UNITED STATES. FEDERAL BOARD FOR VOCATIONAL EDUCATION.
Records, [ca. 1921]-1930s.
.8 cubic ft. (2 boxes).
Created in 1917; became the Division of Vocational Education of the U.S. Office of Education in 1933.
Materials from the files of employee Anna L. Burdick: correspondence, reports, speeches, bibliographies, course outlines, publications and other documents relating to vocational education for women.
VAIL, Rebecca, d. 1872.
Diary, 1847-1852 (bulk 1847).
1 item (25 p.).
Resident of Green Brook Township (then part of Warren Township), Somerset County, N.J.; born Rebecca Worden; married Emmor K. Vail, a farmer; had at least one child.
Diary, January 30-July 25, 1847, kept by a young Quaker homemaker. Entries describe daily activities, such as chores and sewing, and record frequent visits with friends and relatives (most or all Quakers) of Green Brook, Rahway, etc. Some entries pertain to the making of "coats," from which Vail derived a modest income. Following the diary entries is a list of household expenses, 1851-1852.
Publication: Wagner, Joyce S., "A Nineteenth-Century Woman Diarist, or, Rebecca of Green Brook Farm," Journal of the Rutgers University Libraries, XLVI (1984): 76-83.
VALENTINE, Anthony P., d. 1862.
Account book, 1852-1883 (bulk 1852-1858).
1 v.
Gunsmith, of Spotswood (then part of Monroe Township), N.J.
"Daybook No. 2," 1852-1858, containing entries relating chiefly to repairing and cleaning watches, clocks, guns and an occasional violin. Among the volume's other contents is an account listing purchases made (chiefly of clothing, fabric and shoes), 1871-1883, for Eliza Skeats "due her for part of annual sum paid before to [orphan?] Asylum in trust."
VAN DYKE, Mary Dix, 1819-1875.
Diary, 1849 Nov. 20-1850 July 14.
1 v. (48 p.).
Resident of New Brunswick, N.J.; born Mary Dix Strong; married John Van Dyke, a lawyer who served as mayor of New Brunswick, 1846-1847, and as a U.S. Representative, 1847-1851.
Diary containing brief, regular entries dealing chiefly with family and social life in Washington, D.C., and with observations on political events. The few longer entries in the diary are concerned with a White House dinner (February 20, 1850) and the deaths of John C. Calhoun and President Taylor. Also included is the text of a letter (not sent, on her husband's advice) urging Senator George E. Badger, of North Carolina, to remove the pistol which he reputedly kept in his desk in the U.S. Senate chamber.
VAN DYKE, Rachel, b. 1793.
Diary, 1810 May 20-1812 Jan. 12.
Original manuscript: .2 cubic ft. (1 box).
Preservation photocopy: .33 cubic ft. (1 box).
Daughter of Frederick Van Dyke (1751-1811), a well-to-do gentleman; lived with her family in New Brunswick, N.J., in a household that included slaves; attended the Reformed Dutch Church; reportedly married Henry Jackson and "settled in New York, lived and died there."
Diary in which Van Dyke wrote about social and household activities, sewing, playing the piano, church attendance, her studies (of Latin, chemistry and eventually botany) and tutoring a younger cousin (a girl). The diary also records her feelings for Ebenezer Grosvenor, a graduate of Yale College who tutored Van Dyke in Latin until he went home to Connecticut due to ill health. Marginal comments in the diary are by Grosvenor, with whom she periodically exchanged diaries.
Patrons must use a preservation photocopy; the original manuscript is restricted.
Publication: McMahon, Lucia, and Deborah Schriver, eds. To Read My Heart: The Journal of Rachel Van Dyke, 1810-1811 (c2000).
VINELAND LIBERAL LEAGUE (N.J.)
Records, 1882-1885.
1 v.
Organized in 1882; affiliated with the National Liberal League founded at Philadelphia in 1876; supported "the total separation of church & state, equal rights in religion, genuine morality in politics & freedom, virtue and brotherhood in all human life"; included both women and men as members.
Declaration of principles, list of members, constitution and by-laws, minutes and financial records.
VOORHEES, Anna D. Covert, 1838-1916.
