Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
The papers of Alison Comish Thorne papers, 1925-2003
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Thorne, Alison Comish
- Title
- The papers of Alison Comish Thorne papers
- Dates
- 1925-2003 (inclusive)19252003
- Quantity
- 14 boxes, (7 linear ft)
- Collection Number
- UUS_COLL MSS 216
- Summary
- This collection contains the personal and professional papers of Alison Comish Thorne pertaining to her time as a USU professor and equal rights advocate.
- Repository
-
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives Division
Special Collections & Archives
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
Logan, UT
84322-3000
Telephone: 4357978248
Fax: 4357972880
scweb@usu.edu - Access Restrictions
-
No restrictions on use, except: not available through interlibrary loan.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant, 2007-2008
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Alison Comish Thorne was born May 9, 1914 in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Newel H. and Louise Larson Comish. Her scholarly pursuits began at the age of sixteen when she entered Brigham Young University where she earned her Bachelor's degree in Economics and Education in 1934. Thorne received a Master's degree in Consumption Economics at Iowa State University in 1935. She then pursued doctoral studies at the University of Chicago during 1935-36, before receiving her Ph.D. in 1938 from Iowa State University in the field of Consumption Economics. Her mentors, Elizabeth Ellis Hoyt and Margaret G. Reid, worked with Thorne to help her become the first woman to receive a Ph.D. in this field from ISU. Thorne married D. Wynne Thorne on August 3, 1937 in Salt Lake City.
After the completion of her graduate work, Thorne filled various instructor positions at Colorado State University, Iowa State University, and finally Utah State University. At USU she was given the title of lecturer from 1964 through the 1980s by both USU's Department of Sociology and the Department of Home Economics and Consumer Education. Due to anti-nepotism laws, Thorne was not allowed to secure a faculty position since her husband was already a faculty member. (Wynne Thorne served as USU's Head of Agronomy, Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Vice President of University Research.) This setback did not keep Thorne from establishing a solid reputation as a scholar. Thorne played a key role in the founding of the Women's Studies Program at USU and served as a chair in the Women's Studies Committee from 1977-1989. In addition, Thorne's devotion to increasing the opportunity for women can be seen in her involvement in the Women's Center, the Committee on the Status of Women, as well as the Women and International Development committee.
Moreover, Thorne gave many early feminist speeches, including “Let the Dishes Wait” (1949) and “Leave the Dishes in the Sink” (1973). These speeches encouraged women to focus more on personal hobbies, interests, education, and family rather than maintaining a “perfect” home. As result of her influential work, Thorne has been the recipient of many awards, such as Utah State University's Distinguished Service Award (1982), Woman of the Year for the Utah Chapter of the American Association of University Women (1967), and Utah Governor's Award for Volunteer Service (1980). She was also the author of numerous articles and books, including Women in the History of Utah's Land-grant College (1985), Visible and Invisible Women in Land-grant Colleges (1986), Vision and Rhetoric in Shakespeare: Looking Through Language (2000), Leave the Dishes in the Sink: Adventures of an Activist in Conservative Utah (2002), and Shakespeare's Romances (2003).
Thorne was active in many organizations during her retirement, such as the Utah State Historical Society, the Utah State Women's History Association, and the National Women's Studies Association. Thorne died in 2005 in Logan, Utah.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This thirteen-box collection contains the papers of Alison Comish Thorne and spans the period from 1925 to 2003. The collection contains Thorne's correspondence (1932-2000), professional papers, research papers, unpublished and published writings, autobiographical writings, papers concerning Thorne's involvement in the campaign for ERA, papers concerning USU's Women's Studies Program, Thorne/Comish family papers, and a batch of papers concerning Elizabeth Hoyt (Thorne's mentor at ISU). Thorne's correspondence (amounting to thousands of letters) documents her life as a college student, her feminist and ERA work, her university service, her service in Cache Valley's “Communities Against Poverty” program, as well as additional topics. Of particular interest are Thorne's unpublished writings concerning “Let the Dishes Wait” (1949) and “Leave the Dishes in the Sink” (1973), writings which challenged stereotypical perceptions of a woman's role in society.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.
Permission to publish material from the The Papers of Alison Comish Thorne must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator and/or the Special Collections Department Head.
Preferred Citation
Initial Citation: The Papers of Alison Comish Thorne USU_Coll Mss 216, Box [ ]. Special Collections and Archives. Utah State University Merrill-Cazier Library. Logan, Utah.
Following Citations:USU_Coll Mss 216, USUSCA.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The materials in this collection have been organized topically and chronologically reflecting their original order. Researchers should be aware that in addition to the identified boxes of correspondence, many of Thorne's subject files and research files also contain correspondence relative to the file's specific topic.
Preservation Note
Box 1, Folder 14 contains a compact disc.
Acquisition Information
Donated in three batches, the first two by Alison Thorne in 1992 and 2002, and then by the family of Alison Thorne in 2005.
