Mary Elizabeth Walsh was born on September 16, 1905 in Savannah, Georgia, a daughter of Thomas F. Walsh and Mary Iaeger. Her father was a lawyer and member of the Catholic Laymen's Association of Georgia. She also had an uncle who was a bishop. She received a bachelor's degree from the College of Notre Dame in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1927. She pursued graduate studies in Washington, D.C. at the National Catholic School of Social Service (NCSSS), 1927-1929, which was at time administered by the National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW), but also affiliated with The Catholic University of America (CUA). She served as a juvenile caseworker for the Catholic Charities of Toledo, Ohio, from 1929 to 1932. She then returned to CUA to work on a doctorate in Sociology. She served as Paul Hanly Furfey's research assistant in 1933, became an instructor in 1936, and earned her Ph.D. in 1937. Her dissertation 'Saints and Social Work' focused on methods used by recent saints in dealing with the poor.
She continued working at CUA and focusing her research and field work on social problems of the poor as well as minorities. She worked with Gladys Sellew and Father Furfey on the Il Poverello settlement house in Washington, 1937-1940, and then was in charge of her own settlement house from 1940 to 1958. She wrote American Social Problems in 1942 and was co-author with Furfey of Social Problems and Social Action published in 1958. She was appointed assistant professor at CUA in 1943, associate professor in 1947, and ordinary professor with tenure in 1962. She also lectured in nursing education 1947-1948. She retired in 1971 and died on February 18, 1987.
The Mary Elizabeth Walsh papers contain correspondence, both personal and professional, as well as reference and research material, calendars and address books, student notes and papers, memorabilia, financial records, and printed material. Her papers reflect the decades of educational, religious, and social activist efforts of Dr. Walsh and her mentor, Msgr. Paul Hanly Furfey. Because of their close cooperation, including the sharing of office space, the material that came to the archives was loose and unorganized, often without folders, with much work needed to attempt to separate that of Walsh from Furfey. When there was doubt as to authorship, material was retained in the Furfey papers consisting of ten series numbering some 135 record center boxes while the Walsh papers reflect a similar format with seven series and some 37 record center boxes.
Series 1 is Correspondence, 1934-1977, in boxes 1-5, and divided into two subseries. The first subseries is Personal, 1934-1976, in boxes 1-2. This is a mix of material to and from friends and former students in box 1 and family in box 2. The second subseries is Professional, 1937-1977, in boxes 3-5. This has correspondence filed alphabetically with persons like her colleagues Paul Hanly Furfey and Gladys Sellew as well as institutions and organizations such as the American Catholic Sociological Association and the College of Notre Dame in Baltimore to which she was connected. The focus for this correspondence is beyond CUA, with her CUA correspondence included in Series 2, though there is some inevitable overlap.
Series 2 is the Catholic University Sociology Department/Bureau of Social Research (BSR) Records, 1933-1973, in boxes 5-28, and divided into three subseries. The first is General Administration Files, 1935-1973, in boxes 5-14. This includes her Sociology departmental files on classes, dissertations, committees, etc. as well as correspondence and related material regarding fellow faculty such as C. Joseph Nuesse and Raymond Potvin. The second subseries is Bureau of Social Research (BSR) Reference and Research Material, 1933-1972, in boxes 15-24. The BSR was created by Msgr. Furfey and fellow Sociology professor Thomas J. Harte as a facility for contract and grant research. It was intended to be an ongoing experiment with an important academic role in the training of students by providing them with dissertation topics and Sociological data. The files here are a mix of alphabetical, numerical, and miscellaneous materials. The third subseries is BSR Studies, Workshops, and Grant Project Files, 1960-1972, in boxes 25-28. This has a mix of general files as well as specific ones studying the deaf, vocational rehabilitation, and infant education.
Series 3 is Calendars and Address Books, ca. 1945-1980, in box 29. The calendars are mostly small desk ones with notes written in both pen and ink. The address books are very small with handwritten notations.
Series 4 is Education Records, 1933-1937, in box 30. This includes class notes and a roll up copy of her 1937 doctoral degree, in Latin.
Series 5 is Memorabilia, 1939-1980, in box 31. This is a miscellaneous assemblage of medals, coins, mass and prayer cards, Christmas and Easter cards, travel literature, and postcards.
Series 6 is Financial Records, 1932-1985, in boxes 32-36. This includes banking, retirement, automobile, housing, medical, taxes, and miscellaneous records.
