Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 09: BIOGRAPHY – Staff\/Personnel
Winifred Powell, Teacher and Housemother 1931-1939<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TAGS:<\/strong> Winifred Powell correspondence, “Miss Pal,” teachers, housemothers, telegrams, Glyn Morris, progressive education, Line Fork Settlement, Fred J. Burkhard, Michigan, New York City, teaching films, postcards<\/p>\n\n\n\n [Note: Letters from PMSS staff are carbon copies, typewritten, unsigned and meant for the Office files. The initials at the bottom left of some of the PMSS letters indicate the writer (along with initials of the secretary), such as “GAM,” the initials for Glyn A. Morris<\/a>, PMSS Director. Miss Powell\u2019s letters are handwritten unless otherwise noted. The following list of contents is in chronological order and not necessarily in order of the image numbers. Question marks in brackets — [?] — indicate illegible handwriting.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n 040 <\/strong>January 1, 1936. Western Union Telegram to Glyn Morris, Putney, KY, from \u201cPolly\u201d in NYC. \u201cGlad to help out until you can make permanent arrangements\u2026.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 041 <\/strong>April 15, 1936. \u201cTelegram to be sent to\u201d <\/em>Mrs. Horace Binney in Milton, MA, from Powell. \u201cLeaving May seventh. Will stay as long as you require.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 042 <\/strong>DUPLICATE OF 040<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1937<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 043 <\/strong>February 23, 1937. To Mrs. Powell in NYC from [unsigned], who is grateful and praises her \u201cfor what you have done for Barbara [Bicknell].\u201d <\/em>Tells Mrs. Powell how much she is missed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 044-044a<\/strong> N.D. Typewritten two-page draft of a memo to Mrs. Powell with handwritten edits from Glyn Morris. [044]<\/strong> Notation in top margin: \u201cCopy – given Mrs. Powell Feb. 1 – Written in longhand by Glyn Morris.\u201d <\/em>expressing regret that he must tell her that, lately, \u201cyou are not giving all to Pine Mountain that you can.\u201d <\/em>[044a] <\/strong>Offers to discuss the matter further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 045<\/strong> N.D. Handwritten notes concerning Powell on \u201cMemorandum From the Director\u2019s Desk\u201d letterhead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 046<\/strong> July 11, 1937. \u201cTo whom it may concern: This is to certify that when Mrs. Winifred Powell was in New York City in August, 1937, she was in good physical condition\u2026.\u201d<\/em> Signed by Bernard D. Hannan, M.D. in NYC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 047 <\/strong>August 2, 1937. To Mrs. Powell in Gilley, KY, [Line Fork Settlement]<\/a> from [unsigned, apparently Morris], who is sending her three books to read in preparation for her possible teaching in the fall. \u201cAs you know educational progress is looking more and more in the direction of less specialized work in the high school and we are going to be looking for teachers who are not limited to one subject but who have a broad interest in everything.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 048-048b <\/strong>N.D. Typewritten three-page To \u201cGlyn\u2019 from \u201cMispal\u201d (Powell) at The Cabin, Gilley, KY, who [048]<\/strong> is interested in Glyn\u2019s tentative plan. \u201cI find I don\u2019t function well unless I have something definite to what I am pleased to \u201cname\u201d my mind. I have ever been beset by a desperate urgency to grow mentally. In my beloved adopted tongue — \u2018C\u2019est plus fort que moi.\u2019 Hence, I feel that I would do a better job of house-mothering if I could fit into [your] scholastic plan.\u201d <\/em>She is reading a book he sent her; quotes from an article by Frederick Windsor, Headmaster of the Middlesex School, [048a] <\/strong>who \u201cstresses teaching students to think for themselves, under supervision or guidance. This seems to be along the lines of your proposed plan, is it not!\u201d<\/em> [048b] <\/strong>Mentions the Bakers [Richard and Lutrella]<\/a> coming around the 15th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 049<\/strong> August 26, 1937. A copy of a short typewritten note to Miss Powell from [unsigned], stating that her \u201cabsence from the dining room this morning caused us some inconvenience.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 050<\/strong> March 11, 1938. To Mrs. Powell from Joan Ayers<\/a>, Bookkeeper, asking her to pay a long overdue bill for a Royal Portable typewriter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 051-051b<\/strong> [?] 10, 1938. Three-page letter to Mr. Morris from Powell, [051]<\/strong> reporting on her professional reading in the last semester: the books he sent her and articles. [051a] <\/strong>Also, articles in the Scholastic<\/em> magazine; Lawrence Conrad[?]\u2019s books on reading skills and creative writing; [051b] <\/strong>and <\/strong>articles on education in Atlantic Monthly<\/em>. Asks for his recommendations for \u201canything that will develop or stimulate imagination and also develop a sense of humor\u2026. I fear these two attributes must be inborn???\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 052-052a<\/strong> N.D. Two-page letter to Mr. Morris from Fred J. Burkhard<\/a>, Printer and Instructor, on letterhead for The Print Shop, PMSS, [052] <\/strong>who describes a series of incidents concerning stationery purchases for which Mrs. Powell owed money and was never satisfied. [052a] <\/strong>He cites his eleven years of experience at \u201cDearings, where 500 other printers worked,…and I don\u2019t rank very low in any man\u2019s shop.