Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Elizabeth Maury Dean Papers, 1916-1966 (bulk 1925-1959)
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Dean, Elizabeth Maury, 1908-1997
- Title
- Elizabeth Maury Dean Papers
- Dates
- 1916-1966 (bulk 1925-1959) (inclusive)19161966
- Quantity
- 2.2 linear feet
- Collection Number
- Mss 931
- Summary
- The Elizabeth Maury Dean collection is composed primarily of personal correspondence written between Dean and her parents, H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury, from 1925-1959. The Maurys were from Butte, Montana. Dean moved to Detroit in 1931 where she worked first in newspapers and then as a social worker.
- Repository
-
University of Montana, Mansfield Library, Archives and Special Collections
Archives and Special Collections
Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library
University of Montana
32 Campus Dr. #9936
59812-9936
Missoula, MT
Telephone: 406-243-2053
library.archives@umontana.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of Archives and Special Collections, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, and The University of Montana-Missoula.
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Elizabeth Maury was born on October 2, 1908 in Butte, Montana to Henry Lowndes Maury, a prominent attorney who practiced from 1899-1959, and Anne Henderson Maury. She was the fifth of seven children. Elizabeth studied journalism at the University of Montana from 1925-1930 where she was voted "most likely to become the best newspaperman" by her fellow students. After graduation, she moved to Wenatchee, Washington and, later, Glasgow, Montana to report for small-town newspapers such as the Glasgow Courier. As the Great Depression deepened, she moved to Detroit, Michigan in 1931 upon the recommendation of her eldest brother Reuben Maury, a Pulitzer-prize winning writer for the New York Daily News. There she eventually became the Women's Club Editor for the Detroit Free Press, a position she held until 1942. In the second phase of her career, she worked as a social worker in the Detroit metro area during the late 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s. After her retirement, she was named to the Wayne County Solid Waste Commission where she advocated for recycling programs. She was also active in the pro-choice movement and the Detroit Unitarian-Universalist Church.
Elizabeth married John Dean in 1933, and they had two children, John Maury and Josephine Blair. The couple remained married until John Dean's death in 1970. Elizabeth Maury Dean died in 1997 in Dearborn, Michigan.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The bulk of this collection consists of personal correspondence written between Elizabeth Maury Dean and her parents, H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury, from 1925-1959. The Maurys were a prominent family from Butte, Montana. The majority of Dean's letters to her parents were written in Detroit, Michigan, where she moved in 1931 for work in the newspaper industry. After her marriage and the birth of her children, Detroit became the settled home base for the Dean family. In addition, there is some correspondence between John Dean and his in-laws as well as letters sent between the Maury siblings.
Early letters reveal details about student life at the University of Montana in the mid- to late-1920s. Elizabeth Maury Dean's experiences during the Great Depression are prominently featured in her correspondence during the 1930s. Maury family views about WWII, Montana politics and politicians such as Burton K. Wheeler and Wesley A. D'Ewart, book recommendations, and discussion of H. Lowndes Maury's legal victories are expressed in letters written during the 1940s and 1950s. The primary topics covered in this collection concern the home lives and personal affairs of Dean and her immediate family as well as those of her parents and siblings.
In addition, the collection includes photographs of H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury on their 60th Anniversary and an undated portrait of H. Lowndes Maury done by Zubick Art Studio in Butte, Montana.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and any other applicable statutes. Non-exclusive intellectual property rights are held by the University of Montana.
Preferred Citation
Elizabeth Maury Dean Papers, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana-Missoula.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
This collection has been arranged as a single series. Correspondence has been arranged chronologically by author.
Custodial History
Items within this collection were held by Elizabeth Maury Dean until her death.
Acquisition Information
Elizabeth Maury Dean's daughter, Josephine Blair Dean Cooter, donated this collection to the University of Montana, Mansfield Library, Archives and Special Collections in June of 2018.
Processing Note
Materials were organized chronologically and placed into folders during processing.
Related Materials
The Montana Historical Society holds the Henry Lowndes Maury Papers (MC 177). The University of Montana's Archives and Special Collections holds the Maury Family Papers (Mss 122) and the Lowdnes Maury Papers (Mss 456).
