt, N.J.: borough in central N.J. which began its existence as Jersey Homesteads, a government-sponsored New Deal community of Jewish settlers supported by economic cooperatives in the form of farm operations, a factory and retail shops; incorporated in 1937; changed its name to Roosevelt in 1945; is known for its distinctive Bauhaus-influenced architecture and its reputation as an artists' colony.
Collected documentation about Roosevelt, N.J., in the form of general reference materials, records (generally incomplete) of various community organizations and projects, and papers and collections of selected individuals. Among the materials present are biographical files concerning people who have lived in Roosevelt, a selection of miscellaneous documents, and records of historical projects that focused on early borough settlers.
Persons represented in the biographical files, which contain articles, press clippings, broadsides and other materials, include several women, among whom are photographer Louise Rosskam (b. 1910) and artist Bernarda Bryson Shahn (b. 1903).
Included in the miscellaneous documents is a 1940 duplicate or unsent letter addressed to Eleanor Roosevelt which is signed by six women from Jersey Homesteads. The letter asks Roosevelt to intercede with the Farm Security Administration, in order to expedite the leasing of the community's factory building to a private concern.
The records of historical projects present in the collection derive from three separate documentation efforts. The Roosevelt History Project files, 1978-1981, include a questionnaire about the borough of Roosevelt that was completed by Bernarda Shahn in February 1979. The Roosevelt Oral History Committee files, 1981-1983, include interviews with early settlers of Roosevelt and with their children. These interviews, which are in the form of 54 original audio cassettes, 60 duplicate audio cassettes and related (later) transcripts, describe the founding and early history of the borough. About 27 women were interviewed as part of this project, including 14 who were interviewed with someone else present. Of particular interest are the interviews with Bernarda Shahn (the widow of artist Ben Shahn; this interview was conducted in June 1981) and Sarah Brown (the widow of philanthropist Benjamin Brown; he played a key role in the establishment of Jersey Homesteads). The Richard Kroehling papers, 1981-1984, concern the 1983 documentary film Roosevelt, New Jersey: Visions of Utopia which Kroehling directed. In addition to other materials, Kroehling's papers include several interviews with surviving Roosevelt settlers and their children. These interviews, present in the form of reel-to-reel audio recordings and typed transcripts, include a November 1981 conversation with Bernarda Shahn.
BOUDINOT FAMILY.
Papers, 1707-1876 (bulk 1771-1821).
18 folders.
Residents of N.J., including Elias Boudinot (1740-1821), his brother Elisha Boudinot and members of their extended families.
Papers, consisting chiefly of correspondence. Over twenty of the letters were written by women. Among the correspondents are: Hannah Stockton Boudinot (1736-1808) who is represented by three letters (to her daughter Susan Vergereau Boudinot Bradford in 1785 and 1787 and to her spouse Elias in 1797); Susan Vergereau Boudinot Bradford (b. 1764) who is represented by two letters (to her uncle Elisha Boudinot in 1800 and to her cousin Elias E. Boudinot in 1820); and Julia Stockton Rush (1759-1848) who is represented by two letters (to her aunt Hannah Stockton Boudinot in 1780 and to her cousin Susan Vergereau Boudinot Bradford in 1843).
Additional Boudinot family papers are available in other repositories, including at the Manuscripts Division, Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, Princeton University Libraries.
BOUND BROOK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (N.J.). UNITED PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN.
Records, 1889-1979.
ca. 1.5 cubic ft.
Organized as the Women's Association in 1933 upon the merger of the congregation's three existing women's organizations: the Woman's Missionary Society (a home and foreign missionary society; formed in 1881?), the Woman's Aid Society (known formerly as the Ladies' Aid Society; organized in 1885, suspended 1900-1905) and Ku Phi; renamed United Presbyterian Women in November 1965.
Minutes of meetings (incorporating constitutions and by-laws) and other records of the United Presbyterian Women and of two of its predecessor organizations. Records of the United Presbyterian Women consist of minutes, April 1933-December 1979 (including inserted copies of financial documents and, beginning in 1949, annual yearbooks); cash books, 1933-1966; a church parlor memorial book, 1939-1940; yearbooks, 1953-1988 (with gaps), containing leadership lists and calendars of events; and two published cookbooks, 1955 and undated. Records of the Woman's Missionary Society consist of minutes, February 1900-March 1933, and an annual program, 1905/06. Records of the Woman's Aid Society consist of minutes, December 1889-November 1900 and January 1905-March 1920; a cash book, May 1905-March 1915; and a 1923 cookbook. Two additional, undated cookbooks, possibly sponsored by the congregation as a whole, are also present in the records of the church.
