Margaret Storrs Grierson Papers, ca. 1800-1998 (bulk 1918-1997)
General International Standard for Archival Description
Smith College Archives Northampton, MA
Finding aid encoded in NoteTab Pro. Encoded by Deborah A. Richards. 2006-06-27
Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
Margaret Storrs Grierson Papers
Creation of Margaret Storrs Grierson Papers
Time of Creation of Margaret Storrs Grierson Papers
Grierson, Margaret Storrs.
Biographical History for: Margaret Storrs Grierson Papers
Biographical Note Margaret Storrs was born June 29, 1900 to Lucius S. Storrs and Mary Cooper Storrs in Denver, Colorado. Her mother was the daughter of Job Adams Cooper, governor of Colorado (1889-1891) and had grown up in the whirl of social, business and political life in Denver and Colorado. Mr. Storrs was a business administrator who spent most of his life with rail transportation companies in the United States. The Storrs family was originally from Connecticut. From the time of her birth until 1907 her family's life centered on Denver, Colorado and Bozeman, Montana. However Mr. Storrs advancement in the rail industry took the family to Boston, Massachusetts in February 1907 with the family eventually living in Brookline by July 1907. They then moved to Springfield, Massachusetts in October 1908, where her brother Lucius S., Jr. was born on December 10, 1910. Another job advancement found the family moving to New Haven, Connecticut in 1911 where her parents remained until after Ms. Storrs had graduated from Smith College. The family traveled frequently to visit the extended family by automobile and railroad, especially visits to Denver, Colorado. Ms. Storrs entered Smith College in 1918 and graduated A.B. in 1922. She did graduate work at Bryn Mawr College and she studied at University College of the University of London from 1924-1925. From 1925-1930 she taught philosophy at Bryn Mawr while completing her dissertation and graduated with the Ph.D. in 1930. In 1930 Ms. Storrs returned to Northampton, Massachusetts and by the mid-1930s purchased a home at 66 Massasoit Street that she shared with Marine Leland, who was a member of the Smith College French Department. They shared this house together until Prof. Leland's death in 1983. On December 7, 1938 Ms. Storrs married Sir Herbert Grierson in Edinburgh, Scotland. They returned to Northampton but after February 1939 until Sir Herbert's death in February 1960 they lived apart, however she continued to use the name Mrs. Margaret Storrs Grierson for the remainder of her life. Upon her return to Smith College in 1930 until 1936 she taught philosophy. In 1940 she was appointed the college archivist and in 1942 she was given the additional duties of executive secretary of the Friends of the Smith College Library. It was as a special project of the Friends that the Sophia Smith Collection came into being. Mrs. Grierson was its first director and held all three of these positions until her retirement in 1965. In her position as head of the Sophia Smith Collection Mrs. Grierson traveled throughout the United States and the world to assemble the manuscript materials that are so important in documenting the history of women. After her retirement in 1965 Mrs. Grierson turned her attention to an accumulation of papers inherited from her parents related to the history of her family. From the late 1960s through the 1980s Mrs. Grierson sought information on the family and wrote (unpublished) an extensive history of the Storrs family and its ancestors including the Cooper, Rankin and Barnes families. Mrs. Grierson said she was not interested in genealogy but in the documented historical facts of these families, their movements and lives in the United States. Repeated health problems forced Mrs. Grierson to sell her 66 Massasoit Street home in the early 1990s and she took an apartment on Crescent Street in Northampton where she lived until advanced problems found her in nursing homes. She died on December 12, 1997 at the Linda Manor Extended Care Facility in Leeds, Massachusetts.
Scope and Contents of the Collection The Margaret Storrs Grierson Papers contain materials related to Mrs. Grierson's career at Smith College as student, professor, college archivist and one of the founders and first director of the Sophia Smith Collection. In addition, there are her historic writings on the Storrs, Cooper, Rankin, Barnes and other related families and documents related to this work. There are biographical items, correspondence (especially with Nina E. Browne and with family members), diaries, financial records, passports, manuscripts and publications. Also included are photographs of the families as well as correspondence in relationship to Grierson's companion, Marine Leland. The family papers are a mixture of documents (usually arranged under an individual or family name) and may contain a mixture of materials: historic documents and letters, photographs, printed materials and correspondence that spans from ca. 1800 to 1997. The files are essentially as Mrs. Grierson arranged them; in addition, the files contain correspondence by Mrs. Grierson and to her in her pursuit of documentation on particular family members. Also in the files are notations by Mrs. Grierson on the disposition of some historic documents that were once part of files but were placed in historic archives she deemed a more appropriate location for them to reside.
