Guide to the Caroline Hazard papers, 1872-1945


Special Collections, James P. Adams Library
Rhode Island College
600 Mount Pleasant Ave
Providence, RI, 02908
Tel: 401-456-8380
email:digitalcommons@ric.edu

Published in 2024

Collection Overview

Title: Caroline Hazard papers
Date range: 1872-1945
Creator: Hazard, Caroline, 1856-1945
Extent: 1.3 cubic feet
Abstract: Collected papers of an educator, author, and fifth president of Wellesley College, consisting of correspondence, photographs, poetry, publications, and clippings.
Language of materials: English
Repository: Special Collections, James P. Adams Library
Collection number: MSS-0092

Scope & content

The collection contains Caroline Hazard’s collected papers including correspondence; photographs; numerous poems and published materials; pamphlets; a watercolor landscape painting; three chapters of an autobiography; and a letter book.

Access Points

Subject Names Subject Organizations Subject Topics Geographical Names Document Types

Arrangement

The collection has been arranged into the following series:

  • Series 1: Photographs and letter book; circa 1887-1945
  • Series 2: Correspondence; 1899-1945
  • Series 3: Writings; 1908-1944
  • Series 4: Printed material; 1891-1944
  • Series 5: Other papers; 1872-1944

Biographical/Historical Note

Born June 10, 1856, daughter of Rowland Hazard and Margaret Rood Hazard, Caroline Hazard was a prolific writer, authoring works on local history and women’s education, as well as numerous poems of a religious nature. She acted as the official Hazard family biographer, and was responsible for the publication of numerous works dealing with the family. Although she did not possess a formal college degree, she served as president of Wellesley College from 1899 to 1910. In addition, Caroline was active in numerous civic and philanthropic organizations. In her later years she resided in Mission Hills, California, where she was on the Board of Trustees of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, founded by her brother Rowland G. Hazard in 1916. She died March 18, 1945.

Access & Use

Access to the collection: The collection is open for research.
Use of the materials: Researchers are advised to contact Rhode Island College Special Collections for questions regarding permissions to reproduce, distribute, or otherwise publish material from this collection. Although Rhode Island College has physical ownership of the collection, it does not necessarily hold literary rights. It is up to the researcher to determine the owners of the literary rights and to obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Alternate form: Nitrate negatives in this collection have been digitized and destroyed. The digital reproductions of these images are not available online. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact the Rhode Island College Special Collections.  
Preferred citation: Caroline Hazard papers, MSS-0092, Special Collections, James P. Adams Library, Rhode Island College.
Contact information: Special Collections, James P. Adams Library
Rhode Island College
600 Mount Pleasant Ave
Providence, RI, 02908
Tel: 401-456-8380
email:digitalcommons@ric.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION  
Acquisition: The collection was given to Rhode Island College in 1968 by Martha Bacon Ballinger, with the consent of her husband, Ronald B. Ballinger, as well as her sister, Helen Bacon Westlake, and Helen’s husband, J.T. Westlake.
Processing information: After the collection arrived in 1968, Rhode Island College Professor Norman Smith conducted preliminary sorting of the collection. The processing of the papers and the preparation of the original finding aid was funded by a National Historical Publications and Records Commission grant. The initial finding aid was prepared by Norene Rickson, library assistant in RIC Special Collections, with the assistance of Michael Kohl, Assistant Librarian in Special Collections. At this time, photographs were removed from their original locations and added to the other photograph files. Books were also removed from the collection and added to various book collections in Special Collections. In 2022, nitrate negatives were removed from the collection, digitized, and destroyed due to preservation and conservation concerns by Molly Bruce Patterson, Digital Archivist and Special Collections Librarian at the time. In 2023, the finding aid was converted to current archival standards by Veronica L. Denison, Digital Archivist and Special Collections Librarian at Rhode Island College. At this time, the papers of Rowland Hazard, Joseph Peace Hazard, Thomas Rutherford Bacon, Caroline Hazard, Helen Hazard Bacon, and Leonard Bacon were removed from the Nathaniel Terry Bacon papers and made into their own separate collections to better reflect the various creators and their materials. Items in this collection were also reboxed into archival boxes and items foldered.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID  
Author: Finding aid prepared by Melissa Moniz and Veronica L. Denison.
Encoding: This finding aid was encoded by Veronica L. Denison, 2024
Descriptive rules: Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Additional Information

