MABEL THOMAS PAPERS, 1890-1946 (BULK 1890-1916)

Mabel Thomas

Vault A45, Thomas, Unit 1

 

EXTENT: 2.2 linear feet (5 containers)

ORGANIZATION: Organized into four series: I. Correspondence (Extended; Family; School employment; Miscellaneous correspondents); II. Manuscripts and notes; III. Financial; IV. Miscellaneous non-manuscript materials.

BIOGRAPHY: Educator; founder of Thomas School, Rowayton, Conn.  Born Mar. 8, 1871 in New York, N.Y., a daughter of Rev. William H. Thomas and Sarah Place Thomas; died Apr. 28, 1964, in Rowayton.  Graduate of Boston Latin School and Boston University (Class of 1893).  Taught science at Concord High School (Concord, Mass.), 1893/4-1900/1; later taught at St. Agnes School (Albany, N.Y.) and at the Winsor School (Boston).  Opened Thomas School in Rowayton in 1922.  After retirement from active teaching in 1953, chaired Board of Trustees of Thomas School.  Active in Private School Association.

SCOPE AND CONTENT:  Papers, 1890-1946 (bulk 1890-1916), consist primarily of correspondence (1890-1916), with some manuscripts and notes (1895-1905), financial material (1901-1946), and miscellaneous non-manuscript materials (1896-1902).  Correspondence includes major sequences from Alicia M. Keyes (Concord resident, artist, and art teacher), and from Loren B. Macdonald (minister of the First Parish in Concord from 1895-1924 and unsuccessful suitor of Mabel Thomas).  Other correspondents include Olive Gage of Concord, Lillian M Tarbox, and Mary T. Wright (Mrs. John H.).  Included in the papers are some family correspondence from several members of the Thomas family and from Eleanor Thomas Doughty (Mabel’s sister) and some correspondence relating to Mabel Thomas’s employment as a teacher.  Manuscripts and notes include two pieces written by Mabel Thomas for the Concord High School Voice.  Financial materials reflect personal finances and accounts of the Thomas School.  Non-manuscript materials include a 1902 printed catalog of St. Agnes School, photographs, clippings, and a religious medal.
 

SOURCE OF ACQUISITION: Purchased of Robert F. Lucas, Dec., 1994.

NOTES/COMMENTS: Accessioned Mar. 7, 1995; AMC 003.

PROCESSED BY: LPW; finding aid prepared 1/21/1996.  Prepared for the Internet by Peter K. Steinberg, 12/20/2005.


CONTAINER LIST

SERIES I. CORRESPONDENCE, 1890-1916:

EXTENDED CORRSPONDENCE:
BOX                FOLDER                    CONTENTS
                                                            Correspondent:


1                      1                                  Borglum, Solon H., and others, concerning care and
                                                            schooling of Dorothy Millar (material kept together
                                                            by Mabel Thomas), 1913-1916, plus undated items.
                      
                        2                                  Child, Susan/Scoffrei, Susan Child, one letter dated
                                                            1906; largely undated.

                        3                                  Child, Susan/Scoffrei, Susan Child, [1907]-1909;
                                                            some undated.

                        4                                  Clark, Josephine (Mrs. B. Preston Clark), one letter
                                                            dated 1908; largely undated.

                        5                                  D------, Alice (“Allus”), 1911, plus a few undated
                                                            items.

                        6                                  Davis: Ellen; William, 1907-1909; largely undated.

                        7                                  Discussion Club; 1911.
                       
                        8                                  Gage, Olive, 1901-1904, plus a few undated items.
                       
                        9                                  [Gardiner], Anne T., 1906-1911; largely undated.

                                                            Gardiner, Elizabeth D., 1902.

                        10                                Gray, Howard, 1900-1903; plus a few undated
                                                           items.

                        11                                Hopkinson, Leslie, 1908; largely undated.
                                                           
                                                            Hopkinson; Mary E.
                       
                        12                                “Jo,” 1907; largely undated.

2                      1                                  Keyes, Alicia M., 1901-1908.
                       
                        2                                  Keyes, Alicia M., undated (sequence not
                                                            established).
 
                        3                                  Keyes, Alicia M., undated (sequence not
                                                            established).

                        4                                  Keyes, Alicia M., incomplete letters, undated;
                                                            (sequence not established).

                        5                                  Macdonald, Loren B., 1902.

                        6                                  Macdonald, Loren B., 1903-1904, plus a few
                                                            undated letters.

                        7                                  Reuter, Emma, 1904, plus a few undated letters.

                        8                                  S-----, E-----, G----- (“Elisabetsey”), 1907-1908;
                                                            largely undated.

 3                     1                                  Tarbox, Lillian M., 1899-1908.
 
                        2                                  Tarbox, Lillian M., undated; (sequence not
                                                            established).
 
                        3                                  Warren: William M.; Winifred; Anna, 1896-1907.

                        4                                  Winsor, Mary P. 1908; most letters undated.

                        5                                  Wright, Mary T. (Mrs. John H.), 1899-1902.

                        6                                  Wright, Mary T. (Mrs. John H.), 1903-1908.

                        7                                  Wright, Mary T. (Mrs. John H.), undated; some
                                                            letters incomplete; two 1901 letteres from Mary
                                                            Wright to Alicia M. Keyes.

                        8                                  Wright: John H.; younger John (John K.T.); Miss
                                                            Wright, 1899-1906, plus undated items.

FAMILY CORRESPONDENCE (THOMAS AND DOUGHTY FAMILIES):

4                      1                                  Thomas family: various members, 1901-1911.

                        2                                  Doughty, Eleanor Thomas, undated.
                       
                        3                                  Doughty, Felicia, 1911 (no letters from F.D.; only
                                                            to or about).

SCHOOL EMPLOYMENT CORRESPONDENCE:

                        4                                  Lynn (Mass.), concerning M.T.’s appointment to
                                                            Lynn’s English High School, 1898, and her
                                                            declining the appointment to remain at Concord.                                    

                        5                                  Concord (Mass.) School Committee (B. Farnham
                                                            Smith, Secretary), 1901 acceptance of M.T.’s
                                                            resignation.

MISCELLANEOUS CORRESPONDENTS, 1890-1911:

                        6                                  A-B

                        7                                  C

                        8                                  D-G

                        9                                  H-M

                      10                                  P-W, plus some unidentified

SERIES II. MANUSCRIPTS AND NOTES, 1895-1905:

5                      1                                  Manuscripts for Concord High School Voice, 1895:

                                                            “The First Hot Day of Spring”; “Do You Know
                                                            Her” (both printed in May 2, 1895 issue of Voice).

                        2                                  Miscellaneous manuscripts and notes, undated;
                                                            some incomplete.  (Includes notebook on Sanskrit
                                                            by Eleanor Thomas).


                        3                                  Engagement books, 1900, 1905.

SERIES III. FINANCIAL, 1901-1946:

                        4                                  “Petty Cash,” undated.

                        5                                  Checkbooks and bank accounts; 1901-1902, 1906,
                                                            1909, 1918.

                        6                                  Delinquent accounts, Thomas School, 1932-1946.

SERIES IV. MISCELLANEOUS NON-MANUSCRIPT MATERIALS, 1896-1902:

                        7                                  Contents include 1902 printed catalog of St. Agnes
                                                            School, photographs, clippings, and a religious
                                                            medal. (Notes: Medal in small box following
                                                            Folder 7; photographs of Mabel Thomas can be
                                                            found as enclosures in letters housed in Box 4, Folder 6)


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