Ruth Warner Towne Papers

Collection

Identifier: MS T1

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Ruth Towne's papers consist of both her home and campus office files and include family records dating from as early as the 1820s, her own personal and professional papers and correspondence, and some of the research for her dissertation on Congressman William Joel Stone, as well as books and articles she wrote over her long teaching career.

Dates

approximately 1800-1999

Creator

Towne, Ruth Warner, 1917-1998 (Person)

Note on Use of Collections

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Copyright

It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Board of Governors for Truman State University, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.

Researchers further agree to indemnify and hold harmless Truman State University, Pickler Memorial Library, and their officers, employees, and agents from and against all suits, claims, actions, and expenses arising out of use of collections held by the library.

Biographical Note

Ruth Warner Towne (1917 June 19-1998 April 3), the daughter of Frank Warner and Mary Elizabeth (McCoy) Towne, was a native and life-long resident of Kirksville, Missouri. After graduating from Kirksville High School as Valedictorian of her class (1935), she earned a BS in Education from Northeast Missouri State Teachers College (NMSTC) in 1939 followed by an MA in History from the University of Missouri (MU) in 1940. She then returned home to teach history at Kirksville High School. In 1951, she took a year off to complete the class work for a PhD in History at MU before joining the faculty at Northeast Missouri State Teachers College in 1952. Her doctorate was awarded after she completed her dissertation in 1953.

Dr. Towne rose through the ranks to Professor of History at her alma mater and in 1983, was named Dean of Graduate Studies. She retired in 1988 as both Professor Emeritus and Dean Emeritus in 1988 from what is now Truman State University. In addition to her teaching, student advising and administrative duties, Dr. Towne served as faculty advisor to Delta Zeta sorority for over 30 years and was a member of Lyceum Committee for almost that long. She was also her church's historian/archivist.

Extent

6.6 linear feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

This collection is organized into 27 series

Series I: T1/0: Administrative Documents, 1998.
Series II: T1/1: Deeds, Mortgages and other Documents Relating to Towne Family Properties, approximately 1803-1944.
Series III: T1/2: Myron S. and Elizabeth Towne Financial Records, approximately 1870-1918.
Series IV: T1/3: Myron S. Towne Military and Military Pension Records, approximately 1862-1964.
Series V: T1/4: Monthly Return of Quartermaster's Stores, 45th United States Colored Troops, Lt. Myron S. Towne, Regimental Quartermaster (1865),1864-1867.
Series VI: T1/5: Myron S. Towne Personal Records, 1848-1908.
Series VII: T1/6: Towne Family Genealogy, approximately 1844-1982.
Series VIII: T1/7: Warner Family Genealogy, 1817-1982.
Series IX: T1/8: Frank Warner Towne Personal Records, 1896-1979.
Series X: T1/9: Ruth Warner Towne Personal Records, approximately 1920s-1997.
Series XI: T1/10: Mary Elizabeth (McCoy) Towne Personal Records, 1910-1983.
Series XII: T1/11: Genealogy Miscellaneous, approximately 1877-1995.
Series XIII: T1/12: First United Methodist Church, Kirksville, 1954-1998.
Series XIV: T1/13: United Methodist Church History, Missouri and Denominational, 1924-1994.
Series XV: T1/14: Kirksville and Adair County History, approximately 1898-1997.
Series XVI: T1/15: Journal Printing Company, Kirksville, 1897-1994.
Series XVII: T1/16: Unionville, Missouri History, approximately 1900-1974.
Series XVIII: T1/17: Teaching Career - Kirksville High School and Northeast/Truman, 1944-1998.
Series XIX: T1/18: Panhellenic Council / Delta Zeta Sorority, approximately 1960s-1996.
Series XX: T1/19: Published and Unpublished Works, 1900-1999.
Series XXI: T1/20: Social Sciences Division / History Department, 1955-1989.
Series XXII: T1/21: Students, 1955-1994.
Series XXIII: T1/22: University Events / History, 1938-1998.
Series XXIV: T1/23: Family Bibles, approximately 1803-1940s.
Series XXV: T1/24: Family Photographs, 1864-1990s
Series XXVI: Appendix I: Books from the Ruth Warner Towne Papers, Catalogued to Pickler Memorial Library Collections, 1807-1998.
Series XXVII: Appendix II: Towne Family Antique Furniture and Other Ephemera, approximately 1840s-1950s.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Ruth Towne's Papers were received from her Estate Administrator the summer following her death.

Processing Information

In most instances, preservation copies of newspaper clippings were made for the file and the originals discarded. This is not the case with documents, however. All photocopied documents in this collection were placed here by Towne.