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National League of American Pen Women, Muncie Branch records

 Collection
Identifier: MSS-115

Scope and Contents

This collection contains records from the Muncie Branch of the National League of American Pen Women and includes the organization's constitution and by-laws, correspondence, minutes, program books, national roosters for 1966-1970 and 1984-1998, publications, information on national elections and State Day activities, and scrapbooks. Publications include issues of the national journal, The Pen Woman and newsletters from the Muncie branch, the Indiana state branch, and the Indianapolis branch.

Dates

  • 1944-2015

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries, Muncie, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Archives and Special Collections.

Historical Note

The National League of American Pen Women was founded in 1897. Realizing a need for an organization that would include women of the press, Marian Longfellow O'Donohue, niece of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, decided to create such an organization. Along with Margaret Sullivan Burke and Anna Sanborne Hamilton, Marian made plans for "bringing together women journalists, authors, and illustrators for mutual benefits and the strength that comes of union". On June 26, 1897, these three women brought together 17 writers, novelists, newspaper women, a teacher, a poet, and an artist for the first meeting. Alice R. Morgan, an illustrator for New York publishers, designed the League insignia, the owl, symbolic of wisdom, placed in a triangle formed by a red pen, a blue pencil, and a white brush, colors of the American flag.

In 1944, Muncie’s own branch was organized. Nine women from the Muncie area who were interested in the fields of art, literature, or music were brought together by Mrs. J. R. Marsh, the charter president. The Muncie branch meets monthly and has speakers and exhibits at certain times of the year. This branch is still active today in Muncie.

Extent

0.8 Cubic Feet (3 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in the following series:

Series 1: National League of American Pen Women, Muncie Branch records, 1944-2015

Series 2: National League of American Pen Women, Muncie Branch scrapbook and president's book, 1944-2002

Custodial History

This collection was received by Archives and Special Collections as a donation from Jane Beekman on 2004/02/18. Additions were received by Jane Beekman on 2006/08/14, 2008/04, 2014/06/09, and 2016/06/02.

Accruals

No further additions are expected.

Processing Information

Collection processing completed 2006/08/14 by A. Lawrence. Finding aid revised with additions 2008/05/01 and 2008/05/05 by Maren Read. EAD finding aid created 2009/03/25 by Maren Read. EAD finding aid revised 2013/10/02 by Lindsey Vesperry. Addition processed and EAD finding aid revised 2014/06/09 by Kasey Mock. EAD finding aid revised 2014/06/09 by Brandon Pieczko. Addition processed 2016/06/13 by Matthew Gorham. EAD finding aid revised 2016/06/13 by Lindsey M. Vesperry.

Title
National League of American Pen Women, Muncie Branch records
Status
Completed
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the Stoeckel Archives of Local History Repository

Contact:
Alexander M. Bracken Library
2000 W. University Avenue
Muncie Indiana 47306 USA