Contents

Collection Overview

Biographical Note

Scope and Contents of the Collection

Organization of the Collection

Search Terms

Correspondence, 1912-1988

Journals, 1927-1984

Writings, 1905-1955

Memorabilia, 1903-1963

Biographical Information, 1905-1988

Family Papers, 1894-1940

Photographs, 1905-1988

Correspondence, 1912-1988

Journals, 1927-1984

Writings, 1905-1955

Memorabilia, 1903-1963

Biographical Information, 1905-1988

Family Papers, 1894-1940

Photographs, 1905-1988

McConaughy papers, 1894-1988.

Finding Aid

Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

© 2003

Biographical Note

Mary Malvina Wentworth was born to Harriet Delia Bird and Charles Albert Wentworth Feb. 17, 1884 in Rockland, Maine. She graduated from Rockland High School in 1901 an received her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College in 1905. After graduating from Mount Holyoke College, Wentworth taught in Maine for two years. Wentworth continued her education and attended the University of California. She received her M.A. in 1910. In 1924 Wentworth received her doctorate from Harvard University. In between her studies at the University of California and Harvard University, Wentworth taught at Mills College and Seminary in California, as well as in the Los Angeles secondary schools. While studying at Harvard University she worked as a psychologist at Boston State Hospital and Taunton State Hospital. In 1925 she became a professor of psychology and education at Mount Holyoke College. In 1928, Wentworth left her position at Mount Holyoke College, married Dr. James McConaughy and took a position at Swarthmore College. Her husband died in 1934. In 1933, McConaughy took a position at Rutgers University, where she remained until her retirement in 1954. She died on June 15, 1988 at the age of one hundred and four.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Mary Wentworth McConaughy Papers date from 1894-1988 and contain correspondence, journals, writings, memorabilia, biographical information, family papers, and photographs. McConaughy's correspondence is between her students, family, friends, and colleagues and includes information on her travels in Europe, course evaluations from students, family news, and information about her career, different teaching positions, and her position as head of the Education Department at Mount Holyoke College. One series consists of travel journals, 1927 and 1930, and daily records of the weather and McConaughy's activities, 1955-1984. The countries that she visited include: England, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Switzerland, France, Germany and Italy. Her travel journals include descriptions of sightseeing, tours of community houses, commentaries on food and accommodations, churches she visited as well as concerts and orchestras she attended. Included as well is her observations on the differences she saw between the United States and the other countries in which she traveled. The writings contain various articles on educational testing written by McConaughy, and her book "Individual Differences in the Intelligence of School Children", as well as, speeches, lecture notes, and poetry. McConaughy's memorabilia contains address books, a handwriting analysis, her marriage certificate, and her Harvard diploma. The biographical information includes, resumes, newspaper articles, and obituaries. The family papers include obituaries, wedding invitations, and newspaper articles written about relatives. Also included in the collection are photographs of McConaughy and her family and friends, as well as a number of pictures of her hometown, Isle au Haut, Maine, and photographs of her travels in Europe.

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Search Terms

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Organization of the Collection

This collection is organized into seven series:

• Correspondence
• Journals
• Writings
• Memorabilia
• Biographical Information
• Family Papers
• Photographs

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Contents List

Correspondence, 1912-1988 1 box

The correspondence of Mary McConaughy dates from 1912-1988. The majority of the correspondence is between students, family, friends, and colleagues. Most of the letters from students are evaluations of courses McConaughy taught. The letters to and from her family and friends contain birthday and holiday greetings, family news, updates from friends, and get well notes. There are aslo letters written by McConaughy's husband, James, about their travels in Europe in 1930 and 1932. The letters describe travels in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, and France in 1930, and talk about psychology conferences McConaughy went to in Zurich and Paris, unemployment, economic conditions, religion, women ministers, and missionary work. There are letters written about a trip to England and Scotland in 1932, which discuss lectures on the politics of Europe, sermons they heard at different churches throughout Great Britain, medical and mental health treatment, economic conditions, transportation services, museums and tourist attractions, and accomodations at bed and breakfasts. James McConaughy also wrote several letters regarding a surprise party for Mcconaughy's birthday in 1934. Other correspondence includes letters of reccomendation written for McConaughy, letters from Harvard about her salary for summer work she did there, correspondence with friends and colleagues concerning her career, different teaching positions, and her job as head of the Education Department at Mount Holyoke College, and correspondence with the Mount Holyoke Alumnae Association. There are also several letters written during the 1980's regarding Mcconaughy's death.

