Contents

Guide to the Christina L. Davis Camp Papers 1927-1928

Descriptive Summary

Creator Camp, Christina L. Davis
Title Christina L. Davis Camp Papers
Dates 1927-1928
Identification MS 36
Quantity 0.5 linear feet (1 manuscript container)
Collection Abstract The Christina L. Davis Camp Papers are comprised of a single composition book containing a 194 page diary recording Camp's Sophomore and Junior years as an undergraduate Library student at Simmons College. Entries are dated May 21, 1927 through May 23, 1928, and include descriptions in varying detail of dorm life, Simmons traditions, faculty and staff, as well as local, national and international political and social events. Camp also describes in detail her experience as a nurse at the Baldwinsville Children's Hospital.
Historical Abstract Camp, Christina L. Davis was born Christina Louise Davis September 10, 1906 in Worcester, MA. Her diary describes in detail her life as a student, as a dorm resident, and as a participant in various Simmons activities and traditions. Camp later married Oswald E. Camp. They lived in Norfolk, Virginia, and she worked as a general reference librarian. They had one son, Edward John Camp, in 1945. Camp died in 1975.
Language Material inEnglish.
Location Collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Archives staff for more information.

Information for Users

Access Restrictions

Collection is open

Copyright Notice

Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be discussed with the Simmons College Archivist.

Publishing permission

Please contact the College Archivist with requests to publish any material from the collection.

Preferred Citation

Diary (1927-1928), [Christina L. Davis Camp Papers, Manuscript Collection - MS 36, Simmons College Archives, Boston, MA, USA.

Acquisitions Information

The diary was acquired through a donation from Mr. Lester Stockman in 1981.

Processing Information

Processed by Suzanne Finstad, date: April 1995

Supervised by Peter Carini, date: April 1995

This collection guide was encoded as part of the LEADS project by Paul M. Caserta, date: June 2013

Biographical Note

Christina Davis Camp (CDC) was born Christina Louise Davis September 10, 1906 in Worcester to Arthur W. Davis and Alma Erickson Davis. CDC attended Shrewsbury High School from 1920 to 1924, and came to Simmons College as a Library Student (then an undergraduate program) in 1925. She spent the summer of 1927 working as a nurse at the Baldwinsville Children's Hospital and was briefly employed in December of 1927 as a sales clerk at Gilchrist's in Boston. Her diary describes in detail her life as a student, as a dorm resident, and as a participant in various Simmons activities and traditions. According to the Class of 1929's fortieth reunion book, CDC later married Oswald E. Camp, a superintendent with the National Park Service. They lived in Norfolk, Virginia, and she worked as a general reference librarian. They had one son, Edward John Camp, in 1945. CDC died in 1975.

Collection Overview

The Christina L. Davis Camp (CDC) Papers are comprised of a single composition book containing a 194 page diary recording CDC's Sophomore and Junior years as an undergraduate Library student at Simmons College. Entries are dated May 21, 1927 through May 23, 1928, and include descriptions in varying detail of dorm life, Simmons traditions, faculty and staff, as well as local, national and international political and social events. CDC also describes in detail her experience as a nurse at the Baldwinsville Children's Hospital.

Online Catalog Headings

These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.

Baldwinsville, (N.Y.) Library
Boston University
Boston, (Mass.)
Camp, Christina L. Davis, 1906-1975
Camp, Oswald E.
Children's Hospital (Baldwinsville, N.Y.)
Davis family
Davis, Alma Erickson
Davis, Arthur W.
Diaries
Dormitories
Framingham, (Mass.)
Gardner, (Mass.) Library
Ghost Train
Gilchrist's (Boston, Mass.)
Harvard Medical School
I Have a Mansion in Heaven
Lacrosse
Les Miserables
Library science
Metropolitan Opera (New York, N.Y.)
Natick, (Mass.)
National Park Service--United States
Nineteen twenties
Norfolk, (Va.)
Northborough, (Mass.)
Nursing
Patients
Richards, Linda, 1841-1930
Shrewsbury High School, (Mass.)
Shrewsbury, (Mass.)
Shrewsbury, (Mass.) Library
Simmons College, (Boston, Mass.)
Symphony Hall (Boston, Mass.)
The Road to Rome
Worcester, (Mass.)

