1940-1959

The Fred Loomis Mohler collection contains articles written by Mohler and his colleagues that reflect their scientific research. The Writings-Mohler series consists of articles written by Fred Loomis Mohler. These documents focus on his discoveries, specifically in atomic physics, mass spectra of specific elements such as nitrogen, photoionization, recombination of ions, and cesium vapor. The Writings-Associates series contains scientific journal articles published by Mohler's colleagues and mentors. Many of these articles pertain to studies Mohler himself was performing, such as Boeckner's experimentation with cesium.

The collection consists of correspondence and manuscripts of Marianne Moore (1887-1972), the famous American poet. The letters generally discuss her literary work, but some personal business is included as well. Manuscript copies of several of her poems comprise a part of the collection as well.

Jacob Simmons Mosher (1834-1883) was a prominent physician and professor of medicine in Albany, New York. Samuel L. Southard (1787-1842) was a lawyer, politician, and cabinet member from New Jersey. These papers contain correspondence and other materials that reflect the professional and personal lives of these two men, as well as genealogical materials regarding their families.

T. Edward Munce Jr. (1914-1980) graduated from Dickinson College (class of 1939) and the Dickinson School of Law. He was a World War II veteran, State Department employee, and lawyer for the Public Utility Commission. The bulk of this collection consists of correspondence and Christmas cards from authors Robert Frost, Logan Pearsall Smith, and Nancy Byrd Turner. The correspondence also includes letters from Lord Wilfred Arthur Greene regarding the acquisition of a piece of rock from London's Inner Temple for the Dickinson School of Law. In addition, this collection contains World War II medals awarded to Munce by the British government in 1945.

Myrl Myers graduated from Dickinson College in 1906. Beginning as a student interpreter for the American Legation in Peking (Beijing) in 1907, he spent the next 40 years serving in various U.S. diplomatic posts in China. The journals and other items in this collection reflect some of his earlier appointments (1907-11) and later ones (1941-46).

The Dickinsoniana Newspaper Collection consists of various newspapers acquired by the Library over the years. These items feature articles which concern mainly Dickinson College: happenings on campus, curriculum offerings, and doings of famous alumni such as James Buchanan and Roger Brooke Taney. The newspapers are arranged alphabetically by title and then chronologically; a description of the pertinent article, its location in the paper, and donor information are included in this inventory. In order to find newspapers dealing with particular individuals or events, a subject index has been included with the collection.

Record group 5/2 consists of both materials dating from 1962-1989 while the Office of the Chaplain existed under the leadership of a full-time chaplain, as well as materials regarding campus religious affairs functions prior to the establishment of the chaplaincy, as early as 1924. The bulk of the material, however, dates from the appointment of Paul Kaylor in 1967 to the resignation of Mary Anne Morefield in 1989. The record group is organized in eleven series:

Series 01 General Administrative Materials

Series 02 Finances

Series 03 General Correspondence

Series 04 Chapel Programming for Weekday Services and Special Events (before fall 1965)

Series 05 College Church Programming for Sunday, Holiday, and Other Special Services

Series 06 Events

Series 07 Social Action

Series 08 Other Religious Traditions/Organizations

Series 09 Other Campus Organizations

Series 10 Other Chaplain’s Activities

Series 11 Chaplains’ Personal Papers

A fuller description of each series is given before each series inventory.

The collection documents the lives of the members of the Potter, Guererro, James, and Lord families from the 1850s to the 1940s, beginning with Henry Cardwell Potter (1822-1902), a Philadelphia businessman who through his business dealings became Consul of Nicaragua for the city. Potter's daughter married into the Guererro and James families; her daughter married into the Lord family. The bulk of the collections consists of correspondence; a large portion of these letters are addressed to Mary Agnes Guererro from her fiancé John Carlisle Lord, a professional ball player. The collection also contains a large amount of business materials, including papers relating to Potter's office as Consul, Dr. James' medical practice, and the sale of the family estate, La Hacienda Santa Enriqueta. A large scrapbook, maintained by Dr. James, contains newspaper clippings, correspondence, and programs of social events. The collection is supplemented by a large collection of photographs, some of which have been identified.

This collection includes letters, documents, clippings, pamphlets, and photographs relating to Joseph Priestley and his descendants. It was presented to the college by Mrs. Temple Fay.

This collection includes articles, manuscripts, newspaper clippings, and programs about Joseph Priestley and related topics. Also included in the collection are genealogical materials - correspondence, notes, charts - collected by Priestley family members

George Edward Reed II (1912-1998) graduated from Dickinson College in 1935. This collection contains journals that document his service during World War II. The journals include diary entries, which start in June 1941 and end in November 1945. The journals also include correspondence, photographs, news clippings, and ephemera.

Robert Fleming Rich attended Dickinson College from 1903-1906 before withdrawing to take up a position in the family business, the Woolrich Woolen Mills. He later became active in Republican politics, serving in the United States House of Representatives from 1930-43 and 1945-51. This collection contains papers related to Rich's role as a member of Dickinson's Board of Trustees and as an active alumnus.

This collection contains the correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings and other materials of Mary Lamb Riley. The bulk of the collection is correspondence sent to Mary Lamb Riley by her mother, Harriet Collins Lamb, and her daughter, Marjorie Lamb Riley. The collection also contains some Collins/Riley family memorabilia, including an announcement for the birth of Marjorie Lamb Riley.

