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Nathalie Gookin papers
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This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Bryn Mawr College. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Nathalie Gookin was born on August 8th, 1900 in Winnetka, Illinois. Her father was Frederick William Gookin, a Japanese art collector, authority on Japanese prints, and curator of Japanese prints at the Art Institute of Chicago. Her mother was Marie Gookin.
She attended Chicago Latin School for Girls before studying at Bryn Mawr College from 1916 to 1920. She won the $100 dollar Western States Scholarship upon being admitted and, as a freshman, was the youngest person at college in 1916. She lived in Rockefeller dorm all four years, played field hockey, and majored in English and Latin. She was also part of the English and French clubs. She graduated 5th in her class, magna cum laude.
Little is known about her life after college. After graduating, she lived with her parents at 321 Linden St., Winnetka, Illinois. She studied part-time at the Art Institute of Chicago from 1921-1923. She also held the office of class collector for several years in the 1920's and was a member of the Bryn Mawr College Club of Chicago. Oher 1937 alumnae survey she lists "writing papers for small literary club" as her main occupation (details about this club are unknown). On the 1970 alum Survey, she reports that she was interested in Western History and had a "large collection of books." She never married or had children. She died on February 16, 1980, at the age of 80 and left the contents of her home to fellow her college friend, Alice Rood Van Deusen's, daughter, Kathleen E. Van Deusen.
Upon her death she left a generous bequeath to Bryn Mawr, including some valuable pieces from her father's collection of books on Japanese art.
The Nathalie Gookin papers consist of the personal papers of Nathalie Clotilde Gookin, Bryn Mawr College class of 1920. The collection houses the hundreds of letters written by Gookin to her parents, and sometimes her aunt Nathalie Kennedy, while a student at Bryn Mawr from 1916-1920. Along with the letters, the collection also includes Nathalie's diaries from 1916-1920. Additionally, there is some miscellaneous ephemera from Bryn Mawr.
The collection is housed in in four boxes, ordered by date. Each box is divided by month and year into folders.
Common subjects in her letters include the stress of the workload, homesickness, lectures, professors, social life in the dorms, small-scale activities, and larger, college-wide events, and traditions. In her freshman year letters and some of her sophomore year letters, she writes profusely about her admiration for Helen Harris, class of 1917. She also writes about the Spanish Influenza epidemic of 1918-19, which occurred during her freshman and junior years, respectively. In the collection there are also some letters from before she came to college, sent while she was on summer vacations with friends. In 1913, she writes to her parents from Rutland, Vermont, about playing with her friends and visiting Boston. In 1915, she stayed with friends on Mackinac Island, Michigan and writes about their daily activities. There are also some letters written after her graduation. In the spring of 1921, she writes to her parents while visiting Bryn Mawr friends on the East Coast. In 1923, she writes while visiting her college friend, Anne Coolidge, in Boston. Mixed in with those letters are also letters written to Nathalie from college friends or to Maria Gookin about Nathalie. While the bulk of the letters in the collection are authored by Nathalie, here are also scattered letters (1913-1923) from her mother and father, Frederick and Marie Gookin, usually written while visiting their daughter. One item in this collection, a program for a 1918 W. D. Griffiths' film, is stored separately in the Playbill Collection of the Rare Books Room. There are also some of Nathalie's father's books on Japanese art in the Bryn Mawr College Library. Her diaries record events of the day, and the entries are often short. She sometimes includes ephemera related to events, like pamphlets, in the pages of her diaries. In addition, there is an entire folder of miscellaneous ephemera from Bryn Mawr, another folder with approximately 40 of her exams, and a copy of her "school record," a small book listing the classes she took and work she completed. More extensive folder description can be found under "Collection Organization."
Gookin's numerous letters weave a detailed tapestry of life at Bryn Mawr from 1916-1920. These years were important on a national scale, as the US entered WWI, the women's suffrage movement surged on, and the 1918 influenza epidemic threatened the health and safety of many institutions, including many college campuses. Bryn Mawr was immediately affected on a local level by these global events, and Nathalie chronicles political events, war efforts, and the influenza quarantine, as well as many other Bryn Mawr-specific events. Her correspondence, with the accompanying diaries and ephemera, would be an invaluable resource to anyone interested in Bryn Mawr College, colleges during World War I, women's suffrage, college life, the influenza epidemic, etc.