Collection Arrangement

Collection is arranged into 1 item:

Series I: Christina L. Davis Camp Diary

Detailed Description of the Collection

Series I: Diary, 1906-1975 (1 manuscript container)

A single composition book containing a 194 page diary recording Christina L. Davis Camp's Sophomore and Junior years as an undergraduate Library student at Simmons College. Entries are dated May 21, 1927 through May 23, 1928, and include descriptions in varying detail of dorm life, Simmons traditions, faculty and staff, as well as local,national and international political and social events. CDC also describes in detail her experience as a nurse at the Baldwinsville Children's Hospital.

Index of Christina L. Davis Camp's Diary, 1927-1928

  • Adam's store/Mr. Adams
    • 167
  • Adams, Henry
    • 109
  • Al of 52 Harrison Street
    • 168
  • Aline
    • 142, 152, 186
  • Allen, Charlie
    • 120
  • Amherst College
    • 163
  • Anne
    • 130
  • Arelius, Marcus (Mark O'Reilly joke)
    • 115
  • Arey, Dr
    • 43, 47, 60, 62, 65, 67, 72, 74-76
  • Arlington theatre
    • 170
  • Arnold Arboretum
    • 3
  • Audabon Circle
    • 179
  • Baer, Dr. (professor)
    • 129
  • Bagley
  • Baker, Flo
    • 2
  • Baldwinsville
    • 21, 73, 88
  • Barriston, Miss (owner of the "Cake Box")
    • 147
  • Barry, Frances (Fran)
    • 116, 124-125, 152, 155
  • Barry, Lucy
    • 116, 155
  • Bathing suit incident
    • 80-84
  • Bea
    • 192
  • Bean, Mrs
    • 84, 88
  • Being fired
    • 74
  • Ben Hur
    • 159
  • Bessie
    • 70
  • Big Christina
    • 119
  • Bisson, Ernest (ex-boyfriend)
    • 27, 59-60, 103-105, 107, 135, 137, 161, 165, 182
  • Bisson, Mr
    • 19
  • Bisson, Mrs
    • 91
  • Bitsoli, Stava
    • 175
  • Bootleg league
    • 98
  • Booze (school friend)
    • 121
  • Boston
    • 93, 95, 138, 164
  • Boston University
    • 150
  • Broken Hearted (song)
    • 140
  • Brooks, Elsie (not school friend Elsie)
    • 91
  • Brown, Miss
    • 18, 136
  • Bruske, Barbara
    • 2
  • Buxton, Frank
    • 19
  • Cake Box tea room on Beacon St
    • 147
  • Cameron, Mr. (real estate agent)
    • 94-95, 129
  • Canty, Cora
    • 25, 27, 72
  • Chick [Assistant Cook]
    • 111
  • Children's Hospital (Baldwinsville)
    • 21, 106, 117
  • Chris (herself, by name)
    • 81
  • Christian Science
    • 143
  • Christian Science Church
    • 187
  • Clarke, Miss
    • 108
  • Cochituate
    • 139
  • Coderre, Conny/Connie
    • 130, 194
  • Communism
    • See Russian Princess
  • Community Church
    • 178
  • Congregational Church
    • 143
  • Cook, Donald
    • 48
  • Cook, Fanny
    • 165, 193-194
  • Copley, The
    • 129
  • Cowl, Jane [actress]
    • 164-167
  • Curtis, Gil
    • 186
  • Cushing, Dorothy (ex roommate)
    • 120
  • Cushman, Mrs
    • 36, 41, 70
  • Dad/Daddy
    • 88, 156-157, 159
  • Dance of the Fairies
