Guide to the Conrad Aiken Collection, 1940-1997

Brief Biographical Note: Conrad Potter Aiken (1889-1973) was born in Savannah, Georgia on August 5, 1889. After the tragic death of his parents, Aiken moved to Massachusetts, where he would eventually attend Harvard University and distinguish himself as President of the Harvard Advocate and co-editor with T.S. Eliot. Aiken was a successful poet and novelist, receiving the Pulitzer Prize in 1930 or his Selected Poems. Other awards included the Shelley Memorial Award (the award’s first recipient), National Medal for Literature, the Gold Medal for Poetry from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Bollingen Prize, and the National Book Award. From 1950-1952 he was the Poetry Consultant to the Library of Congress, now known as the U.S. Poet Laureate. Aiken also edited Emily Dickinson’s Selected Poems in 1924, which proved to be largely responsible for establishing her posthumous literary reputation. Scope and Content Note: Aiken was well known for his letters, which is the strength of this collection. The correspondence from Conrad and his wife Mary are to Maureen Connelly, the donor of the collection. The collection contains a personal interview Mrs. Connelly did with Conrad Aiken, as well as numerous book reviews she wrote of his works, and reviews from others on Aiken’s works. A number of Aiken’s publications, including many that are inscribed, are in the collection, as well as works by authors that wrote about Aiken’s life. Correspondence and publications from Aiken’s children can be found, making the collection reflect Conrad Aiken’s entire family, not just himself. The numerous photographs of the Aiken’s by the donor show the author at a later stage in his life

Guide to the Annabelle Melville Collection, 1955-2009

Dr. Annabelle M. Melville was a Commonwealth Professor Emerita of History at Bridgewater State University and a leading American Catholic Historian. She was the author of definitive biographies of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first native-born citizen of the United States to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church; Archbishop John Carroll, the first bishop of the American hierarchy; Cardinal John Lefebvre de Cheverus, the first bishop of Boston; and Archbishop Louis William DuBourg, SS, a nineteenth century bishop of New Orleans. Dr. Melville was also the first woman president of the American Catholic Historical Association and received the John Gilmary Shea Prize for excellence in American Catholic history form the American Catholic Historical Society in 1955. She held the Catholic Daughters of America chair in American church history in 1978 and 1979. This collection largely consists of early manuscript drafts of Dr. Melville’s works. Of particular note are multiple drafts of an unpublished textbook she wrote in the 1960s, titled Americans All: A History of Our People, which was designed for seventh and eighth grade students. Biographical material can be found in the collection, including past write ups done by Bridgewater State, and through a collection of news clippings representing her many achievements and participation at events

Guide to the Shuji Isawa Collection, 1875 – 2010 (Bulk 1870s)

Shuji Isawa (1850-1917) was sent to the United States by the Japanese Ministry of Education during the early portion of the Meiji Restoration. In 1875 Isawa enrolled at the Bridgewater State Normal School to learn about the United States educational system and Normal School movement, and to bring this information back to Japan. He graduated from Bridgewater State Normal School in 1877 after finishing the two year program. He would go onto study at Harvard for a short time before returning to Japan. Isawa quickly began reforming the Japanese educational system upon his return to Japan. Some of the new curriculum ideas he would bring back and implement included theories in teaching music, physical education, and special education. Isawa became a leader of the modern Normal School movement in Japan as a result. He helped establish the Tokyo Normal School in 1879, the Tokyo School for the Deaf in 1880, the Tokyo School of Music in 1887 (now the Tokyo University of Arts), and the Taiwanese public school system in 1895. This collection consists of two boxes of material. The first box contains mostly material created during Isawa’s life, including letters, very early Japanese textbooks, photographs, and Bridgewater Normal School student records. The second box largely contains material reflecting the legacy of Isawa in Japan in recent times, including programs and other writings from Japan based on his life, such as annual concerts dedicated to his memory