Related Materials
USU Special Collections also contains a small collection of Thorne's photographs. Those interested in viewing these materials should inquire with Special Collections’ photograph curator. Special Collections also contains the professional papers of Alison's husband, Wynne Thorne catalogued as COLL MSS 299: D. Wynne Thorne Papers.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Biographical Papers, Thesis and Dissertation, Writings, and Other, undatedReturn to Top
Container(s): Box 1
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 1 | Vita and biographical
information |
undated |
| 1 | 2 | Autobiographical notes |
undated |
| 1 | 3 | Thorne's grade transcripts from
BYU |
1930-1939 |
| 1 | 4 | College papers, miscellaneous
|
undated |
| 1 | 5 | Newspaper clippings about Thorne
|
undated |
| 1 | 6 | Newspaper clippings kept by Thorne
|
undated |
| 1 | 7 | Thorne's Ph.D. dissertation; "Evaluations
of Consumption in Modern Thought"
ISU.
|
1938 |
| 1 | 8 | Thorne's MA thesis, "Credit Facilities
Extended by the US Government for Home Ownership and
Modernization"
ISC.
|
1935 |
| 1 | 9 | Publications and writings of Thorne
|
undated |
| 1 | 10 | "Women Mentoring Women in Economics in the
1930s," Thorne |
1994 |
| 1 | 11 | "A Quick History of Agronomy Wives,"
Throne |
1990 |
| 1 | 12 | Cache Valley Migrant Council |
1960-1979 |
| 1 | 13 | Summary of Thorne's family correspondence,
by Thorne |
undated |
| 1 | 14 | CD-Rom with Thorne's correspondence
|
undated |
| 1 | 15 | Personal papers and notes,
miscellaneous |
undated |
Thorne's Outgoing Correspondence, 1932-1938Return to Top
Container(s): Box 2
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 2 | 1 | Outgoing correspondence |
1932-1933 |
| 2 | 2 | Outgoing correspondence |
1934 |
| 2 | 3 | Outgoing correspondence |
1935 |
| 2 | 4 | Outgoing correspondence |
1936 |
| 2 | 5 | Outgoing correspondence |
1937 |
| 2 | 6 | Outgoing correspondence |
1938 |
Thorne's Outgoing Correspondence, 1939-1976Return to Top
Container(s): Box 3
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 3 | 1 | Outgoing correspondence |
1939 |
| 3 | 2 | Outgoing correspondence |
1940-1941 |
| 3 | 3 | Outgoing correspondence |
1942-1944 |
| 3 | 4 | Outgoing correspondence |
1945-1947 |
| 3 | 5 | Outgoing correspondence |
1950-1954 |
| 3 | 6 | Outgoing correspondence |
1957 |
| 3 | 7 | Outgoing correspondence |
1959-1960 |
| 3 | 8 | Outgoing correspondence |
1961-1962 |
| 3 | 9 | Outgoing correspondence |
1963-1965 |
| 3 | 10 | Outgoing correspondence |
1966-1969 |
| 3 | 11 | Outgoing correspondence |
1970-1973 |
| 3 | 12 | Outgoing correspondence |
1974-1976 |
Thorne's Outgoing Correspondence, 1977-1999 Return to Top
Container(s): Box 4
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 4 | 1 | Outgoing correspondence |
1977-1979 |
| 4 | 2 | Outgoing correspondence |
1980-1982 |
| 4 | 3 | Outgoing correspondence |
1983-1985 |
| 4 | 4 | Outgoing correspondence |
1986-1989 |
| 4 | 5 | Outgoing correspondence |
1990-1993 |
| 4 | 6 | Outgoing correspondence |
1994-1997 |
| 4 | 7 | Outgoing correspondence |
1998-1999 |
Thorne's Incoming Correspondence, 1935-1999 Return to Top
Container(s): Box 5
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 5 | 1 | Incoming correspondence, A-M
|
undated |
| 5 | 2 | Incoming correspondence, N-Z.
