Laurenus Clark Seelye Papers, 1820-1995 (bulk 1875-1924)
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Smith College Archives Northampton, MA
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Laurenus Clark Seelye Papers
Creation of Laurenus Clark Seelye Papers
Time of Creation of Laurenus Clark Seelye Papers
Seelye, Laurenus Clark, 1837-1924.
Biographical History for: Laurenus Clark Seelye Papers
Biographical Note Laurenus Clark Seelye was born on September 20, 1837, in Bethel, Connecticut. He was the youngest child of Abigail Taylor Seelye and Seth Seelye, who married in 1817. Seth Seelye was a merchant, farmer, and deacon. Seelye's sisters, Hannah and Elizabeth, were not educated. L. Clark and his brothers, Thomas, Samuel, Julius, and Henry, were all educated. Three of the sons, Samuel, Julius, and L. Clark, went on to become ministers, Thomas became a physician, and Henry a farmer and later an attorney. Julius served as the president of Amherst College. Seelye most likely attended the Center District School in Bethel. He was schooled in Woodbury, attended the Old Hadley Academy, and afterwards spent some time in Danbury to complete his education. At the age of twelve he started home schooling under his brother Samuel. He entered Union College at the age of sixteen where he received a B.A. and graduated as valedictorian with highest honors. After Union, he attended Andover Seminary but left due to ill health. He traveled throughout the Mediterranean and across Europe in hopes of getting well; while in Germany, he decided to complete his education in Heidelberg.
Scope and Contents of the Collection The Laurenus Clark Seelye Papers cover 1820 - 1995. The majority of the materials are from 1875 - 1924, when Seelye did most of his work. The bulk of the material is correspondence and written sermons and lectures. Other types of materials represented in this collection include news articles, photographs, manuscripts and published works, notebooks, scrapbooks, journals, and memorabilia. The correspondence ranges in date from 1860 - 1934, and is divided by family and professional life. The family correspondence is mostly from the 1860s between various members of the family. The professional correspondence is divided into the following sections: Smith College (1872-1934), Non-Smith College (1876-1924), and Employment opportunities (1862-1872). The Smith College correspondence consists of familiar names, including President Marion LeRoy Burton, Harry Norman Gardiner, Arthur L. Gillett, John M. Greene, Mary Augusta Jordan, William H. Lanning, Alice (Lord) Parsons, and Herbert A. Wilder. The correspondence provides a good record of the early days of Smith College, as well as a look at the people after whom Smith College buildings and monuments are named. Names of note in the Non-Smith College correspondence are Andrew Carnegie, President William McKinley, and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. The letters in this segment cover everything from money to religion. One weakness of the correspondence is that quite a few of the first names of correspondents are not apparent or are completely unknown. The series of lectures comprises the largest portion of history in this collection. All of these works were written by Seeleye and give incredible insight into his religious and secular views. The sermons range from 1859-1910 and include the city in which the sermon was given. Speeches are divided into religious, Washington's Birthday, and secular categories. Seeleye's lectures are divided into subject. His lectures on English Literature were given between 1864 - 1875.
lcnaf
Seelye, Henrietta Chapin.
Jordon, Mary A. (Mary Augusta), 1855-1941.
Burton, Marion Le Roy, 1874-1925.
Gardiner, H. Norman (Harry Norman), 1855-1927.
Gillett, Arthur L.
Greene, John Morton, 1830-1919.
Parsons, Alice Tullis Lord.
Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919.
McKinley, William, 1843-1901.
Rockefeller, John D. (John Davison), 1874-1960.
Smith College--Presidents.
lcsh
Smith College. Office of President.
series
SERIES I. BIOGRAPHY (1854-1995)
This series covers Seelye's life in terms of his family history, Union College, Smith life and memorabilia (including inauguration and retirement), his life achievements and opinions, and his death. The folders are arranged alphabetically. Most of the material is newspaper articles. Other materials include a scrapbook, class notebooks, publications, and various memorabilia.
Bethel, CT 1911-1991, n.d.
