Mount Vernon Seminary and College Nebraska Avenue Campus Collection
Scope and Contents
This collection contains photographs, lantern slides, scrapbooks, programs, articles, menus, correspondence, and artifacts documenting the Mount Vernon Seminary and College students, faculty, and campus during the years 1917 through 1942, when the campus was located on Nebraska Avenue.
Dates
- 1917-1942
Creator
- Mount Vernon College (Organization)
- Mount Vernon Seminary (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Some material may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the patron's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections.
Biographical / Historical
Having outgrown its M Street location, Mount Vernon Seminary moved to a 15.5-acre campus on Nebraska Avenue, NW, in 1917. The buildings and layout of the campus were designed by New York architect Wesley S. Bessell and the campus was formally dedicated on November 5, 1917, Mrs. Somers' 80th birthday. Mrs. Somers died in 1924, and the Elizabeth Somers Chapel was dedicated on campus in 1925. Adelia Gates Hensley was headmistress until her death in 1923, when Jean Dean Cole became headmistress, a position she held until her death in 1939. It was under Ms. Cole's administration that MVS was divided into the preparatory and Junior College divisions. MVS celebrated the 50th anniversary of the seminary with a Golden Jubilee in 1925, and celebrated the Centenary in 1937 in observance of the 100th birthday of Mrs. Somers. In 1942, the United States Navy took over the Nebraska Avenue campus to use its facilities for the war effort. The complex is now home to the Department of Homeland Security.
Extent
12 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Having outgrown its M Street location, Mount Vernon Seminary moved to a 15.5-acre campus on Nebraska Avenue, NW, in 1917. School founder Elizabeth J. Somers died in 1924, and the Elizabeth Somers Chapel was dedicated on campus in 1925. Adelia Gates Hensley was headmistress until her death in 1923, when Jean Dean Cole became headmistress, a position she held until her death in 1939. It was under Ms. Cole's administration that MVS was divided into the preparatory and Junior College divisions. MVS celebrated the 50th anniversary of the seminary with a Golden Jubilee in 1925, and celebrated the Centenary in 1937 in observance of the 100th birthday of Mrs. Somers. In 1942, the United States Navy took over the Nebraska Avenue campus to use its facilities for the war effort.
Arrangement
Organized into four series: Images, Scrapbooks, Ephemera and documents, and Artifacts.
Physical Location
Materials may be stored off-site, and may require additional retrieval time. Please contact the Special Collections Research Center for more information.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Collection acquired by GWU upon merger with Mount Vernon College. Collection transferred to Foggy Bottom campus in 2009.
- Cole, Jean Dean
- Hensley, Adelia Gates
- Somers, Elizabeth J.
- Women -- Education Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Women's colleges Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- Preliminary Guide to the Mount Vernon Seminary and College Nebraska Avenue Campus collection, 1917-1942
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Special Collections Research Center, The George Washington University
- Date
- 2010
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections Research Center, The George Washington University Repository
