Skip to main content

Centennial Historian records

 Collection
Identifier: 1H-1975

Scope and Contents

Collection consists of the records of Jean Glasscock, Centennial Historian dating 1941, 1971-1975. Series I. General (1972 to 1975) consists of correspondence, notes, reports, maps, lists, clippings, and publications; concerning the history of Wellesley College and its founders, donors, faculty, staff, students, and buildings and grounds. It includes slides, a sound tape recording, and a script by Jean Glasscock for a Centennial Slide Show. Series II. Oral Histories (1941, 1971-1974) consists of oral history interview transcripts (most contain contents list and index, summary of interview,) and reports, collected as part of the preparation of Centennial Historian Jean Glasscock's book 'Wellesley College 1875-1975: A Century of Women;' concerning Pauline Durant, the role of trustees, students and their organizations and activities, faculty and departmental histories, staff, buildings and grounds, financial affairs, donors and gifts to the college, presidents and their selection, deans and their roles, traditions and legends, visitors to campus, healthcare, faculty-student relationships, Wellesley in World War I and World War II, strengths of Wellesley in comparison to other colleges, exchange programs, graduate education, combining a career and a family, and other aspects of the history of Wellesley College; including the association of Wellesley with Yenching University, Mme. Chiang Kai-Shek, and the service employees union.

Dates

  • 1941, 1970-1974

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research. To make an appointment to view materials, please contact the Archives staff by email at archives@wellesley.edu or by phone at (781) 283-3745.

Conditions Governing Use

The Wellesley College Archives welcomes researchers to use materials in the public domain, to make fair use of copyrighted materials as defined by copyright law, and to request permission to use works whose copyright is held by Wellesley College. All materials from the Archives, regardless of copyright status, should be attributed to the Wellesley College Archives, Library and Technology Services when cited, quoted, or reproduced.

Biographical / Historical

The college hired Jean Glasscock (Class of 1933) to write a history of the college as Centennial Historian (she had previously served as Director of Publicity and Coordinator of Special Events). Glasscock worked with thirteen trustees, professors, and administrators on this history, and conducted oral history interviews as part of the process. Their book titled “Wellesley College 1875-1975: A Century of Women” was published in March, 1975. A Centennial Office was opened in September 1971 to plan the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the college, led by Nancy Lewis. A Centennial Steering Committee was established, led by chairman Margaret Watts Case (Class of 1937), and including students, faculty, staff, and alumnae. The slogan “Here Begins a New Life” or in Latin “Incipit nova vita” was chosen for Wellesley’s second hundred years. The official Centennial year was determined to be March 1975 (marking the anniversary of the signing of the college charter) to June 1976 (marking Commencement). A program put on by students and faculty was held on September 8, 1975 (the anniversary of the college’s opening); the same day there were exhibits of historical materials from the college’s earliest days. [Information from: Report of the President 1950, page 19, and from file “Centennial, 1975-1976” in 1SD Records of the Publicity Office, Box 3 Folder 15. See also: "Wellesley College 1875-1975: A Century of Women” by Jean Glasscock, 1975, at URL: repository.wellesley.edu/wellesleyhistories/1.]

Extent

2.4 Linear Feet (6 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Related Materials

See also collection 1VA College anniversaries records, Series III. Centennial (100th Anniversary), 1950-1975.
Title
Glasscock, Jean. Centennial Historian records, 1941, 1970-1974: a container list.
Author
Natalia Gutiérrez-Jones, Project Archivist (file-level description and Scope and Content note previously created by Dorothy Brown '09).
Date
2020 October
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Wellesley College Archives Repository

Contact:

781-283-3745