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COLLECTION Identifier: MC 416

Papers of Evelyn M. Murray, 1931-1975

Overview

Correspondence, photographs, speeches, etc., of Evelyn M. Murray, employment counseling specialist.

Dates

  • Creation: 1931-1975

Language of Materials

Materials in English.

Access Restrictions:

Access. Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright. Copyright in the papers created by Evelyn M. Murray is held by the President and Fellows of Harvard College for the Schlesinger Library. Copyright in other papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the authors' heirs or assigns.

Copying. Papers may be copied in accordance with the library's usual procedures.

Extent

.83 linear feet ((2 file boxes) plus 1 folio folder)

This collection consists of correspondence, portions of a scrapbook, photographs, clippings, Evelyn M. Murray speeches and writings, programs, certificates, and Department of Labor publications. The papers partially document Murray's professional life, and provide information about her vocational guidance theories, her special interest in employment for the "mentally retarded" (#9, 13-15), and rural youth. They yield no information about Murray's family or personal life.

The papers have been divided into two series: Personal and biographical (#1-6), and Professional (#7- 35f).

Series I includes "Biographical Notes on Evelyn M. Murray," clippings, photographs, certificates, and correspondence from colleagues on her retirement. Much of this material comes from a scrapbook, pages of which Evelyn M. Murray selected and removed because she believed them to be relevant to the collection. Fragile clippings were photocopied and the originals discarded. For preservation purposes, the correspondence (#6) was removed from a binder by the processor.

Series II is divided into four sections: Murray writings (#7-14); Murray speeches (#15-16); correspondence, which is sub-divided into general (#17-18) and state (#19-31); and Department of Labor publications (#32-35f). The correspondence in #19-31 was arranged alphabetically by Murray; the other sections are arranged chronologically. Writings and speeches are printed, mimeographed or typescript carbon copies. Speeches can also be found in other sections of Series II; see the inventory for specific locations.

The papers of Murray's maternal grandmother, Catharine (Deveney) Dunham, are also available at the Schlesinger Library; see collection A-19.

BIOGRAPHY

Evelyn M. Murray, vocational guidance specialist, was born in Jackson, Michigan, the daughter of Mary (Dunham) and George Murray. After graduating from the University of Michigan, she received an M.A. in vocational guidance from Teachers College, Columbia University. She also did graduate work at Smith College, New York School of Social Work, and American University. She was married to Harold May, a medieval historian, who died at the age of 33.

Murray retired in 1975 after a 46-year career as an employment counseling specialist in state and federal government. From 1929 to 1949 she worked for New York State and, from 1949 to 1968, at the United States Employment Service, Department of Labor. In 1956 she was put in charge of Employment Security Services for Youth, and in 1964 became Chief, Youth Services Branch. From 1968 to 1975 she was Supervisory Employment Service Adviser at the Manpower Administration (Department of Labor).

Murray led, and participated in, workshops, training seminars, and conferences all across the country, including the 1960 White House Conference on Children and Youth. She wrote handbooks published by the federal government and numerous articles for professional journals. Two of the handbooks, Counseling and Employment Service for Youth and Counseling and Employment Service for Special Worker Groups, were on the best seller list of the Government Printing Office. She was a member, officer, and committee chair of many organizations, including the Interdepartmental Committee on Children and Youth, the National Vocational Guidance Association, the District of Columbia Commission on the Status of Women, the American Association of University Women, and the League of Women Voters.

Physical Location

Collection stored off site: researchers must request access 36 hours before use.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Accession numbers: 76-56, 86-M139

These papers were given to the Schlesinger Library in 1976 and 1986 by Evelyn M. Murray.

CONTAINER LIST

  1. Box 1: 1-16
  2. Box 2: 17-34

Processing Information

Processed: October 1992

By: Bert Hartry

Title
Murray, Evelyn M.. Papers of Evelyn M. Murray, 1931-1975: A Finding Aid
Author
Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Language of description
eng
Sponsor
The collection was processed with a grant from Clara G. Schiffer.
EAD ID
sch00753

Repository Details

Part of the Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute Repository

The preeminent research library on the history of women in the United States, the Schlesinger Library documents women's lives from the past and present for the future. In addition to its traditional strengths in the history of feminisms, women’s health, and women’s activism, the Schlesinger collections document the intersectional workings of race and ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class in American history.

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