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COLLECTION Identifier: A-158

Papers of Pluma Burroughs Penton Batten, 1948-1964 (inclusive), 1950-1956 (bulk)

Overview

Correspondence, notes, financial records, etc., of Pluma Burroughs Penton Batten, president of the American Federation of Soroptimist Clubs and educator.

Dates

  • Creation: 1948-1964
  • Creation: 1950-1956

Language of Materials

Materials in English.

Access Restrictions:

Access. Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright. Copyright in the papers created by Pluma Burroughs Penton Batten is held by the President and Fellows of Harvard College for the Schlesinger Library. Copyright in other papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the authors' heirs or assigns.

Copying. Papers may be copied in accordance with the library's usual procedures.

Extent

5.21 linear feet ((12 + 1/2 file boxes) plus 1 folio+ folder)

Scope and Contents

Papers concerning Pluma Burroughs Penton Batten's career as a New Jersey educator are housed at the New Jersey Historical Society in Newark. The papers at the Schlesinger Library concern primarily her term as president of the American Federation of Soroptimist Clubs (1954-1956); they give no information about her personal life or her family.

Series I, subseries A, General records (including correspondence), is a chronological arrangement (1950-1956) of correspondence, memos, drafts and corrections of minutes, reports, ballots, by-laws, committee appointments, as well as material on conferences, conventions, and finances. The bulk of this subseries consists of memoranda between the president and executive secretary. There is one folder of printed material about the AFSC and Soroptimist International Association, and one folder of clippings.

Series I, subseries B, Organization, consists of the policy handbook for the board of directors and committee chairmen; information about the constitution and by-laws; and other papers of the executive committee, officers, and committees. Also included are recommendations for committee personnel, committee appointments, committee directives, and a speech given by Batten (as first vice-president) on "Sorptimism--East and West."

Series I, subseries C, Biennial conventions and regional meetings, contains official calls, agenda, minutes, reports, and proceedings of the 13th (1954) and 14th (1956) biennial conventions and of annual meetings of various regional groups of the AFSC.

Series I, subseries D, Soroptimist International Association, includes papers on various meetings, the Soroptimist International Association constitution and by-laws, and on cooperation between the Soroptimist International Association and UNESCO (1948-1956).

Series II, Other papers, consists of material concerning Batten's association with the American Association of University Women; her editing of a report for the Counseling Service of Northern Virginia; and her continuing interest in the status of women, represented by a collection of articles and clippings, with some annotation by Batten.

Additional Description

BIOGRAPHY

Pluma Batten, educator, was born in Salem, New Jersey, on November 26, 1894, the daughter of Elsie Maud (Burlew) and Charlton Harris Penton. During high school she organized the first student council and international relations club at her school and was graduated as valedictorian of her class. On March 8, 1914 she married Albert B. Batten. Graduated with honors and a B.S. in Education from the University of Pennsylvania in 1929, she continued with postgraduate work at the University of Pennsylvania (1929-1930), Rutgers University (1930-1931), and New York University (1932-1933) before beginning her teaching career.

As rural supervisor for the New Jersey Helping Teachers (1930-1943), Batten taught every grade for at least one year; wrote "A Story of Salem County as told by Children in the Elementary Schools"; and edited a manual on teaching arithmetic. Her accomplishments during her tenure as a member of the Pilesgrove (New Jersey) Board of Education, and as supervising principal and superintendent of schools for the Woodstown-Pilesgrove District (all 1943-1956), included tripling the school budget, inaugurating a full-time guidance program, replacing report cards with teacher-parent conferences, and integrating a racially segregated school system. In addition, she was an active member of the legislative committee of the New Jersey Education Association and the education committee of the American Association of University Women.

In 1937 she joined the American Federation of Soroptimist Clubs, a professional women's organization devoted to the political and economic advancement of women. She served as president of the Salem (New Jersey) club, as director of the North Atlantic region, and on the regional board; she was then elected to the National Board and served as treasurer, second vice-president, first vice-president, and president (1954-1956). While she was chair of the Extension Committee (1952-1954), seventy-three clubs were added to the organization.

Batten retired from public education in 1957 but continued to be interested in education and the advancement of women. She remained active in various organizations, including the American Association of University Women.

ARRANGEMENT

The collection is arranged in two series:
  1. SERIES I. AMERICAN FEDERATION OF SOROPTIMIST CLUBS
  2. ___A. General records (including correspondence)
  3. ___B. Organization
  4. ___C. Biennial conventions and regional meetings
  5. ___D. Soroptimist International Association
  6. SERIES II. OTHER PAPERS

Physical Location

Collection stored off site: researchers must request access 36 hours before use.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Accession numbers: 59-8, 74-327

The papers of Pluma Batten were given to the Schlesinger Library in August 1957, June 1958, July 1959 and November 1974 by Pluma Batten and were processed under a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (RC-0051--79-1260).

