Summary Information

Creator:
Hale, Emily, 1891-1969
Creator:
Eliot, T.S. (Thomas Stearns), 1888-1965
Title and dates:
Emily Hale Letters from T.S. Eliot
1895-1956
bulk 1931-1940
Abstract:
Consists mostly of letters from British-American poet T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale (1891-1969), a teacher, actress, and close friend of Eliot's. Also included are copies of typescripts by ElioT.S.me photographs and ephemera, and a brief narrative of the relationship between the two penned by Hale.
Call number:
C0686
Location:
Princeton University. Library. Department of Special Collections
Manuscripts Division
Princeton, New Jersey 08544 USA
Language(s) of materials:
English
Storage note:
This collection is stored onsite at Firestone Library.

Biography/History

Emily Hale was born on October 27, 1891. She was an actress and stage director, and taught drama and voice instruction at Simmons College, Milwaukee-Downer College in Wisconsin, Scripps College, and Abbott Academy. She met T.S. Eliot while he was at pursuing a graduate degree at Harvard, and maintained a lifelong and close friendship with the poet, corresponding with him and routinely visiting him over several decades.She died in 1969.

Biography/History

T.S. Eliot, the noted modern poet, dramatist, and literary critic, was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He earned a master's degree from Harvard University, which is when he met Emily Hale in 1913. The two formed a close bond, and when Eliot moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 to begin his PhD studies (eventually becoming a British subject in 1927) they remained in contact, establishing a robust correspondence that would continue intermittenly for years. In addition to his writing, Eliot worked as a schoolteacher and a bank accounts manager before joining the publishing firm of Faber and Gwyer (later Faber and Faber) in 1925, where he worked for the remainder of his career. Best known for such poems as The Waste Land, The Hollow Men, and Four Quartets, Eliot was the recipient of the 1948 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Description

The collection consists primarily of letters by poet, dramatist, and literary critic T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale (1891-1969), a teacher, actress, and lifelong friend of Eliot’s. Also included are a small portion of correspondence between Hale and others, as well as some photographs, ephemera, clippings, copies of typescript material by Eliot, and a brief narrative of the relationship between the two penned by Hale.

Emily Hale and T.S. Eliot first met in Cambridge, Massachusetts, while Eliot was working towards a graduate degree in philosophy. They struck up a friendship, and Eliot expressed a romantic interest in Hale soon after. Though Hale did not initially share that interest, they remained friends and stayed in close contact after Eliot moved abroad, corresponding frequently for decades. The bulk of the letters were written during the 1930s and provide a detailed account of their intimate friendship, as well as Eliot’s work and personal life.

Eliot often enclosed other materials in his letters to Hale, such as photographs and letters he had received from friends and contemporaries (including Virginia Woolf and Ezra Pound). In a letter from December 29, 1930, Eliot addressed this practice, writing “I shall from time to time slip in a note or letter to me from my acquaintances, as these do I think to help make one’s life seem more real to another person.” A number of the letters also include handwritten annotations and corrections.

Emily Hale’s friendship with former Princeton professor and literary critic Willard Thorp and his wife Margaret is also evident from letters between the three included with the correspondence. It was partially at the urging of Professor Thorp that Hale wrote a short explaination her relationship with Eliot to be included with the collection when it came to Princeton. It was also because of Emily Hale's relationship with the Thorps and their connection to Princeton that she chose to donate the letters to the University. T.S. Eliot was not initially pleased with this decision, and his opinions regarding this are discussed in letters to Hale between 1956 and 1957.

Arrangement

Collection is arranged chronologically by type.

Access and Use

Access

The collection is sealed until January 2, 2020, by agreement with the donor, Emily Hale.

Reproduction rights are still being determined at this time.

Researchers may be asked to use digital surrogates of material if more than one patron requests to use a box at the same time.

Restrictions on Use and Copyright Information

Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. No further photoduplication of copies of material in the collection can be made when Princeton University Library does not own the original. Inquiries regarding publishing material from the collection should be directed to RBSC Public Services staff at rbsc@princeton.edu. The library has no information on the status of literary rights in the collection and researchers are responsible for determining any questions of copyright.

Acquisition and Appraisal

Provenance and Acquisition

Gift of Emily Hale in 1956. AM 15768.

Appraisal

No materials were removed from the collection during 2019 processing beyond routine appraisal practices.

Processing and Other Information

Works Cited

Letter, 1930 December 29. Emily Hale Letters from T. S. Eliot; Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library.

Descriptive Rules Used

Finding aid content adheres to that prescribed by Describing Archives: A Content Standard.

Encoding

This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2019-11-15T13:08-0500

Language(s) of this Finding Aid

English

Preferred Citation

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); T.S. Eliot Letters to Emily Hale, Box and Folder Number; Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, Princeton University Library.