Series 7 is Publications and Publicity Material, 1936-1980, in box 37. This has biographical material, articles, books, book reviews, speeches, and addresses.
The Mary Elizabeth Walsh Papers consists of seven series:
None
Paul Hanly Furfey Papers
C. Joseph Nuesse Papers
This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.
The initial deposit of papers received jointly with those of her mentor, colleague, and friend, Msgr. Paul Hanly Furfey, on September 26, 1983. These entailed correspondence, financial records, and printed material. Dr. Walsh and Msgr. Furfey signed deed of gift forms on September 26, 1984 that were witnessed by Library Director Eric L. Ormsby and CUA Archivist Anthony Zito. A second joint accession of papers was received on September 16, 1984 and a third on April 13, 1987. Due to her lifelong professional and personal collaboration with Msgr. Furfey, their records were largely intertwined and difficult to separate. The decision was made initially to treat Furfey and Walsh material as two parts of a joint collection, dividing wherever possible. This is reflected in the 1996 series level inventory that described a collection of parallel organization with much cross-referencing. When there was a doubt as to authorship, material was placed in the Furfey section consisting of eleven series numbering some 136 record center boxes. In 2011, the Walsh material was finally separated and set up as an independent collection, reflecting a similar structure to the Furfey papers but with only seven series and some 37 record center boxes.
Initial processing in 1996 with revisions in 2011 by William John Shepherd. Additional contributions by Anna Watkins in 2012 and Raymond Moore in 2013. EAD markup completed in April 2011 by William John Shepherd and revised in March 2013.
Divided into two subseries.
Personal Correspondence, A-T, including Greeting Cards, 1935-1975, Box 1
Personal Correspondence, including Christmas and Birthday cards; Notes on her family history, 1934-1976, Box 2
Correspondences with the Catholic University of America (CUA) Social Service School and Catholic Social organizations, including the American Catholic Social Society, Catholic Peace Fellowship, and the Catholic Interracial Council of D.C.; Clippings of social work articles, 1937-1967, Box 3
Correspondence with Msgr. Paul Furfey as well as the National Catholic School of Social Services (NCSSS), including correspondences with other sociologists concerning Msgr. Furfey and the NCSSS; NCSSS Publications, such as newsletters and yearly announcements. 1936-1976, Box 4
Correspondence with different universities and their sociology departments, such as St. John's University and Notre Dame; Files from CUA such as NCSSS Alumni and Campus Ministry, 1937-1977, Box 5
Divided into three subseries
Class Materials including Admissions Cards, Class Lists, and Student Name Cards; Course lists; Class Lecture Notes; and Colloquia (NCSSS), 1935-1970, Box 6
Seminar Files, including Correspondence as well as Lecture Notes; Graduate Course Notes and Rosters, 1935-1967, Box 7
Course Files, including a Graduate Seminar she co-taught with Msgr. Furfey' Research Notes on Sociological Experiments she conducted; Three Essays by Msgr. Furfey; and Sociology Dissertation Topics that Walsh directed, 1938-1969, Box 8
Correspondences with Dissertation Candidates as well as their Handwritten Notes; Graduate Course Files, including Examinations ('Blue Books'), 1946-1968, Box 9
Undergraduate Course Files, including Exams; Notes on Graduate Comprehensive Exams; and Graduate Oral Comprehensive Exams, 1936-1970, Box 10.
