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Mary Ellicott Arnold (1876-1968) Papers

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Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore 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

Call Number:
RG5.003
Repository:
Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Extent:
8 linear ft. (16 boxes)
Language:
English
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item or series here], Mary Ellicott Arnold Papers, RG5/003, Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Date:
1888-1970 (inclusive)
Creator:
Arnold, Mary Ellicott, Rochdale Institute, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. International Office, Reed, Mabel, Campbell, Wallace J., Coady, Moses, 1882-1959, Hoopes, Darlington, b. 1896, Meany, George, 1894-1980, and Rhoads, Richard H. (Richard Harlan), b. 1909
Abstract:
Mary Ellicott Arnold (1876-1968) was a Quaker writer and social activist, known for her work with consumer cooperatives. After an unsuccessful farming venture in her youth, Mary Ellicott Arnold and her lifelong companion, Mabel Reed, worked with the Karok Indians in California as employees of the United States Indian Bureau. After a period as chief organizer for the U.S. Employment Service in New York State, she and Mabel Reed were involved in a number of successful cooperative ventures. She was an early Treasurer of the Cooperative League, was very active in the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, and was a member of Providence Monthly Meeting, Media, Pennsylvania. The collection includes correspondence, financial papers, notebooks, reports, and clippings concerning Mary Ellicott Arnold's varied activities. Correspondents include Wallace J. Campbell, Moses Coady, Darlington Hoopes, George Meany, Richard H. Rhoads, and many others.

Mary Ellicott Arnold (1876-1968) was a Quaker writer and social activist, known for her work with consumer cooperatives. After an unsuccessful farming venture in her youth, Mary Ellicott Arnold and her lifelong companion, Mabel Reed, worked with the Karok Indians in California as employees of the United States Indian Bureau. After a period as chief organizer for the U.S. Employment Service in New York State, she and Mabel Reed were involved in a number of successful cooperative ventures, including cafeterias and an apartment building in New York City, miners' housing in Nova Scotia, cooperative credit unions among lobster fishermen in Maine, and the Tanguy and Cheyney Cooperative Homesteads in the Philadelphia area. She was an early Treasurer of the Cooperative League, was very active in the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, and was a member of Providence Monthly Meeting, Media, Pennsylvania. Mabel Reed died in 1962, and Mary Ellicott Arnold died on May 23,1968, in Media, Pa.

1876 Born, April 23, at New Brighton, New York City. 1894 Attended Drexel Institute, Philadelphia, Pa. 1901-6? Farming on the Reed family farm with Mabel Reed, her lifelong companion. 1908 Work with the Karok Indians in California. 1910-14 Organized two cafeterias in Ithaca, New York to instruct students at Cornell in dietetics. 1915-16 Special studies in economics at the University of California. 1918 Chief Organizer, U. S. Employment Service for the State of New York. 1919-37 Managed 10 cafeterias and a 12-story cooperative apartment house for the Consumers Cooperative Services in New York City. 1937-39 Organized three cooperative housing projects for coal miners in Nova Scotia. 1939-40 Administrator of land settlement program for fishermen in Newfoundland. 1940-42 Organized credit unions for lobster fishermen in Maine. 1942 Visit to relocation camp for Japanese-Americans at Poston, Arizona. 1943 Began work with the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Federation. 1947-49 Organized, cooperative housing project, Tanguy Homesteads, Glen Mills, Pa. 1949 Interim Coordinator, Eastern Cooperatives, Inc. 1950-52 Planning for Cheyney Cooperative Homesteads, Cheyney, Pa. Proposal abandoned before work began, 1952. 1954-57 Chairman, Finance Committee of the Pennsylvania Branch of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom; Treasurer, Jane Addams House, Philadelphia, Pa. 1958-63 Work for Indian rights.

