Finding aid for the Louise Morse collection related to Marston Morse, Abraham Flexner, and Anne Crawford Flexner
SMC.MORSE

Summary Information

Repository
Shelby White and Leon Levy Archives Center
Title
Louise Morse collection related to Marston Morse, Abraham Flexner, and Anne Crawford Flexner
ID
SMC.MORSE
Date
1940-1956
Extent
0.25 linear feet (3 volumes and 1 folder)
Language
English
Small Manuscripts Collections
The Small Manuscripts Collection (SMC) designation is given to collections of personal papers that comprise less than 0.25 linear feet. In many cases, these collections consist of a single folder.

Preferred Citation note

The suggested citation for the material is "[item], Louise Morse collection related to Marston Morse, Abraham Flexner, and Anne Crawford Flexner, From the Shelby White and Leon Levy Archives Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ, USA."

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Biographical/Historical note

Harold Calvin Marston Morse (1892-1977) was an American mathematician. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1917. He served on the faculties of Harvard University, Cornell University, and Brown University before accepting a position in the Institute for Advanced Study's School of Mathematics in 1935. He retired from the Institute's active Faculty in 1962.

Louise Morse, née Jeffreys, was the second wife of Marston Morse. They married on January 13, 1940, and had five children together.

Abraham Flexner was the Founding Director (1930-1939) of the Institute for Advanced Study. His wife, Anne Crawford Flexner, was a playwright.

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Scope and Contents note

The Louise Morse collection related to Marston Morse and Abraham Flexner consists of a copy of Abraham Flexner's autobiography I Remember, inscribed to Louise Morse in honor of the birth of her daughter Julia. The volume serves as a type of scrapbook as Mrs. Morse later pasted in various personal mementos related to the Flexners. These mementos consist primarily of chiefly of correspondence, but also include a telegram, a newspaper article, and photographs. Correspondents include Abraham Flexner, Anne Crawford Flexner, Marston Morse, and Louise Morse. The contents of the letters, dating chiefly from 1940-1956, relate to family matters at the time as well as family history, and demonstrate the close relationship between the parties. There is also correspondence related to Institute matters, including Albert Einstein’s death and Flexner stepping down as IAS Director.

The collection also includes color photocopies or scans of most of the items that were pasted into the volume, as well as an additional copy of I Remember and a copy of Daniel Coit Gilman, creator of the American type of university.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

Shelby White and Leon Levy Archives Center

Historical Studies-Social Science Library
Einstein Drive
Princeton
NJ, 08540
609-734-8375
archives@ias.edu

Conditions Governing Access note

The collection is open without restriction.

Immediate Source of Acquisition note

The collection materials were donated by Louise Morse in 2001 and 2011.

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Related Materials

Related Archival Materials note

Administrative records relating to Marston Morse's work at the Institute for Advanced Study can be found in various record groups in the Archives, including the Records of the Office of the Director General Files and Faculty files, and the Records of the School of Mathematics.

Marston Morse's professional papers were donated to Harvard University.

Administrative records relating to Abraham Flexner's work at the Institute for Advanced Study can be found in various record groups in the Archives, particularly those of the Office of the Director.

Flexner's personal and family papers were donated to the Library of Congress and Vanderbilt University.

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Collection Inventory

I Remember by Abraham Flexner, with personal mementos pasted in 

Copies of items pasted into I Remember 

I Remember by Abraham Flexner, additional copy given to Louise Morse's sister 

Daniel Coit Gilman, creator of the American type of university by Abraham Flexner, inscribed to Marston Morse 1946