Alice R. Appenzeller correspondence
Scope and Contents
Correspondence is organized by date, and includes both handwritten and typed letters. Some letters are written on long-style stationary. The letters are full of news from Korea, information about Appenzeller's work, and other events.
Appenzeller often signs her name Zella, and refers to herself (and her friends) as "Peddies." She sometimes signs her name as Zella Peddie or Peddie Zella. It was confusing enough that upon initial receipt, this collection was thought to be correspondence between Appenzeller and someone named Zella or Peddie.
Dates
- 1909-1940
Creator
- Appenzeller, Alice R., 1885-1950 (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
Henry and Ella Appenzeller were pioneer Methodist missionaries to Korea, landing in 1885, and their daughter, Alice Rebecca Appenzeller was born during their first year in Korea. Alice Appenzeller is reported to be the first American baby born in Korea. Ella Appenzeller worked with Mary F. Scranton, who established a women’s school, Ewha Haktang, in 1886; it became a college that Alice Appenzeller would later become the president of.
Alice Appenzeller stayed in Korea with her parents until 1900. She was first tutored by her mother, and later graduated from Shippen School (now Lancaster Country Day School) in 1905. She received her B.A. from Wellesley College in 1909, and an M.A. from Teachers College at Columbia University. She taught at the Shippen School until 1914, and then was “commissioned a missionary of the Women’s Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Church,” and assigned to Ewha Haktang (Kroehler).
Dr. Alice R. Appenzeller became the president of Ewha Haktang's in 1922 (later Ewha University), and also became Ewha College's first dean after she successfully persuaded the Japanese authorities to formally accredit Ewha as a women's college in 1925. She retired in 1939. (Ewha website)
After all missionaries were expelled from Korea in 1940, Appenzeller “served as professor and Dean of Women at Scarritt College. Then in 1943, she went to Hawaii to serve as pastor. She returned to Korea in 1946, and served until her death in 1950 as Honorary President at Ewha. She was stricken with a cerebral hemorrhage as she spoke at 11:00am chapel. She died later that day (Kroehler)."
[Sources: Ewha Women's University website, www.ewha.ac.kr.
Kroehler, Kent E. “A Century After: The Legacy of the Appenzellers, Pioneer Missionaries to Korea.” Journal of the Historical Society of the EPA Conference. 2005. Historic St. Georges United Methodist Church website.]
Extent
0.1 linear feet (1 container) : 1 folder
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Alice R. Appenzeller (1885-1946), born in Korea to pioneer Methodist missionary parents, also became a missionary and president of Ewha Woman's College in Korea. The collection (1909-1940) contains correspondence by Appenzeller, including letters sent from Korea.
Arrangement
Correspondence is organized by date.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by James Pyke.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Tanya Parlet, 2013.
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 organization and rehousing.
Description information is drawn in part from information supplied with the collection and initial surveys of the contents.
- Americans -- Korea (South) -- Seoul -- Correspondence Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Correspondence Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Educators -- Korea (South) -- Seoul -- Correspondence Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Educators -- United States -- Correspondence Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Ihwa Haktang
- Ihwa Yŏja Chŏnmun Hakkyo
- Korea Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Korea -- History -- Japanese occupation, 1910-1945 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Methodist Church -- Missions -- Korea (South) -- Seoul Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Missionaries -- Korea (South) -- Seoul -- Correspondence Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Religion Subject Source: Archiveswest
- Shippen School for Girls
- Women Christian educators -- Korea (South) -- Seoul -- Correspondence Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Women educators -- United States -- Correspondence Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Women missionaries -- Korea (South) -- Seoul -- Correspondence Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- Guide to the Alice R. Appenzeller correspondence
- Status
- Complete Description
- Author
- Tanya Parlet.
- Date
- 2013
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is 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