The contents of this collection were bequeathed to Kathleen E. Van Deusen, the daughter of Natalie Gookin's college friend, Alice Van Deusen. Kathleen then gave these items to Bryn Mawr College Special Collections.
This collection was a 1982 gift of Kathleen E. Van Deusen.
Organization
Subject
- Publisher
- Bryn Mawr College
- Finding Aid Author
- Michele Kemmerer Allison Rodgers
- Finding Aid Date
- August 29th, 1988
- Access Restrictions
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This collection is open for research.
- Use Restrictions
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The Natalie Gookin papers are the physical property of the Special collections Department, Bryn Mawr College Library. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns.
Collection Inventory
The first folder of the Natalie Gookin papers consists of letters written almost every day between Natalie Gookin and her family, most notably her mother and father and aunt, during her freshman year at Bryn Mawr College in 1916. These letters are arranged chronologically according to the date that they were written. Her homesickness is most evident in her letters to her mother, as she always sends lots of love and wishes that she were back home. Most of her letters describe student life at Bryn Mawr College and how she is adjusting to being so far from home. She writes about her classes, professors, friends, and student activities such as parties thrown in Rock or club meetings. She most enjoys writing about how much she hates English, how much she hates the rules of the Hockey team, and she introduces her crush on Helen Harris. These letters would be of interest to anyone studying women's colleges or student life.
The second folder in the Natalie Gookin papers consists of letters written during the month of November, 1916 from Natalie Gookin to her parents and aunt, as well as a few from Frederick Gookin to his wife. These letters are arranged chronologically and are from her freshman year at Bryn Mawr College. Most of her letters are accounts of her feelings and encounters with her fellow classmate and idol Helen Harris. "Hel" Harris is mentioned in every letter in some way. In addition, Natalie's lettesr provide insight into the election between Hughes and Wilson, balancing classes and hockey practice, Bryn Mawr traditions, and life with her friends. Some of these activities are accompanied by sketches and drawings of uniforms, dorm plans, and her lantern. These letters would be of interest to those studying student life, political activism in colleges, women's colleges, and female relationships.
The third folder in the Natalie Gookin papers holds letters from December, 1916, Natalie's freshman year at Bryn Mawr College, written by her to her parents and aunt. They are arranged chronologically. In this collection of letters, Natalie details her highlights of December: her wonderful trip to New York with the Blodgett's, a dinner with her professor Mrs. Carver, reacting to a Vita article in the college newspaper about what she had said, and of course the Sophomore-Freshmen dance where she danced with her beloved "Hel" Harris. During the month of December, Natalie's devotion to Helen Harris escalates even more to the point that she refers to her as the "divine one". These letters would be of interest to anyone studying student life, female relationships, and women's colleges. It is interesting that Natalie finds that "having a dance without men is nice", the same dance in which she danced with Helen Harris.
In the fourth folder of the Natalie Gookin papers consists mainly of letters written by Bryn Mawr freshman Natalie Gookin to her parents and aunt during the month of January 1917. They are arranged chronologically, according to the date they were written. The first month of 1917 is a busy one for Natalie as she finishes up her first semester exams and continues to raise money for her class endowment fund. Her letters detail the activities of her everyday life and her thoughts on them as pertaining to classes, clubs, friends, and athletics. While previously her crush on senior Helen Harris was one of her favorite obsessions, after she comes home from winter break Natalie starts to become friends with Helen and writes that she is not as silly about it as before. These letters would be of use to anyone studying female relationships, women's colleges, student life, and academic achievement.
Included in two of her letters are beautiful sketches of a toy tiger she bought to appease her growing desire for a cat. Another highlight of Natalie's letters is the mention how Helen Harris and several other seniors raise money for the endowment fund by having students vote on professors' appearance. In addition, it is important to note that the last letter in the folder is one that was written to Natalie by her friend Sandy.
The fifth folder in the Natalie Gookin papers consists of letters written from Natalie at Bryn Mawr College to her aunt, mother, father, and cat snip during the month of February, 1917 in her freshman year. These letters are arranged chronologically according to the date that they were written. Her February is marked by the end of first semester exams and visiting friends in New York which leads into the change of her new semester's courses and professors, busy teas, and the freshman show. Her desire and admiration for Helen "Hel" Harris has waned somewhat but she still mentions her, however small, in every letter. In these letters she introduces her thoughts and feelings about the Great War and fighting the Germans, attending a talk by Captain Beith on "Trench Warfare". These letters would be of interest to anyone studying women's colleges, student life, the Great War (World War I), student theater, and female relationships. One interesting tidbit in this folder is a letter addressed to her cat, the "beloved Snip" whom she adores.
