Origins Collection

Series 1: "Beginnings of Smith College: Original Documents Assembled by John M. Greene, 1868-1933"

The title of the collection is taken from the text inscribed on the cover of the original slipcase containing the collection when it was donated to Smith College by Helen French Greene, the daughter of John M. Greene, in 1933. Many of the items in this collection have been printed in full or in part in Elizabeth Deering Hanscom's book Sophia Smith and the Beginnings of Smith College (1925). 

Scope and Content Note:

Inventory

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KEY:  = document;  = transcript

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	Introductory note by donor Helen French Greene	1933 Mar. 12
	John M. Greene to Sophia Smith Advising the endowment of a women's college	1868 Jan. 7
	John M. Greene: diary entry Recording Sophia Smith's call upon him and her request that he draw up a plan of a women's college	1868 Feb. 12
	William S. Tyler to John M. Greene Report of his call upon Sophia Smith and his endeavor to interest her in giving a Smith Library building to Mount Holyoke Seminary	1868 Mar. 9
	William S. Tyler to Sophia Smith [copy] Enclosing letter of March 9 to Greene	1868 Mar. 7
	John M. Greene to George W. Hubbard Report of his conference with professors Tyler and Julius H. Seelye about the proposed women's college; reasons for not establishing a public library in Hatfield	1868 Mar. 17
	Sophia Smith: "A Codicil for a Woman's College" Plan drawn up by John M. Greene at the request of Sophia Smith and given by her to Judge Forbes and Deacon Hubbard to be incorporated into her will	1868 Mar. 30
	John M. Greene to George W. Hubbard Plan for a Woman's College which Greene had drawn up for Sophia Smith and had given to Hubbard to read	1868 Mar. 31
	John M. Greene to Sophia Smith Urging a change of the location of the proposed college from Hatfield to Northampton	1869 Feb. 22
	John M. Greene to Sophia Smith "Woman: Her Work in the Church"	1869 Mar. 9
	John M. Greene to Sophia Smith Higher education of women in Massachusetts [Newspaper clipping enclosed]	1869 Apr. 5
	John M. Greene to Sophia Smith Urging again the change of the location of the college to Northampton and advising that students be housed in small groups	1869 Apr. 28
	John M. Greene to Sophia Smith Appeal for a gift to Professor Edwards A. Park of Andover Theological Seminary	1869 May 29
	John M. Greene to Sophia Smith Appeal for a gift to Professor Crowell of Amherst College	1870 Mar. 21
	Edwards A. Park to John M. Greene Selection of a President	1872 July 8
	Edwards A. Park to John M. Greene Probable effect of the Boston Fire on plans for raising money for Smith College (A fire on November 9-10, 1872 destroyed property in the business district  to the value of more than $60 million.)	1872 Nov. 11
	Invitation to a meeting of Northampton citizens in the interest of Smith College	1872 Nov. 22
	Edwards A. Park to John M. Greene Boston financial condition after the Great Fire	1872 Nov. 23
	Samuel T. Spaulding to John M. Greene Possibility of raising funds in Northampton	1872 Nov. 26
	William S. Tyler to John M. Greene Comments on meeting of Northampton citizens on Nov. 25	1872 Nov. 28
	Edwards A. Park to John M. Greene Further opinions concerning fundraising	1872 Dec. 4
	Edwards A. Park to John M. Greene Further discouragements in efforts to raise money in Boston	1872 Dec. 6
	Edward B. Gillett to John M. Greene Financial campaign in Northampton	1872 Dec. 9
	Edwards A. Park to John M. Greene Possibility of an art museum and collection of musical instruments for Smith College	1872 Dec. 13
	William S. Tyler to John M. Greene Hope that people of Northampton will give money for first Smith College building	1873 Jan. 11
	Minutes of committee appointed by Northampton citizens to confer with Smith College trustees as to the best methods for raising money for the college	1873 Jan. 12
	Edwards A. Park to John M. Greene Suggestion of Edward Everett Hale as a possible trustee.  Pecuniary value likely to accrue to Northampton from Smith College	1873 Jan. 24
	William S. Tyler to John M. Greene Possibilities for raising money in Northampton	1873 Jan. 31
	Isaac Stone to John M. Greene Financial efforts in Northampton.	1873 Feb. 5
	Edwards A. Park to William S. Tyler Suggestion that Mr. Hitchcock of Brimfield be requested "to found the Presidentship of Smith College"	1873 Mar. 31
	William S. Tyler to John M. Greene  Encouraging Greene in his financial effort and predicting acceptance of the Presidency by L. Clark Seelye	1873 Apr. 24
	L. Clark Seelye to John M. Greene Requesting him to call a trustees meeting and specifying its objects	1873 Dec. 22
	L. Clark Seelye to John M. Greene Inviting him to give an account of Miss Smith at the dedication of the first college building	1875 June 23
	L. Clark Seelye to John M. Greene Appreciation of Greene's commendation of Seelye's inaugural address	1875 July 22
	William Greenwood to John M. Greene Hatfield schools in the girlhood of Sophia Smith; opinion of Greene's characterization of Sophia Smith	1875 July 27
	Charles Smith to John M. Greene Personality of Sophia Smith	1875 July 29
	William S. Tyler to John M. Greene Appreciation of address by Mr. Greene and President Seelye at the dedication of the first college building	1875 Aug 28