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Agency History/Biographical note:
Alice W. Gordon was born in Boston, Massachusetts on August 8, 1847. Her father was James M. Gordon. She attended Mount Holyoke Female Seminary from 1863-1867 and was instructor there from 1868-1870. She married the Reverend Alvah B. Kittredge, who was a tutor at Amherst College, and he died shortly after the marriage. After his death she became a member of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions and decided to devote her life to missionary service. In 1871 she married the Reverend William H. Gulick, who had spent much time working as a missionary. They had five children. She was highly recognized for her missionary activities in Spain, where she and her husband worked since 1872. She was best known for founding a school for girls called the International Institute for Girls in San Sebastian. The school was later renamed the International Institute for Girls in Spain. She died in London, England on October 1, 1903 at the age of fifty-six.

Scope and Content:
The Alice Gordon Gulick papers consist of correspondence, writings, biographical information, memorabilia, and photographs and portraits. The material primarily relates to her work in Spain, both as a missionary and as founder of the International Institute for Girls in Spain (or the Instituto Internacional) in Madrid. Included are nine letters from Gulick to Emily F. Perrin, a friend from Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, which date from 1870-1882. These letters reflect key moments in Gulick's life, including her marriages, the births of her children, and the founding of her school. They also discuss the Gulicks' home in Spain, the poverty surrounding them, and their early work in that country. In one letter she asks Perrin to collect old clothing to send to Spain for the people living near the Gulicks in Santander. The writings 1880-1898 consist predominantly of work  published in pamphlets associated with their mission. Written by Gulick or her husband, the Christian-oriented writings address the start of the Spanish American War (1898), reflect the circumstances and welfare of those around them, and discuss the ordeals faced by a mother in Spain. The biographical information consists primarily of newspaper articles and other writings about Gulick, 1867-1904. Most of the articles pay tribute to her as an educator and mark advancements of the Instituto Internacional in Spain. The photographs and portraits of Gulick are formal poses as early as her photograph for Mount Holyoke Female Seminary as an instructor up until the time of her death.

Cite as: Alice Gordon Gulick Papers. Mount Holyoke College, Archives and Special Collections, South Hadley, MA.

Access Restrictions: Unrestricted.

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