SEPARATION RECORD

The following items have been removed from the collection (June 1981):
  1. Five cartons of papers dealing with Pluma BattenB's teaching career, New Jersey; donated to the New Jersey Historical Society, Newark, N. J.
  2. International Flavor, recipes for new adventures in cooking. Edited by Pluma BattenB. Charlotte, N. C. branch AAUW, 1964; donated to Schlesinger Library's cookbook collection.
  3. Miscellaneous clippings and printed material re: education, medicine, status of women, etc.; deposited in Schlesinger Library's vertical files.

CONTAINER LIST

  1. Box 1: 1-12
  2. Box 2: 13-23
  3. Box 3: 24-37
  4. Box 4: 38-48
  5. Box 5: 49-60
  6. Box 6: 61-74
  7. Box 7: 75-86
  8. Box 8: 87-98
  9. Box 9: 99-111
  10. Box 10: 112-128
  11. Box 11: 129-165
  12. Box 12: 166-182
  13. Box 13: 183-187

SELECTED CORRESPONDENCE INDEX

This is a selected index of writers of letters. Recipients of letters have not been indexed; nor have subjects.
  1. Adkins, Bertha S. - 42, 46, 77, 87
  2. Allen, Florence E. - 102
  3. Allen, Leonore - 33, 54, 102
  4. Askwith, Margaret L. - 41, 77, 87
  5. Barcenas, Florinda Isaac - 12, 44
  6. Barwick, Mabel C. - 12, 31, 32, 60
  7. Batten, Pluma - 1-115
  8. Beech, Olive Ann - 4, 14, 14, 19, 24, 85, 87, 93, 98, 103
  9. Bertel, Katherine B. - 16, 17, 35, 37, 41, 47, 48, 56, 57, 65, 68
  10. Blitch, Iris Faircloth - 35
  11. Bradley, Margaret H. - 28, 53, 66, 99
  12. Broadcorens, Yvonne - 11, 17, 24, 29, 33, 37, 42, 44-48, 51, 52, 54, 57, 62, 65-68, 70, 75, 83, 87, 88, 92, 97, 100, 103, 111
  13. Burks, Lorene - 14, 15, 20, 24, 37, 39, 55, 56, 65, 95, 97, 99
  14. Calvert, Leah - 18, 22, 23
  15. Camargo Neves, Perpetua Pudney de - 19, 34, 36, 38, 46, 53, 56, 78, 88, 104, 106, 109
  16. Chandler, Grace - 5, 6, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 22, 28, 34, 36, 47, 57, 61, 66, 69, 72, 74, 81, 110
  17. Cheatham, Berniece - 16, 18, 20, 35
  18. Chevalier, J. Teutsch - 37, 66, 86
  19. Church, Marguerite Stitt - 35
  20. Connell, Colleen Lee see Molskow
  21. Cooke, Betty - 100, 102, 105
  22. Cox, Florence E. - 18, 30, 35, 49, 77, 91, 109
  23. Cushing, Eloise B. - 14, 37, 73
  24. Daskin, Gladys Dow - 44, 46
  25. Dauphine, Marion B. - 17, 77, 78
  26. Davis, Georgia -- 12, 14, 18, 28, 31, 37, 49, 54, 55, 67, 73, 75, 87, 90, 96, 100, 103, 107
  27. Dearborn, Ned H. - 25, 84, 87
  28. Deaville, Dorothy - 3, 4, 5, 6, 11-14, 18, 22, 25, 28, 29, 33, 35-38, 41, 43, 46, 57, 63, 64, 66, 72, 78-80, 86-88, 91, 93-95, 107, 109, 111, 113
  29. Deterding, Jo - 13, 31, 45, 49
  30. Dolan, Rosemary E. - 55, 95, 103, 111
  31. Dyson, Alida H. - 11, 73, 103, 105, 109
  32. Edison, Charles - 34
  33. Eichelberger, Clark M. - 66, 107, 109
  34. Eisenhower, Dwight D. - 110
  35. Farrington, Elizabeth P. - 35
  36. Faulkner, Eloise - 13, 23, 28, 30, 31, 33, 35, 40, 46
  37. Faust, Ora E. - 12-14, 16, 20, 31, 43, 44, 74, 79, 88
  38. Fay, Marion - 2, 8, 14, 58, 69, 73, 81, 82, 95, 104, 106
  39. Feller, Lula M. - 2, 13, 15, 21, 24, 35, 38, 42, 44, 49-52, 56, 63, 65, 66, 73, 74, 78, 79, 84-87, 96, 101, 103, 108