Contents List

  1. Correspondence, 1895-1957

    Description:

    The bulk of the correspondence is from T.S. Eliot, and many letters are interfiled with enclosures that were sent with them. Also included is correspondence between Emily Hale and others, particularly her friends Margaret and Willard Thorp. The Thorps were also associates of Eliot, and they were aware of the close relationship between he and Hale.

  2. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1930 October-1956

    Arrangement:

    Arranged chronologically.

  3. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1930 October-December

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    Box 1 Folder 1
  4. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1931 January-February

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    Box 1 Folder 2
  5. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1931 March

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    Box 1 Folder 3
  6. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1931 April

    Description:

    Includes enclosures from Virginia Woolf, Stephen Spender, William Rothenstein, and John Middleton Murry.

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    Box 1 Folder 4
  7. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1931 May

    Description:

    Includes enclosure from Allen Tate.

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    Box 1 Folder 5
  8. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1931 June

    Description:

    Includes enclosure from John Middleton Murry.

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    Box 1 Folder 6
  9. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1931 July

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    Box 1 Folder 7
  10. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1931 August

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    Box 2 Folder 1
  11. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1931 September

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    Box 2 Folder 2
  12. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1931 October

    Description:

    Includes enclosures from Virginia Woolf and John Middleton Murry.

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    Box 2 Folder 3
  13. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1931 November

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    Box 2 Folder 4
  14. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1931 December

    Description:

    Includes enclosures from Virginia Woolf and Ezra Pound.

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    Box 2 Folder 5
  15. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1932 January

    Description:

    Some letters from January 1932 incorrectly dated 1931.

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    Box 2 Folder 6
  16. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1932 February

    Description:

    Includes enclosure from Virginia Woolf.

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    Box 2 Folder 7
  17. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1932 March

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    Box 2 Folder 8
  18. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1932 April

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    Box 3 Folder 1
  19. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1932 May

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    Box 3 Folder 2
  20. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1932 June

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    Box 3 Folder 3
  21. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1932 July

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    Box 3 Folder 4
  22. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1932 August-September

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    Box 3 Folder 5
  23. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1932 October

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    Box 3 Folder 6
  24. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1932 November

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    Box 4 Folder 1
  25. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1932 December

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    Box 4 Folder 2
  26. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1933 January-February

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    Box 4 Folder 3
  27. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1933 March

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    Box 4 Folder 4
  28. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1933 April-May

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    Box 4 Folder 5
  29. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1933 June

    Description:

    Includes enclosures from Ezra Pound and Allen Tate.

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    Box 4 Folder 6
  30. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1933 July-August

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    Box 4 Folder 7
  31. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1933 September-October

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    Box 5 Folder 1
  32. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1933 November-December

    Description:

    There is one letter, circa 1933 with no month indicated, at the end.

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    Box 5 Folder 2
  33. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1934 January-February

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    Box 5 Folder 3
  34. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1934 March-April

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    Box 5 Folder 4
  35. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1934 May-July

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    Box 5 Folder 5
  36. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1934 August-December

    Description:

    There are two letters, circa 1934 with no month indicated, at the end.

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    Box 5 Folder 6
  37. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1935 January-March

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    Box 6 Folder 1
  38. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, dates not examined

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    Box 6 Folder 2
  39. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1935 July-September

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    Box 6 Folder 3
  40. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1935 October-December

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    Box 6 Folder 4
  41. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, circa 1935

    Description:

    Contains letters circa 1935 with no months indicated.

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    Box 6 Folder 5
  42. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1936 January-March

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    Box 6 Folder 6
  43. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1936 April-June

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    Box 6 Folder 7
  44. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1936 July-August

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    Box 7 Folder 1
  45. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1936 September-October

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    Box 7 Folder 2
  46. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1936 November-December

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    Box 7 Folder 3
  47. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1937 January-February

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    Box 7 Folder 4
  48. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1937 March-April

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    Box 7 Folder 5
  49. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1937 May-July

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    Box 7 Folder 6
  50. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1937 August-September

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    Box 7 Folder 7
  51. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1937 October

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    Box 8 Folder 1
  52. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1937 November

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    Box 8 Folder 2
  53. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1937 December

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    Box 8 Folder 3
  54. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1938 January-February

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    Box 8 Folder 4
  55. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1938 March

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    Box 8 Folder 5
  56. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1938 April-May

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    Box 8 Folder 6
  57. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1938 June-August

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    Box 9 Folder 1
  58. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1938 September-October

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    Box 9 Folder 2
  59. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1938 November-December

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    Box 9 Folder 3
  60. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1939 January-February

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    Box 9 Folder 4
  61. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1939 March

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    Box 9 Folder 5
  62. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1939 April

    Description:

    Includes enclosure from Dorothy L. Sayers.

