Elizabeth Fisher Adams Papers
(1914-1986)
Approximately 5 cubic feet
Prepared February, 1999
By Julie Combal
Series I: Personal Files and Correspondence
Series II: Newspaper and Magazine Clippings
Series III: Photographs
Series IV: Miscellaneous |
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Biographical Note
Elizabeth Fisher Adams was born on June 23, 1906 to Mr. and Mrs. Ernest
J. Adams. She attended the Lincoln School in Providence, Rhode
Island, and graduated in 1925. She then attended Skidmore College
and graduated with the class of 1929. During her time at Skidmore College,
Adams achieved Junior honors in 1928, was published numerous times in the
Skidmore Quarterly, won the English prize for creative work, and wrote
a play titled “Chez L’ art,” presented by Omnibus at Skidmore.
In June of 1929 Elizabeth Adams graduated from Skidmore, with plans to
attend Yale for a masters in English. She spent one year at Yale,
and moved on to teach at the Park School, in Brookline Mass from
1931-39.
In 1940 she began training for a position as an ambulance driver for
Ann Morgan’s war aid organization in France. Adams worked on the
Belgian front from 1940- 1941, and was awarded the Croix de Geurre for
her services. She returned to the United States as a speaker
for the Committee to Defend America and gave a speaking tour through New
England. In 1942 Adams joined the Woman’s Army Auxiliary Corps.
(W.A.A.C.). She was appointed third officer and worked in the public
relations office in Ft. Des Moines, Ohio. In 1943 Adams received
an Honorable Discharge from W.A.A.C. because of a back injury.
In 1945 Adams returned to France to work with American Aid To France
(A.A.T.F.). She was stationed in St. Die and Corcieux in the Vosges
mountains. Here she was occupied with organization of the relief effort
for six towns in the area. In 1948 Adams was awarded the Medal of
the Reconnaissance Francaise for her work with the Friendship train food
distribution program. In 1949 Adams left France to return to
the Unites States.
On Oct. 14, 1990 Elizabeth Adams died.
Scope and Content Note
The Bulk of this collection focuses on Elizabeth Adams’ involvement
in the WWII relief effort, as well as documenting her years at Skidmore
College.
It is recorded that Elizabeth Adams organized her files in 1989 for
their donation to Skidmore College in 1997. The personal papers organized
by Adams have been mostly kept in their original order. Other Folders,
(example 36-42) were created because of the stray papers in between files.
An effort has been made to keep their original placement in the series.
Photographs, newspaper and magazine clippings have been organized chronologically.
But in the case of the photographs, some have been filed under their professional
photographer. Miscellaneous items have been organized by the genre of item.
The Elizabeth Fisher Adams Papers have been divided into four series:
Personal Files and Correspondence, newspaper and magazine clippings, photographs,
and miscellaneous items.
Series I: Personal Files and Correspondence consists of official letters,
personal correspondence, shipment records, business correspondence, reports,
awards and certificates, general information about local French regions,
war memorabilia, and items written by Adams during her Skidmore years.
Series II: Newspaper and Magazine clippings contain articles
that Adams has saved over the years. The articles for the most part pertain
to either Adams’ war cause or document Adams’ activities in the war effort.
Series III: Photographs document Adams’ directorial debut on the Skidmore
stage in "Outward Bound"; events, friends, associates, refugees, townspeople,
living conditions, destruction of the towns, and portraits of Elizabeth
Adams.
Series IV: Miscellaneous contains Skidmore Quarterlies, in which Adams
was published; Army dog tags, an envelope of peas, beans and lentils, (a
sampling of the food available after the war), a scrapbook, a book on the
destruction of St. Die, a thank you plaque, and a Ships of all Times children’s
book.
The series also contains a reel and tape recording of a radio excerpt
on Adams, as well as a taped interview. Also filed are examples of
a pre WWII scarf and two handkerchiefs.
There exist two loose items in the collection: one is a vinyl recording
of the dedication of the Elizabeth Providence Bell in Corcieux, and the
second is Adam's Citoyenne D'honneur award.
Series I: Personal Files and Correspondence
| BOX FOLDER
1 1
Miscellaneous
2
Gilliam
3
Ecole Menagere
4
Stanwood
5
Dispensaire no. 9
6
Bocquel
7
Lait en Poudre
8
Budget and Personnel
9
Colonie de Vacances
10
Cutlery
11
Willer-sur-Thur
12
Train de L’Amitie
13
Train de L’Amitie- Requests Refused
14
Train de L’Amitie- Clothing for...