Letters received, 1853-[1915].
2 folders.
Born Anna D. Covert, the daughter of Minner F. and Catharine (Hartough) Covert; in 1879 married Robert Voorhees (1819 or 20-1887), a lawyer, orator and farmer of Harlingen, Montgomery Township, N.J., as his second wife; died without issue.
Approximately 60 letters received, chiefly from relatives, including her sister. Thirteen letters, 1870-1873, from Anna Voorhees' sister Sallie H. Barclay were sent from Washington County, Pennsylvania; 13 later letters, sent from various locations, were apparently also written by the same person, who by 1881 was known as Sara Shilliday (d. 1907?).
In: Robert Voorhees Papers.
For additional material relating to Sara Shilliday, consult the repository's Minner F. Covert papers.
VOORHEES, Sarah Rutgers, b. 1853.
Diary, 1891 Mar. 22-1892 Nov. 9.
1 v. (21 p.).
Resident of New Brunswick, N.J.; born Sarah Rutgers Neilson, the daughter of Theodore G. and Catharine Bayard (Rutgers) Neilson; married firstly, March 15, 1877, Willard P. Voorhees (1851-1914), a lawyer and judge; married secondly Albert J. Jones (1849-1925), whom she survived.
Diary incorporating notations on deaths and the weather, but chiefly concerning social and personal activities with her first husband.
VOORHEES, Tracy S. (Tracy Stebbins), 1890-1974.
Papers, ca. 1948-1975.
ca. 23 cubic ft.
Lawyer and U.S. Army official.
Papers of Voorhees include ca. 100 letters of condolence received after his death by his widow Josephine Ludlow (Palmer) Voorhees, a resident of Brooklyn, New York City. Also included in the collection are papers relating to the 100th birthday of his mother, Mary (Stebbins) Voorhees (1859-1960), also a resident of Brooklyn, and letters of condolence which he received and acknowledged following her death.
VOORHIES, Athaliah Cubberly, 1799-ca. 1893.
Religious journal, 1858 Jan. 1-1868 Nov. 1.
1 v.
Resident of Hamilton Square, N.J.; born Athaliah Cubberly, the daughter of David and Elizabeth (Mount) Cubberly; married Major Voorhies, a tanner, in 1820.
Religious journal containing brief, regular entries, which is chiefly a record of area deaths and of Biblical texts which formed the basis for sermons delivered in Hamilton Square's First Presbyterian Church by its minister, the Rev. Robert S. Manning, and others.
WALDRON, Marion Craig.
Papers, 1930.
.33 cubic ft. (1 box).
Papers relating to the Camp Fire Girls of Oldwick, N.J.: songs, clippings, charters and other documents, including related artifacts.
WATSON, John, 1785/6-1840.
Papers, 1787-1839.
2 v.
Baptist minister, of N.J.; held pastorates at Northfield, Livingston Township, Essex County, 1815-1818, and at Mount Bethel, Warren Township, Somerset County, 1818-1826.
Record of marriages performed, 1816-1839. Also miscellaneous hymns copied beginning in 1787 by Martha Watson (of Nottinghamshire?).
WELLS FAMILY.
Papers, 1738-1953 (bulk 1770-1953).
7 cubic ft. (7 cartons).
Bulk grouped by person; largely unarranged.
Elm Farm: Farm located along the Raritan River in Franklin Township, Somerset County, N.J., about two miles from present-day New Brunswick; part or all purchased by Rutgers Preparatory School in 1957 or 1958.
Papers, 1921-1953, of Julia Lawrence Wells of New York City consisting of financial papers (in part relating to real estate holdings in New York City); estate papers for relatives (including her mother Sarah Remsen Wells); records of Elm Farm (including deeds and financial papers); and photographs. Also papers of three of her male ancestors and their relatives, some of whom also owned Elm Farm.
Advance notice required to consult this collection.
WENDOVER, Jessie May, b. 1872.
Diary, 1881 Jan. 1-1953 Dec. 31.
1.2 cubic ft. (3 boxes).
