Barnett papers
Scope and Contents
The Louise Eleanor Fruen Barnett Papers contain letters written during her freshman year at Mount Holyoke College (September 17, 1945-April 30, 1946). Letters were addressed to her parents and other family members and chiefly reflect her social and academic activities. She discusses her courses and teachers, especially introductory English and philosophy classes with Constance Meadnis Saintonge and Roger W. Holmes and physiology laboratories with Charlotte Haywood. She also mentions Mount Holyoke President Roswell Gray Ham, classmates, and an "extremely boring talk" at the College by Eleanor Roosevelt (October 20, 1945). Many letters discuss food, dating, dances, her expenses, and her job in a campus kitchen. There are also descriptions of a trip to the Outing Club Cabin (November 2, 1945), bicycle trips to Amherst, Massachusetts and visits to Smith College. Also of note is a reference to "8 or 10 Negro students" (September 24, 1945) a mention of writing to President Harry Truman about making "the atomic secret known to the other countries" (November 2, 1945), and a description of her volunteer work at a settlement house in Holyoke, Massachusetts (April 7, 1946). In addition, the letters describe Mount Holyoke traditions such as Mountain Day, College songs, hazing, May Day, Founder's Day and Junior Show.
Dates
- 1945-1946
Conditions Governing Access
Unrestricted
Biographical Note
Louise Eleanor Fruen was born on August 9, 1927 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her parents were Arthur B. Fruen, President of Fruen Milling Company, and Reba M. Watson Fruen. She graduated from West High School in Minneapolis then attended Mount Holyoke College from 1945-1949 and majored in American Culture. She later received a B.S. in Education from the University of Minnesota and a M.L.S. from Kent State University. On November 28, 1952 she married Richard E. Barnett, a graduate of Middlebury College. They had four children. She worked as teacher, a telephone sales representative for Uniited Airlines, and a housewife and has also done volunteer work. The Barnetts have lived in California, Colorado, Oklahoma, Calgary, Canada, New Jersey, New York, Akron, Ohio for 24 years, and North Carolina.
Extent
1 boxes (1949 Fruen)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Barnett, Louise Eleanor Fruen, 1927- ; Teacher and housewife. Mount Holyoke College graduate, 1949. Papers consist of letters to her family. Primarily describing her academic and social activities while at Mount Holyoke with an emphasis on classes, traditions and special events, including a lecture by Eleanor Roosevelt.
Arrangement
Arranged in 1 series: Series 1. Correspondence.
- Amherst (Mass.) -- Description and travel Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- College students -- Massachusetts Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Dance Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Dating (Social customs) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- English language -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- Massachusetts Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Food Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Hazing -- Massachusetts -- South Hadley Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- May Day -- Massachusetts -- South Hadley Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Mount Holyoke College -- Curricula Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Mount Holyoke College -- Faculty Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Mount Holyoke College -- Student expenses -- 1945-1946 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Mount Holyoke College -- Student life -- 1945-1946 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Mount Holyoke College -- Students Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Mount Holyoke College -- Students -- Employment Subject Source: Local sources
- Mount Holyoke College -- Students -- Political activity Subject Source: Local sources
- Mount Holyoke College Manuscript Collections Subject Source: Local sources
- Mountain Day -- Massachusetts -- South Hadley Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Philosophy -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- Massachusetts Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Physiology -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- Massachusetts Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Student activities -- Massachusetts -- South Hadley Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Student volunteers in social service Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Women college students -- Massachusetts Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- Barnett papers, 1945-1946.
- Subtitle
- Finding Aid
- Status
- Edited Full Draft
- Date
- #169; 2003
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
- Sponsor
- Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Repository Details
Part of the Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections Repository
50 College Street
8 Dwight Hall
South Hadley MA 01075-6425 USA
413-538-3079
archives@mtholyoke.edu