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 053-053a <\/strong>N.D., <\/strong>Wednesday. To Mr. Morris from \u201cMiss Pal\u201d (Powell), [053] <\/strong>describing her problems concerning stationary. [053a] <\/strong>\u201cI am willing to order hereafter from the outside [?] if Mr. Burkhard is no longer to furnish stationery for workers.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 055-055d <\/strong>March 13, [no year]. <\/strong>Five-page letter to Mr. Morris from Powell. [055] <\/strong>Agrees \u201cto the tentative plan of having a resident physician\u2026\u201d <\/em>but worries about \u201cencroachments on my stipend\u2026.\u201d <\/em>[055a] <\/strong>She explains her own health care arrangements. [055b & 055c] <\/strong>Gives several reasons why hiring a doctor may not be feasible. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 054 <\/strong>March 28, 1938. [unsigned] \u201c(Parts of conversation between Mr. Morris and Nora Begley re: her conversation with Mrs. Powell about staying at Big Log.)\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 056-056a <\/strong>April 28, 1938. Two-page letter to Mr. Morris from W.P. (Powell), who apologizes \u201cregarding my poor accomplishment of professional reading\u2026.\u201d<\/em> [056a] <\/strong>Provides a list of articles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 057<\/strong> May 26, [no year]. To \u201cFern\u201d (Hall Hayes)<\/a> from \u201cMis-Pal\u201d (Powell) in Ann Arbor, MI, who provides her forwarding address in Ann Arbor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 058-058a <\/strong>June 19, 1938. Postcard to Mr. Arthur Dodd, PMSS, from W.P. (Powell). [058]<\/strong> Image of \u201cShrine of the Little Flower, Royal Oak, Mich.\u201d <\/em>[058a Address side]<\/strong> Touring Flint and Detroit, MI; provides her forwarding address in Ann Arbor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 059, 060, 061<\/strong> MISSING IMAGES<\/p>\n\n\n\n 062-062g<\/strong> N.D. Eight-page letter to Mr. Morris from \u201cMis-Pal\u201d (Powell). [062] <\/strong>Refers to an English course under Professors Thorpe and Walken that interested her: \u201cI am seething with progressive education.\u201d <\/em>[062a]<\/strong> She has taken notes and discussed problems with a variety of teachers [062b]<\/strong> \u201cand many of the teaching problems are identical.\u201d <\/em>[062c] <\/strong>Describes the subjects & books of the English course. Mentions a book by her friend, Phyllis Robbins that the professor read in class. [062d] <\/strong>The book has a picture of Nancy, her child. Describes studying Spanish with \u201cSpanish Del Toro.\u201d [062e] <\/strong>She is also attending classes in Shakespeare & Balzac [062f] <\/strong>and meets with a French group.[062g] <\/strong>Asks for a copy of his summer instructions to staff; <\/strong>Has heard of the success of the fresh-air camp and praises Everett [K. Wilson]<\/a> and his assistants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 063 <\/strong>August 13, 1938. To Mrs. Powell in Ann Arbor, MI, from [unsigned, apparently Morris]. Responds to her letter and encloses the \u201cinstructions regarding the work which each staff member is to do this summer.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 064 <\/strong>August 15, 1938. To Mrs. Powell from [unsigned, likely Morris]. <\/strong>Encloses a list of Erpi Sound Teaching Films, developed by the Univ. of Chicago; asks Powell to indicate which films she will need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 065 <\/strong>August 18, 1938. To Mrs. Powell from [unsigned, likely Morris], who asks her to make plans to teach reading to some of the younger students, <\/strong>in addition to her literature class with the older students. He explains that ninth grade is much larger this year, requiring changes; needs help from her and Miss Hill. In order for Powell to decide the kind of reading to teach, he lists a number of students\u2019 names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 066<\/strong> August 22, 1938. To Mrs. Powell from [unsigned, likely Morris], who asks that every worker arrive by September 7th to attend a \u201cseries of informal conferences on September 8th and 9th\u2026 We are all looking forward to your coming back to Pine Mountain.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 067-067a <\/strong>August 26, 1938. <\/strong>Postcard to Mr. Morris from W.P. (Powell), who [067 Address side] <\/strong>gives her date of arrival (via Cincinnati) in Harlan on September 7th. [067a] <\/strong>Image of \u201cHorticultural Building, Belle Isle, Detroit, Mich.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 068-068a <\/strong>September 5, 1938. <\/strong>Postcard to Mr. Morris from W. Powell, [068 Address side]<\/strong> informing him of her arrival day and time. [068a] <\/strong>Image of \u201cChrist Church…Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada<\/em>.” See Also: IMAGES 040-074a<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t
\n\n\n\nCONTENTS: WINIFRED POWELL Correspondence II 1936-1939<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
1936<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1938<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
069<\/strong> October 19, 1938. Memo from \u201cThe Office\u201d to Mrs. Powell from Fern [Hall Hayes], informing Powell and her girls of how she should handle loose change for the Postmistress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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WINIFRED POWELL Staff<\/a> <\/strong>– Biography
WINIFRED POWELL Correspondence I (1931-1935)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nGALLERY II: WINIFRED POWELL Correspondence II 1936-1939<\/h3>\n\n\n\n