Contents

Collection Overview

Scope and Contents of the Collection

Organization of the Collection

Search Terms

Bliss Family Papers 1850-1981 (bulk 1856-1922)

Finding Aid

Finding aid prepared by Deborah Pelletier, P. Scott Lapinski.

Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

© 2002

Scope and Contents of the Collection

General information about the Bliss Family, including genealogical charts, is contained in Series 1. Daniel Bliss and his three sons, as well as both of Howard's sons, were graduates of Amherst College. Amy Blatchford's brother was a member of Howard's class. Daniel Bliss Leavitt, Howard's grandson, and one of the donors of the Papers, is also an Amherst alumnus. Biographical files on all of these family members are available in the Archives. A list, including their class years, follows:

There is also a biographical file for Edwin Elisha Bliss, Class of 1837, containing some of his diaries and those of his wife, Isabella Holmes Porter Bliss, who were missionaries in Turkey. Ebenezer Bliss (1683-1717), great-great-grandfather of Edwin Bliss, and Thomas Bliss (1668-1733), great-great-grandfather of Daniel Bliss were brothers. While there does not appear to be a close connection between these branches of the Bliss family, Howard Bliss does mention Edwin and "poor cousin Bella" in one of his letters, and there was apparently some contact.

Photographs of some family members are included in their biographical files or in class albums (compiled for graduating classes), available in the Amherst College Archives. A few photographs are contained in Series 11.

Brief biographical sketches of all Amherst College alumni from 1822 through 1971 appear in the Amherst College Biographical Record, 1973 edition, available in the Amherst College Archives.

Reminiscences of Daniel Bliss, edited and supplemented by Frederick Jones Bliss, published in 1920, provides additional information about the early life of Daniel Bliss; his marriage and the time he spent as a missionary in Syria before the College was founded; the founding of the College, the Presidency of Daniel Bliss, and the years following his retirement. In 1989 the book was edited by Carleton S. Coon, Jr., and published under the title Daniel Bliss and the Founding of the American University of Beirut. The introduction and other material provided by Frederick Jones Bliss in the first edition have been replaced in the second edition by a prologue and an epilogue by Daniel Bliss II. These books are located in Box 4 of the Papers, and additional copies may be available in the general collection of the Amherst College Library.

Other published material relating to the Bliss Family or to the history of American University of Beirut may be available in the general collection of the Amherst College Library. Pieces of wood and pressed flowers, believed to have been sent to the Dickinson Family by the Bliss Family, are part of the Dickinson collection in Special Collections.

Insofar as possible, information in these papers has been made accessible by name of individual, by date, by name of institution or by event. Most of the material in the papers is original. In a few cases fragile material has been removed, due to preservation concern, and replaced with photocopies. Furthermore, Addendum 2 contains hand written transcripts by Mrs. Rugh of about 75% of the letters included in that accession. The originals are included with each transcript in their own folder.

The Bliss Family Papers, according to a member of the family, were probably preserved because of the distance the letters had traveled. The papers consist primarily of the correspondence, from the early 1850s to the early 1920s, of a missionary family whose members lived in different parts of the world. As a whole, it gives a clear picture of the lifestyle of such a family. Perhaps due to distance and the infrequency of personal visits, the family members generally wrote in detail. Howard Bliss is particularly notable for this attention to detail, as well as for his sense of humor.

Daniel Bliss began his work as a missionary in Syria in 1856. He was one of the founders and the first President of Syrian Protestant College (now American University of Beirut). His letters in this collection date from 1856 to 1908. Daniel's son, Howard, succeeded his father to the Presidency in 1902. While both were ordained ministers, their focus as missionaries was on education.

Abby Wood Bliss, Daniel's wife, due to the ill health of her mother, grew up in Amherst in the home of her uncle, Luke Sweetser. She was a childhood friend of Emily Dickinson. Although the Daniel Bliss series is not extensive, a great deal of information about him and about Syrian Protestant College is contained in Abby's letters, which date from 1856 to 1909. Her news to the family about Daniel's activities and the activities at the College, like his, reflects both the history of the institution and nineteenth century thought on education. Their discussion of the Lewis Affair is a good example.

Howard's lifelong connection with Amherst (and with the College) began when he visited Amherst with his mother and became friends with Ned Dickinson. His letters from Amherst College describe student life, as well as social life in the town of Amherst and his friendship with the Dickinson family and other Amherst families. The twenty years between Howard's graduation and his acceptance of the Presidency of Syrian Protestant College included teaching, study, travel, and ministry to two churches, as well as marriage and the birth of four of his five children. From 1919 until his death, he writes about his illness and treatment, as well as about his continuing work.

