Marie Lawson, resident of Westport, Connecticut, was an author and illustrator of books for young people. The collection contains research notes, drafts, dummies, and illustrations for her Strange Sea Stories and a number of apparently unpublished works.
The collection contains the papers of Marilyn Nelson, award-winng author or translator of more than 20 books and chapbooks for adults and children. A three-time finalist for the National Book Award, Marilyn Nelson has been honored with fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts; the Connecticut Arts Award; the Department of the Army's Commander's Award for Public Service; and the Frost Medal, the Poetry Society of America's award for "distinguished lifetime achievement in poetry." She currently serves as a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets and is Poet-in-Residence of The Poets Corner at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. A professor emerita of English at the University of Connecticut, Marilyn was Poet Laureate of Connecticut, 2001– 2006, and founding director of Soul Mountain Retreat, a writers' colony, 2004-2010.
The Martha Alexander Papers consist of the manuscripts, dummies, and proofs for a significant number of her published works, in addition to two boxes of her books.
Marylin Hafner was born 14 December 1925 in Brooklyn, NY. She received her B.Sc. degree in 1947 from the Pratt Institute. Hafner undertook additional studies at the new School for Social Research (1948-1950), School of Visual Arts, Silvermine School of Art and Slade School (London, England, 1965-1966). An artist, illustrator and designer, Hafner has been employed by McCall's as art director (1950-1954), and art instructor at Famous Schools, Inc. (Westport, CT, 1968-1970). A member of the Society of Illustrators, Westoport Artists Guild, and Silvermine Guild of Artists, Hafner received the New York Herald Tribune Children's Spring Book Festival Award (1949) for her work on Bonnie Bess: The Weathervane Horse.
The Meriden-Wallingford School of Nursing traces its history to the establishment of the Meriden Hospital Nursing program in 1892. The program flourished from the 1890s until 1973 when it was phased out, following the national trend to move nursing programs from the hospital environment to a collegiate environment. The last class graduated in 1976. Information regarding student records (transcripts) of graduates of the Meriden-Wallingford Hospital School of Nursing should contact MidState Medical Center, Education Services, 435 Lewis Avenue, Meriden, CT 06451, Phone: 203-694-8235.
Merlin D. Bishop was born 5 October 1907, in Alhambra, Illinois. Bishop worked at the Ford Motor Company between 1925 and 1931. He then attended Wayne University (Detroit, MI) and in 1935-1936, was a member of the Extension Staff of Brookwood Labor College. He was later involved with the United Auto Workers of America, the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America and the Connecticut Governor's Fact-Finding Commission on Education.
The history of Black Free and Accepted Masons dates its origin from the initiation of Prince Hall on 6 March 1775 along with fourteen other free blacks into a Military Lodge of white masons. Lodge No. 441 of the Irish Registry up to the present time.