Forms part of a larger collection of the Church's records.
BOYD, Elizabeth French, 1905-1994.
Academic papers, 1924-1980.
ca. 2.66 cubic ft.
College professor and author, of Middlesex County, N.J.; worked as a secretary at the American University in Cairo, Egypt; was graduated from Wells College in Aurora, New York, in 1928; studied English at Columbia University, receiving an M.A. in 1933 and a Ph.D. in 1944; taught literature at Douglass College, Rutgers University, 1936-1939 and 1944-1971, including four years as English Department chairperson, 1964-1968; spent many years researching Bloomsbury Heritage (1976), a book on Virginia Woolf and her circle; died in 1994.
Papers, including notes and essays, 1924-1928, 1931-1933 and 1939-1944, kept while a student at Wells College and Columbia University; course materials, 1930s-1970, resulting from teaching literature at Douglass College, including syllabi, exams, class assignments, lecture notes and correspondence; writings, 1920s-1970s, primarily relating to literary topics and personalities, such as Virginia Woolf, but also including several items of fiction and an essay describing (part of?) a two-year residence in Egypt; television and radio broadcasts, 1957, consisting of twelve lectures on the modern novel, with related correspondence and press releases; and speeches, 1940-1980, on literary topics and Boyd's life experiences.
Additional Elizabeth Boyd papers are available in the Rutgers University Archives.
BRICK, Gertrude N., 1905-1995.
Papers, 1763-1984.
15 cubic ft.
Genealogist and antiquarian of Burlington County, N.J.; attended the Ogontz School of Philadelphia (graduated 1924) and the School of Home Economics and Commerce (graduated 1941). Served as president of the Crosswicks YWCA; involved in founding of Fort Dix Community Service, formed during World War II; founder of Chesterfield Township Historical Society; chair of Chesterfield Township Tercentenary Committee; involved in the preservation of Chesterfield Township’s Singleton-Lathem-Large House.
Papers consist of two groups: personal and family papers of Gertrude Brick and the Benners-Wilson-Bradley family papers. Papers include correspondence, genealogical notes, photographs, obituaries and local history files.
Additional Gertrude Brick materials can be found at the Genealogical Society of New Jersey and the Special Collections and University Archives’ Sinclair New Jersey collection.
BRIGANTINE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER (Brigantine, N.J.). WOMEN'S LEAGUE.
Records, 1975-1984.
12 folders.
Constitutions, 1977 and 1984, and minutes, 1975-1983.
Forms part of a larger collection of the Center's records.
BRODSKY, Judith K., 1933-
Papers, 1973-2001.
30.5 cubic ft. (17 manuscript boxes, 25 cartons and 1 newspaper box).
American printmaker, artist and feminist activist; served as the first president of the Women’s Caucus for Art in 1976 and created the Coalition of Women’s Arts Organizations to obtain better rights and representation for women in the arts. She has held numerous positions at Rutgers University: professor and chair of the Art Department on the Newark Campus, associate dean and associate provost and professor (now professor emerita) at the Mason Gross School of the Arts. She has also served as a board member at the New York Foundation for the Arts, president of the College Art Association and national president of ArtTable.
Papers pertain to Brodsky’s life, her teaching and to the women’s art movement of the 1970s. Personal files consist of correspondence, research related to women in the arts, and various documents related to professional activities, such as her positions at the NYFA, CAA and ArtTable. Teaching materials consist of course materials, exhibition materials and various teaching files. Lastly, the women’s art materials consist of correspondence, exhibition notices and publications.
BRONSON, Miles, 1812-1883.
Letters received, 1849-1857.
22 items (1 envelope).
Letters received by a missionary couple (Miles and Ruth M. Bronson), chiefly while resident in (Nowgong?) Assam, India. Most of the letters were written by fellow missionaries in India; a few were written by the Rev. Bronson and sent by him to his spouse Ruth M. Bronson.
BROOKS FAMILY.
Papers, 1861-1924 (bulk 1861-1869).
.33 cubic ft. (1 box and 1 oversize folder).
Residents of Bridgeton, N.J.
Diary, 1869, of Enoch Brooks and letters received, 1861, 1863-1865 and undated, chiefly from his spouse Elizabeth S. Brooks; letters received, 1864-1865 and 1879-1924, of Elizabeth S. Brooks; letters received, 1888-1918, of Matilda E. (Brooks) Horner, sister of Enoch Brooks; letters received, 1900-1901, of Albert R. Horner; photographs, ca. 1864 and undated; and miscellaneous family papers, 1862-1914 (with gaps), including family correspondence, 1862-1865.
