Guide to the Ruth Crawford Mitchell Papers, 1914-1980 UA.90.F12
Arrangement
Repository
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Title
Ruth Crawford Mitchell Papers
Creator
Mitchell, Ruth Crawford
Collection Number
UA.90.F12
Extent
12.5 Linear Feet(10 boxes)
Date
1914-1980
Abstract
The papers of Ruth Crawford Mitchell consist primarily of documents related to the Nativity Study carried out by the University of Pittsburgh between 1926 and 1930. The Nativity Study collected information on foreign-born and first generation American students applying to the university in an attempt to provide better services for them. The collection also contains information on a study of second generation foreign students, a Civil Affairs Training Program, immigration, countries and ethnic groups, lecture notes for Ms. Mitchell's classes, and her personal papers.
Language
English
.
Author
Eric Skinner. Revisions occurred to the finding aid as a part of the encoding process in Fall 2001.
Publisher
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Address
University of Pittsburgh Library System Archives & Special Collections Website: library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections Business Number: 412-648-3232 (Thomas) | 412-648-8190 (Hillman) Contact Us: www.library.pitt.edu/ask-archivist URL: http://library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
Biography
Ruth Crawford Mitchell was born on June 2, 1890 in Atlantic Heights, New Jersey. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Vassar College, and a Master of Arts from Washington University with a thesis entitled "The Immigrant in St. Louis."
After graduating from Washington University, Mitchell became the Field Secretary for the Immigration and Foreign Community Program of the YWCA in 1914. In this position, Mitchell was responsible for establishing and staffing centers to help immigrant women adjust to life in the United States. When the United States entered World War I, she organized "hostess houses." These houses, staffed with women who spoke foreign languages, were designed to help foreign-born soldiers in the United States army.
In 1924, Mitchell came to the University of Pittsburgh where she worked as a lecturer in the Department of Economics. After becoming interested in her students' ethnic backgrounds, she chaired a project to learn more about the nativity of Pitt students. Over a four-year period, Mitchell collected information on students applying for admission and their family background. This information was used in budget requests in an attempt to provide better services to foreign-born students. The data showed similarities in the percentage of foreign students at the University of Pittsburgh to the number of foreign residents in Allegheny County.
After the Nativity Study was completed, Chancellor John C. Bowman asked Mitchell to assist in the design of classrooms for the Cathedral of Learning. Mitchell assisted in bringing together different ethnic groups, reflecting the various nationalities of people helping to build Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. A total of 19 different Nationality Rooms were constructed between 1938 and 1957.
Mitchell remained at Pitt until 1956, with a hiatus from 1944-1946 to serve with the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Agency in Egypt. She retired in 1956 as Director Emerita of the Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Program. During her career, Mitchell received many awards, including Doctor of Humanities Honoris Causa, and the Chancellor's Medal, both from the University of Pittsburgh. Mitchell died on February 4, 1984 and is buried in Pepperell, Massachusetts.
Scope and Content Notes
The papers of Ruth Crawford Mitchell center primarily on her life-long interest in immigrants in the United States. This arises in the collection in the form of two studies, one on second-generation students of foreign descent and another on the nativity of Pitt students. The Nativity Study takes up the bulk of the collection and includes the three bound volumes which make up the summary of the study. The remainder of the Nativity Study includes reports, raw data, tables and information on individual students. Also included is information about the students' families, including such information as father's country of origin, native language, occupation and the family's religion. Similar information was collected on second-generation students, though the information is not in as great detail as the Nativity Study.
The remainder of the collection consists of personal papers, information about immigration, different countries and ethnic groups, and Mitchell's work as a lecturer in the Department of Economics. Information on a course for military personnel on civil affairs training also makes up a series in the collection. The final series in the collection contains information on the Pittsburgh Pact, which details the meeting and agreement which led to the merger of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Access Restrictions
Series VI contains student files and therefore the contents are restricted. Researchers must sign a confidentiality agreement in order to have access.
Acquisition Information
Accessioned August 15, 1968.
Previous Citation
Ruth Crawford Mitchell Papers, 1914-1980, UA.90.F12, University Archives, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
Preferred Citation
Ruth Crawford Mitchell Papers, 1914-1980, UA.90.F12, University Archives, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Eric Skinner on September 17, 2001.
