Subseries III: British Girls Correspondence, 1927, 1940-1981

Consists largely of personal letters from seven British girls who lived under Miss Frick’s care during their evacuation from Great Britain during WWII. The British Girls include: Margot Nicol (née Isobel Margaret Horn), Sheila Milliken (née Sheila Inglis), Mavis Archer (née Mavis Sayers), Valerie Goodwin (née Valerie Sayers), Pixie Love (née Mary Pix Sayers), Molly Willcox (née Molly Stuchberry), and Mary Joy Shuttleworth. The collection also contains correspondence from parents, family, and friends in relation to one or more of the British Girls. Letters are either hand or typewritten, and may include enclosures such as photographs and newspaper clippings. Telegrams, postcards, and greeting cards may also be found in this subseries. The bulk of these materials date from the 1940s and 1950s. The only item dated prior to 1940 is a school record from 1927, which is currently restricted. Additional items under restriction include medical and school records for each of the seven girls.

Letters written by the British Girls between 1940 and 1944 convey their personal sentiments about the war and their experiences in the United States, including their thoughts on American culture and education. Letters from the girls’ families in England during this time reflect parental concern and gratitude to Miss Frick, as well as hardships suffered by those living in England at the time, especially food shortages, rationing, blackouts, and aerial bombardment. Letters dated from 1945 on detail the individual life experiences of the British Girls, their families, and friends in post-war England, and summarize their personal friendships, educational and career pursuits, travels, marriages, and family lives well into the 1970s.