The Sarah L. Rowe Collection is composed of books authored by Pearl S. Buck, as well as correspondence to and from both Buck and Sarah Rowe. This collection was acquired through a bequest of Rowe. The books are individually cataloged and accessible through the online library catalog; a list of these books is also included as an appendix at the end of this collection register. A number of these books have been signed by Pearl Buck, and some include marginal notes penned by Sarah Rowe.

William Howard Sharp (1891-1958) graduated from Dickinson College in 1913. After graduation he worked as an insurance agent, was admitted to the New Jersey bar, and was elected to the New Jersey State Senate. This collection contains correspondence, newspaper clippings, and photographs that document Sharp's political career and civic involvement.

James Gordon Steese (1882-1958) was a member of the Dickinson College class of 1902. Among his many activities, Steese served as president of the Board of Road Commissioners for Alaska; the Steese Highway in Alaska is named for him. He later was involved with the development of railroads in both Alaska and Maryland and with several oil companies. Diaries and journals chronicle Steese's military service and his later years. The collection contains mostly professional correspondence, pamphlets, and reports on the Alaskan Road Commission and Steese's military service. Also included are several newspaper articles, maps, charts, and correspondence with Steese's family. A large photograph collection, mainly in the form of photo albums, supplements the document collection.

These records document the activity and structure of Dickinson's student government.

Charles Lowe Swift enrolled at Dickinson College in 1900 with the class of 1904, but left in Fall 1903 to become a journalist for the Baltimore Herald.  He taught English at Dickinson's Conway Hall and later at the Hill School in Pottstown, PA before joining Dickinson's English Dept. faculty in 1935.  Swift retired in 1947 and passed away in 1956. This collection consists primarily of correspondence from writer H. L. Mencken and John Charles Thomas, a noted concert baritone who had attended Conway Hall. An article about the letters from Mencken to Swift appeared in the Nov. 1979 alumni magazine.

Allen C. Tanner (1898-1987) was an Illinois-born pianist. At fifteen he was awarded a scholarship to study music in Chicago. There he met Margaret Anderson, editor of the Little Review. Tanner then moved to New York City where he performed in musical salons and accompanied many musical greats of the era including Marguerite Namara and Marguerite d'Alvarez. In 1922, Tanner left for Berlin, where he met Russian artist Pavel Tchelitchew and the two men became lovers. In 1924 the pair moved to Paris to pursue their artistic careers. There they became friends with literary greats Gertrude Stein and Edith Sitwell. Tanner and Tchelitchew ended their relationship in 1934. Tanner returned to the United States where he coached piano students in concert repertory. In 1967 he released the album Allen Tanner Plays Bach, Debussy, Scriabin, Granados, Rachmaninoff, Liszt, and Steinert. The collection contains correspondence, writings, programs and publicity, news clippings, financial documents, sheet music, sound recordings, photographs, and books. The correspondence comprises the bulk of this collection. In addition to Tanner's correspondence with fellow musicians and cultural figures, Tanner also exchanged letters with authors and publishers who were interested in his memories of individuals such as Tchelitchew, Gertude Stein, Edith Sitwell, and Margaret Anderson.

The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University also holds a collection of Allen Tanner papers. 

The Craig Robert Thomas collection is housed in two document boxes, one oversized box, and 893 photograph folders, and is arranged into the following three categories: Correspondence, Photographs, and Miscellaneous. The collection consists almost entirely of the letters and photographs from the numerous celebrities who sent their warm wishes and personal regards to Craig Robert Thomas.

A full index to the personalities represented in this collection can be found after the inventory listing

The Craig Robert Thomas collection consists of letters, autographs, and photographs from prominent celebrities and political and military figures who sent their warm wishes and personal regards to Craig Robert Thomas. This collection is a bequest from Craig's father, Robert; another collection of related material was donated by Robert and Beatrice Thomas in 1959, and contains many more documents and photographs of a similar nature (see link for related entries below). This collection is housed in one document box, one artifact box, and 14 photograph folders, and is arranged into three categories: Correspondence, Photographs, and Artifacts.

This collection documents several members of the Dum family of Carlisle, PA, particularly Annie Spotts Dum, Blanche L. Dum (Class of 1910), George B. Dum, Miriam Dum Frey (Class of 1913), and Ray Spotts Dum (Class of 1908).  The collection is composed primarily of family correspondence from the 1880s through the 1930s. It also includes family memorabilia, such as event programs, school documents, and some documents regarding family history. 

Ruth Agnes Trout graduated from Dickinson College with the class of 1936. In 1983, she and her sister, Helen Elizabeth Trout, established the Trout Gallery at the college in honor of their parents, Brook and Mary Agnes Cook Trout. This collection of papers documents Trout's relationship with the college, primarily as an alumna. It contains correspondence with college officials and financial documents that particularly emphasize her support of the Trout Gallery. This collection also includes a record of her family's history back to approximately the Civil War. Family-related materials include correspondence, genealogical materials, photographs, legal and financial documents, and memorabilia from important life events. Surnames represented in the collection include Brindle, Cook, Dale(s), McCall, Ritter, Stringer, and Trout.

Thomas W. Troxell (1874-1947) graduated from Dickinson College in 1898. He taught at schools in North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia before finishing his career as principal at Gaithersburg High School in Maryland. This small collection contains materials related to Troxell’s time at Dickinson, specifically several student notebooks, and his career as a teacher.

Paul Walker (1896-1985) was a 1921 graduate of Dickinson College and a longtime contributing editor and columnist with the Harrisburg Patriot-News; his column "Roundabout" appeared for over ten years. This collection is comprised of diaries, commonplace books, newspaper articles and other materials donated by Mrs. Paul R. Walker in 1985.