Biographical chronology
1876 Born, April 23, at New Brighton, New York City. 1894 Attended Drexel Institute, Philadelphia, Pa. 1901-6? Farming on the Reed family farm with Mabel Reed, her lifelong companion. 1908 Work with the Karok Indians in California. 1910-14 Organized two cafeterias in Ithaca, New York to instruct students at Cornell in dietetics. 1915-16 Special studies in economics at the University of California. 1918 Chief Organizer, U. S. Employment Service for the State of New York. 1919-37 Managed 10 cafeterias and a 12-story cooperative apartment house for the Consumers Cooperative Services in New York City. 1937-39 Organized three cooperative housing projects for coal miners in Nova Scotia. 1939-40 Administrator of land settlement program for fishermen in Newfoundland. 1940-42 Organized credit unions for lobster fishermen in Maine. 1942 Visit to relocation camp for Japanese-Americans at Poston, Arizona. 1943 Began work with the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Federation. 1947-49 Organized, cooperative housing project, Tanguy Homesteads, Glen Mills, Pa. 1949 Interim Coordinator, Eastern Cooperatives, Inc. 1950-52 Planning for Cheyney Cooperative Homesteads, Cheyney, Pa. Proposal abandoned before work began, 1952. 1954-57 Chairman, Finance Committee of the Pennsylvania Branch of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom; Treasurer, Jane Addams House, Philadelphia, Pa. 1958-63 Work for Indian rights.

The collection includes correspondence, financial papers, notebooks, reports, and clippings concerning Mary Ellicott Arnold's varied activities. Correspondents include Wallace J. Campbell, Moses Coady, Darlington Hoopes, George Meany, Richard H. Rhoads, and many others.

The collection is divided into eleven series:

  1. Biographical material
  2. General correspondence
  3. Special correspondence
  4. Early work with cooperatives
  5. Consumers cooperatives
  6. Cooperative housing
  7. Indians of North America
  8. Other activities of Mary Ellicott Arnold
  9. Quaker activities and writings
  10. Pictures and Memorabilia
  11. tebooks of Mary Ellicott Arnold

Donor: David and Marian Elkinton, 1975, 1979. Later accrual: Accession 1998.064

Partially processed by Marian Elkinton. Processing completed by FHL staff and stored in RG 5.

See also:

  1. DG 43, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, 1954-1958, in Swarthmore College Peace Collection. Mary Ellicott Arnold was chairman of the Finance Committee of the Pennsylvania Branch of WILPF and Treasurer of the Jane Addams House, Philadelphia, from 1954-1957. Bulk of papers are financial records kept by MEA.
  2. Mary Ellicott Arnold papers, Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe College

The following published material, originally part of the collection, has been removed and cataloged with FHL books:

  1. Arnold, Mary Ellicott. The story of Tompkinsville. The Cooperative League, NY, 1940.
  2. Arnold, Mary Ellicott and Mabel Reed. In the land of the grasshopper song. Vantage Press, NY, 1957.
  3. Coady, MM. Masters of their own destiny. Harpers and Brothers Publishers, NY, 1939.
  4. Fowler, Bertram B. The Lord helps those... The Vanguard Press, NY, 1938.

Subject
Place

Publisher
Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Finding Aid Author
FHL staff
Finding Aid Date
1979
Sponsor
Encoding made possible by a grant by the Gladys Kriebel Delmas Foundation to the Philadelphia Consortium of Special Collections Libraries
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce items in this collection beyond the bounds of Fair Use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder or their heirs/assigns. See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-RUU/1.0/.

Collection Inventory

Clippings, memorials, autobiographical notes by Mary Ellicott Arnold.
Ellicott family, 1950-1955.
Box 1
John Bidwell, 1907-1958.
Box 1
Lillian Ellicott Tomkins--estate papers, 1960-1961.
Box 1
Lucie Parker--estate papers, 1955-1961.
Box 1
Alfred A. Woodhull, 1922.
Box 1
Scrapbook relating to the Ellicott family, 1864-1976.
Box 1

Scope and Contents

Letters sent and received by Mary Ellicott Arnold, arranged chronologically. Includes correspondence with the following individuals: Roland N. Benjamin, E.R. Bowen, Wallace Campbell, Moses M. Coady, Dorothy Conklin, Hartley Cross, Darlinton Hoopes, Dorothy Kenyon, W.J. Lockwood, Goron Loveless, C.J. McLanahan, Roy McCorkle, George Meany, Thelma Pence, Viola Pfrommer, Jane and Richard Rhoads, A.G. Shaffer, Howard Leland Smith, Geore Tichenor, James J. "Jimmy" Tompkins, Lillian "Tety" Arnold Tompkins.

