MS 0528.1
Correspondence , 1918-1986
6 folders
Chronological
Part of MS 0528, The Sara B. Downer Papers
Restrictions: Unrestricted
Last Updated: 2002/11/12
Description:
This series chiefly consists of letters that
Downer wrote between 1918-1986. Many of the
documents are copies of letters that Downer wrote
for the Woman's American Baptist Foreign Mission
Society and sent to her Mount Holyoke College
classmate, Ruth Sonn Fritts ("Sonny"), and two
Mount Holyoke faculty members, Mildred Allen and
Margaret Ball. The collection also includes
several personal letters that she sent to Fritts
and Ball. These describe her life as a
missionary and professor at the West China Union
University in Chengdu where she taught music,
physics, astronomy and English and served as
"housemother, nurse, policeman" and supervisor.
She also mentions church-related activities and
musical events. She describes the effect that
the tumultuous politics of China had on the
University, the threat of raids, the Japanese
invasion of China during the Sino-Japanese
conflict, the effects of propaganda on the
students, the bombing of campus in 1939,
independence day in China in 1942, the Communist
government's influence on the University's rules
and regulations, inflation, and a particularly
hard year in 1949 in which tuition was paid with
rice. Evidence of the extreme political
situation can also be seen in a sheet of paper
included in a letter dated August 6, 1941,
outlining a secret code to use in letters. She
describes her travels in China to Deer Mountain
and down the Yangtze River and an airplane flight
from Chongqing to Chengdu in 1935. She also
discusses her travels to Cairo, Athens, Italy,
Switzerland, Paris and London on her way back to
the United States in 1951. Most of the letters
to Downer were written by Mary E. Woolley,
President of Mount Holyoke College, from
1919-1946. These documents describe Woolley's
trip to China and Japan in 1921 and mention
events at Mount Holyoke such as the Rockefeller
Hall fire, the building of Clapp Laboratories and
the Physical and Chemical Laboratories, and the
enlargement of the library. She responds to
Downer's political experiences in China with
remarks of her own about United States-China
relations, the Sino-Japanese conflict, and World
War II. Woolley also describes her retirement
and her concern that a woman succeed her as
President of the College.
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MS 0528.2
Writings , 1918-1949
1 folder
Chronological
Part of MS 0528, The Sara B. Downer Papers
Restrictions: Unrestricted
Last Updated: 2000/02/10
Description:
Downer's writings consist of a short article
published in "Popular Astronomy" in 1918, two
laboratory manuals written in Chinese and
published in 1930, and an informational brochure,
ca. 1949, about the West China Union University
Women's College which contains a map of the
College, and information about the institution's
history, enrollment, and goals.
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MS 0528.3
Scrapbooks , ca. 1918-ca.1955
2 folders
Chronological
Part of MS 0528, The Sara B. Downer Papers
Restrictions: Unrestricted
Last Updated: 2000/02/10
Description:
The two scrapbooks in this series were compiled
by Downer to celebrate Mary E. Woolley's life and
her work as President of Mount Holyoke College
from 1901-1937. The first volume includes a
biography and photograph of Woolley and prayers
from chapel services appended in Woolley's
handwriting. This scrapbook also includes
excerpts and paraphrases of several of Woolley's
speeches: "The Gift of Days" given to incoming
students; "A Welcome to Mount Holyoke" outlining
Woolley's view of the what students should gain
by coming to the College including physical
fitness, concentration and "a scientific way of
thinking;" "Manners;" "Four Things to Be
Remembered"; and "Courtesy." The second scrapbook
is a collection of newspaper and magazine
clippings by and about Woolley. The article by
Robert E. Rogers, "The Feminization of Our
Schools," is included with an article containing
Woolley's critical response. Other articles
describe Woolley's participation in an
international disarmament conference in 1932 and
her inclusion on "Good Housekeeping" list of
America's twelve greatest living women in 1930.
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MS 0528.4
Biographical Information , ca. 1921-1988
1 folder
Chronological
Part of MS 0528, The Sara B. Downer Papers
Restrictions: Unrestricted
Last Updated: 2000/02/10
Description:
This series contains notes and articles dating
from ca. 1922-1964 that describe Downer's work as
a missionary as well as notice of her death dated
1988.
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MS 0528.5
Photographs , ca. 1930s-1955
2 folders
Chronological
Part of MS 0528, The Sara B. Downer Papers
Restrictions: Unrestricted
Last Updated: 2000/02/10
Description:
This series chiefly consists of snapshots
relating to Downer's life and work in China, and
most photographs date from the 1930s to 1951. The
photographs are of the Fine Arts faculty of West
China Union University and of Downer's "adopted"
Loh family. They show views of the campus and
buildings of the Women's College of West China
Union, the students of the West China Union Class
of 1930, and fellow missionaries. There is also a
photograph of Downer at Spelman College,
1951-1955, and negatives of several formal
photographs of her, probably dating from the
1950s.
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