Resident of Newark and Metuchen, N.J.; graduated from Barnard College, 1896; lived for some time with her mother, Caroline B. Wendover, the widow of William A. Wendover (d. 1900), a wealthy Newark grocer.
Diary documenting in full, regular entries the life of a middle-class woman from childhood to old age. The volumes include a record of household chores, recreation, studies and reading, music lessons, social life, visits, shopping, vacations and other activities, in addition to some limited observations of national and world events.
WERNER, Adelaide.
Diary, 1906-1907.
1 v. (62 p.).
Daughter of Louis Werner.
Diary concerning a trip to England (in June 1906) and Werner's experiences (in February 1907 only) as a student in a (private?) school near Columbia University in New York City. Werner appears to have been a teenager when she wrote the diary.
WHITLOCK, Sarah O.
Papers, ca. 1914.
1 folder.
Papers, including essays concerning the history of New Brunswick, N.J., which apparently were intended to be chapters in a book, as a preface (on the history and future of New Brunswick) is present.
WHITNEY, Susan, b. 1839.
Diary, 1856-1857, 1868-1872.
1 v. and 1 envelope.
Diary entries for 1856-1857 present only as a typed transcript.
Resident of Middlesex County, N.J.; lived in Perth Amboy prior to October 1869 when she moved with her brother Benjamin Whitney to a farm in East Brunswick Township; moved again (also with her brother) to a nearby farm in 1871.
Diary, November 1, 1856-April 26, 1857 and January 1, 1868-September 2, 1872. The entries from the 1850s reveal Whitney's interest in activities at the Perth Amboy, N.J., Baptist Church where she taught a small class of African-American children, while other entries pertain to household, family and local affairs. The entries beginning in the late 1860s (which are fairly regular through 1869 and thereafter have gaps of increasing length) often note the weather and usually chronicle domestic tasks, family life and social visits. Whitney frequently notes that her health is poor and constantly remarks on how busy she is (as she not only kept house, but also eventually helped with many of the farm chores as well). In addition, she records her reflections, which are usually of a religious nature. Among the other information which Whitney notes is that, with the consent of both parties, she has been informed that her brother and his fiancée have "made love" (entry for November 18, 1871). The diary ends five days before her brother Benjamin's wedding to Emaline Tunison of New Brunswick. Also included in the volume is an account, recording receipts and expenses for the farm, which was evidently recorded by Whitney and not by her brother.
WHITNEY FAMILY.
Papers, 1861-1921.
.33 cubic ft. (1 box).
Papers consisting of letters received, 1861-1873, by Susan C. Whitney and her spouse Bennett, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and New Brunswick, N.J., that were written primarily by their son Eben Whitney; letters their son Henry Whitney and his spouse Bertha (Stoddard) Whitney (b. 1850), of New Brunswick and Plainfield, N.J., received from her parents, the Rev. Ira Joy Stoddard (1820-1916) and his spouse Drusilla Chapman (Allen) Stoddard (1821-1913), former missionaries in India who were then living at the George Nugent Home for Baptists in Germantown, Pennsylvania; and a diary, January 1-December 25, 1868, January 1-August 6, 1871, and January 1-February 13 and March 19-April 6, 1875, kept by Bertha Stoddard before her marriage to Henry Whitney.
During the period of her diary, Bertha Whitney was a student at Kalamazoo College in Michigan who lived with relatives (in 1868), a student at Troy Female Seminary in Troy, New York (in 1871), and a public school teacher in Pella, Iowa (in 1875). In her diary she mentions frequent church activity, as well as visits to relatives in Cortland and Erie Counties in New York.
WHITTEMORE, Helen A. (Helen Austin), 1890-1978.
Papers, 1910-1978.
2.4 cubic ft. (6 manuscript boxes and 1 v.).
Amateur naturalist; born September 3, 1890, the daughter of N.J. businessperson Charles Anthony Austin; grew up in Orange, N.J.; was graduated from the Ingleside School in New Milford, Connecticut, in 1911; married Theodore B. Whittemore (d. 1964?); lived in or near Oldwick, Tewksbury Township, N.J., on a 200-acre property (which became the Whittemore Wildlife Sanctuary after her death); died in December 1978.