Related material: Rhode Island College Special Collections contains additional collections relating to the Bacon and Hazard families: Leonard Bacon letters, MSS-0107;Leonard Bacon papers, MSS-0094,Nathaniel Terry Bacon papers, MSS-0005;Joseph Peace Hazard papers, MSS-0090;Thomas Rutherford Bacon papers, MSS-0091;Rowland Hazard papers, MSS-0089; Hazard family letters, MSS-0055;and the Helen Hazard Bacon papers, MSS-0093. Additionally, the following institutions also have collections of Caroline Hazard: the Rhode Island Historical Society, Caroline Hazard papers, MSS 483 sg 11; the University of Rhode Island, Caroline Hazard papers, Mss. Gr. 7; and Wellesley College, Caroline Hazard papers, 1DD5-Hazard.
Separated material: Nitrate negatives that were in this collection were removed in 2022 and destroyed due to preservation concerns. Prior to their removal, they were digitized and are available upon request. Contact the Special Collections for further information. This collection was separated from the Nathaniel Terry Bacon papers (MSS-0005) and made into its own collection in 2023. Contact the Rhode Island College Special Collections for further information.
Location/Existence of copies: Nitrate negatives in this collection have been digitized and destroyed. The digital reproductions of these images are not available online. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact the Rhode Island College Special Collections.  

Inventory

Series 1. Photographs and letter book, circa 1887-1949
0.3 cubic feet

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 1 Photographs: Family and travel photos, including Rowland, Helen, and Peter Hazard; Nathaniel Terry Bacon with Martha S. Bacon, Helen H. Bacon, and Leonard Bacon; Madame Chiang Kai-shek (Soong Mei-ling); president of Doshisha University, Japan, in 1940; Solving, California
 circa 1887-1949
Box 2 Letter book
 1896-1940

Series 2. Correspondence, 1899-1945
0.4 cubic feet

This series is arranged by outgoing and then incoming correspondence. The outgoing correspondence (in folders 2-4) is arranged chronologically, while the rest of the series contains incoming correspondence that is arranged alphabetically. The majority of the correspondence dates from 1942-1945 and is of a personal nature. In addition, there are references to Caroline Hazard’s philanthropic and civic activities. There is considerable correspondence from Hazard’s friend Patience Adams and Hazard’s nephew Leonard Bacon. Other correspondents include Gordon Battle from the Association for the Advancement of Negro Country Life, writer Pearl S. Buck, poet Isabel Fiske Conant, president of the Georgia Normal and Agricultural School Joseph W. Holley, president of George State College Benjamin F. Hubert, Dorothy H.W. Hunt, president of the Tuskegee Institute F.D. Patterson, John D. Rockefeller, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Republic of China T.A. Soong, and poet Margaret Stillwell.

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 2 Outgoing
 1905 July 28-1942 December 14
Box 1, Folder 3 Outgoing
 1943 January 15-December 14
Box 1, Folder 4 Outgoing
 1944 January 25-June 27
Box 1, Folder 5 Adams, P.
 1942
Box 1, Folder 6 Adams, P.
 1943 January 17-July 25
Box 1, Folder 7 Adams, P.
 1943 August 1-December 26
Box 1, Folder 8 Adams, P.
 1944 January 9-April 30
Box 1, Folder 9 Adams, P.
 1944 May 3-August 27
Box 1, Folder 10 Adams, P.
 1944 September 3-1945 February 18
Box 1, Folder 11 Andrews- Bacon, H.
 1929-1945
Box 1, Folder 12 Bacon, Leonard
 1942-1944
Box 1, Folder 13 Bacon, Leonard
 1944-1945
Box 1, Folder 14 Bacon, P.- Gluck
 1899-1945
Box 1, Folder 15 Minor, W.C. fragments
 undated, 1903
Box 1, Folder 16 Hale- Hazard
 1943-1944
Box 1, Folder 17 Hinckley- Hunt
 1932, 1942-1944
Box 1, Folder 18 Jones- Lisle
 1912, 1936, 1943-1944
Box 1, Folder 19 Macdougall- Pritehett
 1903-1944
Box 1, Folder 20 General
 1931-1944
Box 1, Folder 21 Rockefeller- Roelker
 1931-1944
Box 1, Folder 22 Sherwood-Sturges
 1942-1944
Box 1, Folder 23 Thomson- Willer
 1932, 1942-1944

Series 3. Writings, 1908-1944
0.25 cubic feet

This series contains Hazard’s writings in printed and manuscript form and is arranged alphabetically by title. The majority of the series contains poetry, however there are several manuscript copies of an unfinished autobiography. Folders contain a mix of poetry, notes, family history, autobiographical information, and other writings.