Book dedication 1864
Church; prayer 1894-1915, n.d.
Death
Obituaries 1924
Tributes; announcements (news clippings) 1924-1937
Tributes; announcements (dated) 1924-1934
Tributes; announcements n.d.
Family history 1899-1984, n.d.
Finances: trip to Europe; devotional image 1862
Funeral: William Allen Neilson's address 1924
Honorary degree from Union College 1913
Marriage and anniversaries 1863-1943
Milk receipt 1923
News clippings (biographical) 1896-1940
News clippings (misc.) 1901-1929, n.d.
Opposition to women's suffrage c.1883-1995
Union College: "Seelye Seelye and His Alma Mater" 1934
U.S. Christian Commission 1864
Union College
Orations and essays 1854
Science 1856
Hickok's Theology 1857
Theology
Smith life and memorabilia
Beginning of Smith College 1875-1925, n.d.
Calling card c.1875-1910
Class of 1909 alumnae booklet 1923
Class of 1913 1916-1923
Friendship Calendars 1908-1909
Graduation weeks 1901-1910, n.d.
Inauguration 1875
Inauguration: publications 1875
Retirement: news clippings 1908-1915, n.d.
Retirement: publications 1910
Smith College tributes 1898-1925, n.d.
Trips abroad 1901
Scrapbook c.1879
SERIES II. CORRESPONDENCE (1860-1925)
This series is divided into four subseries. The correspondence from Family members is arranged alphabetically by the first name of the person to whom the letter was sent. Correspondence that has to do with Seelye's professional life at Smith College is arranged alphabetically by last name. Each folder classifies the person as an alumna, a parent, or an associate. Correspondence from Non-Smith College people are also arranged alphabetically by last name and cover his outside activities, notable people, and parishioners. The subseries Employment opportunities contain correspondence that Seelye received from various institutions asking him to consider working for them.
Family
To Cousin Fanny from Seelye Seelye 1923(?)
To Hannah Seelye from a friend 1860
To Julius and Libby (Elizabeth James) Seelye from Seelye Seelye 1861-1869(?)
To Julius Seelye from Mother (Abigail Taylor Seelye) 1864
To Julius and Libby from Elizabeth Seelye 1863
To Dr. Laurens Hickok from Robert Booth 1860
Middle East and Europe 1860-1862
To Millie from Mother and Father 1875, n.d.
Smith College
Abbott, Elsie (Bourland) '95 1910
"An Alumna of Smith College" 1917
Anderson, Grace E. '94 1923
Andrews, Hannah Dunlop '04 1920
Burton, Marion LeRoy 1915
Byrd, Mary E. 1895-1904
Clarke, Elizabeth Crocker Lawrence '83 1923
Converse, Clara Adra '83 1900-1920
Cook, Caroline 1907
Cutler, Anna Alice '85 1913
De Forest, Charlotte Burgis '01 1919
Dike, Dr. 1892
Dimock, Mr. and Mrs. George 1902-1915
Early History of Smith College: responses 1915-c.1925
Employment opportunities 1872-1934
Finances 1900-1904
Franklin, Ruth 1909
Gardiner, Harry Norman 1913
Gillett, Arthur L. 1917
Greene, John M. 1873-1916
Hazen, Charles Downer 1914
Jordan, Mary Augusta 1910
Lanning, William H. 1910
Lewis, Alice Bradbury '86 1918
Lyman, Edward Hutchinson Robbins 1897
Martin, J. 1910
Park, Edwards A. 1872
Parsons, Alice (Lord) '97 1914
Pearson, Lucy Wright '86 1920
Senate Bill 290 1907
Smith, Mary Gove '02 1904
Taplin, Edith (Smith) '05 1915(?)
Thomas, Gail (Tritch) '06 1906
Varney, Alice M. '07 (and other members of '07) 1912
Walker, Mary Manning (1881-1884) 1917(?)
