Manuscript Collection
Files
Identifier
Accession 1740
Inclusive Dates
1950-1987
Restrictions
Open under the rules and regulations of the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections
Collection Size
.25 linear feet, 500 pieces
Language
English;
Historical Note
Dr. Mary Elizabeth Massey was an historian, educator, and author. She was a Winthrop History Professor from 1950 through 1974 with a focus on the American Civil War.
For information about Dr. Massey please consult the biography written by Louise Pettus above.
Scope and Content Note
The Mary Elizabeth Massey Papers document the scholarly career and professional legacy of Dr. Mary Elizabeth Massey, a historian and longtime member of the Winthrop College Department of History. The collection consists of correspondence, published and unpublished writings, newspaper and biographical articles, certificates, photographs, and related materials that reflect Dr. Massey’s contributions to Civil War–era scholarship and her impact as an educator.
The collection includes letters written by Dr. Massey, biographical and memorial articles, and a Pi Gamma Mu honor society membership certificate. Of particular significance are multiple essays authored by Dr. Massey, including published works such as “The Food and Drink Shortage on the Confederate Homefront” (1949) and “The Confederate Refugees in North Carolina” (1963), as well as unpublished or undated writings and manuscript drafts related to her research on the Confederate home front and wartime economies. These materials illustrate her scholarly focus on social and economic conditions in the Confederacy during the Civil War.
Also included is a senior honors thesis, “Benjamin Ryan Tillman: His Role in the Founding and Early History of Winthrop College,” for which Dr. Massey served as a committee member, documenting her role in mentoring undergraduate research. Memorial materials and photographs further contextualize her professional relationships within the academic community, including images associated with Winthrop College and the public reception of her work.
The collection contains posthumous correspondence addressed to Dr. Ross Webb requesting copies of Dr. Massey’s publications. Many of these letters were written by former students and colleagues and attest to Dr. Massey’s enduring influence within the Winthrop College History Department and the lasting esteem in which she was held as a teacher and scholar.
The materials date primarily from the late 1940s through the 1980s. This collection supplements previously processed Mary Elizabeth Massey Papers and provides additional documentation of her academic work, teaching legacy, and professional reputation.
Provenance
The papers of Mary Elizabeth Massey, historian, educator, and author, were received as a gift by the Archives from Sarah Jane O’Donnell, Charles L. Massey and John O. Massey on February 20, 1975. Dr. Massey’s office files were transferred to the Archives on October 5, 1975. This collection was missed when processing Accession 20.
Copyright
For information concerning copyright please contact the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections at Winthrop University.
Finding Aid Citation
Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections, Winthrop University, "Mary Elizabeth Massey Papers - Accession 1740". Finding Aid 1554.
https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/manuscriptcollection_findingaids/1554