Downer papers, 1918-1988.
type: FindingAid
type: Document
conforms to: General International Standard for Archival Description
publisher: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA
encoded as: Downer papers, 1918-1988.
topic: Downer papers
subject: Downer papers
has part: Biographical History for: Downer papers
topic: Correspondence, 1918-1986
subject: Correspondence, 1918-1986
topic: Correspondence by, 1918-1941
subject: Correspondence by, 1918-1941
topic: Correspondence by, 1942-1946
subject: Correspondence by, 1942-1946
topic: Correspondence by, 1947-1986
subject: Correspondence by, 1947-1986
topic: Correspondence to, 1918-1922
subject: Correspondence to, 1918-1922
topic: Correspondence to, 1923-1933
subject: Correspondence to, 1923-1933
topic: Correspondence to, 1934-1946
subject: Correspondence to, 1934-1946
topic: Writings, 1918-1949
subject: Writings, 1918-1949
topic: Scrapbooks, circa 1918-circa 1955
subject: Scrapbooks, circa 1918-circa 1955
topic: Scrapbook, circa 1918-circa 1935
subject: Scrapbook, circa 1918-circa 1935
topic: Scrapbook, circa 1929-circa 1955
subject: Scrapbook, circa 1929-circa 1955
topic: Biographical Information, circa 1921-1988
subject: Biographical Information, circa 1921-1988
topic: Photographs, circa 1930s-1955
subject: Photographs, circa 1930s-1955
topic: Negatives, circa 1950
subject: Negatives, circa 1950

General International Standard for Archival Description
type: Standard

Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA
type: Repository
type: Organization
type: Agent
country code: US
maintenance agency code: mshm
is publisher of: Downer papers, 1918-1988.
administers: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA
provides access to: Downer papers
provides access to: Correspondence, 1918-1986
provides access to: Correspondence by, 1918-1941
provides access to: Correspondence by, 1942-1946
provides access to: Correspondence by, 1947-1986
provides access to: Correspondence to, 1918-1922
provides access to: Correspondence to, 1923-1933
provides access to: Correspondence to, 1934-1946
provides access to: Writings, 1918-1949
provides access to: Scrapbooks, circa 1918-circa 1955
provides access to: Scrapbook, circa 1918-circa 1935
provides access to: Scrapbook, circa 1929-circa 1955
provides access to: Biographical Information, circa 1921-1988
provides access to: Photographs, circa 1930s-1955
provides access to: Negatives, circa 1950

Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA
type: SpatialThing
is administered by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA

Downer papers, 1918-1988.
type: EAD
type: Document
description: Finding aid generated in MARC format from database, then encoded using Perl scripts and XSL stylesheet. 2003-05-20
created: 2003-05-20
conforms to: Encoded Archival Description
conforms to: Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
encoding of: Downer papers, 1918-1988.

