Thyra Jane Foster Papers, 1917-1984
General International Standard for Archival Description
Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections
Finding aid encoded in NoteTab Pro. Encoded by Patricia J. Albright. 2005-12-14
Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
Thyra Jane Foster Papers
Creation of Thyra Jane Foster Papers
Time of Creation of Thyra Jane Foster Papers
Foster, Thyra Jane, 1898-1984
Biographical History for: Thyra Jane Foster Papers
Biographical Note Thyra Jane Meyers Foster, a secondary school teacher, author, archivist and Mount Holyoke College graduate, was born on March 12, 1898 in West Branch, Iowa to Joseph E. Meyers, a dairy farmer, and Mary Meyers. She attended Westtown Preparatory School in Westtown, Pennsylvania and went to Mount Holyoke College from 1917-1921, graduating with a B.A. in chemistry and minors in zoology and physiology. She married Henry C. Foster, a farmer, on September 5, 1924 and had three children. She taught high school chemistry, physics and Latin for seventeen years. She worked at the Barnesville Friends Boarding School in Barnesville, Iowa from 1921-1924 and at Coventry High School in Coventry, Rhode Island from about 1945-1960. She subsequently founded the New England Friends Archives (housed at the Rhode Island Historical Society Library) and worked there from 1960-1980. She was very active in the Quaker religion and held numerous state and local offices in the American Friends Association. She died in Warwick, Rhode Island on June 29, 1984 at the age of eighty-six.
Scope and Contents of the Collection The Thyra Jane Foster Papers are comprised of course records, a scrapbook, writings by Foster, correspondence, memorabilia and photographs. Most of the material in the collection relates to her years as a Mount Holyoke College student, 1917-1921. Course records consist of a notebook, examinations, and papers for a zoology course on chick embryology and compositions written for her freshman English course. Her scrapbook contains photographs of Mount Holyoke students, faculty and buildings as well as programs to several college events such as Faculty Show, Junior Show and Debating Society events. Writings by Foster consist of copies of three of her publications: Rhode Island Quakers in the American Revolution 1775-1790 (1976), A Tribute to Elizabeth Foster, Member of an Uncommon Family (circa 1980), and Growing Up in a Friends Family in Iowa 1902-1907 and Growing Up in a Friends Family on an Ohio Farm 1907-1915 (1983). Correspondence includes letters from Mount Holyoke administrators concerning her scholarships and remunerative work and letters from friends, 1918-1983, as well as Christmas cards and notes from Marion Kendall Parsons, circa 1940-1967, a member of the Mount Holyoke College Class of 1923. Most of these cards are illustrated with photographs of Parsons' children. Memorabilia includes notes and greeting cards from friends and copies of College songs. Biographical information consists of newspaper articles about Foster and a copy of her obituary, 1968-1984. Photographs in the collection include one of Foster taken at a Mount Holyoke reunion in about 1971, slides taken at reunions, 1958-1981, and photographs of several Mount Holyoke classmates.
Mount Holyoke College--Students.
lcsh
Mount Holyoke College--Curricula.
Mount Holyoke College--Faculty.
Mount Holyoke College--Traditions.
Mount Holyoke College--Campus-Views.
Mount Holyoke College--Buildings--Views.
Mount Holyoke College--Student papers--1917-1921.
Mount Holyoke College-Student notebooks--1920-1921.
College students--Massachusetts.
Women college students--Massachusetts.
Student activities-Massachusetts--South Hadley.
English language--Study and teaching (Higher)--Massachusetts-South Hadley.
Zoology--Study and teaching (Higher)--Massachusetts--South Hadley.
Quakers--United States.
Foster, Thyra Jane, 1898-1984.
lcnaf
Parsons, Marion Kendall, 1903-1967.
aat
series
Course Records
Creation of Course Records
Time of Creation of Course Records
Themes for English 1(a) 1917
Notebooks, examinations, and papers for Zoology 4 1920-1921
Scrapbook 1917-1921
Writings 1976, circa 1980, 1983
Rhode Island Quakers in the American Revolution 1775-1790 1976
Tribute to Elizabeth Foster, Member of an Uncommon Family circa 1980
Growing Up in a Friends Family in Iowa 1902-1907 and Growing Up in a Friends Family on an Ohio Farm 1907-1915 1983
Correspondence 1918-1983
circa 1940-1967: Christmas cards from Marion Kendall Parsons
Memorabiliacirca 1917-1921
circa 1917-1921
Biographical Information 1968-1984
Photographscirca 1920-1981
Of Foster circa 1971
Of Mount Holyoke College classmates circa 1920-1921
Slides taken at Mount Holyoke College reunions 1958-1981