Alice Jones Emery Papers
Scope and Contents
The Alice Jones Emery Papers primarily consists of materials relating to Emery’s position as Class Agent for the Oberlin College Class of 1891.
The correspondence series, which constitutes the bulk of the collection, contains letters received from former classmates in response to Alice Jones Emery’s requests for individual class letters. Spanning a period of over twenty years, these letters handsomely document the warm friendship and spirit retained by Oberlin College graduates (see the series description for the names of some key correspondents).
The clippings and miscellaneous series consist of articles, printed matter, and writings (i.e. songs and recollections) relating to members of the Class of 1891. These materials provide additional documentation concerning the careers and activities of the class members beyond their years at Oberlin.
Finally, the collection consists of a small amount of financial records that provide some detail concerning bank accounts and expenses incurred for reunions and other activities of the Class of 1891.
The collection is arranged around four series. The series are I. Correspondence, II. Clippings, III. Financial Records, and IV. Miscellaneous.
Dates
- Creation: 1931-1955, undated
- Other: Date acquired: 1971 January 21
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
Unrestricted.
Biographical or Historical Information
Alice Jones Emery was born Alice Ida Jones on June 24, 1868 in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, the daughter of William Morris Jones and Jane Robertson Jones. After she graduated from Allegheny High School, and received her LB at Oberlin College in 1891, she taught for one year at the Institute of Columbus, Ohio. Over the next two years she returned to Ebensburg to serve as an assistant in the Belles-Lettres department at Allegheny High School.
On August 2, 1894, she married Rufus Franklin Emery, who served several positions for the Westinghouse Airbrake Company (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), including appointments as the corporate secretary and treasurer. They had two children, Margaret (1896-1988) and Rufus Harding (1901-1958).
Following the death of her husband of apoplexy in 1918, Alice Jones Emery continued to give service to a number of organizations, including the American Association of University Women, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, the YWCA, and the World Service Council. In some of them she held an elected office. She also invested enormous amounts of time as the Class Agent for the Oberlin College Class of 1891. In this capacity she organized class gatherings, wrote yearly news reports, corresponded with class members and kept the class financial records. One of her most significant contributions to the position was her compilation of the “class letters,” individual letters from members of the class. Her work led her to maintain ties with prominent members of the “Ninety-One” class, which included Seabury C. Mastick, Robert A. Millikan, J.B. McCord, Clark B. Firestone, and R. [Romanta] T. Miller, Jr. Other prominent members of this class include William L. Beard, Fred W. Garney, Guy S. Callendar, Mary B. Stafford, Carrie T. Memmott, and Juanita B. Bates.
While she retained her primary residence in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alice Jones Emery devoted much time in her later years to travel. In particular, she spent a significant amount of time in Oberlin with her daughter, Margaret (Oberlin Kindergarten Training School, Class of 1918) and in Buenos Aires, Argentina with her son, Rufus Harding (Oberlin College Class of 1923).
On April 18, 1956, Alice Jones Emery died in Buenos Aires, Argentina while visiting her son, Rufus, after a brief illness.
Sources Consulted
Alice Jones Emery, Student File, Alumni Records, RG 28/2.
Note written by Caitlin Condell
Extent
0.20 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Method of Acquisition
The papers of Alice Jones Emery were received from the Oberlin College Library on January 21, 1971.
Accruals and Additions
Accession No: 128.
Genre / Form
- appointment books
- letters (correspondence)
- manuscripts
- music
- pamphlets
- programs (documents)
- publications
Topical
- Title
- Alice Jones Emery Papers Finding Guide
- Author
- Caitlin Condell
- Date
- 2004 February 20
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- 2004 February 20: Processed by Caitlin Condell.
- 2025: Prepared for migration by Louisa C. Hoffman.
Repository Details
Part of the Oberlin College Archives Repository
420 Mudd Center
148 West College Street
Oberlin OH 44074-1532 US
440-775-8014
440-775-8016 (Fax)
archive@oberlin.edu