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Home >> Sophia Smith Collection >> Headmistresses Association of the East Records, 1910-1983
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Headmistresses Association of the East Records, 1910 - 1990
20 boxes (9.25 linear ft.)
Collection number: MS 369

Abstract:
Professional organization. The purpose of this organization was to provide an opportunity for the furtherance of mutual acquaintance among heads of secondary or elementary schools for the exchange of ideas and advancement of standards. The collection provides insight into the educational and social philosophy of private education in America. Materials include correspondence, proceedings, membership applications, memoranda, and reports.

Terms of Access and Use:

Restrictions on access:

With the exceptions of the Board of Directors minutes and the membership applications, both of which are closed for 40 years from the date of creation, all material is open according to the rules of the Sophia Smith Collection.

Restrictions on use:

The Sophia Smith Collection owns copyright to the records of the Headmistresses Association of the East. Copyright to materials created by others may be owned by those individuals or their heirs or assigns. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights. Permission must be obtained from the Sophia Smith Collection to publish reproductions or quotations beyond "fair use."

Sophia Smith Collection
Smith College
Northampton, MA

Historical Note
Section of letter to potential members of the newly-formed Headmistress's Association of the East, November 16, 1910

Section of letter to potential members of the newly-formed
Headmistress's Association of the East, November 16, 1910

The Headmistresses Association of the East (HMAE) was founded in 1911 by a group of headmistresses of schools in the Boston, New York, and Philadelphia areas. Agnes Irwin, dean of Radcliffe College, was the first president, serving until her death in 1914. Membership is open to the heads of girls and co-educational schools in New England and in other states on the Atlantic seaboard. The purposes of the organization are "to provide an opportunity for the furtherance of mutual acquaintance among heads of secondary or elementary schools...for the interchange of ideas of common interest or looking toward the advancement of standards...[and to provide] assistance to any head or teacher, active or retired."

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Records of the Headmistresses Association of the East consist of 10 linear feet of correspondence, financial records, proceedings, membership applications, memoranda, and reports. They span the years 1910 to 1983, and provide a good record of the activities of the association as well as insight into the educational and social philosophy of private education in America.

The most informative material is contained is the first three series. There were several by-laws issues regarding a name change to allow headmasters of girls' schools to become active members (the name of the organization remained the same, but the word "head" was substituted in the by-laws). The minutes, agenda, and proceedings contain a complete record of the private and public activities of the HMAE. Among the most important committee activities were the establishment of academic standards for member schools and professional standards for their faculty (especially salary guidelines). In addition the Academic Standards Committee in 1934 requested members to state their educational philosophy. The resulting set of essays, "The Educational Faith That I Hold," provides an interesting historical look at some individual educational philosophies. Through its Irwin Memorial Fund and its Relief of Unemployed Teachers Committee the organization helped needy members, especially in the years before Social Security and school-sponsored retirement programs.

This collection is organized into four series:


Information on Use
Terms of Access and Use
Restrictions on access:

With the exceptions of the Board of Directors minutes and the membership applications, both of which are closed for 40 years from the date of creation, all material is open according to the rules of the Sophia Smith Collection.

Restrictions on use:

The Sophia Smith Collection owns copyright to the records of the Headmistresses Association of the East. Copyright to materials created by others may be owned by those individuals or their heirs or assigns. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights. Permission must be obtained from the Sophia Smith Collection to publish reproductions or quotations beyond "fair use."

Preferred Citation

Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:

Headmistresses Association of the East Records, Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College, Northampton, Mass.

History of the Collection

The records were donated in June 1990 through the efforts of Agathe Crouter, headmistress of the Hewitt School and Evelyn J. Halpert, headmistress of the Brearley School and president of the HMAE.

Accruals:

Periodic additions to collection are expected.

Processing Information

Processed by Susan Boone, 1991.

Recent additions to this collection are unprocessed and not reflected in the finding aid.


Additional Information
Contact Information
Sophia Smith Collection
Smith College
Northampton, MA 01063

Phone: (413) 585-2970
Fax: (413) 585-2886

Email Reference Form: http://www.smith.edu/libraries/libs/ssc/emailform.html
URL: http://www.smith.edu/libraries/libs/ssc/

Language
English.