series
Series 1-General
Biographical materials 1960s-1997
MSG and the Sophia Smith Collection [1] "Revealing Women's Life Stories" 1992
MSG and the Sophia Smith Collection [2] "No Documents-No History" paper by Anke Voss-Hubbard 199-
MSG and the Sophia Smith Collection [3]"Agents of Social Change: Providing Access to Key Twentieth Century Women's Manuscript Collections" July 1, 1996
Birth and death certificates 1900, 1997
Will and probate materials 1985-1998
Passports and international travel documents 1932-1969
MSG's interview with Ruth Solie on Sophie Drinker 27 Sept 1990
Botany lecture notes, Prof. William Francis Ganong, Smith College, Botany 11 1918-1919
Bryn Mawr College commencement program 5 June 1929
MSG Endowment Fund-Contributors list 1965
MSG Endowment Fund-Correspondence 1965
MSG Endowment Fund-Accounting papers 1985-1995
Retirement party 23 April 1965
Real estate (Denham Building, Denver and other property) 1939-1970
Herbert Grierson documents 1938-1966
Mayflower Descendants documents, etc. 1952-1990
Memorial service 1998
Letter opener (carved tortoise shell) and large decorative clip
Analysis of MSG's handwriting 1922?
Series II-Photographs
Formal portraits of MSG
Photographs in Smith College settings 1930s-1990s
Photographs of MSG, her family and friends 1900s-1990s
Photographs related to Lucius Storrs, Jr. (Luke) and Ruth Storrs and family 1930s-1990s
Photographs of Caryl Storrs Castellion and family 1980s-1990s
Photographs of Margaret Storrs Eaton (Peggy) and family 1980s-1990s
Photographs of Eastons and Riordans 1990s
Photographs of painting of Mather & Susan Cleveland family 1936
Photographs of Eatons, Riordans and some with Rylands and Champie-Flood-Tewksby 1960s-1990s
Photographs of Great, greats 1990s
Photographs of friends 1910s-1990s
Series III-Correspondence
Correspondence, general 1922-1972
Correspondence, general 1974-1979
Correspondence, general 1982-1983
Correspondence, general 1984-1985
Correspondence, general 1986-1992
Correspondence, general 1996
Correspondence, general 1997
Correspondence, general - Christmas 1997
Correspondence with Lucius S. Storrs, Jr. (Luke) 1970-1997
Correspondence with Caryl Storrs Castellion 1997
Correspondence received upon MSG's death 1998
Correspondence received upon retirement 1965
Correspondence upon receiving the Smith College Medal 1968
Correspondence on the 40th anniversary of the Sophia Smith Collection 1982
Marine Leland memorial service bulletin 1983
Correspondence received upon the death of Marine Leland 1983
Correspondence received upon the death of Marine Leland 1984
Correspondence received upon MSG's 95th birthday 1995
Postcard received - "Pick the Pickaninnies puzzle" 1908
Correspondence from Charles Frederick Harrold 1930-1935
Correspondence to Nina Browne 1942-1950
Correspondence from Nina Browne 1943-1951
Correspondence from David Staines on article on "The Study of Canada at Smith," includes a draft by MSG on Canadian studies at Smith 1982-1984
Correspondence to Robert Loeffler 1984-1985
Correspondence from Josephine Ott 1983-1997
Correspondence to Mary Shaw Newman (Mrs. Robert B. Newman) 1992-1997
Correspondence from Linda Peavy and Ursula Smith 1996
Correspondence notebook 1995
Series IV - Writings
Ph.D. dissertation, Bryn Mawr College - The Relation of Carlyle to Kant and Fichte 1929
Daily notes (photocopy) 1918-1922
Quarterly pieces (drafts) 1940-1974, n.d.
Miscellaneous pieces (drafts) 1919-1982, n.d.
