Elaine Hoff Norton Papers

Collection

Identifier: RG 30-405

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Elaine Hoff Norton collection is a modest sized volume of academic and personal papers and photographic materials. The content of the collection focuses largely on Norton’s time at Oberlin College as an undergraduate and graduate student.

Norton’s course materials and writings make up the bulk of the collection. These materials provide an in depth look into her coursework at Oberlin College, especially her work with botany and life sciences. The writings also contain Norton’s senior research and master’s thesis papers, and notes and research contained in the course materials demonstrate Norton’s dedicated effort on these papers. Photographs and negatives contained in the photographic materials also show many of the locations Norton studied for her papers and the types of plants (mainly maple trees) that were involved in the research.

Norton’s dedication to life science studies at Oberlin College led to her close personal relationship with Professor of Botany George T. Jones and his wife, Mary. This relationship is demonstrated in the correspondence series that is made up almost entirely of letters received by Norton from Jones, spanning from soon after Norton left Oberlin up until the years very close to Jones’ death. There are also three personal photographs in the photographic materials series of George and Mary Jones sent to Norton.

Where Norton’s collection is strong in materials from her time at Oberlin College, it is greatly lacking in materials after Oberlin. Norton’s career as a teacher is almost entirely undocumented, as well as her busy and productive life as a retiree. An ecology study in the writings series was written in 1962 during her studies at SUNY—Oswego for her master’s degree in teaching. There is also a small lecture in the lectures and talks series given to the Camden (New York) Grange in 2000 about her research done in granges throughout her life.

The collection is divided into seven series: Series 1. Certificates and Degrees, Series 2. Correspondence, Series 3. Course Materials, Series 4. Lectures and Talks, Series 5. Photographic Materials, Series 6. Printed Matter, Series 7. Writings by Elaine Hoff Norton.

Dates

Creation: 1935-2000, undated
Other: Majority of material found in 1935-1943
Other: Date acquired: 2007 September 15

Creator

Norton, Elaine Hoff (Norton, Elaine Yvonne Hoff) (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Four files restricted as noted on the inventory.

Biographical or Historical Information

Elaine Yvonne (Hoff) Norton was born May 15, 1918 in Cleveland, Ohio to Clayton Melvern Hoff and Mabel Frances (Snyder) Hoff. She graduated from Lakewood High School in Cleveland, Ohio.

Hoff entered Oberlin College as a freshman in September 1936. She started taking biology and botany courses immediately after beginning classes at Oberlin, earning Freshman Honors for the 1936-37 academic year. Hoff’s academic success with life science courses led to a strong relationship with Oberlin College Professors George T. Jones and Paul B. Sears.

Professor Sears gave Norton the opportunity to work with A.C. Norris (OC 1898) on the reforestation of sugar maples and farm woods management in Lorain County, which led to her senior research project, “The Improvement of Farm Woods Management in Lorain County.” Hoff worked extensively in the Pamona Grange in Lorain County, researching the decrease of yield of maple syrup that farmers were experiencing. This research project was so successful that many Granges in Lorain County began to adopt Hoff’s scorecards on better management of farm woods for a higher yield of maple syrup production.

Hoff received an A.B. from Oberlin College in 1940 and continued her studies at Oberlin as a Master’s student immediately afterward. She was inducted into Sigma Xi, the international honor society for scientific research, in 1941 for her excellence in botany research. Norton’s master’s thesis, titled “Sugar maple groves in Lorain County, Ohio: Factors affecting sap yield,” expanded the work done in her senior research paper and addressed problems brought up by the initial undergraduate research. “Sugar maple groves…” required a great deal of cooperation with not only Oberlin College faculty, but Lorain County farmers as well. Hoff was well respected throughout the county Granges that she worked in and her contributions would eventually lead to better yields for farmers. After completing her research, Hoff received the A.M. in Botany in 1942. She kept in close contact with Professor Jones after graduating, corresponding with him and his wife, Mary, on a regular basis.

After leaving Oberlin, Hoff married World War II veteran Roger Clarke Norton (Columbia University B.A. 1965, M.A. 1936) on February 6, 1943 in Wilmington, Delaware. They moved to Camden, New York, where they raised six children, and stayed for the remainder of their lives. Norton waited until her children were school aged to begin her career in teaching. She taught 6^th grade at North Bay Elementary, Camden from 1962 to 1965. She then studied at State University of New York: Oswego and received an A.M. in Education in 1967. Norton taught Life Science at Camden Central School until the end of her teaching career in 1974.

Norton remained active throughout her retirement, and was especially involved with the Camden community. She was the curator of the local Carriage House Museum, and an officer and steward of the Rome Sand Plains chapter of the Nature Conservancy. Norton was able to continue her passion of the outdoors with her various activities, leading nature walks, bird surveys, and camping trips. She and her husband traveled the world extensively, and led many family trips all over the country.

Elaine Hoff Norton died on January 2, 2007 after a short bout of pneumonia. She was predeceased by her husband, Roger Clarke Norton, and a son, Roger Clarke Norton, Jr. She is survived by five daughters: Mary Norton Woodbury Young (OC 1968), Ruth Elaine Norton (OC 1971), Martha Norton Wilson, Patricia Norton (Krueger), and Catherine Norton Estill.

Sources Consulted

Elaine Hoff Norton’s former student file (located in the Office of Advancement).

Note written by Louisa C. Hoffman