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RUTH YOUNG : 1912 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT DIARY HAND WRITTEN BY A NEWLY ARRIVED SCOTTISH GIRL DETAILING HER TIMES IN AMERICA AND BROWN UNIVERSITY

12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. On offer is an interesting group of diaries and student handbooks dating from the early 20th century. Written by a student at one of America's oldest universities, this is an eclectic collection of books. There are 5 altogether. The first measures 7 inches by 5 inches and contains 176 unlined, undated pages. It covers the period 1912 to 1916. It is about 10% complete. The 2nd and 3rd are student handbooks measuring 6.5 inches by 3 inches, containing 78 page of both diary entries and extensive information pages. The first is 100% complete while the 2nd is about 50% complete. The 4th book measures 6.5 inches by 4.5 inches and contains 22 pages. It is a pre-printed "Class Day" program. The 5th book is a 7 inch by 4 inch, 10 page pre-printed "Ivy Day" program. The first book covers the 5 years 1912-1916. However, there are only a few entries from 1912. The pages are neither dated or numbered. On the first page, she writes that she moved from Scotland in April of 1909. The entries in the diary are very sparse - many times just a couple of words where any entries were made at all: "Went to debate with Herbert Brown at Hope. Hope lost." [Feb 2, 1912]; "Had first game of tennis. Supper at Roots" [May 17, 1912]; "Today we went to Concord via Lexington to have lunch with Miss Genie Barrette. We left 11:00 and arrived 12:30 fine drive In Lexington we saw the battlefield. After we had lunch we went for a drive around the town and saw all points of interest. We left Concord at 6:00 nearly loosing the car. We arrived home at 7:30. Carl came over in the evening."[July 10, 1912]. In 1913, she is accepted at Brown University in Providence, RI. Brown University is the 7th oldest university in the United States and one of the 9 that were chartered before the American Revolution. It is a private, Ivy League university with a good reputation for research. Its alumni number many successful graduates in a wide range of fields. The 2nd diary details her daily routine in her first year at Brown. It is pre-printed with Brown University's seal on the cover. In it, she describes her academic work, friends and acquaintances and social life. The book also has an extensive information section about Brown University. "College at last! I am a really true freshman in Brown" [Sept 24, 1913]. "This noon I walked up Creighton St. With Jesse. We took the math prize exams. ... It was terrific ..." [Oct 11, 1913]. Bessie and I studied Math all morning and this afternoon had our famous math final. It was a scream." [Jan 29, 1914]. "Ivy Day. I went in all morning. At night, I went and tool Harold. We went for a long walk before and were very late in returning home." [June 16, 1914]. The last pages record her grades for the year and the steps to the "Hesitation Waltz". The 3rd diary covers her academic year 1916-1917. Like the previous academic handbook, it is preprinted with the university seal and contains an extensive information section as well as space for daily entries over the course of the academic year. As in the previous one, this contains descriptions of her academic work, friends and acquaintances and social life. "First morning in cap and gown" [Sept 27, 1916]. In October, she went out and secured a part-time job at Arnold Co. "Went downtown to see about a position in Arnolds. Will know later. Got position" [Oct 12-3, 1916]. Arnold Co might likely be associated with descendents of Rhode Island's wealthiest settler family. She graduated in the spring of 1917: "Baccalaureate ..." [June 17, 1917]. The remaining 2 books are a pre-printed "Class Day" program from 1915 and a pre-printed "Ivy Day" program for 1917. Both contain details of these university events. The Class Day program has photographs of class officers as well as senior class rolls. Also included is a certificate from the Department of Public Schools, Providence RI appointing her as a student teacher in the school system for September, 1917. Dated June 18th, she makes no reference to it in her diary. Casual research suggests that she did in fact work as a teacher in Providence but there is not conclusive evidence. No other biographical information was found. The Brown University documents provide an excellent look at what Brown felt was necessary for students to know and have at their fingertips as they followed their studies. It lists various regulations, student organizations, and details of campus life. For a researcher or historian of Brown University or indeed any Ivy League school, it provides an excellent benchmark for comparisons a century later.. Illustr.: /. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good

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