Whitaker, Ellen (Comins) '91 c.1916
Wilder, Herbert A. 1896
Woods, Norma (Hoblit) '10 1923
Non-Smith College
Amherst College, Class of 1869 1919
Carnegie, Andrew 1905
Clubs 1876-1878
Coolidge Home Committee 1920
Gere, Henry S. 1907
Hartwell, Mr. 1900
Harvard University 1897-1907
Kent, C.A. 1913
Kneeland, Martin D. 1913
Lee, Sarah White 1895
Marble, Mrs. 1924
Massachusetts Biographical Society 1920
McClure, James 1918
McKinley, President William 1899
McLean, Charlotte F. 1909
Palmer, Alice F. n.d.
Richmond, Charles A. 1914
Rockefeller, John D., Jr. 1901-1905
Talbot, Mrs. B.F. n.d.
Taylor, Joseph Wright 1878
Williams College 1897
Williston, Belvin Thomas 1917
Employment opportunities
Bridgeport, CT 1862
Springfield, MA; resignation 1862, 1865
New York 1864
Amherst, MA 1865
New Haven, CT 1866
Boston, MA 1867, 1872
SERIES III. SERMONS/SPEECHES/LECTURES (1859-1923)
This series is the largest in the collection. It covers Seelye's numerous SERMONS/SPEECHES/LECTURES from the time he was a pastor to the last years of his life. The dated Sermons are arranged chronologically and include the city in which the sermon was given. The undated sermons are arranged alphabetically by title or the first sentence of the sermon. Seelye traveled throughout the country giving sermons, including to Chicago; Bethel, CT; Albany, NY; Springfield; Amherst; Brookline; Northampton; Norwich; Brooklyn; Easthampton; and Boston. Speeches are further divided into subseries of religious, Washington's Birthday, and secular. Both the religious and secular speeches are arranged alphabetically by title and/or subject; Washington's Birthday speeches are arranged chronologically. Lectures are divided into English Literature and the History of Education. The English lectures cover the years when Seelye was an English professor at Amherst College. Most of the lectures are about the history of education at women's colleges. Both subseries are arranged alphabetically by title and/or subject. The majority are handwritten by Seelye; the rest are typed with various handwritten corrections.
Dated
Chicago, IL 14 Aug 1859
Bethel, CT 30 Sep 1860
Albany, NY 21 Oct 1860
UNIDENTIFIED 11, 12 Dec 1860
Bethel, CT Aug 1862
Albany, NY Sep 1862
Albany, NY Oct 1862
Springfield, MA Dec 1862
Albany, NY 22 Dec 1862
Springfield, MA 25 Jan 1863
Springfield, MA Feb - Jul 1863
Springfield, MA Sep 1863
Springfield, MA 4 Oct 1863
Springfield, MA Nov - Dec 1863
Springfield, MA Jan - Jul 1864
Springfield, MA Sep - Nov 1864
Springfield, MA 11 Dec 1864
Springfield, MA 21 Feb 1865
Springfield, MA 26 March 1865
Springfield, MA 24 May 1865
Springfield, Amherst, MA 7 Jan 1866
Amherst, MA Feb, Mar 1866
Springfield, MA 6 May 1866
Brookline, MA 5 Jan 1868
Northampton, MA 2 Feb 1868
Amherst, MA 1 Nov 1868
Amherst, Springfield, MA Feb 1869
Amherst, Agricultural College, MA Mar 1869
Amherst, MA 13 Nov 1870
Amherst, MA 29 Jan 1871
Norwich, CT, Amherst, MA Oct 1871
Amherst, MA 7 Feb 1872
Amherst, MA 4 Mar 1872
Brooklyn, NY 12 May 1872
Amherst, MA 17 Nov 1872
Brookline, MA 11 May 1873
Amherst, MA 15 Jun 1873
UNIDENTIFIED 15 Mar 1874
Easthampton, MA 21 Nov 1875
Boston, MA 6 Jan 1878
Springfield, MA 29 Sep 1879
UNIDENTIFIED Jun 1879
UNIDENTIFIED Jun 1880
UNIDENTIFIED Jun 1879, Jun 1880
UNIDENTIFIED Jun 1881-1889
UNIDENTIFIED 1890-1910
Undated
"Aristotle..."