In the sixth folder of the Natalie Gookin papers, Natalie writes home daily to her aunt, mother, and father during her freshman year at Bryn Mawr College in March of 1917. These letters are arranged chronologically according to the date that they were written. Much of this folder consists of letters detailing Natalie's everyday activities and academic achievements within the community of Bryn Mawr. She spends a large amount of time describing her design for a yellow sweater she crocheted for herself, expressing excitement at coming home for Easter, and complaining about the amount of work her classes give her. As it is the mid-semester, Nathalie's letters provide insight into her daily life with accompanying programs and sketches while also looking forward to the summer and what will happen when she goes back home. Another key theme in her letters is the discussion of the war in Europe and how it will affect her. She mentions it multiple times and even tells us that President Thomas offered preparedness courses in case of war. These letters would be of interest to anyone studying World War I, student life, family relationships, and women's colleges.
One highlight of the collection is a letter from the Acting Secretary of the College to Nathalie's mother, telling her that Nathalie will have her same room in Rock for the next year.
The seventh folder of the Natalie Gookin papers follows the everyday correspondence between Bryn Mawr freshman Natalie Gookin and her aunt, mother, and father during April 1917. These letters are arranged chronologically according to the date by which they were written. There is a break in early April where no letters were written because Natalie was at home in Chicago for Easter. The advent of spring is a common theme during Natalie's April letters as she mentions frequently how beautiful and gorgeous the weather is. She also includes several diagram sketches of her walking routes and a beautiful watercolor drawing of a Japanese Cherry tree on campus. Consequently, she writes a lot about how much she admires her spring wardrobe and looks forward to spending time at home during the summer. In addition, she writes about her daily activities, academics, and friendship with her two girlfriends Alice and Anne. These letters would be of interest to anyone studying women's colleges, student life, and family relationships.
The seventh folder in the Natalie Gookin papers consists of letters written in daily correspondence between Bryn Mawr freshman Natalie Gookin and her mother, father, aunt, and even cat during the month of May 1917. These letters are arranged in chronological order according to the date by which they were written. In her letters, Natalie is eager to express her desire to finish this last month of school well and go home. She focuses on preparing and making arrangements for packing, summer plans, and a visit from her aunt who helps her leave Bryn Mawr. As she wraps up her freshman year, Natalie describes the last of her school events such as Mayday, junior dinner, and a talk in Philadelphia by World War I general Joffre. These letters would be of interest to anyone studying Bryn Mawr traditions, women's colleges, student life, and family relationships.
The eighth folder in the Natalie Gookin papers contains letters of correspondence between Natalie Gookin and her mother as well as her father Frederick Gookin and his wife during the end of summer 1917. These letters have been arranged chronologically according to the date by which they were written. During the summer between her freshman and sophomore year, Natalie traveled to Denver with her father for the month of August where they vacationed with other guests at an Inn. In their letters, they describe how bored they are, how fickle the weather is, and each of the beautiful views that they see. They go on hikes, ride horses, play tennis, and read while making new friends as well as keeping up with the old. Accompanying their accounts of vacation are sketches of the inn where they're staying. These letters would be of interest to anyone studying home relationships and father-daughter relationships.
The ninth folder in the Natalie Gookin papers contains letters written every day between Bryn Mawr College sophomore Natalie Gookin and her mother, father, and aunt in October 1917. These letters have been arranged chronologically according to the date which they were written. In her letters, Natalie expresses her happiness at being a sophomore and how much she loves the community at BMC. She relates the daily activities of student life to her family: her different classes such as major Latin and Geology, traditions like Lantern night and the Banner show, and the dresses in her closet. Most of her accounts revolve around student life at Bryn Mawr thus Natalie communicates important changes for the community, such as voting against Mayday and having class elections. The background context of World War I, happening around this time, is also evident in her letters, as she describes an extra stamp tax, a Red Cross workroom at BMC for the war effort, and a movie shown in the gym as war relief. These letters would be on interest to anyone studying college activism, women's colleges, home relationships, and the American war effort in World War I.