On Nina Eliza Browne (draft) 1986
On Romanticism (draft) n.d.
Sketches of persons in Smith College history known by MSG (drafts) n.d.
MSG's "One basket (all eggs) - v. 1: Household accounts and other activities (notebook) 1935-1976
MSG's "One basket (all eggs) - v. 2: Household accounts and other activities (notebook) 1977-1990
Canadian year - v. 1 (diary) 28 Sept.-30 Nov. 1967
Canadian year - v. 2 (diary) 1 Dec. 1967-31 Jan. 1968
Canadian year - v. 3 (diary) 1 Feb.-23 April 1968
Canadian year - v. 4 (diary) 24 April-1 June 1958
Series V - Family history files
Confessions of an Archival Aunt: or, An Explanation of the Handling of Family Papers 199?
Family history correspondence 1960s-1990s
Correspondence on disposition 1980s-
Family history, by MSG 1980s
Family Forebears, v.1: Immigration to America, 1620-1640 (draft)
Family Forebears, v.2: New England Colonies, 1640-about 1690 (draft)
Family Forebears, v.3: Through Colonial Days, circa 1690-1776 (draft)
Family Forebears, v.4: Between Two Wars, 1776-1862 (draft)
Family Forebears, v.5: Mary Louise Cooper and Lucius Seymour Storrs (draft)
Family Forebears - Appendix I and II to v.5: Biographical sketches of relatives. I: descendants from Romulus and Olivia Barnes and from Charles and Maria Cooper - II: descendants from Lucius and Suzanne Storrs and from Joseph and Janet Rankin (draft)
Storrs genealogy
Oddments related to the Storrs family
Mary Cooper Storrs & Lucius S. Storrs marriage 1894
Photographs of Mary Cooper Storrs 1890s
Mary Cooper Storrs - Miscellaneous items 1890-1967
"Margaret Storrs Journal kept by her Mother" (Mary Cooper Storrs) 1900-1915
Mary Cooper Storrs 5-year line-a-day diary 1939-1943
MSG extracts from the 5-year diary
Medal of Mary Cooper Storrs - National Society of the Colonial Dames of America-Connecticut
Lucius S. Storrs-Photographs and certificates 1920s-19--
Medals and badges of Lucius S. Storrs (a) Medal of the Sons of the American Revolution; (b) Badge of the American Railway Association, Lucius S. Storrs, President, 1917; (c) Delegate Badge & Ribbon-Connecticut Delegation to the Republican Convention, Cleveland, 1924; (d) Badge & Ribbon, Union Station Celebration, Mary 3-5, 1939, Lucius S. Storrs, Executive Committee; (e) Memorial coins: 1919 World Fair - Los Angeles, Calif., Transportation Week, March 22-28, 1937; (f) Lapel pins - Ribbon (?) - American flag 1910s-1930s
Millicent Ward Whitt correspondence to MSG 1950s-1990s
Photographs of pastel portraits of Lucius S. Storrs, Lucius S. Storrs, Jr. and Ruth Storrs - two portraits of Native Americans
Annie Cleary (maid in the home of Lucius Storrs and Mary Cooper Storrs), by MSG
Correspondence from Sydney Whitt 1990s
Millicent Ward Whitt - Poetry 1940s-1990s
Millicent Ward Whitt - Bozeman, Montana items 1990s
John C. Rankin correspondence to MSG 1980s-1990s
Wesley Rankin correspondence to MSG 1990s
Elsie Ward Travis
M. Travis Lane 1960-1990
Hannah Lane 1990s
Olivia Denham Cooper (Mrs. Edwin Kassler) - Ruth Kassler Alexander - Edwin S. Kassler, Jr. - Genevieve Kassler Brock 1940s-1990s
Charles Job Cooper - Lillian Winter - John Adams - Alan Bradford - Jerome Rich 1890-1990s
Genevieve Pearl Cooper (Mrs. Dwight E. Ryland) - Jane Dodd - John Findley Ryland 1950s-1990s
Olivia Denham Barnes 1878-1970s
Denham - Samuel; Mathilda Goodale; Louisa Farnham; Butler 1970s
Romulus Edwin Barnes 1910
Dan Storrs and family - Origen, Selima Seymour; Juba; Maria Hutchins; Delia Waterman 1894-1977