Revision and rearrangement for the encoded version of the finding aid provided by Eric Skinner on September 17, 2001. Information about the collection title and the controlled access terms was extracted from the MARC record in the University of Pittsburgh catalog Voyager ID number: 3948394
Copyright
Permission for publication is given on behalf of the University of Pittsburgh as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Subjects
Personal Names
Mitchell, Ruth Crawford
Geographic Names
United States -- Emigration and immigration
Genres
Faculty papers
Other Subjects
Czecho-Slovak pact (1918 May 30 : Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Children of immigrants -- Education -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
Children of immigrants -- Education -- United States
University of Pittsburgh
Container List
Scope and Content Notes
Series II concerns the Pittsburgh Pact and the role Pittsburgh played in Czechoslovakian History. The Pact was a paper drawn up in Pittsburgh in 1918 by representatives of Slovak and Czech organizations in the United States, including the Slovak League, the Czech National Alliance and the Alliance of Czech Nationalities in the presence of Thomas Masaryk, Chairman of the Czecho-Slovak National Council. He was later President of Czechoslovakia. The series contains copies of the pact as well as information on the role Pittsburgh played in bringing the Czech Republic and Slovakia together.
Containers
box 1, folder 13
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box 1, folder 14
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box 1, folder 15
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box 1, folder 16
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box 1, folder 17
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box 1, folder 18
Scope and Content Notes
Series III concerns Mitchell's personal papers. These papers include ten photographic albums, and a notebook of her expectations for her household staff. The series includes Mitchell's notes and a copy of her book on Alice Carrigue Masaryk as well as two of her diaries.
Containers
box 1, folder 19
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box 1, folder 20
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box 1, folder 21
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box 1, folder 22
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box 1, folder 23
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box 1, folder 24
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box 2, folder 25
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box 2, folder 26
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box 2, folder 27
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box 2, folder 28
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box 2, folder 29
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box 2, folder 30
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box 2, folder 31
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box 2, folder 32
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box 2, folder 33
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box 2, folder 34
Containers
box 2, folder 34a
Scope and Content Notes
Series IV concerns immigration to the United States during the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. Included in the series is a notebook Mitchell compiled at an international immigration conference and a notebook for her lectures on immigration. The scrapbooks listed under FF 37 through FF 39 contain articles on immigrants clipped from newspapers.
Containers
box 2, folder 35
Containers
box 2, folder 36
Containers
box 2, volume 37
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box 2, volume 38
Containers
box 2, volume 39
Scope and Content Notes
Series V concerns various countries and ethnic groups. Mitchell was an avid reader and often kept articles concerning foreign countries and their citizens. The folders in this series, organized alphabetically by country, contain articles, pamphlets, papers and correspondence about these different places and groups.
Containers
box 3, folder 40
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box 3, folder 41
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box 3, folder 42
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box 3, folder 43
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box 3, folder 44
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box 3, folder 45
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box 3, folder 46
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box 3, folder 47
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box 3, folder 48
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box 3, folder 49
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box 3, folder 50
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box 3, folder 51
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box 3, folder 52
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box 3, folder 53
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box 3, folder 54
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box 3, folder 55
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box 3, folder 56
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box 3, folder 57
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box 3, folder 58
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box 3, folder 59
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box 3, folder 60
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box 3, folder 61
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box 3, folder 62
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box 3, folder 63
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box 3, folder 64
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box 3, folder 65
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box 3, folder 66
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box 3, folder 67
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box 3, folder 68
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box 3, folder 69
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box 3, folder 70
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box 3, folder 71
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box 3, folder 72
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box 3, folder 73
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box 3, folder 74
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box 3, folder 75
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box 3, folder 76
Scope and Content Notes
Series VI contains information regarding the Nativity Study carried out at the University of Pittsburgh between 1926 and 1930. This was an attempt by the University to gain a better understanding of the number of foreign-born and first-generation students and find better ways to meet their needs. Three other universities - the University of Buffalo, Yale University and the University of Chicago - also conducted similar studies. Included in the series are three bound volumes which make up the final report of the study. The study includes reports on students' home backgrounds and information on individual students who took part in the study. This information includes data on the students and their families, immigration status and academic performance. Data on psychological testing for five students is included, as are reports on immigration law as it applied to foreign students.
Access to the contents of this series requires a signed confidentiality agreement on behalf of the researcher.