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/1 | Elizabeth Maury Dean, Grade School Language Project McKinley School in Butte, project about George Washington
|
1916 |
1/2 | University of Montana Letter from UM registrar, UM application, deposit receipt for room
|
1925 |
1/3 | Elizabeth Maury Dean to H.Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury Student life at UM, sorority life, journalism classes, Tanans (women's honorary organization)
|
1925-1926 |
1/4 | Elizabeth Maury Dean to H.Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury Move to Detroit, description of newspaper assignments, differences between Montana and city life, Great Depression, work at the Children's Home
|
1931-1932 |
1/5 | Elizabeth Maury Dean to H.Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury Detroit Free Press, marriage, birth control methods
|
1933 |
1/6 | Elizabeth Maury Dean to H.Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury Great Depression
|
1934-1939 |
1/7 | Elizabeth Maury Dean to H.Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury Montgomery Case, brother Lowndes Maury's marriage, views on WWII, Burton K. Wheeler
|
1940-1941 |
1/8 | Elizabeth Maury Dean to H.Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury WWII, birth of son John Maury Dean, Darian Deal, Montgomery Case victory
|
1942-1943 |
1/9 | Elizabeth Maury Dean to H.Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury Home life
|
1944 |
1/10 | Elizabeth Maury Dean to H.Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury VE Day, Detroit factories (return to civilian products), return to unemployment for women, election of Wesley A. D'Ewart, VJ Day celebrations in Detroit, birth of daugher Josephine Blair Dean
|
1945 |
1/11 | Elizabeth Maury Dean to H.Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury Better Schools Association, home life
|
1946-1949 |
1/12 | Elizabeth Maury Dean to H.Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury H. Lowndes Maury's car accident, move to a new house
|
1950-1952 |
1/13 | Elizabeth Maury Dean to H.Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury John Dean illness and hospitalization; Mowat Case victory
|
1953-1954 |
1/14 | Elizabeth Maury Dean to H.Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury Return to work, social services
|
1955-1957 |
1/15 | Elizabeth Maury Dean to H.Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury Maury family reunion, trip West, strike at GM plant
|
1958 |
2/1 | Elizabeth Maury Dean to Anne Maury H. Lowndes Maury's death
|
1959 |
2/2 | Elizabeth Maury Dean to Anne Maury | 1960 |
2/3 | Elizabeth Maury Dean to Anne Maury | 1961 |
2/4 | Elizabeth Maury Dean to Anne Maury | 1962 |
2/5 | Elizabeth Maury Dean to Anne Maury | 1963 |
2/6 | Elizabeth Maury Dean to Anne Maury | 1964 |
2/7 | Elizabeth Maury Dean to Anne Maury | 1965 |
2/8 | Elizabeth Maury Dean to Anne Maury | 1966 |
2/9 | H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury to Elizabeth Maury Dean | 1926-1927 |
2/10 | H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury to Elizabeth Maury Dean | 1931 |
2/11 | H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury to Elizabeth Maury Dean | 1932 |
3/1 | H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury to Elizabeth Maury Dean | January - July 1933 |
3/2 | H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury to Elizabeth Maury Dean | August - December 1933 |
3/3 | H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury to Elizabeth Maury Dean | 1934 |
3/4 | H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury to Elizabeth Maury Dean | 1935 |
3/5 | H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury to Elizabeth Maury Dean | 1936 |
3/6 | H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury to Elizabeth Maury Dean | 1937 |
3/7 | H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury to Elizabeth Maury Dean | 1938 |
3/8 | H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury to Elizabeth Maury Dean | 1939 |
3/9 | H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury to Elizabeth Maury Dean | 1940 |
3/10 | H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury to Elizabeth Maury Dean | 1941 |
4/1 | H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury to Elizabeth Maury Dean | January - July 1942 |
4/2 | H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury to Elizabeth Maury Dean | August - December 1942 |
4/3 | H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury to Elizabeth Maury Dean | 1943 |
4/4 | H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury to Elizabeth Maury Dean | 1944 |
4/5 | H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury to Elizabeth Maury Dean | 1945-1947 |
4/6 | H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury to Elizabeth Maury Dean | 1948-1949 |
4/7 | H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury to Elizabeth Maury Dean | 1951-1952 |
4/8 | H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury to Elizabeth Maury Dean | 1953 |
4/9 | H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury to Elizabeth Maury Dean | January - July 1954 |
4/10 | H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury to Elizabeth Maury Dean | August - December 1954 |
4/11 | H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury to Elizabeth Maury Dean | 1955 |
5/1 | H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury to Elizabeth Maury Dean | 1956 |
5/2 | H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury to Elizabeth Maury Dean | 1957 |
5/3 | H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury to Elizabeth Maury Dean | 1958 |
5/4 | Photograph of H. Lowndes Maury and Anne Maury 60th Anniversary
|
undated |
5/5 | Portrait Photograph of H. Lowndes Maury Zubick Art Studio
|
undated |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Depressions
- Depressions--1929--Montana--Personal narratives
- Manners and customs
- Women journalists--United States
- Women journalists--United States
Personal Names
- Dean, Elizabeth Maury, 1908-1997--Archives
- Maury, Anne Henderson
- Maury, Henry Lowndes, 1875-1959
Corporate Names
- State University of Montana (Missoula, Mont.)
- State University of Montana (Missoula, Mont.)--Students
Family Names
- Dean family
- Dean family--Correspondence
- Maury family
- Maury family--Correspondence
Geographical Names
- Butte (Mont.)--Social life and customs--20th century
- Detroit (Mich.)--Social life and customs
- Michigan--Detroit
- Montana
- Montana--Butte
- United States
Form or Genre Terms
- Family papers
- Photographs