Class Reunions

The Mount Holyoke College Archives supports reunion activities of classes in a variety of ways. Listed below are some frequently-asked questions about what the Archives can do for class members--and what class members can do for the Archives!

1. Is the Archives open during reunion weekends?
2. Do the Archives exhibit class material during reunions?
3. What do the Archives have relating to my class?
4. How can I use these materials from the Archives for my reunion?
5. Can I borrow anything from the Archives to use before or during my reunion?
6. The Archives doesn't have very much material relating to my class. What can I do to help?
7. I do have some letters, diaries, course records, scrapbooks and photographs from my time as a Mount Holyoke student. Does the Archives really want my personal papers?
8. What kind of research is done in the Archives using personal papers of Mount Holyoke alumnae?

Is the Archives open during reunion weekends?

Yes, the Archives is usually open from 1:00-5:00 on Saturdays during each weekend.

Do the Archives exhibit class material during reunions?

Yes, the Archives usually displays documents and photographs relating to each returning class. The time, date and location of the exhibits is listed in the programs for reunion weekends.

What do the Archives have relating to my class?

The Archives has a wide range of materials documenting classes. The collection includes:

• Copies of College publications such as the Mount Holyoke News and Llamarada, course catalogues, and student handbooks
• Class profiles, Junior Show scripts, programs for plays and dances, and newspaper articles and press releases concerning class members as undergraduates
• Class newsletters and reunion booklets
• Photographs and slides dating from undergraduate years and later
• Films and video recordings showing reunion activities
• Biographical files for individual members of each class

How can I use these materials from the Archives for my reunion?

Anyone can use the Archives during the hours that the collection is open. Staff members can often answer quick questions relating to the history of a class--the number of entering students in a class, for example, or the date of when a particular academic year began. In most instances, however, one or more members of a class planning a reunion will need to visit the Archives to review collection sources.

Can I borrow anything from the Archives to use before or during my reunion?

The Archives often has extra copies of Llamaradas, campus address directories, freshman and student handbooks, and course catalogues that may be borrowed by any researcher. Unique or scarce items such as Junior Show programs or photographs cannot be borrowed, but class members may ask to have photocopies or digital copies made of many of these items at no charge.

The Archives doesn't have very much material relating to my class. What can I do to help?

The Archives relies on donations from students and alumnae to build the collections. If you or your classmates have materials relating to your undergraduate years, please consider donating them to the Archives. For more information about making a donation to the collection, please contact the Archives by email or telephone (413-538-2013). Information for donors is also available in the "About Archives & Special Collections" section of the website.

I do have some letters, diaries, course records, scrapbooks and photographs from my time as a Mount Holyoke student. Does the Archives really want my personal papers?

Yes!!! Without donations from alumna of the College, the Archives would not be able to help others understand the history of Mount Holyoke. Your personal papers offer an unparalleled glimpse into a different time and age. Consider, for example, the value of class notes written by a student at Mount Holyoke in 1844 and how much those materials will vary from documents written in 1944 or 2004. The more documentation the Archives collects, the broader the picture that will exist to tell the story of the College's unique history.

What kind of research is done in the Archives using personal papers of Mount Holyoke alumnae?

These collections support research by everyone from elementary school students to scholars writing monographs on a wide variety of topics. Mount Holyoke students regularly use these sources to prepare papers and projects for classes. During 2003/2004, for example, letters and photographs in the collections were used by students creating an electronic historical atlas of the College.

At present, the following Research Associates of the Five College Women's Studies Research Center are using collections to support their work:

• Sarah Doyle's research concerns body Measurement, physical education and posture at New England Colleges, 1861-1940
• Ann Karus Meeropol is writing a book about the "defeat of female leadership" at Mount Holyoke during the 1930s, when the College selected Roswell Ham as the successor to Mary Woolley
• Jewel Smith is preparing a study of music education in nineteenth-century American female seminaries

For other examples of how personal papers in the Archives have been used, see our bibliography.

We hope that you will contact Archives & Special Collections if you have any questions about using the collections or donating material!