Arranged chronologically.

Journals, 1927-1984 5 boxes

This series consists of travel journals, 1927 and 1930, and daily records of the weather and McConaughy's activities. The travel diaries include detailed daily accounts of two trips McConaughy took to Europe. The travel diary from 1927 describes her travels in England, Czechoslovakia, Austria, and France. She describes travel on a steamer to Europe, the food and accomodations throughout her travels, and the many lectures she heard on topics such as the League of Nations and the European Situation, War Debts in France, the Health of the World, the Political Situation in Germany, Austria since the War, and Cultural Life in Vienna. She also describes sightseeing she did to places such as Westminster Abbey and Warwick Castle in England, Parliament and the President's Library in Prague, tours of community houses in Vienna, and Versailles and the Louvre in Paris. In the summer of 1930, McConaughy travelled to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, and France. In her travel diary she discusses the differences she saw between the United States and the other countries she travelled to, food and accomodations, concerts and orchestras she attended, schools and churches she visited, and sightseeing around Europe. The daily records of McConaughy's life, apart from the two afore-mentioned travel diaries, contain no written accounts, only lists of appointments for each day in addition to comments on the weather.

Arranged chronologically.

Writings, 1905-1955 1 box

Mary McConaughy's writings date from 1905-1955 and include poetry, academic papers, lecture notes, articles, and a book. The poetry is made up of mostly short poems written by McConaughy which were unpublished. The academic papers include McConaughy's master's thesis entitled "Christian Citizenship in the First Three Centuries" and a paper she wrote in her senior year at Mount Holyoke College titled "German Transcendentalism Introduced into English Thought and Character." The lecture notes are on a variety of topics on the subject of psychology mostly for the mental hygeine classes she taught at Swarthmore, but also for various women's clubs and other organizations. The writings contain articles written by McConaughy on the topics of psychology and education which were published in various journals such as The Journal of Abnormal Psychology and Social Psychology, School and Society, and Junior Home. Also included in the writings is a book written by McConaughy titled "Individual Differences in the Intelligence of School Children."

Memorabilia, 1903-1963 1 box

Mary McConaughy's memorabilia dates from 1903-1963 and contains student evaluations of courses she taught, her Harvard diploma, marriage certificate, and address books, as well as, handwriting analysis for herself and Basil Matthews and her astrological chart.

Arranged chronologically.

Biographical Information, 1905-1988 1 folder

Mary McConaughy's biographical information dates from 1905-1988 and contains resumes, newspaper articles, obituaries, and death notices. The various newspaper articles discuss McConaughy's life and career, and many were written on the occasion of her one hundredth birthday.

Arranged chronologically.

Family Papers, 1894-1940 1 folder

Mary McConaughy's family papers date from 1894-1940 and include obituaries, wedding invitations, newspaper articles written about relatives, a family reunion program, and a published paper written by Mary McConaughy's husband, James McConaughy, entitled "The History, Canon, and Inspiration of the English Bible."

Arranged chronologically.

Photographs, 1905-1988 4 folders

Mary McConaughy's photographs contain pictures of herself, her family, and her friends. Included in the photographs are photo album pages with pictures documenting McConaghy's travels in Europe and a number of photos taken of places in Maine, mostly from the town of Isle au Haut, where she grew up. Also included are photos of various family celebrations, her one hundredth birthday party, and class reunions at Mount Holyoke College.

Contents List

Correspondence, 1912-1988 1 box

Journals, 1927-1984 5 boxes

Writings, 1905-1955 1 box

Memorabilia, 1903-1963 1 box

Biographical Information, 1905-1988 1 folder

Family Papers, 1894-1940 1 folder

Photographs, 1905-1988 4 folders