Vassar College Student Diaries
The Student Diaries collection provides access to more than fifty diaries from Vassar students from the nineteenth century. The diaries concern life on campus, other students, classes, relationships with their professors, vacations, family news, and other subjects; some volumes have short entries on daily activities while others have longer, more reflective entries. Students include Florence Wislocki, 1922; Frances M. Bromley, 1875-1877; Abby Holden, 1871-1872; Bertha Keffer, 1868-1871; Elma G. Martin, 1892-1893; Anne Page Brydon, 1922-1923; Helen Hartley Pease, 1914-1915; Anne Wyman, 1878-1880; Marjorie Anthony Markwich, 1914; and Constance E. Anthony, 1915.
Vassar College Student Diaries
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Pease, Helen Hartley. Diary, 1915-1919
This "line a day" five-year memory book chronicles most of Helen Pease's four years at Vassar, beginning in January of her freshman year. She writes about her daily academic routine and also includes notes on her free time, which she filled by playing the mandolin and piano, singing, dancing
Pidgeon, Mary (Kiersted). Diary, 1871
Generally describes daily life at Vassar, including winter conditions and the College, Lady Principal Hannah W. Lyman's illness (and 55th birthday), horseback riding lessons, and her close friends, especially Abbie and Bertha (likely Bertha Keffer, VC 1876). Pidgeon writes briefly of President John
Pollock, Mary (Culver). Diary, 1913-1917
Pollock's "line-a-day" diary, kept during her last year of high school and her four years at Vassar (1913-1917). Each day in the journal includes a line for each of five successive years. Pollock discusses social events, including card parties, theater and film (Charlie Chaplin), flirtations and
Raymond, Cornelia M. Diary, 1893
VC 1883, Brief daily entries. Raymond describes her continuing activites at Vassar College, mentioning College Club, music lessons and performance, reading, preparing Latin texts, lectures, and graduation (June 28th). She details various features of her religious life, such as church services
Raymond, Cornelia M. Diary, 1894
Short entries in a page a day format. Generally, she writes on her health (including vaccinations and taking electricity), social events, student life, family news, and prayer meetings. She feels a strong religious devotion, and tries to convert others, including a Jew (February 25th) and an
Raymond, Cornelia M. Diary, 1895
Short entries in a page a day format. Raymond describes her consistent participation in religious life through prayer meetings, religious lectures, and encouragement of others to renounce vices (particularly alcohol and smoking) and proclaim their Christian faith. Illnesses, depressive episodes (
Raymond, Cornelia M. Diary, 1896
Short entries in a half page a day format. Raymond describes her academic activities at Vassar, including studying and tutoring in Latin, and giving, taking, and chaperoning music lessons. Raymond mentions class day, graduation, and the naming of Vassar's new dormitory, Raymond House (Jun 9).
Raymond, Cornelia M. Diary, 1897
Short entries in a half page a day format. Raymond describes teaching at a [private] school in [Springfield], Massachusetts, giving music lessons, reading books and studying poetry, reflecting on sermons and religious lectures, and being involved with a list of courses (Feb 12). She refers to her
Raymond, Cornelia M. Diary, 1898
Short entries in a half page a day format. Raymond contemplates sermons and religious literature, including the sermons given by the famed Springfield pastor [Phillip Stafford] Moxom. She details the frustrations and and successes of supporting attendees of temperance meetings (including "Joe"