  40. Fenton, Elsie M. - 3-5, 9, 11, 15-18, 37, 40, 43, 48, 58, 62, 63, 66-71, 74, 87, 93, 86, 97, 106
  41. Filsinger, Cleo - 33, 52, 54
  42. Finchy, Katherine - 23, 35, 49, 64, 66, 70, 78, 90, 102, 105, 107
  43. Ford, Henry II - 89
  44. Friday, Hazel D. - 11, 16, 46, 95, 97, 98, 103
  45. Fuller, Jean Wood - 25, 62
  46. Griffiths, Martha W. - 35
  47. Haas, Inez A. - 11, 27, 45, 58, 82, 100
  48. Hales, Myrta - 14, 17, 23, 60, 70, 76, 81
  49. Hannigan, Dorothy - 97, 99, 108
  50. Harden, Cecil M. - 35
  51. Heim-Turcat, G. - 34, 39, 41
  52. Hetherington, Sara Louise - 2, 6, 21, 22, 24, 25, 27, 28, 30-33, 35-38, 40, 42-48, 50-53, 55-60, 62-66, 68, 70-73, 75, 77-84, 86-88, 90-92, 94-100, 102-05, 107-10
  53. Hickey, Margaret - 35, 37, 43, 75, 98
  54. Holland, Madeline Oxford - 3, 35, 91
  55. Hoover, Herbert - 90
  56. Howorth, Lucy Somerville - 30
  57. Huitt, Gertrude G. - 3, 7, 8, 11, 13, 16, 17, 23, 30, 33, 34, 37, 40, 43, 45, 48, 52, 54-58, 60, 72, 75, 76, 80, 82, 87, 88, 92, 93, 100, 102, 104-06
  58. Husted, Marjorie Child - 87, 89
  59. Kee, Elizabeth - 35
  60. Keller, Helen - 108
  61. Kelly, Edna F. - 35
  62. Kelly, Harriet - 24, 25, 27, 30-32, 34-41, 45, 46, 48, 50-52, 55-57, 59, 61, 65, 66, 72, 73, 78, 80, 86, 88-91, 93-99, 103-05
  63. Keogh, Theresa M. - 20, 23, 37, 42, 44
  64. Kerr, Margaret E. - 4-7, 18, 21, 24-28, 30, 34, 37, 41, 42, 47, 51, 55, 56, 58, 63, 68-76, 79, 81-84, 87-89, 91, 96, 98, 99, 101, 103, 106, 108
  65. Kilgour, Crystal B. - 48, 52, 72, 81, 85, 91, 95
  66. Kisling, Mabel N. - 16, 79, 92, 98, 107
  67. Knutson, Coya - 35
  68. Koch, Ruth L. - 14, 54, 103
  69. Kolbye, Marion - 35
  70. Kraemer-Bach, Marcelle - 30, 49, 97
  71. Larkin, Helen M. - 3, 8, 9, 16, 20, 54, 55, 76, 77, 79, 81, 89, 90, 94, 100
  72. Leopold, Alice K. - 10, 18, 27, 37, 65, 78, 113
  73. Lewis, Dora S. - 16, 17, 35, 39, 42, 51, 80, 84, 87, 89, 92, 93, 96, 98-100
  74. Lord, Ethel F. - 22, 24, 30, 34, 42, 51, 66, 68, 70
  75. McClellan, Dora V. - 3, 4, 41, 53, 61, 103
  76. McKinney, Roberta P. - 20, 21, 55, 86, 90, 97, 99, 101
  77. MacNeill, Lennie M. - 16, 51, 65, 66, 76
  78. McQuater, Dorothy - 21, 22, 94, 109
  79. Manchester, Helen J. - 15, 17, 40, 70, 106, 107
  80. Manning, Elizabeth M. - 93, 97, 103, 107
  81. Marshall, Vivian - 49, 50, 55
  82. Martin, Marion E. - 84
  83. Matthay, Mayme V. - 97, 104, 115
  84. Melchoir, L. F. - 6, 28, 42, 66, 67, 74, 82, 92, 97
  85. Molskow, Colleen Lee (Connell) - 4, 11, 36, 54, 59, 80, 82, 87, 98
  86. Moore, Mabel Head - 68, 104
  87. Murray, Helen - 8, 11, 17, 35, 46, 53, 59, 65, 69, 75
  88. Nicholls, L. Grace - 16, 19, 23, 60, 66, 68, 69, 75, 90, 92, 94, 103
  89. Nick, Edna - 12, 13, 16, 17, 24, 25, 27, 30, 41, 48-50, 53, 56, 64, 66, 68, 74, 79-81, 83-86, 89, 90, 92, 93, 95, 96, 100, 102, 103, 105-08, 110
  90. Nicoll, A. Olivia - 20, 54, 105
  91. O'Neill, Rose - 13, 19, 36, 60
  92. Osborne, Dorothy - 22, 23, 46, 67
  93. Overhouse, May - 5, 17, 18, 22, 23, 35, 38, 51, 73, 74, 84, 89, 94, 102
  94. Pangle, Mary Ellen - 2, 23, 31, 55, 66, 104
