mnsss132 Ruth Lois Hill Papers, 1952-1979 Finding Aid Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College

Northampton, MA

2003

Finding aid encoded using Perl scripts and edited in XMetal 2.0. Encoded by Brook Hopkins. 2003-07-01 Finding aid written in English. 2005-09-23 mnsss132 converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02-5c.xsl (sy2003-10-15). Sophia Smith CollectionSmith College Ruth Lois Hill Papers, 1952-1979 Finding Aid MS 234 1990 Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Collection Overview Hill, Ruth Lois, 1906- Ruth Lois Hill Papers1952-1979 1952-1959 MS 234 2 boxes (1 linear ft.) Sophia Smith Collection

Smith College Northampton, MA

YWCA overseas secretary and YWCA executive. The major portion of the collection focuses on Hill's service with the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) in Liberia, including detailed letters to her family; correspondence with YWCA officials; reports on her activities in Liberia; plus printed material, memorabilia, postcards and photographs documenting Liberia and YWCA activities there. English. Biographical Note 1906 Born August 22, Norfolk, Massachusetts 1925-29 Boston University, Bachelor of Arts in Social Science, active in student YWCA 1929 YWCA summer training school for rural secretaries 1929-34 YWCA Secretary, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, worked in towns and cities in the area as Business Girls Traveler's Aide 1934-37 YWCA Group Work Secretary, Brockton, Massachusetts 1937-41 YWCA General Secretary, Billings, Montana 1941-42 Administrator, Mission Center Branch YWCA, San Francisco, California 1945-71 National Board YWCA staff 1945-52 Community Division Staff, Advisory Secretary to small associations in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming 1952-59 International Division Staff as Advisory Secretary to the YWCA of the Republic of Liberia 1959-63 Eastern Region Staff, New England area, based in New York City 1963-65 Correlator, Southern Region, for nine southern states, based in Atlanta, Georgia 1965-71 Associate Executive Director, Program National Headquarters, New York City 1971 Retired 2005 Ruth Hill died Scope and Contents of the Collection

Liberia YWCA staff members: Ruth Hill, Nancy Martins, and Bea Blanche, Monrovia, 1952

The Ruth Lois Hill Papers consist of one linear foot of correspondence, reports, memorabilia, printed material, and photographs. The inclusive dates are 1952 to 1979, but the major portion of the material dates from her service with the YWCA in Liberia from 1952 to 1959.

The PERSONAL material consists primarily of letters that Hill wrote home to her mother and her sister, Daisy, from Liberia, 1952-59. These are substantive, personal letters describing in detail her life in Liberia and her work with the YWCA. In addition there is a small quantity of incoming letters from friends, 1959-65.

The PROFESSIONAL series consists of YWCA material contained in three sections: correspondence, reports, and activities. The correspondence consists of letters from I. Beatrice Branch, office secretary, 1954-59; Nancy Randall Martin, Matron, 1959-65; and Clara Davis Brown, National Secretary of the National Board, 1952-65. Also in this section is correspondence with the National Board, 1952-65, which includes Hill's reports to them on her activities in Liberia. The second section consists of reports to the National Board of Directors by the president of the YWCA of Liberia primarily between 1952 and 1962. There are four significant activities included in the third section. Specifically these consist of programs and correspondence related to the United Christian Fellowship Conference, 1953-58, including a Study of the Christian Response in Liberia which was part of the Conference in 1957; programs and correspondence from women's rallies held between 1954 and 1962; Y-Teen activities in 1956; and correspondence about "Fancy Fairs" sponsored between 1959 and 1962. In addition there are programs and correspondence on the farewell party given for Hill before she left Liberia in 1959 and some miscellaneous program material.

The SUBJECTS series contains printed material and postcards saved by Ruth Hill that give a sense of Liberian life in the 1950's.

There are 72 photographs in the PHOTOGRAPHS series. There are eight personal photos of Hill and friends. The remainder consists of YWCA staff and activities.

Organization of the Collection

This collection is organized into five series:

I. Personal II. Professional III. Subjects IV. Photographs Information on Use Terms of Access and Use

The papers are open to research according to the regulations of the Sophia Smith Collection.

The Sophia Smith Collection owns copyright to the papers of Ruth Lois Hill. 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:

Ruth Lois Hill Papers, Sophia Smith Collection, SmithCollege, Northampton, Mass.

Additional Formats

Selections from the Ruth Lois Hill Papers can be viewed in the Web exhibit "An Ever-Widening Circle of Friendship": YWCA Overseas Secretaries from China to Liberia.

History of the Collection

Ruth Lois Hill donated this collection to the Sophia Smith Collection in 1989.

Search Terms Hill, Ruth Lois, 1906- Young Women's Christian Associations--Liberia--History Young Women's Christian Association of the U.S.A.--History Education--Liberia--History--Sources Liberia--Description and travel--Sources SERIES I. PERSONAL Correspondence 1 1-2 Outgoing to family from Liberia, 1952-59 1 3 Incoming from friends, 1959-65 1 4 Clippings, articles, citations 1954-59

[See also Oversize Materials]

SERIES II. PROFESSIONAL Correspondence 1 5 I. Beatrice Branch, 1954-79 1 6 Nancy Randall Martin 1959-65

[See also SERIES IV. PHOTOGRAPHS]

1 7 Clara Davies Brown, 1960-62 1 8-10 National Board, 1952-65 1 11 Reports of the President of the YWCA of Liberia, 1952-62, 1975 Activities 1 12 United Christian Fellowship Conference, Study of Christian Response in Liberia: programs, reports, correspondence , 1953-58

[See also SERIES IV. PHOTOGRAPHS]

2 13 Women's rallies: programs, correspondence 1954-62

[See also SERIES IV. PHOTOGRAPHS]

2 14 Y-Teens: notes, correspondence, publicity, 1956

[See also SERIES IV. PHOTOGRAPHS]

2 15 Farewell reception for Ruth Hill: programs, correspondence, 1958 2 16 Fancy Fair: correspondence, 1959-62 2 17 Miscellaneous activities: printed material, 1957-58, 1961 SERIES III. SUBJECTS 2 18 Literacy in Liberia: printed material, 1953-56 2 19 William V.S. Tubman: printed material, 1955-56 2 20 Liberia: printed material, unused postcards, 1952-56 SERIES IV. PHOTOGRAPHS Personal 2 21 Ruth Lois Hill (4), 1953-59 2 22 Friends (4), 1950-60 Professional 2 23 Staff, Board of Directors, and miscellaneous activities (10), 1949-59 2 24 Christmas party (14), 1952-53, n.d 2 25 United Christian Fellowship Conference (5), 1958 2 26 Women's Rallies (8), 1954-56 2 27 Y-Teens (3), n.d. 2 28 YWCA/YMCA activities (19), 1950s 2 29 Miscellaneous (5), 1950s OVERSIZE MATERIALS Flat File Citation: Knight Official of the Liberian Humane Order of African Redemption June, 1959