    • see Traditions (Simmons)
  • Daniels, Miss [Miss L(augher)'s cousin
    • 47, 52, 65, 71
  • Dautrich, Gert
    • 135
  • Davenport, Dr
    • 184
  • Dayton, Herbert
    • 142
  • Debt (Christina's)
    • 91
  • Devens, Camp
    • 84
  • Dittman, Mrs
    • 7
  • Doing bells
    • 116
  • Doric, S.S., cruise liner
    • 14
  • Dot (Dorothy, sister)
    • 11, 53-55, 74, 80-88, 90, 100, 118, 126, 136, 139, 141, 157-159, 165, 175-177, 183, 185-186, 189, 191-191
  • Doughboys
    • 100
  • Downes, Ruth
    • 2
  • East Side, West Side
    • 141
  • Easter Vespers
    • 179
  • Eddie (Phil Cantor Harvard Dental Sr.)
    • 184-185, 190
  • Eddy, Mary Baker
    • 188
  • Edith and Ira
    • 173-174
  • Eleanor
    • 89
  • Elsie (also Els)
    • 1, 4-6, 11-14, 70, 142, 181, 186, 193
  • Emily (ex roommate)
    • 120-121
  • Enos, Miss
    • 120, 123, 194
  • Ernest (ex boyfriend)
    • see Bisson, Ernest
  • Ernest, steward and of Harvard Med/BU
    • see McLeod, Ernest
  • Ethel
    • 116
  • Ev/Evelyn (wife of Ralph)
    • 89-91, 163, 174
  • Family
    • see John, Dot, Mother, Dad
  • Farrow, Mr.
    • 136
  • Fernandes, Frances
    • 170
  • First Church (Unitarian)
    • 179
  • Fisher, Harrison (painter)
    • 121
  • Flint family
    • 175
  • Foley, Jen or Jan
    • 1
  • Framingham
    • 154-155, 157, 175
  • Fran R
    • 178-179, 182
  • Fran S. (Fran Sondergard?)
    • 179, 182
  • Frances
    • 108-109, 130, 168
  • Fred
    • 89
  • Freighter, "Nancy"
    • 2
  • Gardner
    • 25, 31-32
  • Garrett, Miss
    • 38, 41-43, 45-47, 60, 62, 74-75
  • Garters (drawing of)
    • 80
  • Gaylord, Dr. (preacher from California)
    • 89
  • George, "The Syrian"
    • 126-128, 135, 164
  • Ghost Train
    • 159
  • Ghost Walk
    • see Traditions (Simmons)
  • Gilchrist's (store)
    • 151, 154-155
  • Gill, May
    • 3
  • Goddard, Mr
    • 136
  • Goodrich, Miss
    • 166
  • Grand, Miss
    • 66
  • Greene, Theresa
    • 3
  • Hamlet
    • 115, 170-172
  • Hanson, Lou
    • 1
  • Harley, Dr. (Psychology professor)
    • 114-115, 151
  • Harvard College
    • 55
  • Harvard Medical School
    • 135, 150, 189
  • Hillman, Archibald (lawyer)
    • 128, 164
  • Hingham Centre
    • 2
  • Holman, Mrs.
    • 4, 178-179
  • Holmes, Dr. John Haynes (public speaker, minister)
    • 178
  • Horowitz, Vladimir
    • 179-181
  • Howe family
    • 98-99
  • Hoyt, Mrs.
    • 7
  • Hughes, Mary (Jo's roommate)
    • 105
  • Hurt, Dr. (Dr. Hurt's wife)
    • 176
  • Hyl/Hye
    • 1, 116, 123, 181
  • I Have a Mansion in Heaven (song)
    • 29
  • Irene
    • 116
  • Jameson, Dot
    • 169
  • Jesus
    • 146
  • Jim (Dot's boyfriend)
    • 159, 165, 174, 183, 186, 191-192
  • Jo
    • 15, 88, 105-106, 115, 118, 129, 163-164, 166-167
  • John
    • 10-13, 81, 84-85, 91, 93-95, 98, 100, 107, 126-129, 136, 159, 163, 165, 175
  • Keough family
