Philadelphia Area Archives Research Portal (PAARP)

Albert L. Baily, Jr. (1890-1974) was a teacher at Westtown School (a prominent Quaker boarding school in Chester County, Pennsylvania) from 1921 to 1955, where he taught French, botany, biology and Bible, and was involved in music and theater. As a scholar, Baily was interested in studies about the New Testament Gospels, specifically Henry B. Sharman's (1865-1953) study, Records of the Life of Jesus (1917). The Albert L. Baily, Jr. papers, 1931-1990 (bulk, 1940-1974), consist primarily of materials relating to Baily's studies, teachings, and writings of the New Testament Gospels. Also included are oral histories about a student work camp, "Three Fevers Camp," that Baily and his wife ran in the fishing town of Sebasco, Maine during the Great Depression; as well as materials relating to Baily's music compositions. (View full finding aid.)

Caroline Lucile Nicholson Jacob (1891-1991) was a teacher at Westtown School, a prominent Quaker boarding school in Chester County, Pa. She taught from 1916-1939 in the subjects of German, Bible, French, and History; from 1926-1939 she served as Assistant Principal. Jacob was a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), working in Europe after World War I with the American Friends Service Committee, active with the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, and authoring several books about Quakerism and individual Quakers. The Caroline Nicholson Jacob papers, 1920s-1982, document Jacob's travels, interests, and religious and social activities. Topics include her trips to Africa, Europe, the Western U.S., and to the Fourth Friends World Conference; her engagement to be married and her birthdays (including her 90th); and her time at Westtown School. The collection includes correspondence, a published transcript of an oral history interview by American Friends Service Committee in 1989, published writings of Caroline Nicholson Jacob about Quaker history and religious education, and documents concerning her estate. (View full finding aid.)

Dorothy H. Gould (1909-2002) taught English and Physical Education at Westtown School in Pennsylvania from 1939 until her retirement in 1974. The Dorothy H. Gould English teaching materials, circa 1960-1974, consists of lecture notes, tests, lists of vocabulary and literary terms, articles about literary topics and teaching techniques, and other materials that supported Gould's work as an English teacher. There are also some papers relating to Gould's involvement with the school Library Committee, including meeting notes and lists of books borrowed by students. (View full finding aid.)

Helen Wright Prince (1911-2013) entered Westtown School in 1922 and graduated in 1929. Her father, William and brother, Herbert were also Westtown graduates. While at Westtown, Helen was very involved with student activities, playing on several varsity sports teams, active in art and music clubs, and serving on student council and various committees. The Helen Wright Prince family papers regarding Westtown School, 1904-1929, consist primarily of letters from Helen to her mother while a student. The collection also features a scrapbook, autograph album, reports, various ephemera, and some school notebooks created by Helen while she was a student, as well as some materials from Helen's brother Herbert and father William while they attended Westtown. (View full finding aid.)

J. (John) Bernard Haviland (1915-2004) attended Westtown School and then taught English and Bible there for several decades. He was an active member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), registering as a Conscientious Objector during World War II, serving Philadelphia Yearly Meeting on their Standing Committee on Spiritual Life, and writing widely on Quaker topics. The J. Bernard Haviland papers, 1929-1998, consist of files created by Haviland while a student at Princeton (1930s), a teacher at Westtown School (1940s-1960s), a graduate student at Harvard University (1940s) and at University College, Dublin (1960s), and notes for courses he taught at Pendle Hill. Of special interest are materials relating to Haviland's status as a Conscientious Objector during World War II. (View full finding aid.)

John Henry Foster was born in 1926 and entered Westtown School, a prominent Quaker boarding school located in Chester County, Pa., in 1941. After graduating from Westtown in 1944, he received B.S. and Ph.D. degrees at Cornell and served on the faculty of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, teaching Agricultural Economics. The John H. Foster papers, circa 1941-1999, include materials gathered by Foster during his three student years at Westtown School, 1941-1944, and later as an active alumnus of the Class of 1944. (View full finding aid.)