  95. Panthaleon van Eck, H. J. M. van - 10, 30, 33, 44, 79
  96. Parke, Vivian P. - 20, 77-81, 86, 87, 92, 94-97, 100, 102-04, 106-08
  97. Parker, Frances H. S. - 1, 7, 11, 15, 19, 37, 58, 62, 64
  98. Paul, Alice - 19, 23
  99. Petrie, Charlotte L. - 9, 15, 19, 22, 23, 38, 60
  100. Pfost, Gracie - 35
  101. Powell, Pearl - 83, 84, 103
  102. Quarenberg, Lily E. - 1-13, 15-20, 24, 25, 27, 28, 30, 31, 33-38, 40-46, 48, 49, 51-66, 68, 69, 72-74, 79-87, 89-99, 101, 103, 109, 110, 114, 115
  103. Rawalt, Marguerite - 25, 27, 28
  104. Robert, Sarah Corbin - 78, 96, 113
  105. Roberts, Rachel E. - 45, 105, 106
  106. Rockwell, Florence H. - 12, 45
  107. Rogers, Edith Nourse - 35
  108. Roth, Nettie Lee - 33, 100, 115
  109. Russell Easter Martin - 2, 9, 11, 16, 18, 21, 22, 27, 29, 30-32, 37, 39, 43, 44, 48, 49, 52, 60, 63, 66-68, 70, 73, 76-79, 81, 84, 86-88, 91, 92, 94, 95, 98, 103, 108
  110. Sayre, Raymond (Mrs.) - 2, 52, 78, 87
  111. Schenk, Susan G. - 12, 15, 22, 59, 61, 78, 80, 115
  112. Schermerhorn, Frances M. - 1, 17, 19, 26
  113. Scherr, Libbie - 40, 48, 70, 114
  114. Schlesinger, Arthur M., Sr. - 45, 112
  115. Schmidt, Margaret F. - 9, 15, 17, 41, 47, 48, 72, 76, 77, 88, 90, 91, 94
  116. Servis, Martha R. - 1-115
  117. Shand, Gwen T. - 46, 104
  118. Sharp, Frances - 3. 19, 34, 36
  119. Sharpe, Pearle W. - 23, 84
  120. Smith, Margaret Chase - 97
  121. Smith, Marion J. E. - 94, 100
  122. Smith, Sidney - 25, 80
  123. Somerville, Helen M. - 4, 80
  124. Sprague, Anne - 60, 91, 92, 94
  125. Thompson, Ruth - 35
  126. Tibbetts, Caroline E. - 22, 35, 49, 89, 97
  127. Timmons, K. Virginia - 9, 35, 39, 59
  128. Todd, Daisye C. - 80, 89
  129. Tyler, Harriet P. - 52, 73
  130. Van Orman, Rena - 16, 35
  131. Waltman, Cora B. - 58, 61, 75
  132. Weill, Blanche C. - 15, 29, 43
  133. Werner, Ella C. - 17, 20, 23, 24, 29, 31, 36, 38, 50, 67, 112
  134. White, E. Beatrice - 55, 57
  135. Whitelaw, Elaine - 14, 35
  136. Wilcox, Mary E. - 16, 39
  137. Wilson, Margaret W. (Peg) - 1, 7, 9, 10, 12-15, 17, 18, 21-23, 28, 31, 41, 42, 44, 45, 48, 49, 52, 56, 59, 60, 67, 72, 73, 76, 78, 81, 83-86, 89, 91-95, 97-100, 103, 104, 107, 108, 110
  138. Wright, Elizabeth S. - 13, 14, 35, 37-39, 42, 60, 76, 79, 81, 83, 86, 90, 94, 100, 103, 105, 107, 109
  139. Zehner, Luella - 17, 24, 53
  140. Ziegler, Emily N. - 2-4, 6-11, 13-17, 20, 21, 25, 27, 29-32, 34, 37, 38, 40-53, 55, 57, 59, 66-70, 74, 75, 78, 79, 81-85, 87-90, 94, 95, 102, 105, 107, 109
  141. Schlesinger Library

Processing Information

Reprocessed: July 1981

By: Madeleine Bagwell Perez
Link to catalog

Subjects

Related Names

Administrative Information

Title
Batten, Pluma Burroughs Penton, 1894-1996. Papers of Pluma Burroughs Penton Batten, 1948-1964 (inclusive), 1950-1956 (bulk): A Finding Aid
Author
Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Language of description
eng
EAD ID
sch00438

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute Repository

https://www.radcliffe.harvard.edu/schlesinger-library

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