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Agency History/Biographical note:
Annah May Soule was born in 1861 (some sources say 1859) in Port Huron, Michigan. Her father served in the Civil War and was later appointed Treasurer at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. Soule attended public school in Jackson, Michigan, then spent a year in a convent school in Canada. She studied history and political science at the State Normal School at Ypsilanti, Michigan for three years, followed by two years studying history and constitutional law at the University of Michigan. She left the University to teach at normal schools in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Soule later returned to the University of Michigan and earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees. In the fall of 1896 Soule came to Mount Holyoke College, to teach in the History and Political Economy Department, where she developed new and innovative courses concerning social issues. One course, called "Elements of Political Economy", required students to visit a factory or other industrial institution and make a formal report about it. Soule was an active member of the American Historical Society, the Michigan Historical Association, the New England Association of Teachers of History, the New England Educational League, and the Association of Intercollegiate Alumnae. Soule died on March 17, 1905 in Marion, Ohio while on leave from Mount Holyoke College.

Scope and Content:
The Annah May Soule Papers consist of papers by Mount Holyoke students, Soule's writing and research notes, correspondence, memorabilia, bibliographical information, and photographs. The materials date from ca. 1896-1907, the time she spent as a professor at Mount Holyoke in what was successively called the departments of Constitutional History and Political Economy, Political Economy, History and Political Economy, and History. The papers reflect her  work as a professor as well as her outside professional interests. The student papers, ca. 1897-1904, were written for her courses in "Political Institutions," "American Colonial History," and "History of Industrial Society." These papers deal with the history of New England, particularly Massachusetts, as well as social and political issues. One paper from 1904 is titled "What the Founding of Mount Holyoke Seminary did for the Cause of Woman's Higher Education: A Comparative Study of the Highest Girls' Schools Existing in 1837 and Mount Holyoke Seminary." Other papers are on topics such as "A History of the Town Meeting of South Hadley, Mass" (1899); "Steps Leading to the Establishment of the Bureau of Education" (1902); "Growth of Party Management in the United States" (1902); and " The Relation of Slavery to Party Platforms" (1904). Soule's writings and research notes date from 1900-1904. They include an article about Mount Holyoke's Constitutional History and Political Economy Department (1900); an article published in "New England History Teachers' Association Report" in 1901 on how to incorporate new history requirements into a curriculum; replies to a questionnaire that Soule sent out in 1903 regarding a physical education requirement for college entrance and graduation; a 1903 lecture entitled "Relation of the School and College to Public Health;" and a paper entitled "The Likeness of Mary Lyon to Emerson" published in 1904. The correspondence dates from ca. 1897-1904. It includes two 1900 letters from Susan B. Anthony. The first requests information about Zilpah P. Grant Banister and Ipswich Female Seminary, where Mary Lyon was a teacher, and the second recommends that Soule teach Anthony's books "Life and Work of Susan B Anthony," and "The History of Woman Suffrage" in her courses. Also in the correspondence is a photocopy of an 1897 letter from Woodrow Wilson regarding a possible visit to Mount Holyoke College and a photocopy of a 1904 letter from W.E.B. DuBois responding to Soule's praise of his work. Other correspondence from the principals of area high schools is written in response to her apparent inquiry as to how the subject of history is taught. Memorabilia includes a manuscript newsletter, "The Safford Hall Chronicle, edited by the Soule-Table-Association" which was written by some Mount Holyoke students living in Safford Hall dormitory. It contains notes about the activities of students and affectionate comments regarding Soule. Another document, called the "Safford Hall Family Chart of Farewell" contains humorous greetings addressed to Soule. Both documents date from the spring of 1902. Memorabilia also contains a letter written after Soule's death by her mother to "Mrs. Lane" (possibly Clara E. Lane, the Superintendent of Domestic Department at Mount Holyoke from 1887-1891) commenting on the College's domestic work system. Biographical information dates from 1905 and consists of Soule's obituary and a program from her memorial service at Mount Holyoke.

Cite as: Annah May Soule Papers, Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections, South Hadley, MA.

Access Restrictions: Unrestricted

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