A graduate of Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.), Mary Larkin Thomas (1886-1981) was a horticulturalist who was known, along with her mother and sister, in the area of Chester County, Pennsylvania as an "herb doctor." Thomas practiced herbal medicine; in particular, she used these skills to care for the infants of local Quaker families. She was also involved in numerous organizations, particularly Quaker associations. The Mary Larkin Thomas family papers, 1807-1981, include mostly correspondence, photographs, and other personal papers of Mary Larkin Thomas as well as papers of her immediate family members, in particular her sister Rachel C. Thomas and her mother Rebecca J. (Hallowell) Thomas. There are also some financial records of Mary's father, R. Henry Thomas. (View full finding aid.)

S. Francis Nicholson (1900-2005) was a prominent Quaker investment banker, longtime officer of Provident National Bank, Philadelphia, and active in Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, American Friends Service Committee, and Friends Fiduciary Corporation. He graduated from Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.) in 1917. The S. Francis Nicholson papers, 1914-1998, include documents produced or collected by Nicholson in his activities as a Westtown student and as a General Committee member and investment advisor for the school. It includes one small file of student papers, report cards and notebooks; one file on his activities on the Music Committee at the school; and numerous files with financial reports, fundraising fliers, correspondence, agendas, minutes, Alumni Day materials, and drafts of articles on principles of investing and account reporting. (View full finding aid.)

Thomas Shipley Brown (1912-2011) of Cheltenham Pennsylvania, was an active member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) who wrote and taught widely about Quaker thought, life, and practices. He graduated from Westtown School, a prominent Quaker boarding school (West Chester, Pa.) in 1929 and taught Bible, Latin, and English there for much of his life. He was involved with a number of other Quaker organizations including Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, Friends Council on Education, the American Friends Service Committee, and London Yearly Meeting. The Thomas Shipley Brown papers, 1920-2011, is largely made up of Thomas Shipley Brown's writings on Quakerism and materials from his involvement with several Quaker organizations, especially Quaker educational institutions (including Westtown). (View full finding aid.)

Westtown School in Chester County, Pennsylvania is the oldest continuously operating coeducational boarding school in the United States. It was founded by the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1799 with the goal of educating Quaker children in an environment that fostered moral development consistent with their religious ideals. The Westtown School Archives collection of personal and family papers, circa 1780-2000, consists of several small collections of personal and family papers. The individuals and families represented were affiliated with Westtown School, and many papers document their time at the school although a fair amount of materials are unrelated. Documents in the collection include: correspondence, scrapbooks, writings, portfolios, ephemera, school records such as class papers and report cards, published works, and a few photographs. (View full finding aid.)

Westtown School in Chester County, Pennsylvania is the oldest continuously operating coeducational boarding school in the United States. It was founded by the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1799 with the goal of educating Quaker children in an environment that fostered moral development consistent with their religious ideals. The Westtown School Archives small manuscripts collection, 1769-2008, consists of correspondence to and from various students, teachers, school officials, and other individuals and families affiliated with Westtown School. There is only one or a few documents associated with most of the individuals. These include mostly handwritten letters with some typescript and email print-outs. Also included are other materials, such as ephemera, account books, addresses and writings, school documents such as student lists and report cards, and receipts and other financial papers. (View full finding aid.)

Westtown School in Chester County, Pennsylvania is the oldest continuously operating coeducational boarding school in the United States. It was founded by the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1799 with the goal of educating Quaker children in an environment that fostered moral development consistent with their religious ideals. The Westtown School records, 1682-2013 (bulk 1799-2013), include records created by Westtown Boarding School, including its various administrative offices, Board of Trustees, faculty, and students. It is organized into nine series: "19th century records," "20th century records," "Board of Trustees," "Farm and Orchard," "Student papers," "Westtown Old Scholars Association and Westtown Alumni Association," "Subject files," "Special formats," and "Publications." Inventories for some sections of the collection are available on site. (View full finding aid.)

William F. Wickersham (1864-1927) served as the principal of Westtown School, a prominent Quaker boarding school in Chester County, Pennsylvania, from 1896 to 1913. Wickersham was a graduate of the school and also worked as a teacher there for many years. He also served as the school's bookkeeper and was president of the Alumni Association. The William F. Wickersham family papers, circa 1813-1982 (bulk, 1877-1925), primarily consist of correspondence, student exercise books and notebooks, essays and addresses, school administrative and financial records, ephemera, and other materials that document Wickersham's time at Westtown School as a student, teacher, and administrator. Also included in the collection are various materials relating to William F. Wickersham's son, Wilfred H. Wickersham, and other Wickersham and related family members during their time as students at Westtown School. (View full finding aid.)