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Mary Mendenhall Hobbs Papers

Made up largely of the writings and lectures of Mary Mendenhall Hobbs, these papers reflect her strong views on the true spirit of Quakerism; on women's rights, especially their right to a first class education; on the fallacy of rigid Biblical interpretation; and many other topics of current moment.

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Additional Talks and Writings
Various writings about many topics by Mary Mendenhall Hobbs. One essay is about how men and women should use their education as a weapon for the betterment of the country. These are motivational talks that give different life lessons.
Biographies M-Z
This folder contains biographical essays on Hannah W Osborne, Ezra Meader, Hannah Reynolds, Jonathan Worth, and Rhoda M Worth. It also contains a typed essay of rememberance in honor of Rodema White. The essay on Rhoda M Worth is written on the back of a typed message from the Henry Clay Literary Society to former members of the Society, in which the committee requests donations be made to help set up a new hall in the aftermath of King Hall's destruction by fire.
Civil War
This folder contains materials related to Friends' involvement in the Civil War. One typed essay draft details the tensions between Friends who believed in states' rights and Friends who supported the war's goal of ending slavery. Another focuses on the roles played by John Crenshaw, Francis King, and Addison Coffin in the reconstruction of the South following the war. The notebook found in this folder is titled "Condition at the close of the Civil War." The final document in this folder is a personal memoir of the Civil War written by Mary (portions of which are transcribed, although pages are missing).
Clippings
This folder contains several miscellanous documents belonging to Mary Mendenhall Hobbs. One document is a newspaper clipping of an undated article titled "Which of You?", written by Mary Mendenhall Hobbs and sent to the editor of The Daily News. The second clipping is from the Minneapolis Times and is titled "An Anniversary Poem," written by Mary in honor of the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Bassett. The third and fourth items in this folder are two menu booklets with images of Mary and Lyndon Hobbs on the front with classic quaker gear (a bonnet and a large-brimmed hat, respectively) painted onto the images. The booklets are marked "'14-'15" and tied with black and yellow ribbon. The menus they contain are handwritten.
Committee Minutes
This notebook contains undated minutes of the Committee on the Development of Spiritual Life in North Carolina Yearly Meeting. It also contains several undated, untitled essays by Mary Mendenhall Hobbs and financial records dated 1927-1930.
Concerns
This folder contains one undated, handwritten essay by Mary Mendenhall Hobbs on the role of concerns in a Quaker context.
Correspondence
Undated correspondence from Mary Mendenhall Hobbs. Included is an undated seasons' greeting card sent out by Hobbs, a wedding invitation from Dr. and Mrs. Junius Hill for their daughter Louise Carter's marriage to Kenyon Arthur Keith, a Christmas card from Mary and Lyndon's nephew or niece, and an unsigned letter to Gertrude with a list of "people I have asked personally to be present."
Correspondence
This folder contains correspondence both to and from Mary Mendenhall Hobbs. Authors of letters written to Mary found in this folder include Allen D. Hole, Alfred C. Garrett, Charles F. Coffin, Robert L. Kelly, Wilson Hobbs (son), J.G. Cannon (Illinois State Representative), E.M. Wister, Rachel F. Taylor, M. Carey Thomas (president of Bryn Mawr in 1901). Topics include worship, bible study, history, the fire at Guilford College in 1907, the importance of social life, family updates, and politics and the GOP. An editorial to the Outlook on the topic of "crimes against women by negroes" can be found in this folder (transcription available).
Creeds
This folder contains a typed and written essay by Mary Mendenhall Hobbs on the meaning of creeds in Christianity
Dress
This folder contains an undated, handwritten essay by Mary Mendenhall Hobbs on the topic of Quaker dress, with a focus on simplicty and the garments worn by Quaker women.
Education-Religious
This folder contains the 1912 (lecture? essay?""The Religious and Civic Aspects of Education"(both handwritten and transcribed copies are available), an essay titled "The Child In The Midst" (which addresses the presence of children in various biblical passages), and a document detailing the work of integrating religious studies into academic frameworks at Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Earlham, and other colleges.
