Mount Vernon Seminary and College Memorabilia collection
Scope and Contents
This collection contains memorabilia from the Mount Vernon Seminary and College campuses including textiles, metal objects, etchings, and personal memorabilia. The material listed in this guide is processed and available for use, but there is additional material in the collection that is minimally processed and may not be available for research. Please contact Special Collections for more information.
Dates
- circa 1850-2000
Creator
- Cole, Timothy (Person)
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.
Historical note
The Mount Vernon Seminary began in 1875 as a private high school and junior college for women, founded by Elizabeth J. Somers. The George Washington University initially affiliated with Mount Vernon College, and ultimately acquired the college's property and legacy in 1999.
The first school of higher education available to women in Washington, D.C., Mount Vernon Seminary and College had five different locations throughout its history:
1875-1880: Elizabeth Somers began tutoring the young daughters of prominent Washington men in her home at 204 F Street, NW in Washington, DC.
1880-1917: The school moved to 1100 M Street, NW where it expanded rapidly to include three additional houses, a courtyard, tennis court, and basketball court.
1917-1942: Having outgrown its M Street location, the school moved to a 15-acre campus on Nebraska Avenue, NW. In 1942, the United States Navy took over the Nebraska Avenue campus to use its facilities for the war effort.
1943-1946: The school resumed courses in February 1943 at the top floor of a Garfinckel’s department store building in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
1946-1999: Between 1944 and 1946, the school built a new 21-acre campus located on Foxhall Road in Washington, D.C. using money granted to the college by the United States Navy in compensation for the military takeover of its property.
The last Seminary class graduated in 1969, and the school was then officially renamed to Mount Vernon Junior College. In 1976, Mount Vernon College became an accredited four year college. In 1997, the Board of Trustees decided that the College would close as an independent institution. As of June 30, 1999, Mount Vernon became affiliated with The George Washington University.
Extent
16.75 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
This collection contains memorabilia from the Mount Vernon Seminary and College campuses. The Mount Vernon Seminary began in 1875 as a private high school and junior college for women, founded by Elizabeth J. Somers. The George Washington University initially affiliated with Mount Vernon College, and ultimately acquired the college's property and legacy in 1999. Material in this collection dates between circa 1850 and 2000.
Arrangement
Organized into 5 series: Timothy Cole (1852-1941) Etchings, Suzanne J. Allan (nee Johnson) memorabilia, Textiles, Metals, and Chasseriau Etchings.
Physical Location
Materials may be stored off-site, and may require additional retrieval time. Please contact the Special Collections Research Center for more information.
- Allan, Suzanne J.
- Hensley, Adelia Gates
- Women -- Education Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Women's colleges Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Source
- Mount Vernon College (Organization)
- Mount Vernon Seminary (Organization)
- Title
- Preliminary Guide to the Mount Vernon Seminary and College Memorabilia Collection, , 1850-2000
- 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