Correspondence, 1888-1918.
Box 2
Correspondence, 1931-1939.
Box 2
Correspondence, 1940-1941.
Box 2
Correspondence, 1942.
Box 2
Correspondence, January-June 1943.
Box 2
Correspondence, July-December 1943.
Box 2
Correspondence, 1944-45.
Box 2
Correspondence, 1946.
Box 2
Correspondence, January-April 1947.
Box 2
Correspondence, May-August 1947.
Box 2
Correspondence, September-December 1947.
Box 2
Correspondence, Jan.-August 1948.
Box 3
Correspondence, September-December 1948.
Box 3
Correspondence, January-June 1949.
Box 3
Correspondence, July-December 1949.
Box 3
Correspondence, January-June 1950.
Box 3
Correspondence, July-December 1950.
Box 3
Correspondence, 1951.
Box 3
Correspondence, January-June 1952.
Box 4
Correspondence, July-December 1952.
Box 4
Correspondence, 1953.
Box 4
Correspondence, 1954.
Box 4
Correspondence, 1955.
Box 4
Correspondence, 1956.
Box 4
Correspondence, 1957.
Box 4
Correspondence, January-May 1958.
Box 4
Correspondence, June-December 1958.
Box 4
Correspondence, 1959.
Box 4
Correspondence, 1960-1961.
Box 5
Correspondence, 1962-1963.
Box 5
Correspondence, 1964-1965.
Box 5
Correspondence, 1966.
Box 5
Correspondence, 1967-70.
Box 5

Scope and Contents

Letters regarding certain subjects or persons, arranged alphabetically by subjects listed below. Folder with undated letters and fragments at end of series.

Acknowledgements for gifts to Europe, 1954-1956.
Box 5
Automobile accident, 1955.
Box 5
Cousins of Mary Ellicott Arnolds Carroll and Eilif Hanssen, Margaret and Bob Henderson, Marion Satterlee.
Box 5
Financial papers, 1957-1968.
Box 5
Friends and acquaintances of MEA, list of names and addresses, 1960's.
Box 5
Hall, Nelle and Elliott.
Box 5
Kuun family, n.d.
Box 5
Scope and Contents

The Kunn family were Estonian refugees during World War II.

Correspondence, 1966.
Box 5
Radcliffe Women's Archives, where some of MEA's papers are deposited, 1958-1962.
Box 5
Reed, Margaret (sister of Mabel Reed), 1961-1963.
Box 5
Reidel, Anna, 1942-1959.
Box 5
Taylor, John Tucker (student sponsored by MEA).
Box 6
Tompkins, Lillian Arnold (sister of MEA), 1938-1960.
Box 6
Vantage Press, regarding publication of "In the Land of the Grasshopper Song: a Story of Two Girls in Indian Country" in 1908-09, by Mary Ellicott Arnold and Mabel Reed, 1954-1966.
Box 6

Consumers Cooperative Services, New York City, 1919-1937.
Box 6
Scope and Contents

Mary Ellicott Arnold and Mabel Reed managed 10 cafeterias and a 12-story apartment house.

Account books for construction of houses.
Box 6
Blueprints for houses.
Box 6
Extension dept., St Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
Box 7
Scope and Contents

The pioneering adult education work of James J. Tompkins and Moses M. Coady provided much of the inspiration and leadership for the housing project. Folder of writings by and about Coady and Tompkins together with notes by MEA.

History, notes by MEA.
Box 7
"The Miner's Wife: A Cooperative Play or Musical Comedy, If You Prefer," written by MEA and miners involved in the projects.
Box 7
Plans and specifications for the houses.
Box 7
MEA's notes on land settlement program.
Box 7
MEA's notes and pictures on organizing credit unions, cooperative stores, etc., for lobster fishermen.
Box 7
Lobster Fishermen in Maine, reports 1-9 by MEA.
Maine Cooperatives (periodical), 1941-1943 [with gaps].
Box 7

Writings on cooperatives, by Mary Ellicott Arnold, E. R. Bowen, Joseph Knapp, and others.
Box 7
Scope and Contents

MEA's personal files and notes, not intended as a complete organizational record.