Guide to the Arthur Lloyd Hayden Papers, 1938-1973

As a young man Arthur Lloyd Hayden began collecting everything pertaining to Abraham Lincoln: pictures, books, articles, and memorabilia. In 1938 he started to “cut, separate, cull and arrange” his collection to put into scrapbooks. He joined the Lincoln Group of Boston in October 1938, as well as many other Lincoln-related organizations around the country. Many of his vacations consisted of following the tracks Abraham Lincoln left behind in Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and other parts of the country, while collecting anything connected to Lincoln along the way. Hayden gave one presentation to the Lincoln Group in October 1966, entitled “My Lincoln Collection and the Pleasure it has Given Me.” Hayden was a longtime member of the Lincoln Group of Boston; when late in his life he began to look for a repository to house his collection, fellow members Professors Jordan Fiore and John Myers of Bridgewater State College suggested Bridgewater State\u27s Archives and Special Collections. Hadyen’s collection was brought to the Maxwell Library in 1978 and became the nucleus of the Lincoln Collection that has continued to grow ever since. This collection is a small part of Hayden’s donated material, and focuses on his papers and correspondence with the Lincoln Group. His vast Lincoln scrapbook collection is treated as a separate collection. His collection of books, pamphlets, and Civil War periodicals make up a portion of the Maxwell Library’s Lincoln Book Collection, Lincoln Pamphlet Collection, and Lincoln Periodical Collection. Many of the items in these collections contain Hayden’s personal bookplate depicting an image of Abraham Lincoln

Guide to the Seamus Heaney Collection, 1969-2016

The renowned Irish poet Seamus Heaney won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1995. Heaney’s first major work of poetry was Death of a Naturalist, published in 1966. The first poem in this publication, Digging, would be among Heaney’s most famous, and helped establish his reputation as a poetic voice of Ireland. Heaney would continue to achieve acclaim though the publication of numerous poetry collections. In the mid-1970s Heaney began giving poetry readings in the United States and in 1981 became a visiting professor at Harvard University. He would maintain a professional connection to Harvard until 2006. Heaney was active in poetry readings until ill health slowed him down in 2006. On August 30, 2013 he passed away at the age of 74. This collection represents material created through the friendship of the donor, Maureen Connelly, and Seamus and Marie Heaney. Correspondence, photographs, and signed books and rare pamphlets published by Heaney make up the bulk of the collection. Ms. Connelly first became familiar with Seamus Heaney while an English professor at Boston State College. Heaney became a frequent speaker at her Irish Literature classes in the mid-1970s. A number of the photographs in the collection were taken in Dublin as Ms. Connelly made multiple trips to Ireland to visit the Heaney’s. After the closure of Boston State College in 1982 (the same year Heaney had his first speaking event at Bridgewater State College), Ms. Connelly was appointed professor of English at Bridgewater. She continued to invite Heaney to speak to her Irish Literature classes. In March 1990 Heaney gave a poetry reading at Bridgewater State College for a Patrick MacGill Centennial Celebration event. This event was recorded and can be found in the collection. Related collections include material from other twentieth century Irish Literature figures of note (donated by Ms. Connelly), including Thomas Flanagan, Brian Friel, Edna O’Brien, Mary Lavin, and Brian Moore

Guide to the Edward Kirby Collection, 1954-2004

Edward P. Ned Kirby, a native of Whitman, Massachusetts, was a longtime Republican politician in the state. After graduating from the College of the Holy Cross and Boston College Law School, he joined the Army during the Korean War and served as a Lieutenant in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps from 1952-1955. He was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives three consecutive terms from 1961-1966, representing the 5th Plymouth District. Kirby was the youngest Republican in the House when he was first elected. From 1968-1976 he served as Plymouth County Commissioner. In 1981 he was elected to the Massachusetts Senate, a seat he would hold until 1992. With strong support from his wife, Mary Alice, Ned Kirby was influential on a number of political issues in the local area during his time in office. These included local water supply issues in multiple towns including Brockton, the Old Colony Railroad Project, nuclear power use, gay rights, and capital punishment. This collection depicts political issues that were important in Plymouth County over roughly a 30 year period, with a focus on the Republican Party stance. Nearly all the material reflects Kirby’s time in political office. Photographs include Kirby with many different important politicians on both the state and national level. The series arrangement for this collection is primarily based on material created during the years Kirby spent in each of his political positions

Guide to the Charles Dickens Collection, 1837 – 1981 (Bulk 1837 – 1904)

Charles Dickens, born February 7, 1812, was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world’s most well-known fictional characters and is generally regarded as one of, if not the greatest, novelist of the Victorian Period. His work was, and continues to be, highly popular. Many aspects of his stories and his characters have become embedded in our culture and continue to influence society to this day. He died on June 9, 1870. The Charles Dickens Collection consists of material relating to the life and work of Dickens, such as original journal reviews and essays by critics and scholars, ephemera, portraits, and other types of items of this nature. Due to the numerous titles of serials represented in the collection, a list of titles organized in alphabetical order by country has been included to aid research. The vast majority of the serial publications in this collection were published in London