The papers reveal much about late nineteenth and early twentieth century family relationships in general, and provides specific information about each of the members of this particular family, both as they write about themselves and as other family members write to and about them. Howard and Amy's correspondence, while it recounts the events of their lives, also shows the lasting intimacy of their relationship, and provides insight into marriage and family life around the turn of the century. Finally, the papers offer an opportunity to study letter-writing in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

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Search Terms

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Organization of the Collection

This collection is organized into sixteen series:

• 1. Introductory Material
• 2. Daniel Bliss (DB)
• 3. Howard Sweetser Bliss (HSB)
• 4. Abby Wood Bliss (AWB)
• 5. Amy Blatchford Bliss (ABB)
• 6. Mary Bliss Dale (MBD)
• 7. Frederick Jones Bliss (FJB)
• 8. William Tyler Bliss (WTB)
• 9. Dodge Family
• 10. Syrian Protestant College
• 11. Photographs
• 12. Oversize Material
• Supplementary Material
• Addendum 1
• Addendum 2

Arrangement of the Collection

There are essentially three parts to the Bliss Family Papers. Part one consists of the original accession, and is divided into 12 series. Part two is comprised of additional papers to the Daniel Bliss series. And, part three is made up of three series; Daniel Bliss, Abby Bliss, and Belle Dorman Rugh. Parts two and three are described as Addendum 1 and 2 respectively.

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Series 1: INTRODUCTORY MATERIAL

INTRODUCTORY MATERIAL provides general information about the Bliss family and the city of Beirut, as well as about Syrian Protestant College.

Series 2: DANIEL BLISS

In general each series contains outgoing and incoming correspondence. Some contain printed material and general information about the individual. In some cases (notably the Lewis Affair, the untimely deaths of Gerald Fitzgerald Dale and three of the four Dale children, and the call to Howard to assume the Presidency of Syrian Protestant College in 1902), the same subject is discussed by more than one member of the family. Letters to "Dear Family" appear in most series, and were apparently passed (by mail if necessary) from one member to another; Howard's later letters sometimes specify the order in which they are to circulate. Other letters were "personal, but not confidential," or even "private," and there is an occasional note of apology added by someone who has opened another person's letter by mistake.

Divided into subseries as appropriate

Series 3: HOWARD SWEETSER BLISS

The Howard Sweetser Bliss series constitutes the bulk of the collection. In general each series contains outgoing and incoming correspondence. Some contain printed material and general information about the individual. In some cases (notably the Lewis Affair, the untimely deaths of Gerald Fitzgerald Dale and three of the four Dale children, and the call to Howard to assume the Presidency of Syrian Protestant College in 1902), the same subject is discussed by more than one member of the family. Letters to "Dear Family" appear in most series, and were apparently passed (by mail if necessary) from one member to another; Howard's later letters sometimes specify the order in which they are to circulate. Other letters were "personal, but not confidential," or even "private," and there is an occasional note of apology added by someone who has opened another person's letter by mistake.

Divided into subseries as appropriate

Series 4: ABBY WOOD BLISS

In general each series contains outgoing and incoming correspondence. Some contain printed material and general information about the individual. In some cases (notably the Lewis Affair, the untimely deaths of Gerald Fitzgerald Dale and three of the four Dale children, and the call to Howard to assume the Presidency of Syrian Protestant College in 1902), the same subject is discussed by more than one member of the family. Letters to "Dear Family" appear in most series, and were apparently passed (by mail if necessary) from one member to another; Howard's later letters sometimes specify the order in which they are to circulate. Other letters were "personal, but not confidential," or even "private," and there is an occasional note of apology added by someone who has opened another person's letter by mistake.

Divided into subseries as appropriate

Series 5: AMY BLATCHFORD BLISS

In general each series contains outgoing and incoming correspondence. Some contain printed material and general information about the individual. In some cases (notably the Lewis Affair, the untimely deaths of Gerald Fitzgerald Dale and three of the four Dale children, and the call to Howard to assume the Presidency of Syrian Protestant College in 1902), the same subject is discussed by more than one member of the family. Letters to "Dear Family" appear in most series, and were apparently passed (by mail if necessary) from one member to another; Howard's later letters sometimes specify the order in which they are to circulate. Other letters were "personal, but not confidential," or even "private," and there is an occasional note of apology added by someone who has opened another person's letter by mistake.

