Caroline Maddocks Beard papers

Collection

Identifier: MSS-011

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Collection consists of the personal and professional papers of Wellesley Class of 1892 alumna Caroline Maddocks Beard. Includes clippings, recipes, photographs, novel drafts, correspondence, and cookbooks related to Beard's work as an author under the pen name Jane Eddington for the Chicago Daily Tribune on foods and cooking, educator, and college administrator.

Dates

Creation: 1815 - 1936

Language of Materials

Materials are primarily written and printed in English. Some additional French, Italian, and German materials included.

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.

Conditions Governing Use

The Wellesley College Archives welcomes researchers to use materials in the public domain, to make fair use of copyrighted materials as defined by copyright law, and to request permission to use works whose copyright is held by Wellesley College. All materials from the Archives, regardless of copyright status, should be attributed to the Wellesley College Archives, Library and Technology Services when cited, quoted, or reproduced.

Biographical / Historical

Caroline Maddocks Beard was an educator, college administrator, and food columnist for The Chicago Daily Tribune. She was born Caroline Shaw Maddocks in East Eddington, Maine, in 1866. Beard was a member of the Wellesley College class of 1892. Upon graduating from Wellesley, she obtained her Masters from the University of Chicago in 1895. While at the University of Chicago, Beard taught at South Side Academy in Chicago.

From 1896-1899, Beard served as the Dean of Women and Head of the English Department at Washburn College in Tokepa, Kansas. In 1901, she taught subjects including grammar, math, and agriculture via mail under the auspices of the Interstate School of Correspondence.

Beard became a food writer for The Chicago Daily Tribune in Chicago, Illinois, 1910, penning a column originally called "Economical Housekeeping" under the pen name Jane Eddington. In 1912-1913, Beard went to Europe and studied cooking in Paris, Berlin, Edinburgh, Italy, and Switzerland. She also traveled to different states within the continental United States in order to study the local cuisine.

From 1917-1919, the Tribune ran a wartime recipe contest in which readers submitted original recipes to the newspaper that had to conform with rationing guidelines while also being nourishing, economical, and palatable. Their recipes were tested by Beard and judged by a three judge panel that included Beard. Winners saw their recipes printed in the paper and were awarded monetary prizes.

She married Oscar C. Beard in 1921 and they divorced in 1927. In 1925, Beard published a cookbook containing some of the recipes she had printed in her column. It was sold by the Tribune as the Tribune Cookbook and by The News, the Sunday version of the New York Daily News, as the Daily News Cookbook. Beard guest lectured on the radio and at women's clubs about cooking, food, and nutrition.

She retired from writing for the Tribune in 1930 and dedicated herself to writing fiction. Beard moved to East Holden, Maine in 1934 and died on April 7, 1938 at the age of 75.

Extent

30.3 Linear Feet (In 36 letter-sized Hollinger boxes, 25 legal-sized Hollinger boxes, 5 flat storage boxes, 1 Hollinger shoe box, 1 clamshell storage box)

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection comprises the personal and professional papers of Caroline Maddocks Beard; educator, college administrator, and writer of the Tribune Cook Book column for The Chicago Daily Tribune from 1910-1930. The collection includes clippings, recipes, photographs, novel drafts, correspondence, and cookbooks.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in the following series:

Series I: Education

Series II: Teaching

Series III: Travel

Series IV: Chicago Tribune

Subseries A: Recipes Subseries B: Cookbooks Subseries C: Wartime recipe contest Subseries D: Other article topics Subseries E: Administrative

Series V: Writing

Subseries A: Short stories Subseries B: Novels Subseries C: Poetry Subseries D: Lectures Subseries E: Unidentified writings

Series VI: Correspondence

Subseries A: Reader letters Subseries B: General correspondence

Series VII: Clippings

Subseries A: Character sketches

Series VIII: Personal

Immediate Source of Acquisition

According to the December 1, 1938 Report of the President, this collection was bequeathed to Wellesley College upon Caroline Maddocks Beard’s death in 1938. Her brother (not named) and friend Caroline Miles Hill facilitated the donation. On November 30, 1978, the collection was removed from the library storage area in the basement of Pendleton Hall. It is unknown how the materials made their way to the archives (for example, if a particular office sent it over), nor is it known what happened to her vast collection of books that were supposedly donated along with her materials.