Guide to the Priscilla Robertson Papers, 1889-2000

Collection Summary
Biographical Note
Scope and Content Note
Subject Headings
Administrative Information
Access and Use
Encoding Information
Series List
Container List

Repository:	Archives and Special Collections Library, Vassar College Libraries
Creator:	Robertson, Priscilla Smith
Title:	Priscilla Robertson Papers
Dates:	1889-2000
Quantity:	13.2 cubic feet (33 boxes)
Abstract:	Personal and professional materials related to author, professor, historian and former chairwoman of the Kentucky Civil Liberties Union, Priscilla Roberts (VC 1930), including correspondence, photographs, publications, diaries, teaching materials, and research materials.

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Priscilla Smith Robertson (1910-1989) was an author, professor, historian, and a former chairwoman of the Kentucky Civil Liberties Union. Born in Paris in 1910, Robertson was raised primarily in New England and attended Vassar College, graduating with her BA as part of the Class of 1930. Robertson served as editor of The Humanist magazine, and taught history at the Old Ballard School, Indiana University, Harvard University, Kentucky Southern College, and the Louisville School of Art in Anchorage.

Robertson's work includes The Revolutions of 1848: A Social History, published 1952, and An Experience of Women: Pattern and Change in 19th Century Europe, published in 1982. She did considerable work with the Southern poor in the 1930s, for which she was honored by the Southern Historical Institution in Lexington two weeks prior to her death. Robertson died on November 26, 1989.

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The collection contains personal and professional materials related to author, professor, historian and former chairwoman of the Kentucky Civil Liberties Union, Priscilla Roberts (VC 1930), including correspondence, photographs, publications, diaries, teaching materials, and research materials.

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Access

This collection is open for research according to the regulations of the Vassar College Archives and Special Collections Library without any additional restrictions.

Restrictions on Use

Permission to quote (publish) from unpublished or previously published material must be obtained as described in the regulations of the Vassar College Archives and Special Collections Library.

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Names:

Agee, James, 1909-1955
Broadus, Eliza
Guild, Aaron
Kendall family
Macneale family
Macneale, Anna
Macneale, Neil
Plimpton family
Plimpton, George
Robertson, Ella Broadus, 1872-1945
Smith family
Smith, Winifred

Organizations:

American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky

Subjects:

Civil rights--Kentucky
Sharecropping--Arkansas
Women authors
Women historians
Women periodical editors

Places:

Southern States--History--20th century

Document Types:

Diaries

Titles:

The Humanist

VCL Categories:

Education
Family
History and Historians

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Finding aid encoded by Jason Kovari, 19 Mar 2009. Updated by Emma Gronbeck, July 2025.

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Preferred Citation

Priscilla Robertson Papers, Archives and Special Collections Library, Vassar College Libraries.

Processing Information

Collection processed by Archives and Special Collections Library staff.

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Series List

Series I.Humanist Materials
Includes mostly editorial correspondence.

Series II. KCLU (American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky) Materials

