Search

The collection includes a ledger, meeting minutes, reference materials, reports on sorority officers, members, events, and grade points, biographical material and photographs of Dr. Sharp, and information on Delta Sigma Phi fraternity.

The Organizational Records, 1929-1963, include a Ledger, 1942-1961, and Meeting Minutes, 1941-1961 (.5 cubic ft. in 1 box); Miscellaneous reference materials, 1933-1963 (approximately .5 cubic ft. in 1 box); Sorority Files, which are reports on each sorority listing officers, members, and their annual events, as well as some supporting documentation, (1 cubic ft. in 2 boxes); and Sorority Grade Point Materials, which show the grade points of each sorority sister and the average of each sorority, 1961-1964 (approximately .5 cubic ft. in 1 box). Also included is one folder each on the fraternity Delta Sigma Phi, 1948-1956, and Dr. D. Louise Sharp.

The collection includes subject files, social calendars, committee reports, annual reports, minutes, and other materials.

The organizational records of this committee include subject files, social calendars, committee reports, annual reports, minutes, and other materials

This collection consists of personal information and correspondence of Daisy Bazzett, 1933-1936, 1937, 1938, and undated.

This collection consists of personal information and correspondence of Daisy Bazzett, 1933-1936, 1937, 1938, and undated, 1.75 Cubic Feet (in 4 boxes). The collection is organized by date and each folder alphabetically.

Bazzett, Correspondence: The majority of the collection consists of letters sent from Daisy to Ellis Bazzett while she attended CSTC 1932-1936. Her letters begin in the fall of 1933, and detail her daily life at CSTC in the 1930s. Materials include: letters, postcards, and newspaper clippings. Topics covered include information about life at CSTC, such as the dorms, classes, and social life. Daisy made frequent mention of dances and social events organized by the literary societies which she invited Ellis to, and to different things that she and her roommate Helen did, such as buying a radio, or typing up papers for girls in the dorm on a typewriter. These letters also document the growing seriousness of the relationship between Daisy and Ellis, even discussion of marriage as she approached graduation. Daisy was a very engaging writer and her humor really shines through in her letters to Ellis. Some collection highlights include a letter dated January 10th, 1935, which has an illustration with the inscription “dropping you a line.” Letters such as one dated May 21st, 1935 describe the more difficult aspects of being active on campus, as Daisy writes “Its hell being President of a club of catty women.” Later letters reveal more about Daisy’s relationship with Ellis. On October 1st, 1935 she sent Ellis a letter where she had copied Elizabeth Barret Browning’s Sonnet 43 from 1850, which begins “How do I love thee…” In March of 1936, Daisy sent Ellis a kiss through the mail, her red lipstick staining the letter. Also significant is information relating to graduation, including an invitation to graduation activities that lasted from June 5th through the 22nd.

Miscellaneous Materials: This portion of the collection mostly includes correspondence received by Daisy or Ellis, sent by Ellis, photographs, or auxiliary collections material. Materials include: biographical material from Daisy titled “Notes from my Nineties,” a series of photographs, correspondence to Ellis, as well as Miscellaneous letters and notes to Ellis. Completing the collection are notes on the correspondence from Timothy Bazzett, Daisy and Ellis’ son. Topics mentioned include: Daisy’s life on the Whalen farm in Oakley, her life at Central, and anecdotes about her life with Ellis; Ellis’ work correspondence, and letters that he and others wrote to Daisy. The photographs include a photograph of Ellis, photographs of Daisy and Helen with other friends on campus, and photographs from the wedding of Daisy’s brother, Clarence, in which Daisy and Ellis also appear “Notes from My Nineties” by Daisy Bazzett was copyrighted in 2008 by Rathole Books.

Processing Note: During processing .25 cubic feet of peripheral materials and envelopes were removed from the collection. Acidic materials were photocopied and the originals were withdrawn from the collection.

The collection documents the department's history with organizational histories, photographs, slides, website pages, annual reports, correspondence, publications, meeting minutes, scrapbooks, and other materials.

Through the years, department staff saved various historical materials, photographs, scrapbooks, meeting minutes, and other relevant materials, to document the history of the department and its related student organizations. About half of the collection documents the department, while the other half documents the related student organizations.

The collection is organized first by format, with letter and legal-size papers and photographs filed in alphabetical order by organizational name in boxes. The organizational history and related notes, compiled in 1996 by Donna Poynor begins the collection. Oversized volumes (Scrapbooks and Photograph Albums) are divided by organizational name and stacked with the largest volume in each section on the bottom of the pile. They are described at the end of the box and folder listing.

The history of the entire department from its establishment until 1996 is documented in Organizational Histories and Research Notes, 1996; Photographs, 1930s-1960s, and 1990s, and 2003; Published Materials (articles in CMU publications, departmental brochures, and a reprint of an article by a student in the department), 1944-1984 (Scattered); Slides, 1950s, 1961, and undated; CMU and You Day Photographs and Report, 1991; and the 2006 department website pages. The undated Sewing I Notebook and teacher contracts date from 1905 through 1913 are the earliest extant items in the collection. They document the period when courses were taught as Domestic Science and Arts. The Notebook is charming. It includes Ruby Wilfing’s neatly written class notes with definitions and ideas, and examples of swatches of materials demonstrating her ability to sew various types of complex stitches. A miniature apron she sewed is included.

The Department of Home Economics is documented by Annual Reports from the 1960s, Departmental Correspondence, both General Correspondence, mainly noting changes in department staff and leadership during the 1960s, as well as some Correspondence specific to the Renovation of Wightman Hall, 1966-1968 and 1970. Other correspondence is with the Office of Vocation Education, part of the Michigan Department of Public Instruction, regarding the review and development of the department. There is also a department Scrapbook, 1961-1963.

The Department of Home Economics, Family Life and Consumer Education is documented by a publication, Quest for Values, 1968-1969 by Evelyn I. Rouner.

Several student home economics clubs are documented in the collection. The Central Home Economics Club is documented by organizational records, including: Constitutions, 1941-1987 (Scattered); Meeting Minutes of both regular and Executive Council meetings, and Lists of Members, 1920-1940, 1946-1950, 1961-1977 and 1979-1989, and Scrapbooks, 1942, 1946-1948, and 1958-1963 (1 v.) and 1958-1964 (1 v.). This club evolved into the Central Michigan Home Economics Association, documented by Scrapbooks, 1977-1979 (2 v.), and the CMU Home Economics Association, documented by a Scrapbook, 1979-1980.

The Central Home Economics Club was a member of a state home economics organization, the Michigan Home Economics Association, which is documented by Scrapbooks, 1936-1938 and 1982-1984 (2 v.).

Another related club was Kappa Omicron Phi (the National Home Economics Honors Society), which is documented by a Photograph album, 1978-1983 and two Scrapbooks, 1961-1977 and 1973-1982.

Photographs in the collection include black and white as well as colored and colored slides. A number of the Photographs were published in the department’s brochures and articles about the department. The Scrapbooks vary in size and composition. A wide variety of materials, including photographs, art, correspondence, invitations, table favors, posters, programs, newspaper clippings, etc. are found in the scrapbooks. Because of the mix of their composition and contents, all of the Scrapbooks suffer from various levels of acidity and fragility and should be used with care by researchers.

Processing Notes: Some of the scrapbooks consisted of materials in rotting binders. The historical materials were removed from the binders and filed in folders. Two photographs in the collection were of women in the home economics courses at Michigan Agricultural College, now Michigan State University, so those photographs were transferred to the MSU Archives and Historical Collections.