The Rhode Island Society for the Collegiate Education of Women (RISCEW) was founded by Providence educator and suffragist Sarah Elizabeth Doyle. Doyle had founded the Rhode Island Women's Club and had also helped found the Rhode Island School of Design. With the appointment of Elisha Benjamin Andrews as Brown University's president in 1889, Doyle found a coworker in the cause of women's higher education at Brown. Andrews succeeded in obtaining the Corporation's approval to permit women to take Brown qualifying exams in 1891 and registered seven students for classes, about which the Corporation had made no mention. In 1892, the Corporation approved the granting of undergraduate and graduate degrees to women and, in 1896, gave the growing number of women students an official status by creating the Women's College at Brown University, a department of the College. Andrews and the women's dean, Louis Franklin Snow, called on Doyle for help in the endowment and building construction of the College. RISCEW was formed in 1895 largely from the membership of the Rhode Island Women's Club (RIWC) and was incorporated in 1896 with Doyle as president and Ameila Sumner Knight (president of the RIWC) as treasurer. Pembroke Hall was completed and transferred to Brown in 1897. RISCEW served as the main fund-raising organ for the Women's College until the establishment of a large and vigorous alumnae association, but continued its financial and moral support through the 1971 merger of Pembroke and Brown, when they considered their work complete. These records of RISCEW provide a detailed picture of Pembroke's "fairy godmother" - as the membership was often called by the Women's College - at work.
There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Rhode Island Society for the Collegiate Education of Women records, MS-1ZW-R1, Brown University Archives.
The records of the Rhode Island Society for the Collegiate Education of Women (RISCEW) consist of the organization's meeting minute records, correspondence, news clippings, organizational histories, membership lists and financial ledgers from 1895-1971. Additional materials within the collection are reports by various committees, such as the Building Committee, Evaluation Committee, and the War Service Committee of 1918-1919.
The Seventy-fifth Anniversary Committee of the RISCEW planned its final luncheon for the 14th of September 1971. The collection contains the committee minutes, correspondence, and typescripts of speeches by Mrs. Dwight Owen (president), Bessie H. Rudd (committee chair), and W. Chesley Worthington (which was read by Rudd). Also available are the photographs mounted for a show after Rudd finished Worthington's speech.
The collection is arranged into the following series:
The acquisition information for this collection is unavailable.
This collection was arranged and described by Karen Lamoree and Kim Brookes.
Brown University Library catalog record for this collection:
See also the dedication program for Pembroke Hall, the slides taken at the last meeting in April 1971, and the photographs taken at the final luncheon in September 1971. Both sets of images were originally part of this collection, but are now stored respectively in the Archives slide files and the Archives 1-ZP Photographic files.
This series is comprised of meeting minute records and financial ledgers from 1895-1971.
This is an oversized volume, which is shelved with the oversized Mss. volumes
This is an oversized volume, which is shelved with the oversized Mss. volumes
This is an oversized volume, which is shelved with the oversized Mss. volumes
Volume marked "Women's College Fund"
Volume marked "Women's College Fund"
This series is comprised of committee reports, correspondence, organizational histories, and membership lists.
These reports deal with fund-raising for and construction of Pembroke Hall. See also the final report of the committee to the Rhode Island Society for the Collegiate Education of Women Corporation and the dedication program for Pembroke Hall, which includes a speech by Sarah E. Doyle.
This report, written by Sarah S. Danielson, is a short history of the Committee, which built Pembroke Hall. See also the reports of the Committee from 1896-97.
See also the original by-laws in the minutes of the September 1896 meeting.
Arranged alphabetically. One of the more interesting items is the letter from Professor Carl Barus to Louise C. Hoppin about his wife, Annie Howes Barus and the work of alumnae in bettering women's education at Brown.
This committee evaluated the role of the Rhode Island Society for the Collegiate Education of Women in light of the changing status of Pembroke College.
This 1937 version is a short chronological list of events.
Mary Louise Hinckley Record wrote "The Story of the Rhode Island Society of the Collegiate Education of Women and Its Relationship to Pembroke College" in 1957.
Pembroke College Dean Rosemary Peirrel Sorrentino wrote the "History of the Rhode Island Society for the Collegiate Education of Women" for the final meeting of Rhode Island Society for the Collegiate Education of Women in April 1971.
This is a copy of Pierrel's history annotated by Bessie H. Rudd, director of Pembroke's Physical Education Department for 32 years.
RISCEW gave luncheons for Pembroke students.
Included is a tribute to Dean Lisa Shaw King, the report of an interview of Margaret Shove Morriss by a Mrs. Wells, and correspondence with several Pembroke deans.
The committee planned the final luncheon of RISCEW, held September 14, 1971. This series contains the committee minutes, typescripts of speeches by Mrs. Dwight Owen (president), Bessie H. Rudd (committee chair), and W. Chesley Worthington (which was read by Rudd). Also available are photographs shown in a show after Rudd finished Worthington's speech. Slides of the final luncheon are available in the Archives slide files and photographs of the final meeting in April 1971 are in the Archives photograph files.
This speech was read by Bessie H. Rudd at the final luncheon.