Series III. Personal Correspondence

Series IV. Diaries, 1890-1922

Series V. Writings

Series VI. Teaching Materials

Series VII. Personal Materials

Series VIII. Miscellaneous Materials

Series IX. Biography

Container List

SERIES I. Humanist Materials
Humanist Editorial Correspondence
Box 1	A - F
Box 2	Friedmann - Hook
Boxes 2-4	Huber, 1956-1958
Box 4	I - J
Box 5	Jones - LaBarre
Box 6	Lamont - Lockwood
Box 7	M - Overstreet
Box 8	P - Wilson
Box 12	Smith - Wechsler
Box 13	Wescott - S
Box 14	Sanders - Smith, W. A.
Humanist Miscellaneous Materials
Box 9	Humanist Controversy and aftermath
Boxes 10-12	Humanist: Old office materials
	Includes staff report, policy, and budget.
SERIES II. KCLU (American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky) Materials
Boxes 15-16	KCLU Materials
Box 17	KCLU Materials; Service boards
SERIES III. Personal Correspondence, 1950-2000
Box 17	A-B
Box 18	Bendit-Brinton
Box 19	Bruun-G
Box 20	H-K
Box 21	Kendall-Lockwood
Box 22	Luscky-McKay
Box 23	N-Plimpton
Box 24	R-Taylor
Box 25	Tatlock-Webber
Box 25	Weismann-Wolcott
Box 33	Postcards to Winifred Smith
Boxes 32-33	Mother's letters to Winifred, 1889
SERIES IV. Diaries, 1890-1922
Boxes 32-33	H.K.S. — Travel in Europe, 1903
Boxes 32-33	H.K.S. — Diary, 1910-1911
Boxes 32-33	A.M.S. diary, 1922
Boxes 32-33	Winifred Smith diary, 1890
Boxes 32-33	[Winifred Smith] diary, 1892
SERIES V. Writings
Books
Box 26	Revolutions of 1848 - Letters
Box 26	Revolutions of 1848 - Publishing
Box 26	Revolutions of 1848 - Princeton Publishing
Box 26	Revolutions of 1848 - Reviews
Box 26	An Experience of Women: Pattern and Change in 19th century Europe - Advertising
Box 26	An Experience of Women: Pattern and Change in 19th century Europe - Copy Editing
Box 26	An Experience of Women: Pattern and Change in 19th century Europe - Drennan, J.
Box 26	An Experience of Women: Pattern and Change in 19th century Europe - Italian Library
Box 26	An Experience of Women: Pattern and Change in 19th century Europe - Letters
Box 26	An Experience of Women: Pattern and Change in 19th century Europe - Literary Agent
Box 26	An Experience of Women: Pattern and Change in 19th century Europe - Pre-Publication Letters
Box 26	An Experience of Women: Pattern and Change in 19th century Europe - Readers' Report
Box 26	An Experience of Women: Pattern and Change in 19th century Europe - Rejections
Box 26	An Experience of Women: Pattern and Change in 19th century Europe - Rettig, C.
Box 26	An Experience of Women: Pattern and Change in 19th century Europe - Reviews
Box 26	An Experience of Women: Pattern and Change in 19th century Europe - Sources
Box 26	An Experience of Women: Pattern and Change in 19th century Europe - Statistics–Append.
Box 26	An Experience of Women: Pattern and Change in 19th century Europe - Temple Publisher
Box 26	History of Childhood - Bulletins
Box 26	History of Childhood - Reviews
Box 26	Lewis Farm
Box 26	Buen
Articles
Box 26	C.J. Reviews
Box 26	Harper's
Box 26	Harper's Commentary
Box 26	Harper's Housekeeping
Box 26	Harper's Letters to Editors
Box 26	Harper's Publishing
Box 26	Kentucky Constitution
Box 26	My Great-Grandmothers Were Happy
Box 26	Progressive Reviews
Box 26	Published Articles
Box 26	Sex
Box 26	South Today
Box 26	Student Barricades
Box 26	Values
Unpublished
Box 26	A.H.A. Talks
Box 26	Fiction Stories
Box 26	Priscilla Robertson Talks
Box 26	Unpublished (General)
Sharecropper Materials
Box 26	1938 Student Group-Arkansas
Box 26	Addresses and Letters
Box 26	Agee, James
Box 26	Arkansas Lawrences
Box 26	Arkansas Sharecropper
Box 26	Boyle
Box 26	Butler
Box 26	Florida Lawrences
Box 26	Louise's Letters
Box 26	Louise's Text
Box 26	Memphis Convention
Box 26	Missouri Highway
Box 26	Mitchell
Box 26	Mitchell's Film
Box 26	Myrtle
Box 26	Priscilla Robertson Work in Arkansas
Box 26	Political Autobiography
Box 26	Printed Sources
Box 26	Publication – Temple
Box 26	S.T.F.U.
Box 26	Socialist and Communist Fight
Miscellaneous
Box 26	Publication Efforts
Box 26	Ideas
Box 26	Victorian Studies – Children
Box 26	Sources for Children's Book
Boxes 29-30	Notes for Children's Book: England, France, Germany, Italy
Boxes 29-30	Notes for the History of Civilization
SERIES VI. Teaching Materials
Indiana University
Box 27	History 103, History 104, History 359
Box 27	Notes for Lectures
Box 27	Herodotus and Greece Notes
Box 27	Student Comments
Box 27	Final Exams
KSC (Kentucky Southern College)
Box 27	Tests
Box 27	Letters to art school students
Box 27	Student records
Box 27	Modern Europe
SERIES VII. Personal Materials
Box 31	Priscilla Robertson Personal Materials
	Includes: photographs, Academy Award, college, public service, passports, childhood expression, travel, dreams, letters.
SERIES VIII. Miscellaneous Materials
Box 28	Arts, letters, and social science
Box 28	Poetry
Box 28	Society (Un-American activities, population, religion, peace, the South)
Box 28	Art (photography, costumes)
Box 28	Language (handwriting, literature, words)
Box 29	Recreation (puzzles, solitaire…)
Box 29	Education (progressive education, Vassar, international conference, Ballard philosophy)
Box 29	Theater (programs)
SERIES IX. Biography
General
Boxes 32-33	Addresses
Smith Family
Boxes 32-33	P.S. (Priscilla Smith?) - letters, articles, book reviews, photos
Boxes 32-33	H.P.S. - photos, heresy trials, letters, writing
Boxes 32-33	Winifred Smith - photos, teaching, autobiography, letters, writing
Boxes 32-33	Smith ancestors - photos, printed materials
Macneale Family
Boxes 32-33	Anna Macneale
Boxes 32-33	Genealogy
Boxes 32-33	Autobiography—Neil Macneale
Kendall Family
Boxes 32-33	J.P.K. (J. P. Kendall)
Boxes 32-33	I.P.K. (I. P. Kendall)
Boxes 32-33	H.P.K. (H. P. Kendall)
Boxes 32-33	Kendall ancestors
Boxes 32-33	E.W.K. (E. W. Kendall)
Plimpton Family
Boxes 32-33	George A. Plimpton
Boxes 32-33	E. Plimpton
Boxes 32-33	Plimpton genealogy
Boxes 32-33	Aaron Guild
Boxes 32-33	Plimpton photographs
Miscellaneous ancestors
Boxes 32-33	Humphrey
Boxes 32-33	H.K.S.
Boxes 32-33	E.R.E.
Boxes 32-33	Ella B. Robertson
Boxes 32-33	E.B.R. (Ella B. Robertson) writings
Boxes 32-33	Robertson ancestors
Boxes 32-33	Robertson ancestors - photos
Boxes 32-33	Cary's siblings
Boxes 32-33	Miss Lottie letters
Boxes 32-33	A.T.R. Jr.
Boxes 32-33	Easley letters
Boxes 32-33	Eliza Broadus

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Details

Abstract

Personal and professional materials related to author, professor, historian and former chairwoman of the Kentucky Civil Liberties Union, Priscilla Roberts (VC 1930), including correspondence, photographs, publications, diaries, teaching materials, and research materials.

Member of

Finding Aid Collection

Finding Aid Date

Dates: 1889-2000

Document Types

Diaries

Names

Agee, James, 1909-1955