Papers consisting of a scrapbook, diary, American Kennel Club certificates and personal miscellany. Accompanying these papers are family photographs and poems composed by Sarah Meech Austin.
The scrapbook, 1910-1915, contains a variety of mementos such as valentines, dance cards and event programs (for Ingleside School and other venues, including several N.J. theaters). Also present in the scrapbook are press clippings relating to various social events that Whittemore attended.
Whittemore's diary, 1928, 1930-1955, 1957-1963, 1965-1975 and 1978, comprises the bulk of the papers. It contains brief, regular entries recording her somewhat insular life, including daily notations relating to the temperature and weather, car maintenance, doctor's appointments, etc., as well as brief comments about her day. Whittemore also regularly recorded information about her dogs (through the early 1940s) and the wildlife (especially deer, ducks and geese) that were observed, caught or killed on her property. Various entries from 1954 through 1963 document her spouse's declining health.
The American Kennel Club certificates consist of registration documents, 1931, 1934 and 1936-1939, for Whittemore's English setters and a 1937 award won by her dog Blue of Lorelei.
Included among Whittemore's personal miscellany is a brief essay which she wrote entitled "My Personal Impressions of Mr. Coolidge, Through His Lincoln Day Speech."
The family photographs include two 1933 images of Whittemore with one of her English setters, as well as various late nineteenth and early twentieth century images. The later photographs are primarily portraits, both professional and amateur, some of which are unidentified. Included with the photographs are a small photograph album and a 1929 silhouette of a woman.
WHITTINGHAM FAMILY.
Papers, 1859-1938 (bulk 1883-1933).
ca. 1 cubic ft.
Papers of Alice B. Whittingham and her father Walton C. Whittingham (d. 1906), both residents of Millburn, N.J., accompanied by miscellaneous papers of Alice's sister Elizabeth R. Whittingham (d. 1933), the sisters' mother Elizabeth H. (Renwick) Whittingham (1867-1933) and the latter's brother Edward B. Renwick (b. 1863).
Alice B. Whittingham's papers consist chiefly of letters received, 1909, 1922-1926, 1933 (upon the death of her mother) and 1937-1938. Her sister Elizabeth R. Whittingham is represented by a notebook and related items (all from 1928?) pertaining to overseas travels. Letters received, 1889-1890, and receipts, 1887(1901)-1902, comprise the bulk of the papers of Walton C. Whittingham. Papers of his spouse Elizabeth H. (Renwick) Whittingham consist primarily of letters received, 1933, and miscellaneous receipts, 1901-1902. These items are accompanied both by her school report cards, 1883 and undated, and by letters which she wrote to her father (Edward S. Renwick) in the fall of 1883 (12 letters while attending the Episcopal-affiliated St. Mary's Hall, Burlington, N.J.), in 1884-1885 (ca. 47 letters while attending Miss Mackie's School, Newburgh, New York) and in 1888 (12 letters while traveling in Europe). Edward B. Renwick's miscellaneous papers include several items, 1913, 1923-1925 and 1927, pertaining to St. Stephen's Cemetery in Millburn. Genealogical materials relating to the Renwick family, including a later copy of an 1859 account by James Renwick (1790?-1863), are also present, as are family photographs.
WILCOX, Anna B.
Papers, 1886-1926.
1 envelope.
Resident of Paterson, N.J.; married Asa A. Wilcox, a lawyer.
Travel journal, February 7-May 3, 1905, and miscellaneous other papers. The journal covers a trip to France, Italy and England with her spouse and daughter.
WILLIAMSON, Sarah Cook, 1849-1878.
Diary, 1864 Sept. 22-1865 Mar. 27.
1 v. (32 p.).
Daughter of geologist George Hammell Cook (1818-1889); married Nicholas Williamson, a physician of New Brunswick, N.J., in 1874.
Diary kept while a student at Troy Female Seminary in Troy, New York.
In: George Hammell Cook Papers. Finding aid available online.
WISTER, Sarah, 1761-1804.
Journal, 1777 Sept. 25-1778 July.
1 item (16 pages).