Biennial Congresses,, 1946, 1948, 1956.
Box 7
Scope and Contents

Includes notes by MEA for earlier years.

Board of Directors: minutes, 1946-1949.
Box 7
Executive Secretary, Horace Jeremiah "Jerry" Voorhis, Reports and writings, 1947-1953.
Box 7
Scope and Contents

Including MEA's summary of his book Out of Debt, Out of Danger: Proposals for War Finance and Tomorrow's Money (New York: Devin-Adair, Co., 1943).

Finances: financial statement, budget, 1946; 1949.
Box 8
History.
Box 8
Scope and Contents

Includes origin of cooperative movement in England by "Rochdale pioneers." Contains list of early Directors of CLUSA, with some writings by James Peter Warbasse, 1st President.

Program: "What Is the Cooperative League of the United States? What Is Its Program and Purpose?" Chicago: CLUSA, 1948?.
Box 8
Physical Description

mimeographed

"A 4-Year Plan for the Cooperative League of the U.S.A. Chicago: CLUSA", [1950?].
Box 8
Physical Description

mimeographed

Scope and Contents

File kept by MEA particularly regarding the 120 days in 1949 when she served as Interim Coordinator. Not a complete organizational record, many gaps throughout.

Annual meeting: reports, 1945-1949.
Box 8
Board of Directors, 1947-1949.
Box 8
Scope and Contents

Includes MEA's reports on her 120 days as Interim Coordinator, 1949.

Bureau for Cooperative Field Research.
Scope and Contents

Educational leaflets, mostly prepared by MEA.

Demonstration Field Service: Suggested program, 1947.
Box 8
Educational program, 1950.
Box 8
Finances w, 1948-1952.
Box 8
Scope and Contents

Includes MEA's notes for earlier years.

Meeting of Federation Representatives, Sept. 8-9, 1945.
Box 8
Member societies, 1946-1951.
Box 8
Scope and Contents

List of member stores, investments, quotas.

Warehouses: reports, 1947-1951.
Box 8
Scope and Contents

Mid-Eastern Cooperatives was a regional subsidiary of Eastern Cooperatives, Inc., founded October, 1951.

Finances, 1951-1952.
Box 9
History and structure.
Box 9
Member societies, 1951.
Box 9
Scope and Contents

With MEA's notes, 1947-1951.

Scope and Contents

MEA's personal files. She began work with PACF in 1943.

Education and extension,, 1944-1952.
Box 9
Finances, 1944-1946.
Box 9
History and structure, 1940-1946.
Box 9
Scope and Contents

Includes articles of incorporation by-laws, membership requirements.

Scope and Contents

Four folders of material, arranged alphabetically by the name of the society--2 folders of material on the Media society.

Member societies, financial reports.
Box 10
Minutes, agendas, reports, 1943-1949.
Box 10
Newsletters and clippings, 1944-1946.
Box 10

Cooperative housing, New York City, 1930-1965.
Scope and Contents

Includes Rochdale Housing Corp., Abraham Kazan.

Scope and Contents

MEA served as an advisor to the project, 1949.

Account books for construction of individual houses: "Basic house," James House, Palmer House.
Box 10
History and development plan.
Box 10
Scope and Contents

Attempt by 16 families to form a cooperative to build houses on 18 acre of land in rural area near Philadelphia. MEA provided guidance and leadership, but ultimately cooperative dissolved and houses were never built.

Articles of incorporation.
Box 10
Budget estimates.
Box 10
Construction costs and bids.
Box 10
Mortgage applications.
Box 10
History and chronology.
Box 11
Membership.
Box 11
Blueprints.
Box 11
Building specifications.
Box 11
Plot layouts.
Box 11
Publicity.
Box 11

Scope and Contents

Primarily Mary Ellicott Arnold's writings (articles and notes) on Indian history, treaties, and mistreatment at the hands of white settlers. Also included are articles, clippings, reports, and newsletters collected by MEA, largely from organizations working for Indian rights. Most of the material dates from the 1950's and 1960's. Arranged alphabetically by subject.

