Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections

Archival Inventory

2 folders

Historical Sketch:
Born in 1832, in Brattleboro, Vermont, Helen French graduated from Mount Holyoke in 1857. After teaching at the Seminary for ten years, she was Principal from 1867-1872, when she resigned and married Lemuel Gullivar. Under her leadership, funds were raised for substantial renovations and the construction of a separate library building in 1870. She died in 1909.

Description of Records:
The records of Helen French [Gullivar] contain both personal and professional documents (1857- ). They include correspondence dated from 1867-1893?; biographical materials which include obituaries and tributes, a genealogical record and students' published accounts; and photographs. The documents provide information about French's teaching career, the high regard of her students and colleagues and her service to the Seminary. The large number of tributes are notable testimonials of her personal and professional life.

Cite as: Office of the President, Helen Maria French Records, Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections, South Hadley, MA.

Access Restrictions: Unrestricted.