The tenth folder in the Natalie Gookin papers contains letters home written by Bryn Mawr College sophomore Natalie Gookin to her mother, father, and aunt during November 1917. These letters are arranged chronologically according to the date that they were written. In her letters to her family, Natalie describes her everyday life as a student at Bryn Mawr College and the challenges of the academic world. She writes everyday about her grades, her various crochet projects, making trench candles for the war effort, and her endless social engagements. Her letters also mention various aspects of the USA's relation to the First World War, such as the discussion of shutting down Pennsylvania railroads for the war effort. Some highlights of her letters include her attendance of a lecture by ex-president Taft whom she thoroughly enjoyed and traveling to her good friend Anne Coolidge's house in Boston for Thanksgiving. These letters would be of interest to anyone studying women's colleges, student activism, World War I, and home relationships.
The eleventh folder in the Natalie Gookin papers contains letters written every day between Bryn Mawr College sophomore Natalie Gookin and her mother, father, and aunt during December 1917. These letters have been arranged chronologically according to the date by which they were written. For much of December 1917, Natalie expresses her eagerness to spend her winter break at home with friends and family. She writes about the ups and downs of student life at Bryn Mawr, both in academics and social life. The letters follows the daily activities of her life, such as her outings with friends, love of Latin, and attendance of lectures about the War. One highlight of this folder is her inclusion of a poem she wrote at college called "Sunrise Seen from a Mountainside" which she sent to her father for editing. Her letters briefly mention bits and pieces about the war in Europe that she discusses with her family. These letters would be of interest to anyone studying World War I, women's colleges, and home relationships.
The twelfth folder in the Natalie Gookin papers contains letters written every day between Bryn Mawr College sophomore Natalie Gookin and her mother, father, and aunt during January, 1918. These letters have been arranged chronologically according to the date by which they were written. In her letters, Natalie writes about her life as a student, her classes and different personal activities with her friends, and an outbreak of German measles on campus. She discusses in detail her passion for English and Latin literatures, which she evidently shares with her mother and aunt as well as how much she misses her family and friends back home. Her letters portray the effect of World War I on everyday life when she mentions different donations, Red Cross work, and the drafting of her friend Alice's brother. These letters would be of interest to anyone studying women's colleges, World War I, student activism, and home relationships.
The thirteenth folder in the Natalie Gookin papers contains letters written every day in correspondence between Bryn Mawr College sophomore Natalie Gookin and her family in Chicago during February 1918. These letters are arranged in chronological order according to the date by which they were written. In her letters, Natalie writes about her everyday activities such as her English, Latin, and Geology classes, the Rockefeller hall teas, and contributing to the war effort. Her February highlights include her description of the outbreak of German measles to which she was exposed, learning about Japanese Ho dancing, researching Henry V, and raising money for the Service Corps. These letters would be of interest to anyone studying women's colleges, the war effort in during World War I, personal relationships, and world health.
The fourteenth folder in the Natalie Gookin papers contains letter written every day in correspondence between Bryn Mawr College sophomore Natalie Gookin and her family in Chicago during March 1918. These letters have been arranged chronologically according to the date that they were written. From these letters it is evident that Natalie has a strong and intimate relationship with her parents and confides in them about every aspect of her life. Often she writes about missing home or how much she is looking forward to a break so that she can go home. During the month of March, her letters mainly convey her feelings about classes, friends, and being a part of the Bryn Mawr community during World War I. In addition, she expresses her growing fear of the outbreak of both measles and German measles on Bryn Mawr's campus that affects a large portion of the student body. These letters would be of interest to anyone studying women's colleges, public health, World War I, and home relationships.
The fifteenth folder in the Natalie Gookin papers contains letters written every day between Bryn Mawr College sophomore Natalie Gookin and her family in Chicago during April 1918. These letters have been arranged chronologically according to the date that they were written. In her letters, Natalie displays the close and intimate relationship she has with her father, mother, and aunt as she expresses her every desire and thought. Most often, she relates her every day schedule and thoughts on what she's doing, such as her English, Latin, and geology courses, her friends, and various events in the Bryn Mawr community. She spends most of her time missing her friend Anne who was quarantined with German measles and planning for her parent's visit in May. In addition, these letters portray an image of the war effort in America during World War I, as Natalie mentions her Red Cross work as well as her attendance of various lectures on the war and current events. These letters would be of interest to anyone studying women's colleges, World War I, student life, and home relationships.
