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About the Collection
Welcome to the Ruth M. Tallmadge Scrapbook. Ruth M. Tallmadge was a student at Simmons College from 1929–1933, during the Great Depression. She earned a degree in Secretarial Studies and was a member of the last graduating class to be awarded degrees by Simmons' first president Henry Lefavour. Like many college students at this time, she used a College Memories Book to preserve her mementos. Ruth's scrapbook contains photographs, playbills, theater tickets, notes, letters, programs, and other artifacts that you are invited to explore through this website.
History of the Scrapbook
Ruth's scrapbook remained in her possession until her death in 2008. It was then purchased from her estate through the auction website, eBay. The buyer, a collector of postcards and greeting cards from Portland, Oregon, removed all the items of interest to her and decided it wasn't right to throw away the rest. The collector forwarded the scrapbook to the New England Historic Genealogical Society, who in turn donated it to the Simmons College Archives.
This scrapbook is now preserved and shared among a larger collection of alumnae scrapbooks in the Notable Women of Simmons College Digital Scrapbook Collection. The site offers a glimpse of what life was like, both academically and socially, for a young woman attending college in the late 1920's to early 1930's. Enjoy!