RG 30. Personal Papers

Scope and Contents The Edith Bunker Davis Family papers provide evidence of Mrs. Davis' concern to document the work in Africa (1891-1917) of her missionary parents, the Rev. Fred Robert Bunker and Isabel ("Belle") Bunker. The papers also supply information about the professional lives of Edith's brothers, Paul, Wilfrid, Kenneth, and Sydney. These men established successful careers in education, diplomacy, international business, and the Congregational ministry. Unfortunately, there is little...

Scope and Contents Ellen Johnson was a teacher, writer, artist, collector of contemporary art, and world traveler. This collection details the career of an extraordinary woman who worked and taught at Oberlin College for 38 years. In order to gain a grasp of the uniqueness and extent of Johnson's contributions to the world of contemporary art and the teaching of modern art history, one must also refer to the research files and assorted papers donated to the Archives of American Art. The collection...

Scope and Contents The Mary Rudd Cochran papers primarily consist of biographical files, correspondence, financial and property files, professional records, writings files, and photographs. Though the papers cover many activities of her life, the collection mainly documents her private life as a member of an educated, upper middle class family.  Her personal files detail life as a child and into adulthood, which focuses much on the Cochran family and their interactions with two other great families of...

Scope and Contents The papers of Janet Knapp Byles are modest in volume, and contain both personal and professional papers, several photographs and three scrapbooks. The content of the material largely focuses on Byles' life during and after attending Oberlin College. The bulk of the collection consists of photographs and scrapbooks, regarding Byles’ family, friends, class reunions and trips abroad. In addition to the photographs and scrapbooks, there are several writings by Byles regarding her class...

Scope and Contents This is a sizable collection. The Bridgman Family Papers document the family’s work as missionaries to South Africa over nearly a century (1860-1949). Included in these family papers are a good many biographical and genealogical histories of each member of the extended family. Unevenness exists in the collection, however, in part because the bulk of the materials primarily document the work and accomplishments of Frederick Brainerd Bridgman (1869-1925) and his wife, Clara Davis Bridgman...

Scope and Contents

The Charles Fayette Olney Papers reflect his life as an art collector, gallery operator and lecturer on the subject. As Deacon of Pilgrim Church in Cleveland, Ohio, Olney delivered speeches on special topics and issues related to art and religion.

This collection is organized around three series: I. The Olney Art Gallery Visitor Register; II. Speeches; and III. Information regarding Olney Bequest.

Scope and Contents The papers of William Edwards Stevenson (1900-85) and his wife Eleanor Bumstead Stevenson (1902-87) document the joint public service careers of the Stevensons over a period of forty-five years. Correspondence with their families (1917-25) and with each other (1924-25), as well as genealogical records such as diaries, wills, and marriage certificates, bring to light the privileged New England childhoods and family relationships which fostered their social ideals. The arrangement of the...

Scope and Contents

The collection ranges in date from 1931 to 1959 and consists of correspondence, speeches/writings, and printed materials. It includes both personal and professional material.

The Arthur E. Nilsson Papers are divided into three series: Correspondence, Speeches and Writings, and Collected Printed Material. The latter series is divided into three subseries: Ben Lewis, Chapel Talks, and Miscellaneous.

Scope and Contents The Papers of Tony Musante ‘58 document his career as an actor, director, and writer.  Musante’s career included theater, television series, and feature films in the United States and other nations such as Italy.  The documentation provides insight into how Tony Musante became an accomplished actor, director, and writer, beginning with his student days at Oberlin College, 1954-58. Of particular interest are notebooks containing Musante’s comments and observations during the filming...

Scope and Contents The William Hayden Boyers papers primarily document Boyers’s work as a theatre director. A majority of the records relate to his work as director and faculty advisor of the Oberlin College Gilbert and Sullivan Players, an organization that he founded in 1949. After his retirement from Oberlin College, Boyers served on the faculty of Saint Paul’s Episcopal College in Lawrenceville, Virginia. The collection contains correspondence, a class syllabus, several programs, and a series of slides...