Faculty Correspondence with the Sociology Department as well as with Rev. Thomas J. Harte and Msgr. James Magner about departmental funding; Correspondences with Rector William McDonald; Faculty Meeting Notes; and Memos, manly handwritten for Walsh, 1938-1973, Box 11
Reports; Faculty Correspondence, including Dean C. Joseph Nuesse; Research Note Cards; Course Notes, including those on Race; and some select Student Papers, 1937-1966, Box 12
Seminar Papers; Correspondence with Students concerning Term Papers; and Term Papers for Undergraduate and Graduate Classses. 1944-1971, Box 13
Graduate Seminar Term Papers (not in folders); Notes and Files from Sociology Summer Session Courses; and Sociology Dept. Workshop Files, 1946-1970, Box 14
General A-Z: Poverty, School Desegregation in D.C., and Welfare Files; Grant Applications and Booklets on Research Programs; and Newspapers, Magazines, and Student Papers on Catholic Social Issues. 1946-1965, Box 15
Numerical: Research Materials, including Notes, Articles and Clippings, on Population Growth, Resource Management, Health Care, Food and Drugs, and Minority Groups; Correspondence with Theoretical Sociologists. 1935-1970, Box 16
Numerical: Handwritten Lecture Notes for Graduate Courses, and Seminars; Research Notes and Clippings on Racial Integration including School Integration and Housing Discrimination. 1961-1971, Box 17
Numerical: Notes and Articles on Racial Discrimination, including Research on Sociological Problems Stemming from Discrimination for African-Americans; Articles on the Watts Riot of 1965.; Research on Ethnic Discrimination as well, such as Puerto Ricans. 1938-1965, Box 18
Numerical: Research Notes and Clippings on Juvenile Delinquency and Criminology of Juveniles as well as Adults; Miscellaneous Files on Race Relations in Washington DC in 1968; Clippings from the Democratic Convention in Chicago. 1941-1968, Box 19
Numerical: Newspaper Clippings on Programs related to President Johnson's Great Society, as well Social Problems of the mid-1960s such as Housing, Social Security, Race Relations, and the War on Poverty, 1943-1970, Box 20
Numerical: Research Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings on Labor and Social Legislation as well as the Church position on the Vietnam War.; Correspondences with Msgr. Furfey and The Catholic Worker on the Vietnam War, 1954-1970, Box 21
Miscellaneous: Newspaper Clippings from Catholic Newspapers on Social Issues and Members of Religious Life, including Catholics under the Iron Curtin; Copies of the Catholic Radical from 1969 that mainly discusses urban issues and protesting the Vietnam War; and two Letter folders of Walsh's Promotional Materials for Lectures and Publications, 1949-1972, Box 22
Miscellaneous: Books titled Porgy, Current Social Problems, and The Life of Catherine McCauley. Magazines on Issues such as Poverty and Race. Pamplhets from various Sociological Organizations, 1933-1972, Box 23
Miscellaneous: Copies of the Catholic Newspaper, "Restoration"; Magazines on Puerto Rico; Booklets from the U.S. Government on Social Security and Medicare benefits, 1948-1970, Box 24
Statistical Research Files, mostly on Labor and Survey Forms as well as Surveys on Sociological Problems for the Deaf, 1960-1972, Box 25
Statistical Research Files, mostly on the Deaf in Baltimore, including two binders of Surveys filled out by manufacturers, two Reports on Deaf African-Americans and the social problems they faced, and Handwritten Notes, 1960-1968, Box 26
Research on the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) for Washington D.C., including Individual Surveys of disabled people who received services from the DVR; Statistical Data, and an IBM computer printout of all the statistics; and a File with a comprehensive Report on Walsh's research, 1960-1961, Box 27
Research on the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) for Washington D.C., including additional surveys and testimonials from participants within the program; Copies of Walsh's report titled, "A Study of the Caseload of the District of Columbia Department of Vocational Rehabilitation"; Research files on early education and child development; A Report on early education from 1972 by Msgr. Furfey; and Walsh's List of Addresses and Personal Contacts, 1960-1972, Box 28
Personal Calendar and Address Books, 1945-1980, Box 29
Research for her doctoral work, including Physiology Notes and Rat Studies; and a rolled up Scroll of Walsh's 1937 doctoral degree from CUA, 1933-1937, Box 30
Miscellaneous items such as keys, medals, coins, ink stamps, ordination cards, memorial cards, prayer cards, Christmas and Easter greeting cards. There are also travel materials that Walsh took during the 1960s-1980; which includes travel brochures, plane tickets, and hotel reservations, 1939-1980, Box 31
Travel files from Walsh's trips to Europe and around the United States for sabbaticals. Included in these are her expense reports as well as correspondence from her travels. Lastly, there are vacation travel brochures, 1939-1974, Box 32
Personal Finances, which are mainly Checks and Check Registers, 1958-1976, Box 33
Personal finances, including bank statements and correspondence with the National Bank of Washington D.C.; Correspondence with CUA concerning her transition into retirement and Social Security, 1948-1975, Box 34
Personal finances, including Medical records and miscellaneous, which include pay stubs from CUA and information on her 12th street apartment and receipts for rent. Lastly, there are many receipts and correspondence with different businesses, 1932-1975, Box 35
Income tax information, includes federal and DC taxes, 1936-1985, Box 36
Publications that Walsh had written throughout her career. This includes manuscripts for books that she has written as well as different articles she wrote. Also included are her personal handwritten notes for different books and articles she has written. Lastly, there is a 1937 copy of her published dissertation, The Saints and Social Work, as well as a manuscript copy of the dissertation., 1936-1980, Box 37