Encoded Archival Description
type: Standard

Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
type: Standard

Downer papers
type: ArchivalResource
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA
level: collection
identifier: MS 0528
date: 1918-1988.
date created accumulated string: 1918-1988.
extent: 1 box
extent: (5 linear in.)
language: eng
origination: Downer, Sara B. (Sara Boddie), 1896-1987.
has biographical history: Biographical History for: Downer papers
scopecontent: Scope and Contents of the Collection The Sara Boddie Downer Papers consist of correspondence, writings, scrapbooks, biographical information, and photographs. Of particular significance are letters that Downer wrote between 1918-1986. Many of the documents are copies of letters that Downer wrote for the Woman's American Baptist Foreign Mission Society and sent to her Mount Holyoke College classmate, Ruth Sonn ("Sonny") Fritts; and two Mount Holyoke faculty members, Mildred Allen and Margaret Ball. The collection also includes several personal letters that she sent to Fritts and Ball. These letters chiefly describe Downer's life and work in China from 1920-1951. They reflect her activities at West China Union University in Chengdu, China, where she was a teacher and housemother, and her travels in China; they frequently include comments on political events, such as the Sino-Japanese Conflict, World War II, and the rise of communism in the country. Later letters describe her work in the Chung Chi College in Hong Kong, 1955-1962, and her activities in retirement. Downer's correspondence also includes letters, 1919-1946, written by Mary E. Woolley, President of Mount Holyoke College. The letters discuss events at the College such as the construction of new buildings, Woolley's trip to China and Japan in 1921, and world events. Downer's close relationship with Mount Holyoke's president is reflected by two scrapbooks of clippings, notes and tributes relating to Woolley that she compiled between circa 1918 and 1955. Downer's papers also include two laboratory manuals in Chinese that she wrote in 1930, and her informational brochure about the West China Union University, circa 1938. Rounding out the collection is biographical information, circa 1921-1988, and photographs, circa 1930-1955, which chiefly relate to her life in China.
associated with: College teachers - China - Correspondence.
associated with: College teachers - China - Hong Kong - Correspondence.
associated with: Women college teachers - China - Correspondence.
associated with: Women college teachers - China - Hong Kong - Correspondence.
associated with: Sino-Japanese Conflict, 1937-1945 - Personal narratives.
associated with: World War, 1939-1945 - China - Personal narratives.
associated with: Downer, Sara B. (Sara Boddie), 1896-1987.
associated with: Woolley, Mary Emma, 1863-1947.
associated with: Fritts, Ruth Sonn, 1897-1988.
associated with: Ball, Margaret, 1878-1952.
associated with: Allen, Mildred, 1894-1900.
associated with: Hua hsi hsieh ho ta hsueh.
associated with: Chinese University of Hong Kong. - Chung Chi College.
associated with: Mount Holyoke College - Buildings.
associated with: Mount Holyoke College - Presidents - Woolley, Mary Emma, - 1863-1947.
associated with: Woman's American Baptist Foreign Mission Society.
associated with: Chengdu (China) - Description and travel.
associated with: China - Description and travel.
associated with: China - History - Republic, 1912-1949 - Sources.
associated with: China - History - 1949-1976 - Sources.
associated with: China - Politics and government - 1912-1949 - Sources.
associated with: China - Politics and government - 1949-1976 - Sources.
associated with: China - Hong Kong - Description and travel.
associated with: Scrapbooks
associated with: Photographs
associated with: Letters
type: Aggregation
type: Collection
has part: Correspondence, 1918-1986
aggregates: Correspondence, 1918-1986
has part: Writings, 1918-1949
aggregates: Writings, 1918-1949
has part: Scrapbooks, circa 1918-circa 1955
aggregates: Scrapbooks, circa 1918-circa 1955
has part: Biographical Information, circa 1921-1988
aggregates: Biographical Information, circa 1921-1988
has part: Photographs, circa 1930s-1955
aggregates: Photographs, circa 1930s-1955

collection
type: Level
type: Concept

1 box
type: Extent
archbox: 1
label: (5 linear in.)

Downer, Sara B. (Sara Boddie), 1896-1987.
type: Agent
is origination of: Downer papers

Biographical History for: Downer papers
type: BiographicalHistory
type: Document
type: DocumentPart
body: Biographical Note Sara Boddie Downer was born on February 22, 1896, in Durango, Colorado. Her father, B. R. Downer, was a Baptist minister and teacher in a theological seminary in Kansas City, Kansas. She attended the Kansas City high school before enrolling at Mount Holyoke College in 1914. At Mount Holyoke she majored in physics with a minor in economics and sociology. After receiving her B.A. in 1918, she worked as a sample clerk at the Faxon and Gallagher Drug Company in Kansas City, Missouri, from 1918-1919. From 1919-1920 she worked at Mount Holyoke as Physics Department assistant. In 1920, she sailed to China as a missionary for the Woman's American Baptist Foreign Mission Society. In 1924, she became an assistant professor of physics at a newly-opened women's college at the West China Union University in Chengdu. Her duties included teaching astronomy, physics, English and music. During her furlough, May to December of 1927, she was a student at the University of California and she received her Master of Arts in physics in 1928. In 1930, she published two physics laboratory manuals in Chinese. She was promoted to Associate Professor at West China Union University in 1932. She spent her furloughs in 1934-1935 and 1945-1946 assisting the Physics Department at Mount Holyoke. She taught at West China Union until the Communist takeover forced her to return to the United States in 1951. She taught at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia until 1955, when she went to Hong Kong to head the Physics Department at the Chung Chi College in Hong Kong. In 1962 she retired to the United States. Downer died on December 4, 1987 in Oakland, California at the age of ninety-one.
topic: Downer, Sara B. (Sara Boddie), 1896-1987.
subject: Downer, Sara B. (Sara Boddie), 1896-1987.
is biographical history for: Downer papers
is part of: Downer papers, 1918-1988.

College teachers - China - Correspondence.
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College teachers - China - Hong Kong - Correspondence.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh

Women college teachers - China - Correspondence.
type: Concept
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Women college teachers - China - Hong Kong - Correspondence.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh

Sino-Japanese Conflict, 1937-1945 - Personal narratives.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh

World War, 1939-1945 - China - Personal narratives.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh

Downer, Sara B. (Sara Boddie), 1896-1987.
type: Concept
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focus: Downer, Sara B. (Sara Boddie), 1896-1987.

lcnaf
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Downer, Sara B. (Sara Boddie), 1896-1987.
type: Person
type: Agent
type: E21 Person

Woolley, Mary Emma, 1863-1947.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcnaf
focus: Woolley, Mary Emma, 1863-1947.

