Ruth Mellor Papers, 1921-1970
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Sophia Smith Collection Smith CollegeNorthampton, MA
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Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
Ruth Mellor Papers
Creation of Ruth Mellor Papers
Time of Creation of Ruth Mellor Papers
Mellor, Ruth
Biographical History for: Ruth Mellor Papers
Biographical Note Ruth Mellor, 1955 Ruth Mellor was born in Rockville, Connecticut on January 15, 1889 and graduated from Smith College in 1912. In 1916-17, she attended the Bryant and Stratton Business School in Boston, and from 1918 to 1922 was executive secretary of American Red Cross, Plymouth, Massachusetts. In 1923 she earned her master's degree in psychiatric social work at the School of Social Work in New York City, afterwards working as Chief of Social Service at the Child Guidance Demonstration Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1924 to 1926. From 1926 to 1929 she worked at the Children's Aid Society in Philadelphia, taking time in 1929 to act as field psychiatric worker in a survey conducted by the Connecticut Society for Mental Hygiene. While living in the Philadelphia area, she continued her friendship with Mildred Scott Olmsted, who also graduated from Smith College in 1912. Mellor worked as a social worker for the Massachusetts Society for Mental Hygiene from 1929 to 1931, and from 1931 to 1933 was executive secretary of the Connecticut Society for Mental Hygiene. She took a position as executive director of the Mental Hygiene Clinic in Louisville, Kentucky, where she remained at least until 1949. (This clinic was renamed the Bingham Child Guidance Clinic, which was heir to Ruth Mellor's estate.) She was also a lecturer in the Social Sciences division of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Louisville until her retirement in 1961. She died in Louisville on November 9, 1989.
Scope and Contents of the Collection The papers consist primarily of material related to a survey conducted by Ruth Mellor in 1929 for the Connecticut Society for Mental Hygiene. The purpose of the survey was to assess social welfare services in the state of Connecticut, and information was gathered from institutions concerned with providing those services. They included churches; hospitals and clinics; mental health institutions; state agencies; charities and humane societies; and county homes, as well as rural and city schools and several colleges. The principle method for gathering information was to interview a range of educators, judges, lawmakers, doctors, social workers, prison wardens, and other citizens concerned with the welfare of the indigent and the mentally, emotionally and physically impaired. The interviews are summarized by Mellor and often include her frank assessment of the interviewee. These, along with some statistical data and notations about site visits, comprise the bulk of the papers. Mellor often used the reverse side of professional correspondence for hand-written and typed notes. Also included are twenty-seven passionate love letters to Mellor from Marion W. Bomer, called Maisie or Wendy, written in 1928-29. Apparently against Bomer's wishes and to her distress, Mellor had insisted on one year of separation, during which time Bomer pined for her and pleaded to be reunited. The letters clearly indicate a lesbian relationship. The papers also include letters to Bomer from two other women who appear to have been attracted to her romantically. Love letters to Mellor from George de Schweinitz, written during the 1930s, suggest that Mellor was probably bi-sexual. The papers also include general correspondence, and typed and hand-written notes. Material pertaining to Mellor's education is located in the Professional Activities series, as part of her employment application to the Connecticut Society for Mental Health. Since Dr. Samuel W. Hamilton participated in the Connecticut Society for Mental Health survey, a list of interviews by him is filed with those conducted by Mellor.
Mental health facilities--Connecticut--History--20th century--Sources
lcsh
Social workers--United States--History--Sources
Female friendship--United States--History--20th century--Sources
Bisexuality--United States--History--20th century--Sources
lcnaf
Olmsted, Mildred Scott, 1890-1990
Ackerly, Spafford
Bingham Child Guidance Center--History
series
SERIES I. BIOGRAPHICAL
Expense book and notebook, n.d.
Travel correspondence and itineraries, 1927, n.d.
Photograph, biographical data, clippings, funeral instructions, 1948-60, n.d.
Retirement, 1960
Financial information, 1954-60, n.d.
SERIES II. CORRESPONDENCE
General, 1921-70, n.d.
From Marion W. "Maisie" Bomer, 1928-29, n.d.
From Sylvia [?], 1928-29, n.d.
From de George L. Schweinitz, 1933-39, n.d.
SERIES III. PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Connecticut Society for Mental Hygiene Survey
Administrative records
Correspondence
General, 1928-29
From Samuel W. Hamilton to Ruth Mellor, 1929
General information about Connecticut Society for Mental Hygiene, n.d.
Minutes of survey committee meeting, 11 Jun 1929
Survey prospectus, n.d.
Ruth Mellor, references and credentials submitted in application for survey position, 1929
Expense sheets, 1929
Interviews and statistical data
Bureau of Child Welfare, 1929
Bureau of Special Education and Standards, 1929
Charities and humane societies, 1929
Churches, 1929
Clinics, 1929
Bridgeport
[See also Oversize Materials]
Bristol
Connecticut State Hospital
Hartley-Salmon
New Haven
Norwich
Waterbury
Unidentified clinic notes, 1927, n.d.
Colleges, 1929
County homes, 1929
Courts, 1929
Hospitals, 1929
Industry, 1929
Interviews with members of Connecticut Society for Mental Hygiene, 1929, n.d.
Interviews with other concerned citizens, 1929
Interviews by Samuel W. Hamilton (list), 1929
Mental health institutions, city, 1929
Mental health institutions, state, 1929
Schools, city, 1929
Schools, rural, 1929
State Department of Mental Health, 1929
Survey forms, n.d.
Bingham Child Guidance Center
Ackerley, Spafford, 1933-61
Minutes and miscellaneous documents, 1953-58, n.d.
Professional affiliations, 1929, n.d.
SERIES IV. SUBJECTS
"Mental Hygiene Services in Out-Patient Departments of New York City," 1928-29
"Philadelphia Health and Hospital Survey," n.d.
Miscellaneous and unidentified material, 1927-29, n.d.
OVERSIZE MATERIALS
Statistical charts for Connecticut Society for Mental Hygiene Survey, 1929