Ruth papers
Scope and Contents
The Margaret Stallman Ruth Papers consist of correspondence, a notebook, correspondence and newsletters relating to her Mount Holyoke Class of 1932, a newspaper clipping, photographs and slides. Most of the material in this collection relates to her academic and social activities as a student at Mount Holyoke College from 1928-1932. In letters to her parents she discusses her studies and numerous faculty and staff members, particularly professors Leonora Branch, Roberta Swartz Chalmers, Jeannette Augustus Marks as well as Laura Dunklee, head of The Sycamores dormitory. She describes her "crowd" of friends, going on dates and to dances, participating in campus clubs and sports, the room choosing process, College traditions such as freshman hazing, Junior Show, and May Day pageants, and plans for several new buildings that were announced in February 1929. She refers to smoking by students and in a letter of May 20, 1931 mentions disciplinary action taken against fifteen students for smoking, drinking, and staying out after hours. Other campus events she describes include instances of epidemic and quarantines as well as a sex education class conducted by the College physician (letter of Jan. 19, 1929). In addition, she describes her different work experiences on and off-campus, most notably as a student teacher and as a summer camp counselor, and her concerns about finding a job after graduation. She reflects on marriage in a letter of March 8, 1931 and mentions her refusal of a marriage proposal in a letter of May 19, 1932. She also often discusses books that she is reading for pleasure. Another Mount Holyoke-related document in the collection is a notebook entitled "Fieldiana" that Ruth and Martha G. Town Randall prepared for a zoology class in 1931. It contains drawings and descriptions of insects and other inhabitants of ponds, streams, and marshes at Mount Holyoke. There is also a photograph album containing pictures of the campus and students, as well as a senior photograph of Ruth herself. Material relating to her Class of 1932 includes letters written to and from classmates, newsletters, and slides taken at reunions.
Dates
- 1928-2001
Conditions Governing Access
Unrestricted.
Conditions Governing Use
Unrestricted.
Biographical Note
Margaret Sayre Stallman, a graduate of Mount Holyoke College, secretary, and homemaker, was born on May 17, 1911 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Captain George P. Stallman, a surgeon of the United States Army, and Myra Rafter Stallman. She attended West High School in Rochester, New York from 1924-1928, studied at Mount Holyoke College from 1928-1932 and graduated with a major in English literature and a minor in English. She also attended the Rochester Business Institute in 1935. She was a secretary for a physician from 1932-1935 and became a secretary for the Eastman Kodak Company Camera Works in 1935. She married Roger Allen, a production engineer at Eastman Kodak.
Extent
3 boxes (1932)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Ruth, Margaret Stallman, 1911-; Secretary and homemaker. Mount Holyoke College graduate, 1932. Papers consist of correspondence, a zoology notebook, biographical information, material relating to the Class of 1932, a photograph album, photographs, and slides. Primarily documenting her academic and social life as a student at Mount Holyoke, 1928-1932. Class of 1932 materials chiefly consist of correspondence with her classmates after graduation.
Arrangement
Arranged into five series. Series 1. Correspondence. Series 2. Notebook. Series 3. Class of 1932 material. Series 4. Biographical Information. Series 5. Photographs.
- Books and reading Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Camp counselors -- New Hampshire -- Correspondence Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Camp counselors -- New York (State) -- Correspondence Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- College students -- Massachusetts Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Dating (Social customs) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Hazing -- Massachusetts -- South Hadley Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Marriage Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- May Day -- Massachusetts -- South Hadley Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Mount Holyoke College -- Buildings -- Views Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Mount Holyoke College -- Campus -- Views 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 -- Regulations Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Mount Holyoke College -- Sports Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Mount Holyoke College -- Student life -- 1928-1932 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Mount Holyoke College -- Student notebooks -- 1931 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 -- Traditions Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Mount Holyoke College Manuscript Collections Subject Source: Local sources
- Sex instruction for women -- Massachusetts -- South Hadley Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Smoking Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Student activities -- Massachusetts -- South Hadley Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Women college students -- Massachusetts Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Zoology -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- Massachusetts -- South Hadley Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- correspondence Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- notebooks Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- photograph albums Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- photographs Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Title
- Ruth Papers, 1928-2001
- Subtitle
- Finding Aid
- Status
- Edited Full Draft
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by .
- Date
- © 2005
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
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
