Ruth Erickson and Eleanor Stevenson papers
Scope and Contents
The collection contains correspondence by Erickson and Stevenson and subject files, and personal material of Erickson's including manuscripts of poems, articles, plays, and novels.
The paper finding aid shows that the initial material donated in 1971 is arranged in a chronological order (1910-1955). The paper finding aid includes descriptions of Erickson's and Stevenson's activities during a given period. Material in each period may include correspondence, manuscript material, and subject files.
Erickson's personal material includes, manuscripts of articles, novels and plays by Erickson, a diary and school notes.
There are many folders of correspondence separated into incoming and outgoing sections.
Major correspondents were Grace Hutchins, Rockwell Kent, Phyllis A. Pope, Louise Pettibone Smith, and Philip Stevenson.
Subject files (often titled "Other/Related Material") include organizational letters, pamphlets, press releases, tearsheets, broadsides, newsletters, clippings, speeches, publications, poetry, and photographs.
Organizations represented include Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, the League for Peace and Democracy, Labor's Non-partisan League, League of Women Voters, Socialist Party, Medical Bureau to Aid Spanish Democracy, the Methodist Federation for social service, American Committee for Protection of the foreign Born, Russian War Relief, Progressive Party, and civil rights and labor groups.
The addition of 1972 contains more correspondence, manuscript material, and subject files also arranged into chronological periods (1920-1971) and the paper finding aid includes descriptions of Erickson's and Stevenson's activities during a given period.
Correspondence is separated into multiple incoming and outgoing sections. Each period includes files of "related material" which seem to be subject and activity files similar to the above description.
Dates
- Creation: 1910-1971
Creator
- Erickson, Ruth, circa 1890-1970 (Person)
- Pope, Phyllis A. (Person)
- Stevenson, Eleanor (Person)
- Kent, Rockwell, 1882-1971 (Person)
- Hutchins, Grace, 1885-1969 (Person)
- Stevenson, Philip, 1896-1965 (Person)
- Smith, Louise Pettibone, 1887- (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights reside with Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries. Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs. All requests for permission to publish collection materials must be submitted to Special Collections and University Archives. The reader must also obtain permission of the copyright holder.
Biographical / Historical
Ruth Erickson (~1890 - 1970) and Eleanor Stevenson (~1898 - ?) lived in a small house near New Milford, Connecticut from 1930 to the 1970's. Erickson died in 1970. They were political radicals, Socialists for the most part, and carried out a voluminous epistolary campaign against injustice. They offered their opinions and advice to friends and world leaders.
Extent
1 linear feet (2 containers)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Ruth Erickson (~1890 - 1970) and Eleanor Stevenson (~1898 - ?) were political radicals and Socialists who carried out a voluminous epistolary campaign against injustice. The collection contains correspondence by Erickson and Stevenson as well as subject files and personal material of Erickson's including manuscripts of poems, articles, plays, and novels.
Arrangement
Collection is organized into chronological sections. Material within this collection may have little to no intellectual or physical arrangement. Any arrangement may have derived from the records' creators or custodians. It will be necessary to look in multiple places for the same types of materials.
Physical Description
2 manuscript boxes.
Processing Information
Collection processed by staff, 1971-1972.
This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
This collection received a basic level of processing including minimal to no organization and rehousing.
Description information is drawn in part from information supplied with the collection and initial surveys of the contents.
Subject
- League of Women Voters (U.S.) (Organization)
- Labor's Non-Partisan League (Organization)
- Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (Organization)
- American Committee for Protection of Foreign Born (Organization)
- Methodist Federation for Social Action (U.S.) (Organization)
- Medical Bureau to Aid Spanish Democracy (Organization)
- Socialist Party (U.S.) (Organization)
- Russian War Relief, Inc. (Organization)
- Stevenson, Eleanor (Person)
- Erickson, Ruth, circa 1890-1970 (Person)
- Stevenson, Eleanor (Person)
- Smith, Louise Pettibone, 1887- (Person)
- Pope, Phyllis A. (Person)
- Stevenson, Philip, 1896-1965 (Person)
Genre / Form
Geographic
Topical
- Civil rights movements -- United States -- History -- 20th century
- Female friendship -- Connecticut
- Labor -- United States -- History -- 20th century
- Radicalism -- United States -- History -- 20th century
- Socialism -- United States -- History -- 20th century
- Women
- Women radicals -- Connecticut
- Women socialists -- Connecticut
- Title
- Guide to the Ruth Erickson and Eleanor Stevenson Papers
- Status
- Complete Description
- Author
- Tanya Parlet
- Date
- 2012
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
- Sponsor
- Funding for production of this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).
Repository Details
Part of the University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives Repository
