%eadnotat; ]> 6Q001soli Finding aid for Somerville Literary Society Records, 1871- 1978 Finding Aid Prepared by FHL staff Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. 2007 Text converted and initial EAD tagging provided by FHL Staff, 2007 ENG FHL staff Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. 2007 Descriptive Summary Somerville Literary Society Records 1871-1978 RG6/Q001 Somerville Literary Society 11 boxes; 5.25 linear feet 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. The Somerville Literary Society was a women students' literary organization founded at Swarthmore College in 1871. The purposes of the organization were to discuss literature, strengthen the friendship between its members, and prepare them for the wider field of action and influence opening to women, according to the group's constitution. The collection contains the records of the Somerville Literary Society, including constitution, minutes, financial papers, writing, correspondence and material concerning the Lucretia Mott and Martha F. Tyson Scholarships

Repository:

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081-1399

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

BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL NOTE

The Somerville Literary Society was a women students' literary organization founded at Swarthmore College in 1871. The purposes of the organization were to discuss literature, to strengthen the friendship between its members, and to prepare them for the wider field of action and influence opening to women, according to the group's constitution. The society was named after Mary Somerville (1780 -1872), a 19th century Scottish mathematician and scientist.

The Society organized an annual celebration, Somerville Day, which featured plays, songs, and lectures on literary topics and was held through 1964. The group produced a literary journal and was active on campus through the 1940s. However, by the mid 20th century, it had become primarily an organization for Somerville alumnae and concentrated its efforts on managing the Lucretia Mott and Martha F. Tyson Scholarships.

SCOPE AND CONTENT OF THE RECORDS

Contains the records of the Somerville Literary Society including constitution, minutes, financial papers, writing, correspondence and material concerning the Lucretia Mott and Martha F. Tyson Scholarships.

Organized into seven series:

Organization: Constitution and Bylaws, Published Proceedings and Membership Minutes Lucretia Mott and Martha F. Tyson Scholarships Financial Papers Writings Correspondence Miscellaneous ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Accession information

Donor: Somerville Literary Society

Access

Collection is open for 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 Director. 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], Swarthmore College Archives, Somerville Literary Society Records, RG6/Q001, Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

Autographs donated to the Somerville Literary Society by Charles Jenkins have been transferred to the Charles Jenkins Autograph Collection. Photocopies are filed in Series 6, Miscellaneous, Somerville Literary Society.

Autographs and Letters (in original order):

Williamina Palton Fleming Lillie Devereux Blake Mary S. Sogar Octavia Walton LeVert Florence Earle Coates Caroline Atwater Mason Jeannette L. Gilder Carter Goodloe Ruth Hall Frances Aymar Mathews Amelia Küssner Caroline Chesebro Emily Sartain May Wright Sewall Gwendolen Overton Mrs. James K. Polk Bessie C. Parker Alice Morse Earle Kate Sanborn Mrs. Potter Palmer Dorothea Dix Anna Dickinson Elizabeth Cady Stanton Evelyn Noble Armitage Grace Greenwood Wendell Phillips Rachel G. Foster Elizabeth Cady Stanton (#2) Belva A. Lockwood Processing information

Rehoused and a new finding aid produced in 2003. Autographs transferred to Small Collections, 2011.

SELECTED SEARCH TERMS DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE RECORDS

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:

Swarthmore College Somerville Literary Society Lucretia Mott Scholarship Martha F. Tyson Scholarship Literary Societies Quakers -- Students Students -- Social life and customs DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE RECORDS

