Radcliffe College Library collection relating to Ann Radcliffe, 1894-1977
Overview
Correspondence, genealogical charts, clippings, etc., about Ann Radcliffe, the first woman donor to Harvard College.
Dates
- Creation: 1894-1977
Language of Materials
Materials in English.
Access Restrictions:
Access. Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright. Copyright in the collection relating to Ann Radcliffe 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
.21 linear feet ((1/2 file box) plus 1 folio+ folder)Articles on the life of Ann Radcliffe, clippings, genealogical charts, correspondence, photostats, information on the Lady Mowlson Scholarship, and information on the Radcliffe Seals.
BIOGRAPHY
Ann Radcliffe, or Lady Mowlson, established the first scholarship at Harvard College in 1643- the sum of one hundred pounds to aid "some poore Scholar". She was born in London in 1576, married Thomas Mowlson in 1600, and had two children, both of whom died young. Her husband died in 1658, leaving her half of his estate which she managed so well that its value was increased considerably. She was a shrewd, independent and active woman who lent money to Parliament and espoused the Puritan cause. She died in 1661. As Ann Radcliffe was the first woman donor to Harvard College, it was suggested by President Eliot that her name be taken by the as yet unnamed Harvard "Annex." In 1894, The Society for the Collegiate Instruction of Women became Radcliffe College, adopting her coat of arms as its official seal.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Accession number: R80-55
Papers re Ann Radcliffe donated by Wilbur K. Jordan and Caroline Ames, and collected by the Radcliffe Library.
SEPARATION RECORD
The following item has been removed from the collection:
- Mowlson chapel and coat of arms
Photographs have been removed to the photograph collection.
The following items have been removed to RGXX, Series 2:
- Radcliffe, Ann, coat of arms
Processing Information
Processed: September, 1980
By: Claudine Buxhoeveden
Genre / Form
- Title
- Radcliffe College Library collection relating to Ann Radcliffe, 1894-1977: A Finding Aid
- Author
- Radcliffe College Archives, Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
- Language of description
- eng
- EAD ID
- sch00814
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.