Contents
Descriptive Summary
BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL NOTE
SCOPE AND CONTENT OF THE RECORDS:
SELECTED SEARCH TERMS
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE RECORDS
Ser. 1. Memoirs and Miscellaneous
Ser.2 Scrapbooks
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An Inventory of the May Virginia Bassett Little Album Collection,
1955-1994
Finding Aid Prepared by FHL staff
2011
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Creator
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May Virginia Bassett Little |
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Title
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May Virginia Bassett Little Album Collection |
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Dates:
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1955-1994 |
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Abstract:
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In the 1980s, May Virginia Bassett Little (1913-1994) created a
series of family scrapbooks accompanied by short memoirs and excerpts from her diaries. Her
father was a birthright Quaker, and the family had deep roots in Swarthmore College and the
Borough of Swarthmore. Her husband, Ralph V. Little, Jr., (1909-2001), an electrical
engineer, also was raised in Swarthmore. The collection provides insight into growing up and
living in Swarthmore, Pa., in the first half of the 20th century. |
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Extent:
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3 boxes; 2.5 linear feet |
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Identification:
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RG5/277 |
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Location:
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For current information on the location of materials, please consult
the Library's online catalog. |
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Location:
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May Virginia Bassett Little was born March 10, 1913, and died Sept. 4, 1994. She was the
daughter of Dr. Arthur E. Bassett (1886-1951), a dentist and prominent Swarthmore, Pa.,
resident, and Vernon Rose (Waddell) Bassett (1887-1955).
Arthur E. Bassett was the son of Franklin Lippincott Bassett (1855-1929) and Anna Elgar
(Hallowell) Bassett, Philadelphia Quakers. Franklin Bassett graduated from Swarthmore
College in 1876 and practiced dentistry in Philadelphia. The family transferred their
membership from Philadelphia Monthly Meeting (Hicksite) to Swarthmore Monthly Meeting in
1895 and lived on 513 Walnut Lane. In 1914, the family removed to Salem Monthly Meeting.
Anna returned to Swarthmore Monthly Meeting in 1949 and died in the Hickman Home in West
Chester.
Vernon Rose Waddell (1889-1955) was the daughter of James A. Waddell and May Virginia Rose.
Her mother died in childbirth in 1895, and Vernon first lived with her mother's parents and
sister at 422 Harvard Avenue, Swarthmore, and subsequently with her mother's other sister,
Vernon (Rose) Geddes who lived across the street at 417 Harvard. Vernon and her husband,
Frank H. Geddes raised her namesake as their own daughter. Their son, F. Bramwell Geddes,
married Vernon Waddell Bassett's cousin, Alice Worth. Vernon Waddell attended Swarthmore
College in the Class of 1912, and married Arthur Bassett in 1910. Alice Worth Geddess
graduated in the Class of 1908, and her husband, F. Bramwell Geddess, was in the Class of
1905.
While Arthur Bassett remained a member of the Society of Friends until his death in 1951,
Vernon, who had been raised a Baptist, became a member of the Swarthmore Presbyterian
Church. Vernon and Arthur Bassett moved to 307 N. Chester Road in 1916, where they lived the
remainder of their lives.
The extended Swarthmore family also included Vernon's uncle, Herbert T. Bassett, and his
wife Mary Ramsay Bassett (Swarthmore Class of 1912) who lived in the Ramsay family home on
North Chester Road. Virginia's sister, Barbara, married David West Cochrane. He was the
long-time clerk of the Swarthmore Camera Shop.
Virginia Bassett married Ralph V. Little, Jr. (1909-2001) in 1937. An electrical engineer,
he was the son of Ralph V. Little and Helen Druary Little who also lived in Swarthmore and
were members of the Swarthmore Presbyterian Church. Ralph graduated from Penn State
University in 1933 and worked for RCA in Camden. Virginia and Ralph lived in Swarthmore for
fifteen years. They moved to Ohio in 1957. In 1974, they moved to Central Pennsylvania, and
in 1985, to a retirement home in Blue Bell, Pa.
Return to the Table of Contents
In the 1980s, May Virginia Bassett Little (1913-1994) created a series of family scrapbooks
accompanied by short memoirs and excerpts from her diaries. Her father was a birthright
Quaker, and the family had deep roots in Swarthmore College and the Borough of Swarthmore.
Her husband, Ralph V. Little, Jr., (1909-2001), an electrical engineer, also was raised in
Swarthmore. The collection provides insight into growing up and living in Swarthmore, Pa.,
in the first half of the 20th century.
Return to the Table of Contents
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Friends
Historical Library (TRIPOD). Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons,
or places should search the catalog using these headings:
Return to the Table of Contents
Ser. 1. Memoirs and Miscellaneous
Box
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Autobiography of May Virginia Bassett
1988 1 folder
Virginia's memoirs, from childhood to engagement, 1913-1936, with additions exerpted
from her diaries
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Extracts from Virginia's diary
1988 1 folder
Compiled for her grandson, Derek Little. Life in Swarthmore, then trip to Germany in
1929.