"Art thou..."
"The Books of the Bible..."
"Canon Apostle"
"The First Principle..."
"From This..."
"Good and Upright..."
"I Believe..."
John 4:7-8
John 4:29
John 9:5
Kings 14:6
"Knowledge Through Abstract..."
Lenten Season
Life of Christ
Luke 12:15
Luke 18:29, 30
Matthew 8:4
Matthew 22:40
"On Communion"
"Prayer at the Opening of a War"
Philippians 1: 21
Samuel 23:17
Partial sermons
Fragments
Speeches: religious
"The Burial of the Unknown Soldier" n.d.
Chapel Talks
"Character..." n.d.
Christmas 1916
Notes; ideas n.d.
Prayers (Commencement) n.d.
Prayers (Thanksgiving) n.d.
Prayers 1889, 1923, n.d.
Railroad Crisis n.d.
Recording n.d.
Religious subjects n.d.
Commencement: chapel prayer 1920
Communion: Northampton 1914
"Community Religion" n.d.
Congregationalist Church n.d.
Connecticut Valley Association Unitarian Ministers n.d.
Crucifixion n.d.
Day of Prayer
Colleges 1881
Colleges 1888
Job n.d.
"Educated Women as Missionaries" c.1888
Funerals
E.L.B. 1890
Gov. William Washburn n.d.
Mrs. Wellenhour n.d.
Marriage Service n.d.
Massachusetts Bible Society 1871
Memorial Address: Rev. Robert Woods 1909
Memorial Day Address 1887
Memorial for President William McKinley 1901
New Year's Sermon 1909
Northampton Old Church c.1908
"On the Character and Qualities..." 1877
Trask, Rev. John L.R. 1888
The Union Chapel: 25th Anniversary 1902
Unitarian & Congregational Ministers n.d.
Speeches: Washington's Birthday
n.d.
Speeches: secular
Abbot Academy 1879
Bryn Mawr: 25th Anniversary 1910
Chicago Fire 1871
Commencement Address: Latin c.1923
Commencement Speech 1899
Gov. Calvin Coolidge 1920
"Evils of Making Money Without Work" n.d.
Gordon, (Senator) General John B. n.d.
"The Higher Education..." c.1888
July Fourth n.d.
Liberty n.d.
Lincoln, Abraham n.d.
miscellaneous individuals c.1916, n.d.
Mount Holyoke College 1903
Music festival n.d.
"On Laughter" n.d.
Response to Dr. Hall's Speech n.d.
"The Song of Songs" n.d.
Sophia Smith Centennial 1896
Spanish-American War c.1898
Taxation: "The College and the City" n.d.
Taxation: Exemption 1907
Temperance n.d.
Union College 1913
Valedictory Speech: Smith Club, NY c.1910
Wallace, Rodney n.d.
"Why a Girl Should Go to College" n.d.
"Women in Letters" 1900
Lectures: English Literature (c. 1864-1875)
Appleton's Cyclopaedia 1875
Bunyan n.d.
Celtic History n.d.
"The Celtic Spirit" n.d.
Thomas Chatterton n.d.
Chaucer n.d.
Dryan n.d.
"The Elizabethan Era: Sir Phillip Sidney" n.d.
Goldsmith n.d.
Samuel Johnson n.d.
Milton n.d.
"Miracle Plays" n.d.
"Origin of the English People" n.d.
"Ossian and Macpherson" n.d.
"The Puritans..." n.d.
"The Roman Period" n.d.
"The Saxon Period" n.d.
Shakespeare n.d.
"Style" n.d.
Swift n.d.
Traces of the Celt in the Anglo Saxon n.d.
"The Troubadours" n.d.
"What We Mean by a History of English Literature" n.d.
"Writers who have no part..." n.d.
Fragments of lectures n.d.
Lectures: History of Education
Higher Education for Women n.d.
History of Education n.d.
Idea of a College
Collegiate Method n.d.
"Has the College..." n.d.