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

Series 1. Constitution and Bylaws, Published Proceedings and Membership Handwritten constitution and by-laws n.d. 1 folder 1 Constitution and by-laws, published irregularly 1879-1912 1 folder 1 Published Proceedings of Annual Meetings 1884 1 folder 1 Published Proceedings of Annual Meetings 1885-1892 1 folder 1 Published Proceedings of Annual Meetings 1893-1907 1 folder 1 Published Proceedings of Annual Meetings 1908 1 folder 1 Lifetime Membership Records ca. 1888 1 folder 2 Lifetime Membership Records ca. 1896 1 folder 2 Lifetime Membership Records ca. 1902 1 folder 2 Lifetime Membership Records ca. 1914 1 folder 2 Series 2. Minutes Minutes of Regular Meetings 4/27/1880- 9/18/1888 1 folder 3 Minutes of Regular Meetings 9/18/1888- 4/8/1899 1 folder 3 Minutes of Regular Meetings 2/26/1897- 5/31/1907 1 folder 4 Minutes of Regular Meetings 9/20/1907- 4/14/1934 1 folder 4 Minutes of Annual Somerville Day Meeting, and Correspondence relating to Lucretia Mott and Martha F. Tyson Scholarships 4/12/1935- 5/22/1982 1 folder 5 Loose Minutes and Somerville Day Committee Reports 4/15/1941- 4/23/1947 1 folder 5 Loose Minutes and Somerville Day Com. Reports, includes 1/9/65 letter on ending of Somerville Day 4/7/1951- 1/9/1965 1 folder 5 Minutes of Sigma Chapter 10/2/1888- 9/24/1904 1 folder 6 Minutes of Omicron Chapter 10/5/1888- 2/11/1905 1 folder 6 Minutes of Literary Department 9/26/1912- 10/16/1914 1 folder 6 Series 3. Lucretia Mott and Martha F. Tyson Scholarships Minutes of regular meetings of fellowship committees 4/24/1914- 4/14/1922 1 folder 7 Minutes of fellowship committee's annual meetings on Somerville Day 4/13/1912- 4/12/1930 1 folder 7 Miscellaneous papers, including financial reports and eligibility requirements (chron. ordered). 1904-1930 1 folder 7 List of recipients of Mott Scholarship (1895-1973) and recipients of Tyson Scholarship (1915-1973) 1895-1973 1 folder 7 List of supporters of the fellowship 1915-1928, n.d. 1 folder 7 Series 4. Financial Papers Treasurer's Accounts 9/24/1897- 3/25/1909 1 folder 7 Treasurer's Accounts, includes 1992 letter formally acknowledging receipt of Somerville's accounts by Swarthmore. 5/1/1917- 12/9/1959 1 folder 7 Treasurer's Accounts 4/1/1960- 7/22/1992 1 folder 7 Corresponding Secretaries Reports, includes accounts of which members paid dues. 1912-1917 1 folder 7 Corresponding Secretary's Reports, and accounts of who paid dues. 1918-1922 1 folder 7 Miscellaneous Financial Papers ca. 1891-1920 1 folder 7 Series 5. Writings The Phreneskeia 11/29/1881- 1/2/1886 1 folder 8 The Phreneskeia (book missing front and back covers) 11/30/1886- 11/24/1891 1 folder 9 Loose writings taken from book titled The Phreneskeia S.L.S. (Part A) (these papers appear here in the order they were found). n.d. 1 folder 9 Loose writings taken from book titled The Phreneskeia S.L.S. (Part B) ca. 1905 1 folder 9 Loose writings taken from book titled The Phreneskeia S.L.S. (Part C) ca. 1894 1 folder 9 The Phreneskeia, scattered editions, each edition in own folder. 1891-1909 1 folder 10 Series 6. Correspondence Correspondence, includes 3-4 autograph letters from Charles Jenkins 1872-1922 1 folder 10 Correspondence, includes letters relating to dues and names proposed for lifetime membership 1917-1918 1 folder 10 Series 7 Miscellaneous Autograph letters of famous women, donated to the Society by Charles Jenkins; includes autographs of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Dorothea Dix and Mrs. James K. Polk (Photocopies: originals transferred to Small Collections.) 1888-1907, scattered 1 folder 11 Reunions, Meetings, Entertainments (chron. ) 1882-1926, n.d. 1 folder 11 Reunions, Meetings, Entertainments (chron.) 1943-1981, n.d. 1 folder 11 Programs of Joint Meetings with Delphic Literary Society and Eunomians 1883, 1887, 1888 1 folder 11 Somerville Songs 1 folder 11 Miscellaneous Papers, includes article about Mary Somerville. 1912-1978 1 folder 11 Phoenix articles about Somerville. (5/1908, 5/1909, 4/1910 articles removed to college archives.) 1908-1939, scattered 1 folder 11