mnsss217 Helen C. Bragdon Papers, 1937-1993 Finding Aid Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College

Northampton, MA

Finding aid exported into EAD from InMagic DB/Textworks 7.01. Encoded by Margaret Jessup and Jennifer Smar. 2006-02-01 Finding aid written in English. Sophia Smith CollectionSmith College Helen C. Bragdon Papers, 1937-1993 Finding Aid MS 218 Finding aid prepared by Amy Hague 2005 Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Collection Overview Bragdon, Helen C., 1911-1998 Helen C. Bragdon Papers1937-1993 MS 218 2 boxes (1.25 linear ft.) English Sophia Smith Collection

Smith College Northampton, MA

Actress; Playwright; Women's Army Corps, World War II. The Helen Bragdon Papers include letters to her family from her basic training in Florida, her stateside service in Texas and Georgia, and overseas tours of duty in Australia, New Guinea, Netherlands East Indies, and the Phillipines. Additional materials include correspondence, clippings, photographs, and programs related to her theater activities. Biographical Note

Helen Bragdon and Caroline Fisher Rathbone on the set of "Present Laughter," Fish Creek, Wis., 1953

Helen "Casey" Cushman Bragdon was born in Cleveland, Ohio. She studied drama at Smith College and graduated in l933. She was an actor in summer stock in Wisconsin, coached drama, and joined the Actor's Workshop in New York City. In 1943, Bragdon joined the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAACS). She was stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, and was in the first contingent of WAACS sent to the Southwest Pacific in 1944. Returning to New York after the war, Helen Bragdon continued her work in summer stock, wrote plays ("Almost Crazy," l955) and lyrics, and contributed in various ways to musicals off and on Broadway. In the late l960s, she moved with her mother from Connecticut to North Carolina, where she was active in summer theater for a number of years. She died in Arden, North Carolina, 6 January 1998.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Helen Bragdon Papers include letters to her family in Larchmont (NY) providing a detailed account of the day-to-day routine of a WAAC detachment, with particular emphasis on social activities. She wrote regularly from her basic training in Florida through her stateside service in Texas and Georgia, and her overseas tours of duty in Australia, New Guinea, Netherlands East Indies, and the Phillipines. The letters are supplemented by several photographs and a small selection of newsletters from Fort Bliss and overseas. Additional material includes correspondence, clippings, photographs, and programs related to her theater activities, circa 1930s-90s

NOTE: The container list for this collection is available in the Sophia Smith Collection. Please contact us to request a copy.

Information on Use Terms of Access and Use

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

This collection has not been fully processed and therefore may be difficult to use.

Copyright to unpublished materials may be owned by the creator, or their heirs or assigns. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights. Permission to publish reproductions or quotations beyond "fair use" must also be obtained from the Sophia Smith Collection as owners of the physical property.

Preferred Citation

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

Helen C. Bragdon Papers, Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College, Northampton, Mass.

Search Terms Actresses--United States--Biography--Sources United States--Armed Forces--Women--Personal narratives Women and the military--United States--History--Sources Women in the theater--United States--History--Sources World War, 1939-1945--Women--Personal narratives, American Bragdon, Helen C., 1911-1998 United States. Army. Women's Army Corps--Personal narratives Additional Information