Overview
The papers of Harriet Irene Oaks Lucy contain correspondence, military orders, clippings, insignia, photographs, etc., documenting her service in the United States Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). Also included are letters from her aunt and uncle, Irene and William Voy, containing local and family news, as well as accounts of Irene's declining health relating to diagnoses of breast cancer and pernicious anemia.
Dates
- Creation: 1936-1946
Creator
- Lucy, Harriet Irene Oaks, 1916-1958 (Person)
Language of Materials
Materials in English.
Access Restrictions:
Access. Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright. Copyright in the papers created by Harriet Irene Oaks Lucy 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
.42 linear feet ((1 file box) plus 1 folio+ folder, 1 photograph folder)The papers of Harriet Irene Oaks Lucy contain correspondence, military orders, clippings, insignia, photographs, etc., documenting her service in the United States Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). Also included are letters from her aunt and uncle, Irene and William Voy, containing local and family news from Dell Rapids, South Dakota, as well as accounts of Irene's declining health relating to diagnoses of breast cancer and pernicious anemia. Most of the photographs in this collection are or will be digitized and available online. Folder titles were created by the archivist. Files are arranged alphabetically.
BIOGRAPHY
Harriet Irene Oaks Lucy, daughter of Vernon Waite Oaks (1887-1918) and Stella Fuller Oaks (1884-1928), was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, November 10, 1916. Following her mother's death, Lucy went to live with her aunt and uncle, Irene Oaks Voy (1894-1939) and William Fred Voy (1888-1955), in Dell Rapids, South Dakota. She attended Nettleton Commercial College before graduating from Yankton College in 1940. She worked for IBM in Detroit, Michigan, before enlisting in the United States Naval Reserve (WAVES) in 1942. A member of the first WAVES class at the Navy's Midshipmen School at Smith College, Lucy served in Washington, DC, performing public relations duties for the Chief of Naval Operations. After leaving the service as lieutenant, Lucy worked in the publicity office for the Curtis Publishing Company. In 1947, she married Roy B. Lucy, Jr.; they had two sons, Roy B. Lucy, III, and John A. Lucy. Lucy was diagnosed with cancer in 1955 and died on March 6, 1958.
Physical Location
Collection stored off site: researchers must request access 36 hours before use.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Accession number: 2019-M83
The papers of Harriet Irene Oaks Lucy were given to the Schlesinger Library by her son, John A. Lucy, in May 2019.
SEPARATION RECORD
Donors: John A. Lacy
Accession number: 2019-M83
Processed by: Johanna Carll
The following items have been removed from to the Schlesinger Library periodicals collection:
- Naval Reserve Midshipmen's School (WR), Northampton, Mass. [newsletter], Vol. 1, No. 1 - Vol. 1. No. 4, December 4, 1942 - December 25, 1942.
Processing Information
Processed: June 2019
By: Johanna Carll
The Schlesinger Library attempts to provide a basic level of preservation and access for all collections, and does more extensive processing of higher priority collections as time and resources permit. Finding aids may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
Creator
- Lucy, Harriet Irene Oaks, 1916-1958 (Person)
- Author
- Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
- Language of description
- eng
- Sponsor
- Processing of this collection was made possible by the Jeannette Ward Fund.
- EAD ID
- sch01671
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.