Marion Slonimsky Papers

Manuscript Collection No. 636

1889-1915. 0.8 Linear ft.

ACCESS AND PROVENANCE
The Marion Stanley Slonimsky Papers were donated to the American Jewish Archives by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, New York, New York in August 1999. All papers donated prior to September 1999 have been arranged and described in this inventory.
The Hebrew Union College- Jewish Institute of Religion, by the act of donating the MARION STANLEY SLONIMSKY PAPERS to the American Jewish Archives, assigned the property rights to the American Jewish Archives. All literary rights to material authored by individuals are held by that individual or by their heirs. Questions concerning rights should be addressed to the Director of the American Jewish Archives.
The Marion Slonimsky Papers are open to all users. The original manuscript collection is available in the reading room of the American Jewish Archives.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH top
Alice Marion Cummings was born in San Jose, California on February 15, 1876, the only child of William and Mary Olinger Cummings. She grew up in San Jose, and later attended the University of California on scholarship, graduating with distinction in both Philosophy and English Literature. She earned both a Bachelor's and Master's degree.
In 1900, she married Bruce Stanley, and moved with her husband and mother to Tucson, Arizona. She taught from 1902 - 1914 at the University of Arizona, with courses in Philosophy, Psychology and History of Education. She also wrote poetry that was published in Harpers and other magazines. At this time, she developed a strong friendship with Sara Teasdale.
In 1914, following her mother's death, and her divorce, Marion Stanley moved to New York City. There she met and married Henry Slonimsky in 1916. She contracted cancer and spent most of her time attempting to conserve her strength . She also undertook political/ sociological studies in order to find a basis for world peace. Because of her ill health, none of this work was ever published.
Marion Slonimsky worked at the Jewish Community House in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the early twenties, along with her husband. The Slonimskys returned to New York in 1924 to work for Stephen Wise and the Jewish Institute of Religion. Marion Slonimsky died of cancer in September 1926. Her ashes were returned to Tucson, Arizona.
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE top
The Marion Stanley Slonimsky Papers describe the life and career of Marion Slonimsky. The collection includes correspondence and writings of Marion Slonimsky, including courses in psychology taught at the Jewish Community House in Cincinnati, Ohio. The collection is divided into three (3) series:

A. CORRESPONDENCE

B. WRITINGS and PUBLICATIONS

C. MEMORABILIA

SERIES A. CORRESPONDENCE, 1894-1915. Primarily letters of recommendation from former instructors and employers in addition to her publisher. This series consists of 1 folder. The arrangement is chronological.
SERIES B. WRITINGS AND PUBLICATIONS, 1889-1901, undated. Consists of poetry, musical compositions and lecture notes. Lecture notes include Logic, Sexual Selection/ Eugenics and Social Psychology. Five folders are filled with fairly complete notes on "The Orient and the Future of Civilization," a class most likely given at the Jewish Community House, in Cincinnati, Ohio in the early twenties. Arrangement of this series is alphabetical, with a chronological arrangement of dated poetry within one folder.
SERIES C. MEMORABILIA, 1895-1907. Consists of photographs, programs and other publications. One folder consists of undated photographs and postcards while the other folder contains programs from the Women's Club and the University of Arizona Bulletins as well as newspaper clippings about her career. A third contains guitar music.
BOX AND FOLDER LISTING top
Box  Folder         Contents

SERIES A. CORRESPONDENCE

1    1         Correspondence. 1894-1901, undated. Correspondence to and about
               Marion Cummings Stanley.


SERIES B. WRITINGS AND PUBLICATIONS, 1889-1915, undated.

1    2         Poetry. In notebooks. 1889-1915.
     3         Logic. Lecture Notes. Undated.
     4         Logic. Lecture Notes. Undated.
     5         Sexual Selection. Paper. Undated
     6         Social Psychology. Lecture Notes. Undated
     7         Social Psychology. Lecture Notes. Undated

2    1         Orient and the Future of Civilization. Parts I-II. Lecture Notes. Undated.
     2         Orient. Parts II-III. 
     3         Orient. Parts III-IV.
     4         Orient. Parts IV.
     5         Orient. Misc. Newsclippings and notes.


SERIES C. MEMORABILIA. 1895-1907.

     6         Misc. newsclippings, publications and programs
     7         Misc photographs.
     8         Guitar music. 

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Copyright © 1998 Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives