Overview
Diary, telegram, and clippings of Clare Helene Marshall, who worked as an assistant to Joaquín Miguel Elizalde, Resident Commissioner from the Philippines, in Washington, DC, and New York.
Dates
- Creation: 1939-1942
Language of Materials
Materials in English.
Access Restrictions:
Access. Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright. Copyright in the papers created by Clare Helene Marshall as well as 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
1 folderThe collection consists of a handwritten 1941 diary describing Clare Helene Marshall's work and her active social and love life, including frequent cocktails (including 10 cent highballs) and resultant hangovers; movies and plays seen; Spanish classes; books read; and her move to a new apartment. Other topics include politics; interactions with or sightings of political figures; the United States Lend-Lease Policy; army and navy women and children being evacuated from the Philippines and proposed appropriations for defense work in Philippines. She reports taking Elizalde's daughter Elenita to the opening of the 77th Congress, noting that it was "not as impressive as when two houses meet jointly." She also refers to her frequent feelings of depression and discouragement, noting in one entry that she is "In the office looking a wreck....We really wonder what we are going to do with me"; other entries record the receipt of her Women Flyers of America membership card and the hope that flying lessons will "get my mind off everything." Several December entries refer to the Pearl Harbor bombing and subsequent military action. Some addresses are included in the book, and the collection also includes telegrams and clippings; one issue of The Woman Flyer; a photograph of Marshall in front of a plane; and a typed description of Marshall's experiences in 1941. Joaquín Miguel Elizalde is referred to in the diary as "JME."
BIOGRAPHY
In 1941 Clare Helene Marshall worked for Joaquín Miguel Elizalde, Resident Commissioner from the Philippines, in Washington, DC, and New York. Elizalde's job was to represent his country in Washington and to monitor legislation affecting it. Marshall's duties included paying close attention to agricultural, defense, and naval matters on Capitol Hill; arranging favorable publicity; translating coded telegrams from Manuel Quezon, the president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines; and sometimes acting as a social secretary. In the spring of 1941, Marshall was transferred to the New York City headquarters of Elizalde & Company, which dealt in Filipino commodities. Her work here included preparing import and export licenses and finding the work unsatisfying, she resigned in August of the same year. She then took some temporary jobs in advertising agencies and in December began a job as a script writer for CBS Radio Playhouse. She was a member of Women Flyers of America, and as a single woman, had an extensive social life.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Accession number: 95-M148
The papers of Clare Helene Marshall were acquired by the Schlesinger Library from Terry Alford in 1995.
Existence and Location of Copies
Digital Surrogates of the items in this collection are available through the Adam Matthew online database Gender: Identity and Social Change (Access restricted to subscribing institutions).
Processing Information
Processed: October 1995
By: Anne Engelhart
Updated and additional description added: February 2021
By: Susan Earle
The Schlesinger Library attempts to provide a basic level of preservation and access for all collections, and does more extensive processing of higher priority collections as time and resources permit. Finding aids may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
Genre / Form
Geographic
- New York (N.Y.)--Social life and customs--20th century
- Washington (D.C.)--Social life and customs--20th century
Topical
- Dating (Social customs)
- Depression in women
- Diplomatic and consular service, Philippine--United States
- Drinking of alcoholic beverages
- Hangover
- Lend-lease operations (1941-1945)
- Pearl Harbor (Hawaii), Attack on, 1941
- Single women--Employment--United States
- Single women--Social life and customs--20th century
- Women air pilots--United States
- Author
- Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
- Language of description
- eng
- Sponsor
- Processing of this collection was made possible by the Janet James Fund, the Carl & Lily Pforzheimer Fund, Pforzheimer Fund for the Schlesinger Library, Sybil Shainwald Fund at the Schlesinger Library, and Class of 1955 Manuscript Processing Fund.
- EAD ID
- sch01821
Repository Details
Part of the Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute Repository
The preeminent research library on the history of women in the United States, the Schlesinger Library documents women's lives from the past and present for the future. In addition to its traditional strengths in the history of feminisms, women’s health, and women’s activism, the Schlesinger collections document the intersectional workings of race and ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class in American history.