%eadnotat; ]> 5282hick An Inventory of the Elizabeth A.W. Furnas Papers Finding Aid Prepared by FHL staff Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College 2012 Text converted and initial EAD tagging provided by FHL Staff, 2012 ENG Elizabeth A.W. Furnas Papers FHL staff Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. 2012 Descriptive Summary Furnas, Elizabeth A. W. (Elizabeth Ann Walter), 1900-1972 Elizabeth A.W. Furnas Papers1928-1967 RG5/283 .5 linear ft. Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College.
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
For current information on the location of materials, please consult the Library's online catalog Elizabeth A.W. (Betty) Furnas was an active member of the Society of Friends who served as a member of the Board of Pendle Hill and was a member of the Women's Problems Group of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and its sucessor, Philadelphia Quaker Women. The collection includes minutes and correspondence, particularly of the latter, as well as published and unpublished writings and other material.

Repository:

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081-1399

Phone: (610) 328-8496 FAX: (610) 690-5728

 All materials in English BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL

Betty Furnas was the daughter of William Emley and Caroline Sargeant Walter. She graduated from Vassar College and married Paul J. Furnas, son of William and Deborah Moore Furnas, in 1923. From 1917 to 1920 Paul was the Field Secretary for the American Friends Service Committee and Associate Director of the ACLU. The couple moved to New Jersey and he worked for the Paulsboro Manufacturing Co. They participated in a number of work camps affiliated with the AFSC. Both Elizabeth and Paul also served as Board members at Pendle Hill during this period. Elizabeth also was involved with the Women's Problems Group, a fellowship of women of the two Philadelphia Yearly Meetings and later of the joint body; she became its Chairman in the early 1960s when it was renamed Philadelphia Quaker Women and continued in that role until 1966.

After 1940 Paul returned to AFSC and was appointed the Executive Secretary of Civilian Public Service In 1946, he was named Vice-President/Comptroller at Earlham; retired from Earlham in 1958 and died two years later. Betty married Thomas E. Jones, President Emeritus of Earlham, in 1968, and died four years later in 1972.

 SCOPE AND CONTENT

This collection includes the papers of Elizabeth A.W. Furnas who was active in a number of Quaker concerns in the mid 20th century. Of particular interest are minutes and correspondence of the Women’s Problems Group and its successor, Philadelphia Quaker Women. There are also her manuscript writings, some notes on lectures at Pendle Hill, as well as information on some of the work camps in which she was involved.

 Arrangement

Organized in three series:

Correspondence and Activities Writings Miscellaneous ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Accession information

Gift of Ann Trueblood Rape, 2011 (Accession 2011.023)

Some of the collection was sorted into a letter file, presumeably by Furnas, and was labelled with the names of her different activities; this material has been kept together. The contents of a small binder labelled "Philadelphia Quaker Women" was removed from the binder and sorted into two folders, that which was attached and the other loose.

An oversized photograph of a wedding at Swarthmore Meeting in 1923, Elizabeth Furnas as bridesmaid, is stored with PA/Oversized. Blueprints of Pendle Hill, 1936, W. Pope Barney and Roy W. Banwell Associate, has been transferred to RG4 Pendle Hill (oversized).

 Access

The collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

Copyright has not been assigned to Friends Historical Library All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in to the Curator. Permission for publication is given on behalf Friends Historical Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by reader.

Preferred Citation

[Indicate the cited item or series here], Elizabeth A.W. Furnas Papers, Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

 SELECTED SEARCH TERMS Materials catalogued separately

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Friends Historical Library (TRIPOD). Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings: Researchers are advised to search by subject and author, when applicable.

Quakers - Pennsylvania. Quakers - New Jersey. Quakers - Indiana. Quaker women Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends American Friends Service Committee Philadelphia Quaker Women (Organization) Women's Problems Group (Philadelphia, Pa.) Pendle Hill (School : Wallingford, Pa.) Furnas, Paul J., 1889-1960 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE RECORDS

Note to Researchers: To request materials, please note both the location and box numbers shown below:

 Ser.1 Correspondence and Activities Letter file Letter file: AFSC/Pendle Hill/Religious Education 1928-1959 1 folder 1

As compiled, Furnas’ description from cover; contents removed from letter file. Includes many articles/publications, especially the American Friend and Friends Intelligencer, notes and materials for religious educational work, AFSC letters/work camp documents, and Pendle Hill documents. Of note is Henry Cadbury’s response to the requirement of a Teacher’s Oath.

 Letter File: Women’s Problems Group/PQW [Philadelphia Quaker Women]/UCW [United Church Women] 1958-1964 1 folder 1

As compiled, Furnas’ description from cover; contents removed from letter file. Primarily correspondence relevant to these groups, budgets and membership rolls, and articles and publications. Of note is the discussion over regarding support for Planned Parenthood.

 Philadelphia Quaker Women [binder] Philadelphia Quaker Women 1958-1967 1 folder 1

Pages removed from a small binder of minutes 1960-65 (rough with gaps) and membership lists, notes, schedules and plans for lectures, a small amount of correspondence, and flyers.

 Philadelphia Quaker Women 1958-1964 1 folder 1

Loose papers enclosed in the binder above. minutes, reports, and correspondence of the Board of Philadelphia Quaker Women, 1964-66 (gaps). Also includes a carbon copy of a letter describing a visit to the White House and meeting with J.F. Kennedy (1963).

 Phila.[Philadelphia] Quaker Women 1965-1967 1 folder 1

As compiled, loose documents. Small collection of correspondence and reports.

 Ser.2 Writings Notebook/Journal n.d. 1 folder 1

Notebook with notes, meditations, and plans for educational work.

 Notebook/Journal 1932 1 folder 1

Primarily philosophical and religious musings as well as notes for her lecture on First Day Schools.

 Miscellaneous published and unpublished writings 1934-1945 1 folder 1

Published articles, notes on workshops/lectures, and drafts. Of particular interest is a summary of a Sea Girt Seminar led by both Paul and Betty in the summer of 1934.

 Published material 1934-1959 1 folder 1

Primarily Wayfarer, Pendle Hill, and Religious Education Bulletin. It is not clear whether some of the material was written by Furnas or was just collected by her.

 Ser.3 Miscellaneous Cutler-Sargent Family History 1949 1 folder 1

Manuscript (typescript carbon copy), probably assembled by Howard Harrop Sargent (hhs) whose son married a Watson, relationship to Elizabeth Furnas undetermined. Of interest is a section on Uncle Len" who graduated from the Naval Acedemy in 1898 and guarded the Panama Canal in World War I.

 Photographs n.d. 1 folder 1

Undated photograph, probably of Women's Problems Group.