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    Box 9 Folder 6
  63. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1939 May-July

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    Box 10 Folder 1
  64. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1939 August-September

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    Box 10 Folder 2
  65. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1939 October

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    Box 10 Folder 3
  66. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1939 November-December

    Description:

    Includes enclosure from Virginia Woolf. There is one letter, circa 1939 with no month indicated, at the end.

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    Box 10 Folder 4
  67. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1940 January-February

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    Box 10 Folder 5
  68. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1940 March-April

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    Box 10 Folder 6
  69. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1940 May- August

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    Box 11 Folder 1
  70. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1940 September-December

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    Box 11 Folder 2
  71. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1941 January-May

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    Box 11 Folder 3
  72. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1941 June-August

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    Box 11 Folder 4
  73. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1941 September-December

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    Box 11 Folder 5
  74. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1942 January-May

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    Box 11 Folder 6
  75. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1942 June-December

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    Box 12 Folder 1
  76. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1943 January-May

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    Box 12 Folder 2
  77. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1943 June-December

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    Box 12 Folder 3
  78. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1944 January-June

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    Box 12 Folder 4
  79. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1944 July-December

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    Box 12 Folder 5
  80. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1945

    Description:

    Letter received April 26 and noted to be from 1945 included in folder.

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    Box 12 Folder 6
  81. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1946 January-September

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    Box 12 Folder 7
  82. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1946 October-December

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    Box 12 Folder 8
  83. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1947

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    Box 13 Folder 1
  84. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1948

    Description:

    There is one envelope with enclosures, circa 1948 with no month indicated, at the end.

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    Box 13 Folder 2
  85. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1949-1950

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    Box 13 Folder 3
  86. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1951-1952

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    Box 13 Folder 4
  87. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1953-1955

    Description:

    There is one letter, circa 1955 with no month indicated, at the end.

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    Box 13 Folder 5
  88. Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1956-1957

    Description:

    There is one letter, circa 1956 with no month indicated, at the end.

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    Box 13 Folder 6
  89. Other Letters, 1895-1957

    Arrangement:

    Arranged by correspondent.

  90. Willard and Margaret Thorp Correspondence, 1933-1957

    Description:

    Contains letters between Emily Hale, Princeton professor Willard Thorp, and his wife Margaret, who were also friends of Eliot's.

  91. Margaret Thorp Letters to Emily Hale, 1933 January-August

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    Box 13 Folder 7
  92. Margaret Thorp Letters to Emily Hale, 1936 June-1938 June

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    Box 14 Folder 1
  93. Letters from Emily Hale to Willard and Margaret Thorp, 1956-1957

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    Box 14 Folder 6
  94. Sophie Krauss Letters to Emily Hale, 1933 June-1936 August

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    Box 14 Folder 2
  95. Ashley Dukes Letters to Emily Hale, 1937 November-1938 January

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    Box 14 Folder 3
  96. Isabel Whiting Letters to Emily Hale, 1939 March-1943 January

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    Box 14 Folder 4
  97. Letters from Others to Emily Hale, bulk 1931-1943, 1895-1943

    Description:

    Includes single letters from Janet H. Clark, Millie (Mrs. George Abbot) Morison, Edith Perkins (Hale’s aunt), Ada E. Sheffield (T.S. Eliot’s sister), John Carroll Perkins (Hale’s uncle), William A. Neilson, Mary Lee Ware, Evelyn A. McCourtee, and others. The 1895 letter is from Edward Hale to Edith Perkins.

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    Box 14 Folder 5
  98. Letter from Emily Hale to President Hard, Scripps College, Claremont, California, 1945 September 20

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    Box 14 Folder 7
  99. Narrative Written by Emily Hale, 1957-1965

    Description:

    Includes several drafts of an account of the relationship between T.S. Eliot and Emily Hale, written by Emily Hale. Also included are letters from Hale to former University Librarian William S. Dix concerning corrections made to the drafts.

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    Box 14 Folder 8
  100. Typescripts, undated

    Description:

    Contains copies of typescripts of works by T.S. Eliot.

  101. Charles Whibley: A Memoir, undated

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    Box 14 Folder 9
  102. The Modern Dilemma, undated

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    Box 14 Folder 10
  103. Clippings and Photographs, 1930-1942

    Description:

    Includes photographs of T.S. Eliot, as well as related clippings and ephemera.

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    Box 14 Folder 11
  104. Books Across the Sea, Aldwych House, London Bulletin, 1943 September

    Description:

    Bulletin to members of the Books Across the Sea literary movement.

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    Box 14 Folder 12