The sixteenth folder in the Natalie Gookin papers contains letters written every day between Bryn Mawr College sophomore Natalie Gookin and her family in Chicago during May and early June of 1918. These letters have been arranged chronologically according to the date that they were written. From her letters, the close relationship between Natalie and her parents is evident as she writes about the most intimate details of her life at Bryn Mawr. She writes about her classes and grades in addition to her friends, dresses, and opinions regarding the politics of the Bryn Mawr community. Natalie also describes her experiences of traditions such as Mayday and special events like Commencement as well as her visit from her mother. Aside from the Bryn Mawr community, her letters portray life for American students during World War I. These letters would be of interest to anyone studying women's colleges, World War I, student life, and home relationships.
The seventeenth folder in the Natalie Gookin papers contains letters written by Marie Gookin, mother of Bryn Mawr College sophomore Natalie Gookin, to her daughter, husband, and family during May 1918. These letters have been arranged chronologically according to the date by which they were written. Marie writes to her daughter about her preparations for her visit as well as her time with Natalie at Bryn Mawr College. Her letters add to the portrait of Natalie's intimate relationship with her family and reflect a different perspective of Bryn Mawr College. These letters would be of interest to anyone studying home relationships and World War I.
The eighteenth folder in the Natalie Gookin papers contains letters written in correspondence between Bryn Mawr College junior Natalie Gookin and her family in Chicago during August 1918. These letters have been arranged chronologically according to the date that they were written. Natalie writes her parents about the various activities and events she attends while she is on vacation on Mackinac Island in Michigan with her friends. From her letters, it is clear that she has an intimate and close relationship with them as she shares every little detail with her parents. Most of her vacation is spent playing tennis, swimming, and relaxing with friends. These letters would be of interest to anyone studying personal lives, home relationships, and women's colleges.
The nineteenth folder in the Natalie Gookin papers contains letters written every day in correspondence between Bryn Mawr College junior Natalie Gookin and her family in Chicago during September and October 1918. These letters have been arranged chronologically according to the date that they were written. From her letters, the intimate relationship between Natalie and her parents is evident from the amount of detail that she writes about. Much of her letters are spent focusing on her classes and work load in addition to the events and traditions of the Bryn Mawr community, as she transitions from sophomore year to junior year of college. While she does miss her family, there is a noticeable shift towards independence and embracing Bryn Mawr as a second home. In her writing Natalie also mentions the widespread Influenza epidemic on campus that puts students in a quarantine and confines them to the college. These letters would be of interest to anyone studying women's colleges, student life, World War I, public health, and home relationships.
The twentieth folder in the Natalie Gookin papers contains letters written every day in correspondence between Bryn Mawr College junior Natalie Gookin and her family in Chicago during November 1918. These letters have been arranged chronologically according to the date that they were written. In her letters, Natalie demonstrates the close and intimate relationship she has with her parents through her detailed descriptions and opinions that she expresses. Much of what she writes in her letters reflect her ongoing classes and homework as well as the various events within the Bryn Mawr community and her relationships with her friends. Some highlights from November include her Banner show costume, the end of quarantine for the Influenza epidemic, the end of World War I, and Thanksgiving. These letters would be of interest to anyone studying women's colleges, student life, public health, World War I, and home relationships.
The twenty first folder in the Natalie Gookin papers contains letters written every day in correspondence between Bryn Mawr College junior Natalie Gookin and her family in Chicago during December 1918. These letters have been arranged chronologically according to the date that they were written. The intimate relationships between Natalie and her parents is evident throughout her letters, as she writes about every detail of her life and thoughts to them. In her letters, she writes mostly about her courses and homework as well as her time with her friends and events in the Bryn Mawr community. Much of November is spent in studying and working hard, as she becomes more stressed with her workload and feels that she has less free time. One interesting detail is her perfectly serious request to her mother to have a celebrity, "preferably English", come to a party during her Christmas vacation. These letters would be of interest to anyone studying women's colleges, student life, and home relationships.
The twenty second folder of the Natalie Gookin papers contains letters written every day in correspondence between Bryn Mawr College junior Natalie Gookin and her family in Chicago during January 1919. These letters have been arranged chronologically according to the date that they were written. The close and intimate relationship that Natalie has with her parents is evident from the amount of details and thoughts she expresses in her letters. Her main topic of interest is her classes and work load, as she is working hard to complete her midyear exams, in addition to her time with her friends and the numerous events within the Bryn Mawr community. Though her letters, she hosts endless discussions about philosophy, religion, and books with her father from material that she explores in class. These letter would be of interest to anyone studying student life, women's colleges, home relationships, and women's education.