Woolley, Mary Emma, 1863-1947.
type: Person
type: Agent
type: E21 Person

Fritts, Ruth Sonn, 1897-1988.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcnaf
focus: Fritts, Ruth Sonn, 1897-1988.

Fritts, Ruth Sonn, 1897-1988.
type: Person
type: Agent
type: E21 Person

Ball, Margaret, 1878-1952.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcnaf
focus: Ball, Margaret, 1878-1952.

Ball, Margaret, 1878-1952.
type: Person
type: Agent
type: E21 Person

Allen, Mildred, 1894-1900.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcnaf
focus: Allen, Mildred, 1894-1900.

Allen, Mildred, 1894-1900.
type: Person
type: Agent
type: E21 Person

Hua hsi hsieh ho ta hsueh.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcnaf
focus: huahsihsiehhotahsueh

Chinese University of Hong Kong. - Chung Chi College.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcnaf
focus: chineseuniversityofhongkong-chungchicollege

Mount Holyoke College - Buildings.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcnaf
focus: mountholyokecollege-buildings

Mount Holyoke College - Presidents - Woolley, Mary Emma, - 1863-1947.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcnaf
focus: mountholyokecollege-presidents-woolleymaryemma-1863-1947

Woman's American Baptist Foreign Mission Society.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcnaf
focus: womansamericanbaptistforeignmissionsociety

Chengdu (China) - Description and travel.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh
focus: chengduchina-descriptionandtravel

China - Description and travel.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh
focus: china-descriptionandtravel

China - History - Republic, 1912-1949 - Sources.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh
focus: china-history-republic1912-1949-sources

China - History - 1949-1976 - Sources.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh
focus: china-history-1949-1976-sources

China - Politics and government - 1912-1949 - Sources.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh
focus: china-politicsandgovernment-1912-1949-sources

China - Politics and government - 1949-1976 - Sources.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh
focus: china-politicsandgovernment-1949-1976-sources

China - Hong Kong - Description and travel.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh
focus: china-hongkong-descriptionandtravel

Scrapbooks
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aat
type: ConceptScheme

Photographs
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Letters
type: Concept
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in scheme: aat

Correspondence, 1918-1986
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Downer papers
is aggregated by: Downer papers
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA
level: series
extent: 6 folders
scopecontent: This series chiefly consists of letters that Downer wrote between 1918-1986. Many of the documents are copies of letters that Downer wrote for the Woman's American Baptist Foreign Mission Society and sent to her Mount Holyoke College classmate, Ruth Sonn Fritts ("Sonny"), and two Mount Holyoke faculty members, Mildred Allen and Margaret Ball. The collection also includes several personal letters that she sent to Fritts and Ball. These describe her life as a missionary and professor at the West China Union University in Chengdu where she taught music, physics, astronomy and English and served as "housemother, nurse, policeman" and supervisor. She also mentions church-related activities and musical events. She describes the effect that the tumultuous politics of China had on the University, the threat of raids, the Japanese invasion of China during the Sino-Japanese conflict, the effects of propaganda on the students, the bombing of campus in 1939, independence day in China in 1942, the Communist government's influence on the University's rules and regulations, inflation, and a particularly hard year in 1949 in which tuition was paid with rice. Evidence of the extreme political situation can also be seen in a sheet of paper included in a letter dated August 6, 1941, outlining a secret code to use in letters. She describes her travels in China to Deer Mountain and down the Yangtze River and an airplane flight from Chongqing to Chengdu in 1935. She also discusses her travels to Cairo, Athens, Italy, Switzerland, Paris and London on her way back to the United States in 1951. Most of the letters to Downer were written by Mary E. Woolley, President of Mount Holyoke College, from 1919-1946. These documents describe Woolley's trip to China and Japan in 1921 and mention events at Mount Holyoke such as the Rockefeller Hall fire, the building of Clapp Laboratories and the Physical and Chemical Laboratories, and the enlargement of the library. She responds to Downer's political …
access restrictions: Unrestricted
type: Aggregation
type: Collection
has part: Correspondence by, 1918-1941
aggregates: Correspondence by, 1918-1941
has part: Correspondence by, 1942-1946
aggregates: Correspondence by, 1942-1946
has part: Correspondence by, 1947-1986
aggregates: Correspondence by, 1947-1986
has part: Correspondence to, 1918-1922
aggregates: Correspondence to, 1918-1922
has part: Correspondence to, 1923-1933
aggregates: Correspondence to, 1923-1933
has part: Correspondence to, 1934-1946
aggregates: Correspondence to, 1934-1946

Writings, 1918-1949
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Downer papers
is aggregated by: Downer papers
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA
level: series
extent: 1 folder
scopecontent: Downer's writings consist of a short article published in "Popular Astronomy" in 1918, two laboratory manuals written in Chinese and published in 1930, and an informational brochure, circa 1949, about the West China Union University Women's College which contains a map of the College, and information about the institution's history, enrollment, and goals.
access restrictions: Unrestricted
type: Aggregation
type: Collection
has part: Writings, 1918-1949
aggregates: Writings, 1918-1949

