Archives West Finding Aid
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Eleanor Wilson papers , 1925-1951
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Wilson, Eleanor, 1891-
- Title
- Eleanor Wilson papers
- Dates
- 1925-1951 (inclusive)19251951
- Quantity
- 0.5 linear feet, (1 container)
- Collection Number
- Ax 611
- Summary
- Eleanor Wilson (1891-1972) was a Christian missionary who worked in Japan, Hawaii, and the Pacific in general, particularly the Marshall and Caroline Islands. In 1950 she became captain of the Morning Star VI, a mission ship in the Pacific. The collection consists mostly of correspondence describing her missionary work from 1925-1951; there are also a few miscellaneous items and photographs.
- Repository
-
University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
UO Libraries--SCUA
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene OR
97403-1299
Telephone: 5413463068
spcarref@uoregon.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time.
- Additional Reference Guides
-
See the Current Collection Guide for detailed description and requesting options.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
Eleanor Wilson was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, and educated at Simmons College and the New York Biblical Seminary (Columbia). In 1925 she went to Japan as a missionary teacher for the Congregational Church, and was stationed at the Kobe Theological Seminary for Women. From 1933-1935 she worked in the office of the American Board of Foreign Missions, Boston. In 1935 she went to the Mission Training School in Kusaie, Caroline Islands, as teacher, later principal, remaining until 1941. During World War II she was in the United States, lecturing for the mission board. In 1945 she went to Hawaii, where she was ordained a Christian Church minister, and in 1946 resumed missionary work in the Pacific area, particularly in the Marshall and Caroline Islands.
In 1950 Wilson became the captain of the Morning Star VI, one of a sequence of mission ships in the Pacific. She retired in 1961.
Wilson's career is the subject of a book by Maribelle Cormack, The Lady Was a Skipper (N.Y., 1956), and in the Maribelle Cormack Papers (Ax 418) at the University of Oregon are notes about, and letters from, Eleanor Wilson.
Eleanor Wilson died in 1969 in a Claremont, California retirement center. She was 80 years old.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection consists almost entirely of outgoing correspondence, the vast majority of them written to "Dear Folks." There is a several year period during which Wilson wrote these letters very consistently, almost one per week. These letters contain many details about her work, along with many personal anecdotes of her daily experiences. There is also one folder of outgoing letters to Wilson's brother, Theodore Wilson. Miscellaneous material in the collection includes church bulletins and newsletters.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Description |
|---|
| Guide to the Eleanor Wilson Papers |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Boats and boating in missionary work
- Congregational churches--Missions--Japan
- Missions--Caroline Islands
- Missions--Hawaii
- Missions--Japan
- Missions--Marshall Islands
- Women clergy
- Women missionaries--Caroline Islands
- Women missionaries--Hawaii
- Women missionaries--Japan
- Women missionaries--Marshall Islands
- Women ship captains
Personal Names
- Wilson, Eleanor, 1891-
Corporate Names
- Morning Star VI (Ship)
Form or Genre Terms
- Correspondence
Finding aid prepared by David Young, Manuscripts processor
2006