The twenty third folder in the Natalie Gookin papers contains letters written every day in correspondence between Bryn Mawr college junior Natalie Gookin and her family in Chicago during February 1919. These letters have been arranged chronologically according to the date that they were written. In her letters, Natalie's intimate and close relationship with her parents is evident from the amount of details and discussion that she reveals to them. Her letters switch from pen and paper to being entirely typewritten as she writes about her classes, work load, professors, friends, and the various events in the Bryn Mawr community. She expresses her joy and pride in becoming a member of both the French and English clubs in addition to hosting innumerable discussions on the books, philosophy, and religion that she encounters in her classes. These letters would be of interest to anyone studying women's colleges, women's education, student life, and home relationships.
The twenty fourth folder in the Natalie Gookin papers contains letters written every day in correspondence between Bryn Mawr College junior Natalie Gookin and her family in Chicago during March 1919. These letters have been arranged chronologically according to the date that they were written. In her letters, Natalie demonstrates the close and intimate relationship she has with her parents through her detailed accounts of life as a Bryn Mawr student. Much of her letters revolve around her classes and school work, her activities and walks with her friends, and the various events within the Bryn Mawr community such as hall teas and current event lectures. Natalie hosts intimate discussions on religious and spiritual ideas that she encounters in her classes and is keenly aware of her distance from home and heavy college work load. These letters would be of interest to anyone studying women's colleges, women's education, religion, and home relationships.
The twenty-fifth folder in the Natalie Gookin papers contains letters written every day in correspondence between Bryn Mawr College junior Natalie Gookin and her family in Chicago during April 1919. These letters have been arranged chronologically according to the date that they were written. In her letters, Natalie demonstrates the close and intimate relationship she has with her parents through the amount of details she shares. Much of what she writes about includes her classes and grades, her wardrobe, and her trip to Boston. She spends copious amounts of time detailing the perfect wardrobe of clothes for the weather and for Boston. Her writing style is informal and tangential but some highlights include taking the General Information test, her thoughts on M. Carey Thomas, and her comparisons between Bryn Mawr, Wellesley, and Radcliffe. These letters would be of interest to anyone studying student life, home relationships, fashions in 1919, and women's colleges.
The twenty-sixth folder in the Natalie Gookin papers contains letters written every day in correspondence between Bryn Mawr College junior Natalie Gookin and her family in Chicago during May 1919. These letters have been arranged chronologically according to the date that they were written. Due to her close and intimate relationship with her family, Natalie writes in great detail about her thoughts and feelings regarding academics, various events in the Bryn Mawr community, and her time with her friends. Much of her letters focus on studying, exams, and grades as she moves into exam season as well as the rising cost to attend college as outlined by President Thomas, or "P.T.". Throughout her letters, she hosts detailed discussions on her train ticket home, changing her college ring, and her haste to get home for summer. These letters would be of interest to anyone studying student life, women's colleges, and home relationships.
The twenty-seventh folder in the Natalie Gookin papers consists of letters written every day in correspondence by Bryn Mawr College senior Natalie Gookin and her father Frederick Gookin to their family in Chicago during their summer vacation in September 1919. These letters have been arranged chronologically according to the date that they were written. Natalie and her father spend much of their letters describing their adventures as they travel around New York and Washington DC and the various friends that they visit, before Natalie returns to BMC. These letters would be of interest to anyone studying student travel, personal relationships, and home relationships.
The twenty-eighth folder in the Natalie Gookin papers contains letters written every day in correspondence between Bryn Mawr College senior Natalie Gookin and her family in Chicago during October 1919. These letters have been arranged chronologically according to the date that they were written. From her letters, Natalie is visibly optimistic about being a senior and takes time to reflect on the fact that she has finally made it to senior year. Her close and intimate relationship with her parents allows her to communicate openly and in detail about her excitement as well as nervousness in starting her last year at BMC. She writes about various events such as a lecture by Lord Dunsany for the English Club and a visit from the Queen of Belgium to the college in addition to her activities with friends and academic experiences. These letters would be of interest to anyone studying student life, student athletics, women's colleges, and home relationships.
The twenty-ninth folder in the Natalie Gookin papers contains letters written between Bryn Mawr College senior Natalie Gookin and her family in Chicago during November 1919. The letters have been arranged chronologically according to the date that they were written. Natalie writes often about her classes, especially English and German. She also writes frequently about hockey, both her experience playing for the hockey team, and watching varsity and faculty matches. These letters would be of interest to anyone studying student athletics, student life, and academia.