Guide to the Caroline DiOrio papers, 1940-1955

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 2023

Collection Overview

Title:	Caroline DiOrio papers
Date range:	1940-1955
Creator:	DiOrio, Caroline
Extent:	0.5 cubic feet
Abstract:	Letters written to Caroline DiOrio by Clare Gomnes, who from 1948-1955 was superintendent of the Sophia Little Home, a residence for unmarried mothers. The collection also includes a watercolor sketch of Caroline DiOrio by Clare Gomnes, as well as a few letters from Olga Gomnes and Madeleine Hoagland.
Language of materials:	English
Repository:	Special Collections, James P. Adams Library.
Collection number:	MSS-0031

Scope & content

The collection consists primarily of letters written by Clare Gomnes, superintendent of the Sophia Little Home from 1948-1955, to her friend, Caroline DiOrio. In her letters, Gomnes describes everyday life in the home, which was a residence for unmarried mothers.

Gomnes frequently mentions her administrative duties as superintendent, including writing reports, preparing for board meetings, and hiring nurses and housekeepers, as well as her caregiving duties, such as accompanying expectant mothers or sick babies to the hospital in the middle of the night. She describes special events including Halloween parties, Thanksgiving dinners, and Christmas pageants, and everyday group activities in the home. She also shares anecdotes about the personal lives of residents.

In several letters, Gomnes expresses her affection and concern for the residents and their babies, as well as her sense of fulfillment in her work. She leaves the home to return to Boston in 1955.

Access Points

Subject Names

• DiOrio, Caroline
• Gomnes, Clare
• Gomnes, Olga
• Hoagland, Madeline

Subject Organizations

• Sophia Little Home (Providence, RI)

Subject Topics

• Umarried mothers
• Personal correspondence

Geographical Names

• Providence, RI
• Boston, MA

Document Types

• letters (correspondence)
• postcards
• greeting cards
• watercolors (paintings)

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in the following series:

• Series 1: Correspondence; 1940-1955.
• Subseries 1a: Clare Gomnes; 1945-1955
• Subseries 1b: Other Correspondents; 1946-1949
• Series 2: Artwork; 1940

Biographical/Historical Note

Caroline DiOrio was a silverware sales clerk at Jordan Marsh, a department store in Boston, MA. She retired in 1987 and died in 1998.

Clare Gomnes served as superintendent of the Sophia Little Home from 1948 to 1955. From 1915 to 1969, the Sophia Little Home functioned as a “home for unwed mothers,” providing housing and resources for unmarried girls and women during their pregnancies.

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.
Preferred citation:	Caroline DiOrio papers, MSS-0031, 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 purchased by Special Collections in 2019 from Between the Covers Rare Books.
Processing information:	The collection was arranged and described by Patricia McIvor and Molly Bruce Patterson in 2019. Further description was added and the finding aid updated by Special Collections intern Rebecca Docter in 2024 under the supervision of Digital Archivst and Special Collections Librarian, Veronica Denison.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID
Author:	Finding aid prepared by Patricia McIvor and Molly Bruce Patterson in 2019. Updated by Rebecca Docter in 2024..
Encoding:	This finding aid was encoded by Veronica L. Denison, 2023.
Descriptive rules:	Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Additional Information

Related material:	The Rhode Island Historical Society holds records of the Sophia Little Home: Mss 30, Sophia Little Home records.
Location of originals:	This collection has not been digitized. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact the Rhode Island College Special Collections.
Other information:	Works used in preparation of inventory: Library of Congress. Sophia Little Home (Providence, R.I.). Retrieved from http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n93057329 Kirk, L. M. (1995 March 1). The big heart of Sophia Little: A life full of activism continues to inspire more than a century after Newport native’s death. Providence Journal. Retrieved from infoweb.newsbank.com Liberman, E. (1999 December 5). State offers pregnant teens new opportunity. Providence Journal. Retrieved from infoweb.newsbank.com Sophia Little Home closes, but some programs continue. (1989 September 1). Providence Journal. Retrieved from infoweb.newsbank.com Obituary - Caroline Diorio of Medford, at 77, retired sales clerk. (1998 April 3). Boston Herald. Retrieved from infoweb.newsbank.com

Inventory

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