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Myra Anna Jaquet papers

 Collection
Identifier: A 180

Scope and Contents note

The collection constitutes a small but significant collection of documents recounting the life of a missionary woman in early 20th century China. Jaquet lived and worked in China for over thirty years, during one of the most transformative periods in the recent history of this nation. Jaquet arrived in Peking (Beijing) on the heels of the revolution that overthrew the Ch'ing Dynasty. Yet, the revolution and its aftermath only occasionally appeared in her papers as when she discussed the persistent dangers foreigners courted in the early 1910s. During the 1920s struggles over local authority appear in Jaquet's papers when she discusses recruitment and retention of students. World War II effectively shut down the missionary school (in Tianjin) and Jaquet was interned as a prisoner of war.

Certainly, some of the richest material consists of Jaquet's personal journals. These resources--intended for distribution among friends and relatives in the U.S.--offer details of her missionary work. Jaquet seemed particularly proud of the successes she and other teachers had among local children in Tianjin. She recounted increases in enrollment, the plays girl students staged, and how they advanced academically. Jaquet noted how many girls continued on at missionary universities in China or the United States. The fact that some of the students sought only an education--rather than conversion--at Gamewell school did not seem to bother Jaquet; she seemed committed to providing these girls with an education. Interestingly, Jaquet included a number of stories written by her students in her letters (in addition to those written by Jaquet herself). Jaquet also described religious services, sermons, and meetings as well as the advancement of Dr. Liu, the first female graduate of the North China medical school run by the missionaries who later headed the Gamewell School. Another teacher at the Gamewell School was Myra Snow, who arrived in 1928. Researchers should consult her collection of letters (A 186) as well as the collections of Edith Shufeldt (A 208), and Elizabeth Wright (A 301) (who both lived in Tianjin); those of Clara Dyer (A 198), Elsie Reik (A 166) or Edith Simister (A183) are also related.

In 1942, her fellow repatriated American missionaries agreed that Jaquet should write the account of their internment. The narrative of her arrest, imprisonment, and subsequent internment with other American (and British) missionaries is housed in the Myra Snow collection (A 186). The final journal in the Jaquet Papers offers a glimpse into her life after repatriation. Jaquet lived in New York and in 1946, she returned to Tianjin. Her papers offer some notes on what happened to the people and places during the intervening years.

Jaquet included photographs of people and places in her personal journals. Other photographs in this collection consist of the English and Chinese land deeds to the mission in Tianjin.

Dates

  • 1913-1944

Creator

Conditions Governing Access note

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 note

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 note

Myra Anna Jaquet (1884-1971) was as a Methodist missionary in northern China from 1911 to 1942. She worked as a girls' instructor at a missionary school in Peking (Beijing). By the early 1920s, Jaquet had moved southeast to Tientsin (Tianjin) where she served as one of the instructors (and, for a short time, as principal of girls' education) at the Gamewell School. In December 1941, the Japanese confined Jaquet as a prisoner of war. After six weeks imprisonment, she joined other missionaries who were interned at the British concession near Peking (Beijing). Along with other Americans, Jaquet was repatriated in 1943. Jaquet lived in New York until 1946 when she returned to Tianjin.

Extent

0.5 linear feet (4 containers)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Myra Jaquet was a Methodist missionary in northern China from 1911 to 1942. The collection includes correspondence, literary manuscripts, personal journals, and photographs.

Arrangement note

Collection is organized into the following series: Series I. Correspondence; Series II. Literary manuscripts and news clippings; Series III. Journals; Series IV. Artifact; and Series V. Photographs.

Existence and Location of Copies

This collection has been microfilmed. Microfilm reels are available for purchase, or via Inter-library Loan. When requesting reels for this collection, please request: “Women’s Lives, Series 3, American Women Missionaries and Pioneers Collection, reel(s) 9-10.”

General Physical Description note

4 containers

Processing Information

Collection processed by staff.

This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.

Title
Guide to the Myra Anna Jaquet Papers
Status
Complete Description
Author
Finding aid prepared by Veta Schlimgen, Manuscripts Processor
Date
©2006
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid is in English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Repository Details

Part of the University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives Repository

Contact:
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene OR 97403-1299 USA