Vassar College, the highly selective liberal arts educational institution in Poughkeepsie, New York, was one of the original Seven Sisters colleges. Vassar became a coeducational college in 1970. Today, women make up 62 percent of the student body.
Vassar recently acquired a substantial archive related to Harriet Beecher Stowe, the abolitionist and author. Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin was the best-selling novel of the nineteenth century. The archive was donated by Vassar alumna Mary C. Schlosser, a direct descendant of one of Stowe’s 10 siblings. It includes more than 500 items. Included in the archive are hard copies of all 40 issues of Stowe’s abolitionist weekly, The New Era. The archive also includes a first edition of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, handwritten manuscripts, and advertisements for the book.
“This is one of the greatest acquisitions for the Archives and Special Collections Library during my 25-year career here,” noted Vassar’s Head of Special Collections and College Historian Ronald Patkus. “We are extremely grateful for this wonderful gift, produced by an alum and member of the Beecher family. As the largest and most important collection of this kind in private hands, it will add considerably to Vassar’s holdings and provide an outstanding resource for teaching and research.”