    • 12
  • Keough, Jane
    • 14
  • Kit (Christine's nickname from High School
    • 160
  • Knowlton, Miss
    • 10-11, 102, 136, 159-160
  • Knowlton, Mrs. Alice
    • 160
  • Kobel, Teddy (John's friend)
    • see bathing suit incident, 80-85
  • La Croix
    • see Lacrosse
  • Lacrosse, Miss (also Miss La Croix)
    • 34-35, 57-58
  • Lake Placid
    • 176, 191
  • Laugher, Libby
    • 31
  • Leavitt, Mr.
    • 80
  • Legionairres
    • 100
  • Leiber/Lieber, Fritz (actor)
    • 120, 170-172
  • Les Miserables
    • 134
  • Libraries (Baldwinsville)
    • 32
  • Libraries (Gardner)
    • 32
  • Libraries (Shrewsbury)
    • 16, 136
  • Little Christina and Little Chris
    • 114, 119
  • Lois
    • 109-110, 112, 168-169, 179, 193
  • Lora
    • 110, 113
  • Lynch, Ernest
    • 186
  • MacLeod, Ernest
    • 135, 150-151
  • Mackie
    • 139
  • Madeline
    • 1
  • Mae (also May?)
    • 142
  • Man(viven's?), Miss
    • 48
  • Marblehead
    • 4, 10
  • May
    • 116, 124, 129
  • Maynard, Mr. (Chairman of the Scholarship Fund)
    • 101, 105
  • McBride, Mrs.
    • 38-39, 44
  • McFee, Jim
    • 139
  • McKay, Stewart
    • 23
  • Merrill Hall (Gloucester)
    • 120
  • Mesick, Miss
    • 9
  • Metropolitan, The
    • 105, 142
  • Mil
    • 1, 109-110, 113, 123
  • Mission Church (Catholic)
    • 142
  • Mother
    • 2, 85, 88, 90-91, 94-98, 107, 118, 126, 128, 135-136, 141, 154-156, 159, 164, 175-176, 181, 185, 189
  • Mullally, Jack
    • 89
  • My Freshman
    • see Traditions (Simmons)
  • Nantasket
    • 4, 85
  • Natick
    • 1, 13, 84-85, 87-88, 90, 125, 139
  • National Guard/Guardsmen
    • 93, 96, 100, 127
  • No. 17
    • 129
  • North Hall
    • 101, 123, 181
  • North Station
    • 12
  • Northborough
    • 154, 156, 160, 163
  • Olive (Spencer?)
    • 108-109, 116, 119, 121, 124, 134, 142, 179
  • Osborne, Dr.
    • 24, 31, 33-34, 36, 42, 52, 67-68, 70, 74, 76, 78-79
  • Patients
    • Bagley
      • 76, 77
    • Calderwood, Edwin
      • 51
    • Castaldi, Furino
      • 48-49
    • Ellis, Robert
      • 52
    • Enderato, Octavio
      • 48-49
    • Ford, Laurence
      • 52
    • Jeannette
      • 61, 63
    • Lester
      • 41, 50
    • Linda
      • 56-57
    • Lucia, Angelo
      • 52
    • Max
      • 49
    • May
      • 33
    • Park, Laurence
      • 48
    • Pearly
      • 29
    • Rogers, Matin
      • 51
    • Shultz, Freddie
      • 48
    • Sichewicz, Johnny
      • 51
    • Sokolone, Jacob
      • 42, 44-45, 116-117, 119
    • Streeter, Frank
      • 51
    • Susan
      • 61, 63
    • Sylvia
      • 61, 63-64, 67
    • Sylvia, Domingo
      • 51-52
    • Sylvia, Johnny
      • 51
  • Peg/Peggy
    • 105, 119, 138, 142, 152-153, 155, 169, 193
  • Pettigrew, Thelma
    • 85-87
  • Phyl
    • 142
  • Proctor for the fire bell
    • 124
  • Prom
    • 164-165, 182, 186-187, 191-192