|
undated |
| 5 | 3 | Incoming correspondence, Hoyt,
Elizabeth |
1950 |
| 5 | 4 | Incoming correspondence, Hoyt,
Elizabeth |
1969-1971 |
| 5 | 5 | Incoming correspondence, Hoyt,
Elizabeth |
1971-1973 |
| 5 | 6 | Incoming correspondence, McKay, Gunn |
1971 |
| 5 | 7 | Incoming correspondence, Thorne, Wynne |
1935-1949 |
| 5 | 8 | Incoming correspondence, Thorne,
Wynne |
1974-1978 |
| 5 | 9 | Incoming correspondence, unidentified
senders |
undated |
Autobiographical notes and papers used for Thorne's autobiography, undatedReturn to Top
Container(s): Box 6
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 6 | 1 | Ch 1; The 1920s; Growing Up |
undated |
| 6 | 2 | Ch 2; The Great Depression and College
Years |
undated |
| 6 | 3 | Ch 3; Producing Babies and Books
|
undated |
| 6 | 4 | Ch 4; The Search for Values |
undated |
| 6 | 5 | Ch 5; Conformity and Creativity
|
undated |
| 6 | 6 | Ch 6; Social Justice; The
1960s |
undated |
Autobiographical notes and papers used for Thorne's autobiography, undatedReturn to Top
Container(s): Box 7
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 7 | 1 | Ch 7; Feminist Straws in the Wind; The
1960s |
undated |
| 7 | 2 | Ch 8; Activism in the 1970s |
undated |
| 7 | 3 | Ch 9; The Women's Movement at
USU |
undated |
| 7 | 4 | Ch 10; Widening the Reach of the Women's
Movement |
undated |
| 7 | 5 | Ch 11; The University: Women and
History |
undated |
| 7 | 6 | Ch 12; Gathering Up Loose Ends
|
undated |
| 7 | 7 | Appendix, Biography of Wynne
Thorne |
undated |
Thorne's Writings and ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) Papers, undatedReturn to Top
Container(s): Box 8
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 8 | 1 | "Let the Dishes Wait," by
Thorne |
1949 |
| 8 | 2 | "Leave the Dishes in the Sink," by
Thorne |
1973 |
| 8 | 3 | "Leave the Dishes in the Sink," speech by
Thorne |
1992 |
| 8 | 4 | ERA in Utah file |
1970-1979 |
| 8 | 5 | ERA meeting in Houston file |
1977 |
| 8 | 6 | "Hands Across the Valley" meeting papers |
1970-1979 |
Thorne's Papers Concerning the CAP (communities against poverty) War on Poverty Program in Cache Valley , undatedReturn to Top
Container(s): Box 9
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 9 | 1 | CAP War on Poverty, meeting minutes,
by-laws, membership records and other (removed from a three-ring
binder) |
1960-1969 |
Thorne's Papers Concerning the CAP War on Poverty Program in Cache Valley, 1960-1979Return to Top
Container(s): Box 10
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 10 | 1 | Files; CAP War on Poverty
papers |
undated |
| 10 | 2 | Files; CAP War on Poverty
papers |
undated |
| 10 | 3 | Files; CAP War on Poverty
papers |
undated |
| 10 | 4 | Files; CAP War on Poverty
papers |
undated |
| 10 | 5 | Files; CAP War on Poverty
papers |
undated |
Thorne's Subject Files, undatedReturn to Top
Container(s): Box 11
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 11 | 1 | International Women's Conference in Salt
Lake City papers |
1970-1979 |
| 11 | 2 | International Assoc. for Feminist
Economics papers |
1990-2003 |
| 11 | 3 | Whittier Community Center (of Logan)
files |
1990-1999 |
| 11 | 4 | Women in International Development
papers |
undated |
| 11 | 5 | Women and Gender Institute
papers |
1985 |
| 11 | 6 | Unitarian-Universalism
papers |
undated |
| 11 | 7 | USU Women's Studies Program
papers |
1990-2003 |
| 11 | 8 | USU Women's Studies Program
papers,(contains reports and meeting minutes) |
1990-2000 |
| 11 | 9 | USU Extension Service and Utah Science
papers |
1970-1979 |
Thorne Family Papers, 1941-1960 Return to Top
Container(s): Box 12
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 12 | 1 | Correspondence of Kip Thorne |
1943-1951 |
| 12 | 2 | "A Life of Joy: The Autobiography of New
H. Comish" |
1959 |
| 12 | 3 | "Snowflake Girl," by L.L. Comish |
1960 |
Papers of Elizabeth Hoyt given to Thorne. , undatedReturn to Top
Container(s): Box 13
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 13 | 1 | Draft of "Consumers' Demand," by Hoyt,
|
1935 |
| 13 | 2 | Hoyt's notes, writings, syllabi, and
additional papers |
1930-1950 |
| 13 | 3 | Publications and writings by
Hoyt |
undated |
| 13 | 4 | Publications and writings used by Hoyt
for her research |
1925-1951 |
Subject Files, Misc. Notes and Letters. , undatedReturn to Top
Container(s): Box 14
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 14 | 1 | Mormons for the Equal Rights
Amendment |
undated |
| 14 | 2 | Women's Movement |
undated |
| 14 | 3 | Migrant Workers |
undated |
| 14 | 4 | Thorne's friends at Utah State
University |
undated |
| 14 | 5 | Misc. notes, comments, and
letters |
undated |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Equal rights amendments--Utah.
- Feminism--Utah.
- Mormons--Utah--History
- Women's studies--Utah.
Personal Names
- Thorne, Alison Comish
Corporate Names
- Utah State University--Faculty.
- Utah State University--History.
Finding aid created by the Special Collections Department at Utah State University
2010
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