Quarterly report, April-June, 1959.
Box 12
Workshop on American Indian Affairs, reports, 1962, 1965.
Box 12
Newsletters, reports, clippings, 1948-1962.
Box 12
Reports, correspondence, notes regarding Quaker activity on behalf of Indians, 1954-1958.
Box 12
Scope and Contents

Included is text of an "Indian Pageant", written by Mary Ellicott Arnold and performed at Chester Quarterly Meeting, April 26, 1958

Physical Description

3 folders

Articles, reports, clippings from various sources, mostly concerning violation of Indian rights, 1915-1963.
Box 12
History, 1959.
Box 12
Scope and Contents

See also: Series 11. Notebooks: Writings of MEA on Indian history and culture, including relations with early white settlers. Also contains material used by MEA in her talks to teachers in the Philadelphia schools, and for her course "Ten Little Indians."

Physical Description

4 folders

Reports, clippings collected by MEA, 1957-1963.
Box 13
Scope and Contents

re: lands taken from the Senecas in New York and Pennsylvania to build Kinzua Dam.

Bills, reports on proposed legislation before Congress, 1955-1957.
Box 13
Maps, hand drawn by MEA.
Box 13
National Congress of American Indians Reports, articles, 1955-1959.
Box 13
Southwest trip: diary, notes, reports by MEA, 1956.
Box 13
Tribes, General, MEA's writings.
Box 13
"The Arizona Indian Child Goes to School".
Box 13
Scope and Contents

Report prepared by Mamie Sizemore for the Division of Indian Education, Arizona State Department of Public Instruction. Contains a chapter on Indian tribes of Arizona.

Announcements and reviews of "In the Land of the Grasshopper Song: A Story of Two Girls in Indian Country" in 1908-9, by Mary Ellicott Arnold and Mabel Reed.
Box 13
Scope and Contents

New York: Vantage Press, 1957

Clippings, pictures, notes, some relating to In the Land of the Grasshopper Song.
Box 13
Material collected about the Klamath Termination Act, 1955-1957.
Box 13
Tribes, Navajos and Hopis: Notes, articles, clippings.
Box 14
Physical Description

2 folders

Writings of MEA, including text of "The Nez Perces: a Pageant in Eight Scenes.".
Box 14
Notes, pictures, articles.
Box 14
Writings of MEA.
Box 14

Physical Description

3 folders

Correspondence, 1958-1963.
Box 14
Financial records, mainly accounts kept by MEA, 1953-1958.
Box 14
Official papers articles of incorporation, bylaws, plan of operation, notes from meetings, 1951-1958.
Box 14
Japanese relocation camp, Poston, AZ.
Scope and Contents

MEA visited the camp in August 1942 (or 1943?)

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (Media Branch): Financial reports, articles, clippings.
Physical Description

2 folders

Scope and Contents

See also Ser. 7, Indians of North America

First-day School teaching notes, 1956-1963.
Box 15
First-day School discussion notes, 1963.
Box 15
Chester Quarterly Meeting, 1958-1961.
Box 15
Chichester Meeting, 1953.
Box 15
Providence Meeting: Finances, 1962.
Box 15
Minutes and reports, 1953-1957.
Box 15
Meetings, lectures, and forums, 1953-1954.
Box 15
Peace questionnaire, 1953-1954.
Box 15

Pictures and memorabilia.
Box 15
Physical Description

2 folders

Excerpts from various authors or topics including: Israel, Natural Law, Foreign Policy, History and Philosophy.
Box 15
Book of short quotations on a variety of subjects.
Box 15
"Talks to Teachers", 1960.
Box 15
Scope and Contents

Foncerning Indians of North America.

"Indians and Other Americans": outline and notes of book by Fey and McNickle.
Box 15
"Saint Mark - Saint Matthew Compared": notes on the Gospels of Saint Mark and Saint Matthew.
Box 15

Print, Suggest