Florence Seaver Slocomb Papers, 1876-1930
General International Standard for Archival Description
Sophia Smith Collection Smith CollegeNorthampton, MA
Finding aid encoded using Perl scripts and edited in XMetal 2.0. Encoded by Laura Cutter. 2003-06-13
Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
Florence Seaver Slocomb Papers
Creation of Florence Seaver Slocomb Papers
Time of Creation of Florence Seaver Slocomb Papers
Slocomb, Florence Seaver, 1867-1955
Biographical History for: Florence Seaver Slocomb Papers
Biographical Note Florence Seaver Slocomb, 1906 Florence Seaver was born in Massachusetts on April 26, 1867. Her father, Nathanial Seaver was a Unitarian minister who served various churches including those in Leicester, Millbury, and Pittsfield, Massachusetts. She graduated from Smith College in 1889 and went on to teach high school in North Easton, Massachusetts. In 1895 she married George Albert Slocomb, a well-known Worcester physician. She became active in the Unitarian church and was a prominent figure in the Worcester Women's Club where she advocated for the causes of women's education and prison reform. By the turn-of-the-century, she was well-known for her work for woman suffrage and for pure food. She provided wartime service through War Camp Community Service in 1919-1920 and was appointed a member of the Woman's Committee, Council of National Defense. With the passage of the 19th amendment in 1920, she became active in the League of Women Voters. In 1924 she was appointed to the Council of Women and Children in Industry and, in 1926 was the first woman from Worcester County elected to the Massachusetts State Legislature. In the 1930s she was a staunch advocate for jury service for women. She also lectured and wrote for various magazines. She died in 1955.
Scope and Contents of the Collection The papers consist of an assortment of materials that document Slocomb's broad involvement in a variety of civic affairs, social causes and political movements. Scrapbooks and newspaper clippings make up about half of the collection. The rest consists of a small amount of correspondence, articles, speeches, and one photograph. Articles, announcements, bulletins, certificates, pamphlets, programs, and reports document her WWI service, women's club activities, and campaigns for suffrage, pure food, and jury service for women. The scrapbooks contain some biographical information.
Civic improvement--Massachusetts--Worcester--History
lcsh
Women jurors--History--20th century--Sources
Women legislators--Massachusetts--History
Women--Societies and clubs--United States--History--Sources
Women--Suffrage--Massachusetts--History--Sources
lcnaf
Worcester Women's Club--History
Clippings
Woman suffrage (Worcester, Mass.): newspaper clippings, 1912-15
Mass. State Legislature: newspaper clippings, 1924-28
Domestic Science and Pure Food Exposition (Worcester, Mass.): brochures, programs and articles, 1912
Jury duty for women (including legislative work of Mass. Senate and House): pamphlets, articles and announcements, 1928
Letters
Harriet B. Waters, editor General Federation Bulletin, 1912
Freeman M. Saltus, President Worcester Central Labor Union, 1928
Frederic W. Cook, Secretary, Commonwealth of Mass. (re: salaries of teachers), 1928
Edna C. Barry, Secretary to the Speaker of the House (Mass. legislature), 1928
League of Women Voters (Mass.): bulletins and programs, 1927-29
Programs: club programs listing Mrs. Slocomb as a speaker (includes announcement of a series of lectures in Parliamentary Law for women given by Mrs. Slocomb), 1909-30
Red Cross: badge and certificate of merit, n.d.
Republican State Committee (Mass.): brochures and programs, 1928
War service
Correspondence from H. S. Braucher, Secretary, War Camp Community Service, enclosing identification card, 1920
Certificate from Governor of Massachusetts appointing F.S.S. a member of Woman's Committee of the Council of National Defense, 1918
Women's colleges: article by F.S.S. from Smith College Monthly, 1902
Worcester Women's Club: articles, pictures and treasurer's report, 1910-11
Photograph: of Florence Seaver Slocomb, 1906
Scrapbooks: 1 unbound (1909-29) and 1 bound (1876-1908): miscellaneous items and clippings