Early manuscript copy by John F. Watson, a Philadelphia historian, of original now at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
Quaker resident of Philadelphia who lived with her parents, sisters and brother some 15 miles from the city in North Wales (Gwynedd), Pennsylvania, during Philadelphia's occupation by the British Army.
Revolutionary War era journal which reveals that Wister followed local military activity with interest and was a friend of young American officers.
Publication: Myers, Albert Cook, ed., Sally Wister's Journal; a True Narrative (1902). (The text of the repository's copy differs from that of Myers' published version.)
Publication: Derounian, Kathryn Zabelle, ed. The Journal and Occasional Writings of Sarah Wister (c1987). (The text of the repository's copy has not been compared with this publication.)
WOMAN'S CLUB OF WOODBURY (Woodbury, N.J.)
Records, 1919-1994.
ca. 5 cubic ft.
Begun in 1913 as a club to sew clothing for the poor which met every Monday afternoon; became known as the Monday Club in 1914; affiliated with the New Jersey State Federation of Women's Clubs in 1919; changed its meeting schedule from every Monday to the first, third and fifth Monday of each month in 1919; established a junior branch in 1920, initially for girls and young women aged 15 to 23 who were relatives of members, but for which the age limits and membership requirements varied over time; changed its name to The Woman's Club of Woodbury in 1925; joined the General Federation of Women's Clubs in 1934; incorporated in 1937; organized an evening membership department in 1949; changed its meeting schedule from twice a month to once a month in 1972; through projects such as providing scholarships and awards for high school seniors, helping to maintain and improve public parks, making financial contributions to local charities, sponsoring meetings for members that focus on a wide range of topics and sending representatives to district and state federation meetings and events, seeks "[t]o strive for the welfare of the community[,] to assist charities at the discretion of the Club" and "to promote among its members an interest in education and cultural subjects," as well as "[t]o support federation projects at the wishes of our club."
Constitutions and by-laws, 1938/39, 1956, [1960s?], [1969] and [1992]; yearbooks, 1919/20, 1944/45-1956/57 and 1958/59-1993/94, comprising annual calendars of events incorporating lists of officers and members plus additional information; club histories, 1940, 1989 and 1994; minutes, 1927-1934 and 1961-1982, of the advisory board; minutes, 1919-1948 and 1961-1979, of regular and annual meetings; treasurer's reports, 1942/43-1989/90; account book, 1969-1978, of the ways and means committee; committee reports, 1941/42, 1943/44-1944/45, 1947/48-1949/50, 1971/72 and undated; attendance registers, 1919-1925, 1941-1951 and 1959-1980; membership and dues records, 1942-1987; deposit book, 1957-1971; community improvement project files, 1979-1982, 1986-1988 and 1992-1994; certificates and awards, 1967-1992 and undated; and scrapbooks, 1940-1994 (with gaps), consisting primarily of press clippings. Also similar records for the evening membership department.
Finding aid available (excludes records of the evening membership department).
Finding aid for evening membership department available online.
WOMEN'S CAUCUS FOR ART.
Records, 1972-1989.
35 cubic ft. (29 cartons and 13 boxes).
Organization which serves as "a clearinghouse for ideas, a networking headquarters, a materials resource and a vehicle for public visibility" for and about women in the visual arts (including artists, art historians, critics, gallery and museum professionals, collectors, educators, students and others); founded in 1972 as a caucus within the College Art Association of America with Ann Sutherland Harris as its first president; incorporated in 1975 as an independent body; during the 1970s, sponsored and published surveys regarding the status of women in the visual arts, including documentation of discriminatory practices; in the 1980s, sponsored Women's Visibility Events (WAVEs) to protest the neglect of women artists by museums; holds its annual conferences at different locations in the U.S.; includes caucuses uniting persons with a common background or interest as well as geographically-based chapters; sponsors exhibitions and awards honoring women in the arts.