Divided into subseries as appropriate

Series 6: MARY BLISS DALE

In general each series contains outgoing and incoming correspondence. Some contain printed material and general information about the individual. In some cases (notably the Lewis Affair, the untimely deaths of Gerald Fitzgerald Dale and three of the four Dale children, and the call to Howard to assume the Presidency of Syrian Protestant College in 1902), the same subject is discussed by more than one member of the family. Letters to "Dear Family" appear in most series, and were apparently passed (by mail if necessary) from one member to another; Howard's later letters sometimes specify the order in which they are to circulate. Other letters were "personal, but not confidential," or even "private," and there is an occasional note of apology added by someone who has opened another person's letter by mistake.

Divided into subseries as appropriate

Series 7: FREDERICK JONES BLISS

In general each series contains outgoing and incoming correspondence. Some contain printed material and general information about the individual. In some cases (notably the Lewis Affair, the untimely deaths of Gerald Fitzgerald Dale and three of the four Dale children, and the call to Howard to assume the Presidency of Syrian Protestant College in 1902), the same subject is discussed by more than one member of the family. Letters to "Dear Family" appear in most series, and were apparently passed (by mail if necessary) from one member to another; Howard's later letters sometimes specify the order in which they are to circulate. Other letters were "personal, but not confidential," or even "private," and there is an occasional note of apology added by someone who has opened another person's letter by mistake.

Divided into subseries as appropriate

Series 8: WILLIAM TYLER BLISS

In general each series contains outgoing and incoming correspondence. Some contain printed material and general information about the individual. In some cases (notably the Lewis Affair, the untimely deaths of Gerald Fitzgerald Dale and three of the four Dale children, and the call to Howard to assume the Presidency of Syrian Protestant College in 1902), the same subject is discussed by more than one member of the family. Letters to "Dear Family" appear in most series, and were apparently passed (by mail if necessary) from one member to another; Howard's later letters sometimes specify the order in which they are to circulate. Other letters were "personal, but not confidential," or even "private," and there is an occasional note of apology added by someone who has opened another person's letter by mistake.

Divided into subseries as appropriate

Series 9: DODGE FAMILY

DODGE FAMILY consists, with a single exception, of outgoing correspondence written by D. Stuart Dodge; his wife, Ellen P. Dodge; and his nephew, Cleveland H. Dodge. The series consists of 16 folders and contains letters of both business and personal nature.

Arranged chronologically

Series 10: SYRIAN PROTESTANT COLLEGE

SYRIAN PROTESTANT COLLEGE contains only seven folders. Significant in the series is Donald M. Leavitt's article (written while the papers were in his grandmother's possession), "Darwinism in the Arab world: the Lewis Affair at Syrian Protestant College," published in 1981 in The Muslim World.

Series 11: PHOTOGRAPHS

PHOTOGRAPHS includes individual and group photos of Howard Bliss, as well as photos of Daniel Bliss, Abby Wood Bliss and Amy Blatchford Bliss.

Series 12: OVERSIZE MATERIAL

OVERSIZE MATERIAL contains a photographic reproduction of Daniel Bliss' 1866 passport; Howard Bliss' 1919 passport, with a photograph; and a set of Palestine Exploration Fund maps belonging to Frederick Jones Bliss.

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL

Addendum 1

Addendum 1 continues the Daniel Bliss Series (Series 2) with addition material on the history of the founding of Syrian Protestant College. Comprising 8 folders, and ranging in dates from 1850-1904 Addendum 1 contains; a typescript of reminiscences by Daniel Bliss (annotated by Frederick Jones Bliss) on the early days of the Syrian Protestant College, manuscripts of several sermons by Daniel Bliss, and Printed Materials including an early description for the proposed college in Syria.

Addendum 2

Addendum 2 further increases the Daniel Bliss Series (Series 2) by 23 folders ranging in dates from 1856 to 1874, and also adds 19 folders to the Abby Bliss Series (Series 4). Comprised mainly of personal correspondence between Daniel and Abby, the Daniel Bliss series contains a copy book from 1862 with letters to several associates. Though the copy book is in its own folder, three of the letters were transcribed by donor Belle Dorman Rugh and they precede the copybook in a sequence of folders. Otherwise, transcripts by Ms. Rugh are provided in the same folders as the originals, except where noted in the folder listing. The Abby Bliss Series is enriched with extensive correspondence between Abby and her Mother, Sister, Aunt and Uncle Luke Sweetser, and Cousin Howard. Dated from throughout 1856, the 19 folders of correspondence shed light onto a much younger Abby Bliss than is found elsewhere in the papers. Transcripts have been provided by Belle Dorman Rugh for a majority of the letters in this Addendum, and are filed with the originals in the same folder. A separate series was created for Belle Dorman Rugh which contain some of her working notes while she transcribed the letters.

Addendum 2 is arranged in three series: DANIEL BLISS ADDITIONS 2 (DB), ABBY WOOD BLISS ADDITIONS (AWB), BELLE DORMAN RUGH