Nichols Papers, 1837-1838.
General International Standard for Archival Description
Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA
Finding aid generated in MARC format from database, then encoded using Perl scripts and XSL stylesheet. 2003-05-20
Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
Nichols Papers
Nichols, Bethiah A. Miller, 1815-1865.
Biographical History for: Nichols Papers
Biographical Note Bethiah Avery Miller was born in Heath, Massachesetts on February 14, 1815 to The Reverend Moses Miller and Bethiah Ware Miller. She came to Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in 1837 and remained at the school for one year. She is considered a non-graduating member of the Class of 1839. She married the Reverend Washington Adams Nichols in 1838. She died in Lake Forest, Illinois in 1865.
Scope and Contents of the Collection The Bethiah Miller Nichols Papers consist of a letter, lecture notes, biographical information, and a photograph. The material primarily relates to her year at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, 1837-1838, and her opinions on religion and education. Nichols wrote the letter to Pricilla Maxwell on January 16, 1837, and it describes Mary Lyon's visit to Heath, Massachusetts. During this visit, Lyon persuaded the residents of Heath to donate $1,200 in support of Mount Holyoke Female Seminary. Nichols' letter conveys surprise at Lyon's ability to bolster support for the Seminary from the people Heath. The letter also discusses death of a mutual friend from consumption (tuburculosis), and Nichols' religious beliefs have a heavy influence on all issues discussed in the letter. Notes on the history of ancient Greece, entitled "Abstracts from general history," taken on December 7, 1837, "Items from Miss Lyon's lectures on education," taken in 1838, and an undated set of notes from a lecture entitled, "Of Intellectual Habits" are included in the collection. The notes depict how Mount Holyoke Female Seminary students were taught in several subjects during the first year the seminary was open. The biographical information consists of a page of brief notes about Nichols, 1865, and one photograph of her husband, Reverend Washington Adams Nichols. Material from this collection is available in an online digital format.
Women college students - Massachusetts - South Hadley.
lcsh
Religion.
Death.
Tuberculosis.
Educational fund raising - Massachusetts.
Education - Study and teaching (Higher) - Massachusetts - South Hadley.
Mount Holyoke College - Inception.
Mount Holyoke College - Fund raising.
Mount Holyoke College - Student papers - 1837-1838.
lcnaf
Lyon, Mary, 1797-1849.
Nichols, Washington Adams Portraits.
Maxwell, Priscilla.
Mount Holyoke Female Seminary - History - Sources.
Mount Holyoke Female Seminary - Finance.
Mount Holyoke College. - History Dept.
aat
series
Letter to Priscilla Maxwell, 1837
This series consists of one item, a typed transcription of a letter from Bethiah Miller Nichols to Priscilla Maxwell. In the letter Bethiah Miller refers to Ipswich Female Seminary where Priscilla Maxwell was a student. She also discusses Mary Lyon's 1837 fundraising lecture in Heath, Massachusetts.
Unrestricted
Lecture Notes, 1837-1838
This series contains Bethiah Miller Nichols notes from Mount Holyoke Female Seminary titled "Abstracts from General History," "Items From Miss Lyon's Lectures on Education," and "Of Intellectual Habits."
Biographical Information, n.d.
This series contains one brief page of notes about Bethiah Miller Nichols, compiled by Anna C. Edwards, Class of 1859.
Photograph, n.d.
This series contains one small photograph of Bethiah A. Miller Nichols husband, Washington Adams Nichols. The back of the photograph contains brief handwritten biographical notes.
Letter to Priscilla Maxwell
Lecture Notes
Biographical Information
Photograph