Guide to the Judge Elwin L. Page Papers, 1930-1970

Judge Elwin L. Page was a charter member of the Lincoln Group of Boston in 1938, as well as a member of the Group’s first executive committee. In 1952 he became the second president of the organization, and in 1960 acquired president emeritus status. Page was born in 1876 and was a lifelong resident of Concord, NH. He was an Associate Justice of the Superior Courts of New Hampshire, a member of the state’s 1930 and 1948 Constitutional Conventions, a member of the bar for over seventy years, and a practicing lawyer into his nineties. He published three books in his lifetime: Abraham Lincoln in New Hampshire, George Washington in New Hampshire, and Judicial Beginnings in New Hampshire. Between 1938 and 1966 Page appeared on the Lincoln Group’s meeting programs 19 different times for presentations. Some of these included: “Trailing Lincoln in New Hampshire,” April 1938; “Abraham Lincoln and the Constitutional Division of Powers,” 1942; “The Effie Afton Case,” c. 1956; “Eighty Days without the Congress,” April 1961; and “The Lincoln Grandchildren,” April 1966. He passed away in 1974. The Page collection was first acquired by Howard and Carolyn Oedel before being deposited at Bridgewater State University. It is a part of the Lincoln Group of Boston Collection. The collection is arranged in 3 series. Series 1 focuses on the papers and presentations done by Page. Series 2 focuses on the portion of Page’s collection that directly concerns the Lincoln Group of Boston, such as his correspondence with other members, and ephemera and mailings about the organization. Series 3 is comprised of papers and written material created by other people. Some of these were presented at Lincoln Group meetings. The published pamphlets that were part of the Page collection have been individually cataloged and are held separate from this collection. Some of these are published speeches and pamphlets that Page used for research include: “Speech of Hon. Abraham Lincoln, of Illinois, at the Cooper Institute, N.Y. City, February 27, 1860”; “Civil Rights. Speech of Hon. Robert B. Elliott of South Carolina in the House of Representatives, January 6, 1874”; “Speech of Hon. Orin Fowler of Massachusetts,” March 31, 1852; and “Outlines of the Life and Public Services, Civil and Military, of William Henry Harrison,” 1840

Guide to the Margaret Alexander First Parish Unitarian Church of East Bridgewater Collection, 1724 - 2002, undated

The First Parish of East Bridgewater was established on December 14, 1723, and originally named the East Parish of Bridgewater (the town of East Bridgewater was not incorporated until 1823 when it broke away from Bridgewater). The first minister, Reverend John Angier, a Harvard University graduate, was ordained in 1724 and the first meeting house was constructed the same year. In 1754, while Angier was still minister, a second meeting house was constructed close by to replace the original. Upon completion the original meeting house was removed from the site. In 1767 John Angier’s son, Samuel Angier, was ordained as colleague pastor of the East Parish. Construction on a third meeting house began in 1794 and was completed by 1795. It was constructed on nearly the same location as the previous two. This building was remodeled in 1850 and is still standing today. The original steeple was destroyed by hurricane in 1938 and replaced in 1968. During the 1970s the building’s chandelier and Paul Revere Bell were sold. Rev. Paul John Rich was ordained as minister in 1962 and would remain until 1978. During these years the Church was continually a hot topic in East Bridgewater. Some of these issues included ownership of the town Common, changing the town’s name, controversial art exhibits and displays, newly created museums and organizations (five small museum buildings known collectively as the Standish Museums), and a court case centered around Rev. Rich embezzling money from Church funds. Rich was the last minister of the Church and the physical building was relinquished in the early 1980s. Members would continue to meet for some time at other locations. A large portion of this collection was collected by East Bridgewater native, Margaret Alexander. After her death in 2019 her family transferred the material to a member of the First Parish Unitarian Church of Bridgewater. BSU holds the archive collection of the First Parish of Bridgewater, along with other related collections. Related Materials Related collections held by BSU include the Rev. Paul John Rich III Collection, the Edward Kirby Collection (Rich’s lawyer), and the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church of Bridgewater Collection