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Fine Arts, Temple University
1936 1 folder
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Camp Counselor 1 folder
Typed copies of letters, 1933-1936, she wrote to her parents
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Wedding
1937 1 folder
Swarthmore Presbyterian Church
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"Living with your parents"
1993 1 folder
In the early 1990s, Virginia excerpted her diaries1938-1940, to give her children her
memories and perspectives of their childhood. Donald was born in Swarthmore. After a
series of temporary moves, the family settled on Haverford Place in Swarthmore
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Raising family in Swarthmore
1993 1 folder
Covering the period from 1943-44
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Raising family in Swarthmore
1993 1 folder
Covering the period from 1945-47. Becomes more involved with puppetry
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"Life with Your Parents"
1993 1 folder
Summary of family activities for year 1951 and excerpts from diaries. Virginia began
her puppet shows
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Diary entries of home life in Swarthmore
1993-1994 1 folder
Activities in Swarthmore, 1952
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Diary entries of home life in Swarthmore
1994 1 folder
Activities in Swarthmore, 1953. Final diary excerpted in July 1994.
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Family letter
1958 1 folder
Mimeographed letter to family with details of their life in Shaker Heights in
1958
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Autobiography and update
1980, 1987 1 folder
In a brief autobiography, Virginia relates that she has compiled a scrapbook with
photographs of her grandparents and made albums for each of her children
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Correspondence with parents 1 folder
Typed copies of letters 1946-1955 from Virginia to her parents and a letter from her
mother
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Letters to son Donald 1 folder
Typed copies of letters, 1955-1956
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Puppetry
1955 1 folder
In 1955, Virginia took a puppetry course in Folktale Puppet Studio Vermont. Virginia
became interested in puppets when her children were small
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Shaker Heights Church activities
1960-1966 1 folder
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Stories, from Locust Lane Pa.
1965, 1977 1 folder
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Original Doll Artists Council of America, letter to members
1982 1 folder
Virginia became president of the organization in 1982. Mimeographed copy.
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"A Happy Week-end with Polly and Don Little"
1990 1 folder
Account of a pleasant weekend spent with family and a thank-you note. A second copy
included, with cover letter from sister-in-law Margy (2001)
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Virginia Little obituary
1994 1 folder
Also Christmas letter from her sister-in-law that mentions the death
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Waddell plantation, Florida
1925-1934 1 folder
Clippings, etc., on land developed by members of the Waddell family. Vernon Bassett
inherited a share in 1934
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Miscellaneous loose correspondence
1990 1 folder
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Donald T. Little 1 folder
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Ser.2 Scrapbooks
All photocopies
Box
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Family album, Part I
1987 1 folder
"Dedicated to my Family." Genealogical information and photographs of family members,
beginning with her grandparents to 1941
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Family album, Part II
1987 1 folder
"Dedicated to my Family." Photo album with labels covers the years 1942-1968
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Donald T. Little 1 folder
Photograph album covering life of son Donald, 1939-1949
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Vernon Rose Waddell 1 folder
Includes photographs collected by Virginia's mother, Vernon. Includes Swarthmore
homes and Swarthmore College. Donald T. Little compiled additional biographical
material which is included in Vol. 2.
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Virginia's childhood-engagement
1913-1936 1 folder
Album to accompany the Autobiography of May Virginia Bassett (Series 1)
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Box
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Move from Shaker Heights, OH, to Locust Lane Farm
1957-1972 1 folder
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Little family album 1 folder
Little, Geddes family and homes in Swarthmore
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Vernon Rose Waddell album
1955 1 folder
Early memories, diary of a trip to Canada in 1904
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Life of Dr. Arthur Edward Bassett 1 folder
Virginia's father. Donald T. Little compiled additional biographical material which
is included in Vol. 2. Arthur was a descendent of Benjamin Hallowell, and his father
was a graduate of Swarthmore College. In 1893 the family moved to Swarthmore, first to
a house on N. Chester Rd and 1893 to a new house at 513 Walnut Lane.
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Frank Rose album 1 folder
Note from Donor that he removed the pages in 2005 from a bound album. Photographs
mounted on black paper. Frank Rose was a sister of May Vernon Rose Waddell (Virginia's
mother).
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Ralph Vinton Little album
1980 1 folder
Contains a brief autobiorgraphy of Ralph Little who grew up at 133 Park Avenue. In
the late 1940s and early 1950s, he worked for RCA and was in early days of television
and Theater Television.
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Box
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Oregon trip scrapbooks and diaries
1951 1 folder
Trip from Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, to Wonder, Oregon, and return, taken by Vernon W.
Bassett and her grandson, Donald Little, 1951. Includes two scrapbooks, two diaries of
Vernon Bassett and one diary of Donald Little.
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