Elders
This folder contains several drafts of essays by Mary Mendenhall Hobbs on the topic of elders in a Quaker context. Titles include "Eldership" and "The function of the elder." The essays are handwritten and undated.
Financial Records [Mary Mendenhall Hobbs papers]
This folder contains a number of financial documents belonging to Mary Mendenhall Hobbs. Records include checks, receipts, property tax documents, and a personal savings book. many of the documents are marked with the Greensboro Bank & Trust Company header.
Five Years Meeting
This folder contains several essays relating to the work and business of Five Years Meeting (an association of Yearly Meetings which eventually became Friends United Meeting in the mid-20th century). One of the documents in this folder appears to be the draft of an essay on the topic of Evangelicalism within the Five Years Meeting.
Five Years Meeting-Executive Committee
This folder contains responses to a 1912 questionnaire sent to various schools and colleges by the Executive Committee of the Five Years Meeting. The questionnaire focused on the religious life of the institutions and what "contributions the institutions are making to the working forces of the Church." Responses to the questionnaire were addressed to Mary; institutions who responded included Haverford College, Bryn Mawr College, Fairmont Academy (Indiana), Pacific College (Oregon), Pickering College (Ontario), Friends University, Nebraska Central College, Earlham,
Friends Messenger Articles
This folder contains newsletters from the Friends Messenger dated 1919-1920. The front page of each newsletter has "L.L. Hobbs" written on the upper right hand corner. The folder also contains a 1920 essay by Mary Mendenhall Hobbs titled "Shoulder to Shoulder," in which she encourages Friends to look to the model of early Quakers as they promote their "message of love and goodwill."
Geneology 2
This folder contains a copy of the Friends' Intelligencer and Journal, dated Second Month, 1895. The folder also contains multiple handwritten essays (authors not listed) focusing on Mendenhall family history. A document sent by Alice B. Hazard to either Mary or her husband in 1929 is a carbon copy of a transcribed dictation that focuses on the history of North Carolina Quakers. Another essay, written for the Guilford Collegian, includes a 4 - 5 page poem by Delphina Mendenhall titled "March of Emancipated Slaves to Ohio." The folder also contains biographical essays of various Mendenhall/Hobbs family members: George Mendenhall, Oriana Mendenhall, Pheobe Hobbs (1886), Richard Mendenhall (1896), and Minerva Thomas (written sometime after 1902). Various notes and lists related to family names, marriages, deaths, and dates are written on scrap paper and the back of essays. Mr. Jethro R. Wilson's obituary is also contained in this folder.
Geneology-Guilford Collegian
This folder contains two copies of the Guilford Collegian -- Vol. VI, no. 4 (November 1893) and Vol. VI, no. 5 (December 1893). The first few pages of both Collegians are marked with hand-written notes in the margins -- the handwriting appears to belong to L.L. Hobbs. The folder also includes several essays and drafts of essays (both handwritten and typed) by Mary Mendenhall Hobbs about the life and work of Nereus Mendenhall.
Girls Aid Committee of North Carolina Yearly Meeting
This folder contains two copies of a typed report by Mary Mendenhall Hobbs titled "Girls Aid Work at Guilford College and an Account of New Garden Hall," and an additional handwritten report titled "A Report of the Work of the Girls Aid Committee of North Carolina Yearly Meeting. Neither report is dated. The folder also contains three Keystone Composition notebooks containing information and notes made by Mary pertaning to the Girls Aid Committee, a clipping titled "Memorial Rooms in the New Dormitory for Girls at Gulford College" from an unknown North Carolina Yearly Meeting publication, and an essay by Mary titled "History of New Garden Hall," and an undated letter from Mary to Henry White regarding the work of the Committee.
Guilford College Community
This folder contains one handwritten, undated document titled "Our Neighborhood," written on fourteen 5x6 inch paper."Our Neighborhood" addresses the topic of charity and the necessity of individuals responding to the "needs exisiting in his [their] community."

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