In the approximately two dozen letters sent by Elizabeth S. Brooks to her husband in 1864 and 1865 she writes of the death of her mother, of the welfare of their children, other relatives and friends, and of local news from Bridgeton and its environs.
The letters from 1864 and 1865 received by Elizabeth S. Brooks were written by her husband when he served in the Union Army, while the letters from 1879 to 1924 which she received were written chiefly by her relatives in Nebraska, including nine letters from two of her sisters (or sisters-in-law?) and a letter from a niece.
The photographs include separate cartes-de-visite of Enoch and Elizabeth S. Brooks.
Selected letters, 1864-1865, written by Enoch Brooks also available as typed transcripts.
BURKO, Diane, 1945-
Papers, 1958-2008.
4.5 cubic ft. (13.5 manuscript boxes and 1 carton)
American artist and photographer known primarily for landscapes. Active in local Philadelphia and national art scenes and feminist movement beginning in 1970s; founding member and president of Philadelphia Focuses on Women in the Visual Arts (PFWVA); served as board member of Women’s Caucus for Art, 1984-1987; served as board member of College Art Association, 1994-1998.
Papers pertain mostly to professional life, but some of Burko’s artwork is included in the collection. Papers include correspondence, notes, photographs and negatives, newspaper clippings, articles and exhibition announcements. Also included in the collection is Burko’s curriculum vitae and documents related to applications for tenure.
Material related to Burko’s participation in the Dana Women Artists Series found in the Mary H. Dana Women Artists Series Collection.
BURNETT, Virginia Stiles, 1903-1947.
Papers, ca. 1924-1947.
1.8 cubic ft. (6 boxes).
Curator of Special Collections, Rutgers University Library, New Brunswick, N.J.
Records as curator of Special Collections, as well as compilations and notes on N.J. history. Subjects represented include 17th and 18th century travelers through New Brunswick, N.J., pre-1801 N.J. almanacs, outstanding N.J. women and Morristown, N.J., local history.
BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S CLUB OF MONTCLAIR, N.J.
Records, 1931-1979.
2.5 cubic ft. (7 boxes).
The Montclair BPW was founded in 1928 with a charter membership of 56 women. Inspired by the National Federation of Business and Professional Women, the goals of the Montclair BPW were (1) to elevate the standards for women in business and the professions, (2) to promote the interest of business and professional women, (3) to bring about a spirit of cooperation among the business and professional women of the United States, and (4) to extend opportunities to business and professional women through education, along lines of industrial, scientific, and vocational activities. The club did work throughout the 20th century to promote women in the workplace, such as promoting the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s.
By-laws, 1935/36, 1958, 1963, 1974 and undated; minutes, 1933-1972 of executive board and general meetings; bulletins, 1933/34 and 1975/76; rosters, 1931/32, 1935/36, 1946, 1950/51, 1958/59, 1959/60, 1961/62, 1963/64 and 1976/77; event programs, 1946-1977, with gaps; general files, 1935-1979; presidential records, 1974-1976; a press book, 1937/38; and a membership book 1948/49, including a list of every member of the club since its inception in 1928.
BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S CLUB OF NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J.
Records, 1923-1983.
3.33 cubic ft. (3 cartons and 1 box).
Organized in 1923 to promote the entrance of women into the "working world" and the professions and to enhance opportunities for women in all facets of society; participated in various activities, including promoting world peace, advocating adoption of the Equal Rights Amendment, seeking repeal of protective legislation regulating the employment of women and providing scholarships for post-high school education; incorporated ca. 1961.
By-laws, 1923-1981 (with gaps); policy statements and procedures manuals, 1975 and undated; annual reports, 1933-1982; minutes, 1923-1982, of membership and executive committee meetings; treasurer's reports, 1924-1980; yearbooks and rosters, 1925-1982; newsletters, 1961-1982; committee records, 1924-1982; scrapbooks, 1926-1976; documents, 1923-1983, pertaining to club entertainment, ceremonies and similar events, including 50th and 60th anniversary celebrations; club room ledger, 1943; insurance policy, 1967; and correspondence, 1969-1983.
Committee records include finance committee budgets, 1924-1976, and minutes, 1935-1956; education committee annual reports, 1936-1957; emblem committee general files, 1936-1957; foundation committee general files, 1935-1982; legislative committee general files, 1962-1974; personal development committee general files, 1967-1971; and public relations committee records consisting of annual reports, 1941-1946 and 1950-1952, press releases and correspondence, 1962-1976, photographs, 1927-1976, manuals, 1966-1967, and news articles, 1941 and 1972-1976.
