Myrtle Whitney Papers

The Myrtle Whitney Papers fill one half-width box and date from the period 1890-1892. The bulk of the papers consist of letters written by Whitney to her mother and grandparents during her time as a student at Northwestern University. The letters offer valuable insight into the life of a female student at the University near the turn of the 20th century. They document student living conditions (one letter includes her account of a gas lamp exploding in her dormitory), Whitney's financial difficulties, and her struggles to become accepted into a sorority. Also present in this collection are Whitney's matriculation record, a small volume of general biographical materials, and a journal ofexpenses from her time at Northwestern.