"The Idea of a Collegiate..." n.d.
"Modern Universities" n.d.
President Eliot's Address n.d.
"Wisdom is that..." n.d.
"The largest library in the world..." n.d.
SERIES IV. PUBLICATIONS (1859-1925)
This series is arranged alphabetically by title and/or subject. The materials are both manuscripts and published works, from editorials to magazine articles to books. The main subseries is Seelye's Early History of Smith College. (The original letters can be found in Series II. CORRESPONDENCE, Box 5 Folder 13.) The Drafts make up the bulk of the material.
"Antiquity of Celtic Literature" (published) 1870
"Antiquity of Celtic Literature" (manuscript) c.1870
"The Ancient Fenians" 1871
Commission on the Investigation of Agricultural Education 1918
Early History of Smith College
Reviews and dust jacket 1923
Notes c.1871 - 1910
Drafts (c. 1922-23)
Chapter I n.d.
Chapter II n.d.
Chapter III n.d.
Chapter IV n.d.
Chapter V n.d.
Preface n.d.
pp. 1-11 n.d.
pp. 12-34 n.d.
pp. 35-60 n.d.
pp. 61-76 n.d.
pp. 77-108 n.d.
pp. 179-244, notes n.d.
Editorials 1876-1919
"The Higher Education of Women..." c.1888
"Influence of Sororities" 1907
Joint Board of Examiners n.d.
"The Natural Resources of India..." 1857
"The Need of a Collegiate Education..." 1874
"One Individual Often Represented..." 1858
"Our Celtic Inheritance" 1870
Praises and Prayer 1892
Prayers of a College Year 1925
Taylor, James M. (Memorial Tribute) 1917
"Twenty-five Years of Woman's..." 1900
"What the College Woman Can Do" 1910
SERIES V. PHOTOGRAPHS (1857-1962)
Most of the Photographs in this series are of Seelye himself. These are arranged chronologically. Other photographs are arranged alphabetically, and include photographs of Seelye's cow, the Old North Church, publication photographs, Round Hill (the President's House), and Mrs. Henrietta Chapin Seelye. The portraits are arranged chronologically. This subseries includes depictions of Seelye in his public and private life. Photographs of Seelye's family are located in the folder identified as Henrietta Chapin Seelye's photographs.
(with Eugene Douglass) 1860
Cow c.1893
Old North Church, Springfield n.d.
Photographs used in publications 1872-1923
Round Hill 1913-c.1914
Mrs. Henrietta Chapin Seelye c.1888-1923, n.d.
Portraits
Correspondence 1925, 1962, n.d.
Silhouettes and sketches 1893-1895
Silhouette 1895
Burleigh (?) 1872
Weir 1884-1886
Tarbell 1907-1908
Hubbell 1911
Wright, Alice Morgan '04 1914
Etching: Elisabeth Telling '04 1910 or 1920
Bust: H.S. Manning 1946
SERIES VI. HENRIETTA CHAPIN SEELYE (1820-1925)
This series is arranged alphabetically by subject, and when necessary, by date. The subseries are Correspondence, Family, and Journals. The correspondents are mostly family members. The Family papers cover both business and family matters. The Journals cover the years from 1859 - 1913 and are an excellent source for understanding Smith College during the years of Seelye's presidency. Other materials include photographs, manuscripts, publications, and a scrapbook.
Commercial Commission to U.S. 1913
Correspondence (Family)
Eliza Chapin Blake to mother (Mrs. Sheldon Chapin) 1854
To Mrs. M. K. Moody 1854, n.d.
To Mrs. Phelps 1852
To Mrs. Henrietta Chapin Seelye 1854, n.d.
W.A. Sheldon to Adam Waldie 1833
Lyman Chapin 1820-1839
Harriet Chapin 1840-1854
Harriet Chapin: journal 1853
Sheldon coat of arms n.d.
Journals
(travels) 1900-1901
Manuscript 1890
miscellaneous papers n.d.
Obituary 1925
Publications 1904
Scrapbook 1857-1859