15
La Bresse
16
Shoes Pending
17
Dick
18
Closing
19
Personal E.F.A
20
Gounelle
21
Bulletin Magazines
22
Shipments Received
23
Berger and Foyer
24
Shoes Given
25
Brethren
26
Shipment Records
27
Letters of Thanks
28
Modern Education
29
Distributions en Vue
30
Fourny
31
Tombola
32
Charbon- Bois
33
St. Die
34
Inodations
35
Statistical Report
36
St. Die- The Baptismal Font of
America
37
Elizabeth's Prayer
38
Dedications- Bell and Street
39
Children's Drawings
40
Children's Drawings and
Thank You Letters
41
Awards and Certificates
42
Comite American de Secours Civil
43
Mrs. Lovett
44
Last Shipment- 179 Cases
45
St. Die, Corcieux General Info.
46
Later Correspondence
47
Biographies
48
War Memorabilia
49
Empty Envelops
2 50
Pamphlets and Government
Publications
51
Digests
52
Envoi de la Class de 5eme- 1
53
Pamphlets with Statistics
54
Closing
55
Willer RMC
56
Publicity and Newsletters
57
Bills Entered
58
Administrative Reference Manuals
59
Security Council Education
Foundation
60
Prefet Paris Taking Over Schools and Disp.
61
Reports on Speeches and Work
62
Requests for Speaking
63
Friends of St. Die
64
Narrative Reports
65
Early War Letters and Diary
66
Why I Became the Person I was
and am- Reasons for Going
67
Recommendations
68
Project Corcieux
69
Papers and Stories Written by EFA
70
Providence Journal Story
71
Bonds
3 72
Skidmore 1929
73
Chez L'art
74
Correspondence to Marion Cole
75
Personal Letters
76
Letters from Henry Moore
77
Identification
78
Business Papers
79
Service/ Discharge
80
General War Information
81
Early War Correspondence
82
W.A.A.C. Certificates
83
Speech Announcements (Posters)
Series II: Newspaper and Magazine Clippings
4 84
Clippings: After WWII
85
Clippings: During A.A.T.F.
86
Clippings: Early Years and W.A.A.C.
87
Clippings: Pre WWII
88
Original Clippings
89
Magazines
90
Magazine and Bulletin Clippings
Series III: Photographs
5 91
Photographs
92
Photographs
93
Photographs: Gilbert Martin
94
Photographs: Murray Hill
95
Photographs: Miscellaneous
Series IV: Miscellaneous
6 96
Skidmore Quarterly- Feb. 1929
97
Skidmore Quarterly- April 1928
98
Skidmore Quarterly- Feb. 1928
99
Skidmore Quarterly- June 1927
100
E.F.A.'S W.A.A.C. Dog Tags
101
What We Ate
102
Train de L'Amitie Scrapbook
103
Saint Die- Terre Brulee
104
Thank You Plaque
105
Ships of all Times
7 Audio
Cassette Tape: "Portraits in Sound"
(Listening copy made 3/1/1999)
Cassette Tape: Interview with E.F.A.
(Listening Copy made 3/1/1999)
Reel Tape: "Portraits in Sound"
8 Textiles
Scarf
White Lace Handkerchief
Red Embroidered Handkerchief
Loose Items:
Vinyl
Recording: Dedication of Bell (part of box 7)
Plaque: Citoyenne D'honneur |
DATE
1949, 1990, ND
1945, 1947-48
1946-48
1937, 1973-75
1947
1947-48
1947
1946
ND
1946
1946
1948
1948
1948
1946
1946
1946-48
1948, ND
1946-49
1947, ND
1948
1946
1946
1946, ND
1946
1948
1946-48, 1954
1940
1946, 1948
1946
1944-47
1947-48
1947-48
1948
1948
1945
1914-1915
1946-49, 1955, 1958, ND
1948, ND
1948
1948, 1989-90
1939-41
1946
1945-47
1945, 1949, ND
1958-75
1947, ND
ND
1940-41, 1943, 1945-47
1930, 1940-41, 1948-49, ND
1939
ND
ND
1948-49, 1971, ND
1940, ND
1946-47
1948
1946-48
1976
1948-49
1941, 1943, 1947, 1949, ND
1941-43, ND
1951
1946-48, ND
1940-41
1918, 1939, ND
1940-43
1946
1928, ND
ND
1943, ND
1929
ND
1925-26
1925, 1945
1940-41, 1945
1940-41, 1943
1940-41, 1943
1943, ND
1940-43
1940-41
1942-43, ND
ND
1951-86
1944-49
1939-43
1914, 1926, ND
1914-51
1933, 1940-41
1939, 1946-47, 1958, 1961
1945-54
1928-29, 1937, 1940-43
ND
ND
ND
1929
1928
1928
1927
ND
1940
1948
ND
1948
ND
1971
ND
1971
Late 1940's
1946
ND
ND
1949
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