Gen. Lucius Storrs and Susan Young Caryl Storrs 1800s-1930s
Bigelow (Maria Storrs) - Albert; Allen Gilman; Walter Storrs; Lucius Seymour 1890s-1970s
Rosenbury (Charlotte Storrs) -Charles D.; Charles Ward; Susan Greene 1970s
Introducing Caryl B. Storrs (draft by MSG) 1970s
Caryl Buell Storrs - documents, photographs, etc. 1910s-1970s
Origen Seymour Storrs and Janet Rankin Storrs 1860s-1910s
Janet Rankin portraits (1) - at Ingham University 1850s
Janet Rankin portrait (2)
Janet Rankin - pins and locket
Janet Rankin papers 1850s
Janet Rankin notebook - at Ingham University 1850s
John D. Rankin 1880s-1980s
Joseph Rankin and Janet Allen 1840s-1970s
Daguerreotype of John and Amelia Rankin (?) 18uu
Joseph Rankin (1833-1886) 1880s-1970s
Benjamin Clark Caryl family - Benjamin, Jr.; Alexander Hamilton; Elizabeth Haskins; Catherine; Cotton Warner; Charlotte Coleman; Charles Caryl Coleman - includes MSG's drafts (a) The Caryl Family - (b) The Caryl Family and Charles Caryl Coleman 19 -1970s
Job Adams Cooper 1890s-1970s
Charles Isaac Colwell & Mary Greenough Barnes
Pursuit of Barnes - largely correspondence by MSG and responses 1970s
Pursuit of Caryl, Cooper, Storrs - largely correspondence by MSG and responses 1970s
Lucius Caryl Storrs and Charlotte Case 1908-1970s
Origen Seymour Storrs (1840-1867) 1860s-1915
Rev. Romulus Barnes 1830s-19uu
Charles Montgomery Barnes and Ellen Moore 1880s-1950s
Samuel Denham Barnes and Georgiana Parker 1880s-1900s
Francis Carey and Mary Louisa Barnes 1900s-1940s
Joseph Avery Barnes and Olive Davidson (or Davison) - Frederick Andrew Knox 1870s-1970s
Olivia Lee (Lillie) Barnes and William E. Dodds 1900s-1950s
Jane Olivia Barnes Cooper (1) 1900s-1967
Jane Olivia Barnes Cooper (1) - letters 1863-1900s
Frederick Andrew Colwell correspondence with MSG 1970s-1990s
Selima Storrs McHarg - Rev. William Neil; Williams Storrs; Charles King 1860s-1970s
Series VI - Oversized
Card file - "Inactive Address Files"
Card file - Books read - "Some books to read" - "Family forebears files" - MSG secretaries & assistants, cleaning women, seamstress, physicians and other lists - Address file "Current Active Files"
Romulus Barnes as a young man - Pastel portrait
Presentation item to Lucius Seymour Storrs from The Connecticut Company
Book - Job Adams Cooper, Sixth Governor of the State of Colorado and his Wife, Jane Olivia Barnes Cooper, by Philip K. Alexander, Jr. (typescript) 1978
Book - The Storrs Family: Genealogical and Other Memoranda, collected and complied by Charles Storrs. New York: Privately Printed, 1886. 1886
Parchment - "To Our Retiring President, Lucius S. Storrs" from the Los Angeles Railway Corp., April 19, 1939 and other documents on the occasion 1939
Presentation book to Lucius S. Storrs from the American Electric Railway Association May 2, 1929
Portrait of Herbert Hoover, autographed to Lucius S. Storrs 1920s or 1930s
Photograph - Broad Street (New York City), Victory Day, Nov. 1918 1918
Photographs of business associates of Lucius S. Storrs 1920s-1930s (?)
Portrait of Lucius S. Storrs, Jr. (by Fabian Bachrach) 1950s (?)
Certificate to Lucius S. Storrs from the United States Council of National Defense 1919
Certificate to Lucius S. Storrs from the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Connecticut 1922
"Genealogical Record of the Storrs Family in the United States," compiled and arranged by Charles Storrs. Brooklyn, N.Y., 1881 1881
Sixteen books - presentation copies to MSG