Series IV. Wellesley College Relief Unit, 1918-1925, 1958, 1969
Scope and Contents
Series IV. Wellesley College Relief Unit (1918-1925, 1958, 1969) consists of the papers of Mary Brownscombe Whiting (who was the director of the Wellesley College Relief Unit and later part of the Reconstruction Unit tasked with reconstructing 12 villages in Northeastern France). Files include official documentation from the Red Cross and French government, news clippings and publications, a booklet of hymns and prayers, ration tickets for bread, personal and Relief Unit correspondence, Reports of the Wellesley College Relief Unit, and a photo album. Series also includes an unbound photo album from featuring the Reconstruction Unit in France, a Wellesley Unit scrapbook (1919-1920), 2 photo albums of Berenice Van Slyke (Class of 1913), two photo albums of Dr. Mary W. Marvell (Class of 1895), and an album titled "The Wellesley College Unit, Lucy-de-Bocage, Aisne, France,' including photos, correspondence, informational sheets, and a map.
Dates
- Creation: 1918-1925, 1958, 1969
Creator
- From the Collection: Wellesley College (Organization)
- From the Collection: American Committee for Devastated France (Organization)
- From the Collection: National War Work Council, Y.M.C.A. of the United States (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research. To make an appointment to view materials, please contact the Archives staff by email at archives@wellesley.edu or by phone at (781) 283-3745.
Biographical / Historical
Mary Brownscombe Whiting was the director of the Wellesley College Relief Unit under the Red Cross in France for a year, beginning in 1918, after which she and three other alumnae who had been part of the Relief Unit (Agnes L. Gilson '10, Mary Cate '11, and Ada Davis '08) were assigned to a new Reconstruction Unit as of May 1919. They were at this point joined by Candace C. Stimson, a Wellesley College Trustee. The Reconstruction Unit was tasked with reconstructing 12 villages in the Belleau Woods Section (in Northeastern France). [See Wellesley News editions May 22, 1919, page 2, "Wellesley's Reconstruction Unit;" June 25, 1919, page 2, "The Unit for France;" October 2, 1930, page 4, "New Executive Secretary."]
Extent
From the Collection: 3.6 Linear Feet (5 boxes, 1 oversize box)
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Repository Details
Part of the Wellesley College Archives Repository