General files of successive presidents, 1972-1988, consisting primarily of correspondence, conference files and membership (chapter) files; annual conference files, 1985-1988; financial records; newsletters, 1973-1988; membership rosters, 1976-1981 and 1989; audiovisual materials, 1975, 1977-1978 and 1980, consisting of both audio and video recordings of selected Caucus events; and photographs, 1975-1983 and 1987, chiefly depicting annual conferences. Also records of three Women's Caucus for Art chapters: New York City, 1982-1987; New Jersey, 1979-1986; and Philadelphia, 1977-1989. Accompanying the Caucus' records are papers donated to the Caucus by Elsa Honig Fine (materials dated 1974-1987) and Claire R. Sherman (materials dated 1971-1979) which chiefly relate to women in the arts in the U.S.
Among the persons whose activities are represented in the records is Judith K. Brodsky.
Restricted in part.
Advance notice required to consult this collection.
Note: This manuscript collection includes additional records which are not yet described in this entry.
WOMEN'S PROJECT OF NEW JERSEY.
Records, 1984-1991.
ca. 13 cubic ft.
Organized in 1984 to gather and publish information about notable N.J. women; initially known as the New Jersey Women Project; incorporated in N.J. in 1985 as a nonprofit organization with the name "The Women's Project of New Jersey, Inc."; received grant funding from various public, foundation and corporate sources; organized the writing of biographical sketches published as Past and Promise: Lives of New Jersey Women (1990; reissued 1997); curated a traveling photographic exhibit, also entitled Past and Promise, which premiered in March 1990 and toured the state until 1994; subsequently engaged in additional projects (including creating the New Jersey Women's History website) and continues to be active.
Minutes, 1984-1990, of the board of trustees and of the editorial board; correspondence, 1984-1990; fundraising files, 1985-1989, including copies of grant proposals; editorial files, 1984-1988, including the manuscript of Past and Promise; biographical files relating to N.J. women (chiefly born in or before 1923); visual materials files (often including artifact inventory forms) pertaining to many of the same women; photographs; and other records.
The biographical files, arranged in two alphabetical sequences, pertain to over 300 women, some of whom are not represented in the published volume. Folders on individual women typically include the Project's standardized data checklist, notes, photocopies of primary and secondary source materials and one or more drafts of a biographical essay.
Several persons included in the Project's biographical files are also represented in the repository's manuscript collections. They include Adèle de Leeuw, Millicent Fenwick, Elizabeth S. Kite, Eleanor Egg Krattiger, Mary T. Norton, Mary G. Roebling and Susanna P. Zwemer, among others.
Container list available.
WOOD, Janet Margaret, 1907-?
Papers, 1936-1953.
3 v. and 19 items.
Captain of an American National Red Cross "clubmobile" that dispensed doughnuts, coffee, cigarettes and candy to military units near Cheltenham, England, during World War II; later worked in California and N.J. as a social worker.
Clubmobile journal ["Log of Clubmobile No. 1, Base No. 1"], March 14-April 22, 1943 (including lists of supplies and other memoranda, as well as descriptions of Wood's work with the clubmobile); notes on Scottish heraldry; drivers' licenses and other documents; writings by Wood and others (in the form of conference papers and articles) which primarily relate to state aid for the care of disabled children in California and the structure of a state system of mental health clinics in northern N.J.; and miscellaneous other papers.
YOUNGS, Dinah, d. 1839.
Ledger, 1794-1810.
1 v.
Resident of Morris County, N.J.; widow of Ephraim Youngs.
Ledger pertaining to a boarding house which Youngs operated.
In: Silas Condict Papers.
ZWEMER, Susanna Peirce.
Papers, 1939-1948.
2 cubic ft. (5 boxes).
Consumer advocate and librarian, of Westfield, N.J.; born Susanna Weare Peirce in 1895; married Richard Adrian Zwemer (d. 1929); moved to N.J. in 1934; worked with various groups, including the League of Women Voters of New Jersey, the New Jersey Committee on Constitutional Convention and the New Jersey Constitution Foundation, to promote revision of the N.J. constitution; among her other activities, served as president of the Consumers League of New Jersey, 1940-1947 and 1963-1971, and as a member of the N.J. Governor's Task Force on Migrant Farm Labor; died in 1992.
Speeches, notes, reports, publicity releases, leaflets, clippings and other papers chiefly relating to the movement for revision of the N.J. constitution.
Additional Susanna P. Zwemer papers are available at the New Jersey Historical Society.
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