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MacMillan-Snyder letters

 Collection
Identifier: M289

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Scope and Content

Letters written by Donald B. and Miriam L. MacMillan to Emma and William H. Snyder, with occasional newspaper clippings, photographs, and other printed material included. The correspondence concerns family, mutual friends, health, travel to the Arctic, and the Inuit schoolchildren in Labrador. There are also letters from Katie Hettasch, teacher at the MacMillan-Moravian Mission School, addressed to "My dear Friend" and forwarded by Miriam MacMillan to the Snyders. These letters discuss the Inuit schoolchildren, and most of the photographs are of Inuit children. The miscellaneous printed material includes a map showing the location of Snyder Bay.

Dates

  • Creation: 1931-1953, undated

Creator

Biographical/Historical Note

William H. Snyder and Donald B. MacMillan were both on the faculty of Worcester School in Massachusetts. Snyder left Worcester to become principal of Hollywood High School in California, while MacMillan left to accompany Peary on his first expedition to the North Pole. Though Snyder became a college administrator and MacMillan an explorer, the two men and their wives, Miriam L. MacMillan and Emma Snyder, remained friends and corresponded regularly. The Snyders donated money to supply the MacMillan-Moravian Mission School in Nain, Labrador. Donald MacMillan named Snyder Bay, about thirty miles north of the Inuit settlement of Nain, on the Labrador coast, in honor of William Snyder.

Extent

0.2 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Letters written by Donald B. and Miriam L. MacMillan to Emma and William H. Snyder, with occasional newspaper clippings, photographs, and other printed material included.

Related Names

Subjects

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Guide to the MacMillan-Snyder Letters
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, Bowdoin College Library, Brunswick, Maine 04011 Repository

http://library.bowdoin.edu/arch/index.shtml
Contact:
3000 College Station
Brunswick Maine 04011 USA
(207) 725-3288

Acknowledgment of non-neutrality

The George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, like all archives and special collections libraries, is the creation of human beings who have collected, organized, and described things in ways that reflect personal, cultural, societal, and institutional biases. Although we strive to preserve and present collections in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections, we acknowledge that our systems are neither neutral nor perfect. We encourage you to let us know if you encounter materials, descriptive language, or practices that are offensive or harmful, particularly those for which inadequate context or warning is offered. We are committed to modifying and updating our descriptive practices to use respectful and inclusive terminology and appreciate your help in this work. We look forward to supporting you in your research and learning together.