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 24 Autobiography: Chapters I and II
 undated
Box 1, Folder 25 Autobiography: pp. 1-15
 undated
Box 1, Folder 26 Autobiography: Chapter III and “The Path”
 undated
Box 1, Folder 27 “America the Promise Land” to “The Crowfoot Violet”
 1927, 1938-1944
Box 1, Folder 28 “Daffodils in California” to “The Herbgatherer”
 1908-1915, 1940-1942
Box 1, Folder 29 “In War Time” to “Junipers”
 undated, 1922-1938
Box 1, Folder 30 “Last Week” to “Now tread we a measure”
 1918, 1928-1939
Box 1, Folder 31 Of Tennyson’s Statue
 undated, 1905
Box 1, Folder 32 “Oer mountain peaks aquiver” to “The Rose”
 undated, 1930
Box 1, Folder 33 “Santa Barbara Bells” to “Two down”
 undated, 1921, 1937-1938
Box 1, Folder 34 “The Unseen Guest” to “The Yosemite”
 1919-1936
Box 1, Folder 35 “Adieu” to “The Glastonbury Thorn”
 1933-1944
Box 1, Folder 36 “K.L.B” to “New Year”
 1925-1937
Box 1, Folder 37 “The Primal Note” to “The Yosemite”
 1923-1943

Series 4. Printed material, 1891-1944
0.1 cubic feet

This series contains printed material collected by Hazard. Included is an article on Mary Peace reprinted from the Bulletin of the Friends Historical Association, a book of poetry by Isabel Fiske Conant, and the program for the dedication of the Weaver sculpture at the Hazard Memorial in Peace Dale, Rhode Island, 1920.

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 38 “Christmas before and after” by Katharine Lee Bates
 undated
Box 1, Folder 39 “The Child Jesus of Prague” translated by Katherine Garrison Chapin
 undated
Box 1, Folder 40 “Short-waves” by Isabel Fiske Conant
 1944
Box 1, Folder 41 “Revision of the American standard version” by George Dahl
 1941
Box 1, Folder 42 Dedication of the Weaver at Hazard memorial by Daniel Chester French
 1920 October 23
Box 1, Folder 43 The Fire-Lighting-Hazard memorial
 1891 October 6
Box 1, Folder 44 “Portae musarum ode” by Robert Underwood Johnson
 1930 November 13
Box 1, Folder 45 “The Land of the free” sermon preached in All-Saints-by-the-sea by Rev. John DeForest Pettus
 1943 February 28
Box 1, Folder 46 “The salt shaker; the tower school.” vol II no. I
 1933 December
Box 1, Folder 47 “The salt shaker; the tower school”
 undated
Box 1, Folder 48 By-laws of the south county cottage hospital
 1920
Box 1, Folder 49 “Mary Peace: a little map maker and diarist of 1787-1788”
 1942
Box 1, Folder 50 “Two centuries of character”
 undated
Box 1, Folder 51 “The old post road” by Carder H. Whaley
 1944

Series 5. Other papers, 1872-1944
0.25 cubic feet

This series contains other papers collected by Hazard. Included are her 1942 tax return, notes on Hazard family history, which includes a description of “Memorial Tower” built by Joseph Hazard at “The Castle.” Other documents in this collection pertain to the Santa Barbara Museum and travel brochures.

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 52 Meeting of Blaksley Botanic Garden administrative committee
 1936 October 22
Box 1, Folder 53 Clippings
 undated, 1940-1944
Box 1, Folder 54 Data on Hazard family
 undated, 1886, 1936
Box 1, Folder 55 Fragmented notes
 undated
Box 1, Folder 56 1942 income tax information
 1943 January 22
Box 1, Folder 57 Watercolor painting
 1925
Box 1, Folder 58 Poems by various authors
 undated, 1939-1940
Box 1, Folder 59 Programs, sermons, bibliography of religious books
 1872, 1940-1951
Box 1, Folder 60 Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
 1926, 1936
Box 1, Folder 61 Travel brochures
 undated, 1924