Note: This manuscript collection includes additional records which are not yet described in this entry.
BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S CLUB OF NEWARK, N.J.
Records, 1922-1965.
.66 cubic ft. (2 boxes).
Organized in May 1921; joined the New Jersey State (and National) Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs ca. 1928; dissolved ca. 1967.
Minutes of meetings of club members, 1922-1940, 1942-1943, 1946-1960 and 1962-1965, and of the executive board, 1923-1929; "scroll of achievement," ca. 1955; and a typescript history, 1961, compiled by Alice M. Garthwait.
Minutes from the period 1942-1965 include relevant supporting documentation, including correspondence, treasurer's reports, etc.
BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S CLUB OF POINT PLEASANT, N.J.
Records, 1948-1983 (bulk 1955-1983).
2 cubic ft.
Organized in 1947; incorporated in 1953.
Chronological files, minutes, newsletters, public relations files and other records.
BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S CLUB OF THE PLAINFIELDS (N.J.)
Records, 1919-1985.
1.2 cubic ft. (4 boxes).
Organized (soon after the creation of the national organization) in November 1919 as the Business and Professional Women's Club of Plainfield, N.J.; affiliated with the National and New Jersey Federations of Business and Professional Women's Clubs in 1920; changed its name to the Business and Professional Women's Club of the Plainfields after 1922 and before 1937; incorporated in 1960; dissolved after 1996.
Constitutions and by-laws, 1920-1922, 1936-1966 and undated; minutes, 1919-1922, 1933-1936, 1938-1942, 1946-1948 and 1952-1979, of membership and executive board meetings; cash book ["Treasurer's Book"], 1924-1951; membership lists, 1921-1922, and rosters of officers, 1946/47-1947/48 and 1984/85, incorporating annual calendars of events; newsletters, 1947-1950 and 1980-1985; certificates and proclamations, 1947 and 1981-1984; general files, 1933-1984 (with gaps), including such materials as the group's certificate of incorporation, 1960, and a mimeographed club history, 1965; and unidentified photographs, ca. 1980s.
Included in the minutes are annual and other reports of officers, committees and conference attendees, together with other supporting documents.
BUTLER, Francis Eugene, 1825-1863.
Papers, 1830-1900.
ca. 2.5 cubic ft. (2 boxes and 6 v.).
Personal and family papers, including papers of Butler's niece Julia Colt Butler (b. 1872), the daughter of Paterson, N.J., manufacturer Henry V. Butler: a diary, an album of poetry and two scrapbooks. An unattributed book of (loose) recipes is also present.
Julia Colt Butler's diary, June 28, 1889-December 8, 1890, contains detailed information about her social and family visits, games, her interest in such sports as football, church attendance, the theater, concerts and trips to Washington, D.C., and New England. Much of the diary concerns a six-month trip she made with other girls and a chaperone to Europe, with short stays in Antwerp and Brussels, and her three-month residence in a Paris hotel where she was tutored daily in French and music.
Publication: Wensel, Melissa A., "The Diary of Julia Colt Butler, 1889-1890," Journal of the Rutgers University Libraries, XLVI (1984): 47-57.
BUTTENHEIM, Margaret Stoddard, d. 1924.
Papers, 1909-1924 (bulk 1918-1921).
2 v.
Child welfare activist and clubwoman, of Madison, N.J.; born Margaret Stoddard about 1877; married Harold Buttenheim in 1906; beginning in late 1917 (or possibly early 1918), served as chairperson of the Department of Child Welfare of the Woman's Committee of the New Jersey State Council of Defense, a department that, with the same administrative relationship but an expanded mission, was renamed the State Council of Child Welfare about June 1919; became chairperson of the Woman's Committee itself (at its annual meeting in May 1919) following receipt of a state appropriation by the Woman's Committee that was intended to fund its child welfare work, which then – with World War I having ended – became the only activity of the Woman's Committee; continued as chairperson of the State Council of Child Welfare when in 1920 it became an independent body, renamed the New Jersey Council of Child Welfare, after the dissolution of the New Jersey State Council of Defense; remained as chairperson of the Newark-based New Jersey Council of Child Welfare, a statewide coordinating body for organizations active in child welfare work, until it was dissolved in 1921.
Minutes, correspondence, newsletters, reports and other materials relating to child welfare work in N.J., together with a 1909 (published) retelling of the Biblical story of Joseph which Buttenheim wrote, a 1915 letter from the governor of N.J. appointing her as a delegate to the National Conference of Charities and Corrections and several obituaries of Buttenheim.