Scrapbook: "Oberlin Life, an Ignorant but Blissful Freshman", 1928 September-1939 June

The Jean Brown McAllister Papers is a small collection, covering her years as an Oberlin student (1938-1942), coinciding with the years leading up to and including the early years of U.S. involvement in World War II.

The letters written by Brown to her family in Series 1 represent the bulk of the collection. Undated letters were inscribed with postmark dates from envelopes by Archives staff. They reveal student life and its rituals and customs at Oberlin at the time. Early In her first year, she relates a version of the history of her dormitory (Fairchild House), the Underground Railroad in Oberlin, and the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue. She also mentions speakers and activities on campus, including Shansi representatives, a Black guest speaker on racism, pacifist speakers, and a college effort to bring a German refugee student to Oberlin. In some of her letters Brown tallied her college and personal expenses for her parents. There are letters addressed to Brown’s parents from her roommate, Ginny Baker, one of which included a photograph of herself (see Series 4, Photographs). One folder contains a few pieces of correspondence received by Jean Brown.

The memorabilia in Series 2 represents college activities such as dances, parties, and the college’s Mock Convention. Of interest is a typed writing by Brown reflecting on her four years at Oberlin in her senior year. A scrapbook from Brown’s Freshman year is much like many student scrapbooks in the Student Life record group. Series 3, Photographs, holds a small number of views of Oberlin, Mock Convention, and one photograph each of Brown and her roommate, Ginny Baker. The two photographs of Mock Convention include a sign on a float for Thomas E. Dewey, the Republican Party’s nominee for the presidency in 1944. Additional photographs can be found in the scrapbook.