  • Prom dress (drawing)
    • 183
  • Ralph (Ev's husband)
    • 174
  • Rausdial, Mollie
    • 2
  • Rice, Dr.
    • 189
  • Richards, Linda (America's first Graduate nurse)
    • 162-163
  • Roberts, Dora
    • 97-100
  • Robinson, Virginia
    • 2
  • Rose
    • 124-125
  • Ross, Ann Judson Home
    • 159, 162
  • Russia, Conditions in (speech by Russian Princess)
    • 130-134
  • Saari, Lillian
    • 134
  • Saari, Sulo
    • 27
  • Sacco-Vanzetti Parade
    • 95-96
  • Sal
    • 1
  • Sargent (Carmela?) and Phil
    • 89
  • Sargent, Mrs. (also Miss)
    • 27-28, 40, 54, 58, 67-69, 74
  • Sawyer, Mr
    • 136-138
  • Schick test (for diptheria)
    • 35-36
  • Scholarship Fund
    • 101
  • Seniors Serendating Juniors
    • 191
  • Sheahan, Miss
    • 33-35, 38-39
  • Shresbury Celebration and parade
    • 100
  • Shrewsbury
    • 12-14, 32, 74, 80, 88, 107, 125-126, 135, 137, 143-144, 157
  • Sokolone, Sadie
    • 116, 119
  • Somerset
    • 1
  • Sondergard, Fran (Fran S.?)
    • 153
  • Spencer, Olive
    • 54, 84-85
  • Spooner's
    • 19
  • Steiger, Mr. (Sociology professor)
    • 177, 182
  • Stites, Miss (Econ. teacher)
    • 149
  • Student Helper/Helping
    • 47, 91, 166, 168
  • Suffolk County Jail
    • 12
  • Sunset(?) Lake
    • 89
  • Symphony Hall
    • 178-179
  • Syrian, The
    • see George
  • Taming of the Shrew
    • 120
  • Tech (MIT?)
    • 19
  • Thayer, Dick
    • 163
  • Thayer, Eleanor
  • Thayer, Mr. and/or Mrs
    • 178, 143, 160
  • The Road to Rome (play)
    • 164-166
  • Tony
    • 147
  • Traditions (Simmons) -- Dance of the Fairies
    • 3
  • Traditions (Simmons) -- Ghost Walk
    • 122
  • Traditions (Simmons) -- My Freshman
    • 7, 16, 80, 106
  • Traditions (Simmons) -- Seniors serenading Juniors
    • 191
  • Traditions (Simmons) -- Serenade the Seniors
    • 1
  • Union Church (Worcester)
    • 88
  • Varrell, Dr. (professor, called "The Cynic")
    • 125, 129, 135
  • Vista, Al
    • 141
  • Ward, Artemis (estate)
    • 55
  • Wayward, Mr.
    • 17
  • Weagle, Hazel
    • 160
  • Wheelock, Mr.
    • 71, 137-138
  • White Star Line
    • 14
  • Whitmore, Mrs.
    • 2
  • Wilder, Miss
    • 25,27, 29, 42-43, 45-47, 52, 58
  • Wollaston
    • 84
  • Woodbury, Walter
    • 69-70
  • Woolworth's
    • 152-153
  • Worcester
    • 21, 23, 27, 33, 69, 72-73, 96
  • Worcester Socialists
    • 96

Selective Subject Index

  • Apparel
    • 80-84
  • Cosmetics
    • 119
  • Education
    • 114, 130-134, 148-149, 154
  • Employment
    • 152-155
  • Ghost Walk
    • 122
  • Horowitz, Vladimir
    • 179-181
  • Personal emotions, feelings
    • 53, 168-169, 170
  • Relationships
    • 26, 90-91
  • Religious life
    • 143-147
  • Russia
    • 130-134
  • Sacco-Vanetti parade
    • 95-96
  • Social life
    • 53, 80-84, 90-91, 95-96, 116, 119, 122, 139-141, 147-148, 178
  • Traveling
    • 12-13