Scrapbooks, circa 1918-circa 1955
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Downer papers
is aggregated by: Downer papers
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA
level: series
extent: 2 folders
scopecontent: The two scrapbooks in this series were compiled by Downer to celebrate Mary E. Woolley's life and her work as President of Mount Holyoke College from 1901-1937. The first volume includes a biography and photograph of Woolley and prayers from chapel services appended in Woolley's handwriting. This scrapbook also includes excerpts and paraphrases of several of Woolley's speeches: "The Gift of Days" given to incoming students; "A Welcome to Mount Holyoke" outlining Woolley's view of the what students should gain by coming to the College including physical fitness, concentration and "a scientific way of thinking;" "Manners;" "Four Things to Be Remembered"; and "Courtesy." The second scrapbook is a collection of newspaper and magazine clippings by and about Woolley. The article by Robert E. Rogers, "The Feminization of Our Schools," is included with an article containing Woolley's critical response. Other articles describe Woolley's participation in an international disarmament conference in 1932 and her inclusion on "Good Housekeeping" list of America's twelve greatest living women in 1930.
access restrictions: Unrestricted
type: Aggregation
type: Collection
has part: Scrapbook, circa 1918-circa 1935
aggregates: Scrapbook, circa 1918-circa 1935
has part: Scrapbook, circa 1929-circa 1955
aggregates: Scrapbook, circa 1929-circa 1955

Biographical Information, circa 1921-1988
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Downer papers
is aggregated by: Downer papers
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA
level: series
extent: 1 folder
scopecontent: This series contains notes and articles dating from circa 1922-1964 that describe Downer's work as a missionary as well as notice of her death dated 1988.
access restrictions: Unrestricted
type: Aggregation
type: Collection
has part: Biographical Information, circa 1921-1988
aggregates: Biographical Information, circa 1921-1988

Photographs, circa 1930s-1955
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Downer papers
is aggregated by: Downer papers
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA
level: series
extent: 2 folders
scopecontent: This series chiefly consists of snapshots relating to Downer's life and work in China, and most photographs date from the 1930s to 1951. The photographs are of the Fine Arts faculty of West China Union University and of Downer's "adopted" Loh family. They show views of the campus and buildings of the Women's College of West China Union, the students of the West China Union Class of 1930, and fellow missionaries. There is also a photograph of Downer at Spelman College, 1951-1955, and negatives of several formal photographs of her, probably dating from the 1950s.
access restrictions: Unrestricted
type: Aggregation
type: Collection
has part: Photographs, circa 1930s-1955
aggregates: Photographs, circa 1930s-1955
has part: Negatives, circa 1950
aggregates: Negatives, circa 1950

series
type: Level
type: Concept

6 folders
type: Extent
folder: 6

Correspondence by, 1918-1941
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Correspondence, 1918-1986
is aggregated by: Correspondence, 1918-1986
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA

Correspondence by, 1942-1946
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Correspondence, 1918-1986
is aggregated by: Correspondence, 1918-1986
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA

Correspondence by, 1947-1986
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Correspondence, 1918-1986
is aggregated by: Correspondence, 1918-1986
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA

Correspondence to, 1918-1922
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Correspondence, 1918-1986
is aggregated by: Correspondence, 1918-1986
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA

Correspondence to, 1923-1933
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Correspondence, 1918-1986
is aggregated by: Correspondence, 1918-1986
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA

Correspondence to, 1934-1946
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Correspondence, 1918-1986
is aggregated by: Correspondence, 1918-1986
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA

1 folder
type: Extent
folder: 1

Writings, 1918-1949
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Writings, 1918-1949
is aggregated by: Writings, 1918-1949
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA

2 folders
type: Extent
folder: 2

Scrapbook, circa 1918-circa 1935
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Scrapbooks, circa 1918-circa 1955
is aggregated by: Scrapbooks, circa 1918-circa 1955
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA

Scrapbook, circa 1929-circa 1955
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Scrapbooks, circa 1918-circa 1955
is aggregated by: Scrapbooks, circa 1918-circa 1955
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA

1 folder
type: Extent
folder: 1

Biographical Information, circa 1921-1988
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Biographical Information, circa 1921-1988
is aggregated by: Biographical Information, circa 1921-1988
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA

2 folders
type: Extent
folder: 2

Photographs, circa 1930s-1955
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Photographs, circa 1930s-1955
is aggregated by: Photographs, circa 1930s-1955
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA

Negatives, circa 1950
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Photographs, circa 1930s-1955
is aggregated by: Photographs, circa 1930s-1955
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA