Wife of Chase S. Osborn, leader in the Atlantic Union Movement, and officer in the Atlantic Union Conference, the International Movement for Atlantic Union, and Federal Union, Inc. Correspondence, diaries and other materials concerning her professional interests, especially her work for world peace through international cooperation.
The Stella Osborn collection was received in multiple accessions. The bulk of the papers were received from her home in Georgia (1958) and her office in Washington D.C. (1972). These materials documenting her entire career were organized into seven series: Biographical; Correspondence; Personal and miscellaneous; Atlantic Union Committee and related; Business and Professional Women's Club; Sound recordings; and Index card files. An extremely active woman with many interests and causes, Stella Osborn continued to add to her papers with a later accession in 1983. Following her death, the executor of her estate and other friends added to the collection with materials which she had retained for whatever reason or which had been in storage. There is obviously some overlap in these later materials and the files received previously. The purpose of the Summary Contents List (see below) is to draw like materials together.
The 1992 accession was more fully described than the earlier papers. This accession includes biographical notes and clippings about Stella Osborn and Chase Osborn. There is, in addition, personal and organizational correspondence, financial and estate records (1970-1988), land deeds for the Osborn holdings in Georgia and Michigan, organizational material for the Federal Union and the Atlantic Union Committee, manuscripts of poetry, prose, and political essays (including some material by Chase Osborn), and Stella Osborn's diaries (1982-87). The collection includes childhood photographs of Stella Osborn and photographs of her parents and grandparents. Two copies of a videotape about the Osborn farm in Georgia, Possum Poke, are included here as well.
Much of this accession documents the last few years of Stella Osborn's life, after her move to a retirement home in Sault St. Marie Michigan, years during which she maintained an interest in people and world peace organizations, and in documenting her own and Chase Osborn's place in history. While the bulk of correspondence here is for 1982, 1983, and 1987, some earlier correspondence is included as well. Of interest to university historians is the topical correspondence file on Robert Frost's visit to Michigan. Stella Osborn's lifelong friendship with Yuki Otsuki is documented by their extensive correspondence, a series of letters beautifully written and presented that recall earlier days, including student life.
The collection contains some material of interest to researchers interested in Chase Osborn, including the series of land transfers and deeds which document Chase and Stella Osborn's extensive holdings in Georgia and Michigan, and their gifts of land to various charities and institutions. Also included is some Chase Osborn correspondence and copies of articles he wrote about his extensive travels in Africa. Chase Osborn's 1938 "Longfellow Birthday Book" contains the birth dates of his ancestors. Several letters from 1936 pertain to Chase Osborn's involvement in the movement to build the Mackinac Bridge.
Of special interest to researchers interested in Stella Osborn and her role in various world peace organizations are her unpublished autobiographical manuscripts and files. Also of interest are her diaries, where she continued to record her ideas about politics and her memories.
Summary Contents Lists
- Accessions, 1958 and 1971-1972 [boxes 1-27]
- Biographical material [box 1]
- Correspondence, 1916-1982 [boxes 1-13]
- Personal and miscellaneous
- Schedules, notes on telephone conversations, various writings [box 14]
- Personal press releases [box 15]
- Speeches [box 15]
- Clippings [box 15]
- Poetry [box 15]
- Income tax files [box 15]
- Diaries [box 16]
- Student notebooks, account books, etc. (U-M and others) [box 16]
- Atlantic Union Committee and related [boxes 17-24]
- Business and Professional Women's Club activities [box 24]
- Sound tapes [box 25]
- Card files [boxes 25-27]
- 1983 Accession [boxes 28-34]
- Biographical material [box 28]
- Correspondence, 1918-1983 [boxes 28-31]
- Organizations [box 31]
- Topical file [boxes 31-32]
- Writings (autobiography, poetry, prose) [box 32]
- Diaries [box 33]
- Visual materials [box 34]
- 1992 Accession [boxes 35-38]
- Biographical and Autobiographical Material (including Chase Osborn) [box 35]
- Correspondence, 1960-1987 [box 35]
- Financial and Business Affairs, 1920-1985 [boxes 35-36]
- Peace Organizations, 1970-1983 [box 36]
- Manuscripts and Research Notes [box 36]
- Chase Osborn materials, 1913-1949 [box 37]
- Diaries, account books, day books, 1930-1987 [box 37-38]
- Card Indices [box 38]