| Creator | Mason, Marion |
| Title | Marion Mason papers |
| Dates | 1958-1996 |
| Identification | MS 165 |
| Quantity | 4.5 linear feet (6 manuscript containers and 1 oversize box) |
| Collection Abstract | Collection documents the professional life of Marion Mason. The collection includes Mason's theses, other publications, research materials, notes and drafts for publications and speeches, correspondence, Departmental, and Course related material. Copies of Mason's book, The Dynamics of Clinical Dietetics, are not housed in this collection; they are cataloged separately in the Archives. |
| Historical Abstract | Marion Mason (1933- ) was the Ruby Winslow Linn Professor of Nutrition (an endowed position) at Simmons College from 1973 to 1995. She was involved in nutritional science and clinical dietetics both at Simmons College and on the national level. She is the author of The Dynamics of Clinical Dietetics. |
| Language | Material in English. |
| Location | Collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Archives staff for more information. |
Collection is open.
Copyright for materials resides with the creators of the items in question, unless otherwise designated.
Please contact the College Archivist with requests to publish any material from the collection.
[Identification of item: description and date], Marion Mason papers, MS 165, Simmons College Archives, Boston, MA, USA.
The papers were donated to the Simmons College Archives by Marion Mason over a period of several years.
Accession numbers: 85.030, 87.035, 92.103, 1996.030
Processed by Jennifer Hanna, May 1997
Supervised by Clair Goodwin and Joan Gearin, May 1997
This collection guide was encoded as part of the LEADS project by Matthew Miguez, January 2014
Marion Mason (1933- ) was the Ruby Winslow Linn Professor of Nutrition (an endowed position) at Simmons College for over 20 years, from 1973 to 1995. Mason graduated of Miami University in Ohio with a B.S. in Home Economics Education in 1955 and received her M.S. in Nutrition from Ohio State University in 1959. In 1969, she completed her Ph.D. at Cornell University with a major in Human Nutrition and a minor in Sociology.
Prior to joining the Simmons faculty Mason held positions at the University of Rochester (Instructor in Nutrition 1956-1958 and Assistant Professor in Nutrition 1963-1966) and Ohio State University (Associate Professor and Director, Graduate Studies in Medical Dietetics, 1969-1972).
After working at Simmons for only two years, Mason took a leave of absence (1975- 1977) to be the primary author of The Dynamics of Clinical Dietetics, which was published in 1977. During this time, she also served as a Visiting Professor (Nutrition) at the University of Rochester.
While professor at Simmons College, Mason directed the transition of the Department of Home Economics into the Department of Nutrition. She also served as recruiter and advisor to students in the joint Boston University-Simmons M.S. program. Additionally, she developed and taught undergraduate courses in nutritional science and clinical dietetics.
Mason also served as Acting Chair of the Department of Nutrition (1981-1982) and Chair from 1982-1985 and 1991-1994. In addition, she served on several committees within the Simmons College community, including the Graduate Studies Committee and the Committee on Tenure and Appointments.
In 1981, Mason took sabbatical leave to prepare The Dynamics of Clinical Dietetics for a second edition. At this time, the book was also published in Spanish (Dietetica Clinica.) In 1986, Mason was a participant in the Extramural Associates Program for the National Institutes of Health, and, in 1987, she took sabbatical leave to visit colleges and universities for curriculum development at Simmons.
In 1996, Mason organized and was the guest of honor at a conference titled "Alumnae Achievement: Transitioning to the Future" at Simmons College. The conference brought together distinguished alumnae and current students to discuss the current issues in nutrition and to celebrate Mason's retirement.
(For an autobiographical sketch, refer to: Vickery, Connie E. and Nancy Cotugna. Legends and Legacies: Pacesetters in the Profession of Dietetics. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1990. pp. 159-171. A copy of this article is on file. For more detailed information on Marion Mason's background refer to her Curriculum Vitae, Box 3, Folder 6).
The Marion Mason papers document the professional life of Marion Mason, the Ruby Linn Winslow Professor of Nutrition at Simmons College from 1973 to 1995. The collection includes: Mason's theses, other publications, research materials, notes and drafts for publications and speeches, correspondence, Departmental, and Course related material. Copies of Mason's book, The Dynamics of Clinical Dietetics, are not housed in this collection; they are cataloged separately in the Archives.
These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.
Collection is arranged into 7 series:
Photographs and slides that were in this collection have been removed and placed in the photo collection under MS-165. Photos range in date from 1967 to 1996. Included are various photos of Marion Mason, slides, and photos from the Alumnae Achievement Conference in 1996 (these are the bulk of photographs).
Copies of Mason's book, The Dynamics of Clinical Dietetics, are not housed in this collection; they are cataloged separately in the Archives.
The bulk of the ADA materials are from the late 1970's through the early 1980's. They include documents, materials, and notes from Marion Mason's involvement with the ADA. Topics include the Ambulatory Nutrition Care Research (ANCR) Committee, Curriculum and Credentialing Papers, Publications of the ADA, and notes from workshops.
Box 1
The Correspondence files relate primarily to Mason's different professional involvements. Subjects include The Dynamics of Clinical Dietetics (Mason's book), the Department of Nutrition Alumnae Achievement conference, the Mary Swartz Rose Memorial Lecture, and Mason's appointment at Simmons. The general files of correspondence contain letters and memos written in Mason's capacity as professor and chair of department.
Box 1
Box 2
The bulk of the material in this series related to Mason's Mary Swartz Rose Memorial Lecture, "Women and Work: Benchmarks in the History of a Profession." Included are first, working, and final drafts of the lecture, research notes and research materials.
Box 2
This series includes notes by Mason, NIH-produced handouts and information regarding both the Women's College Conference and the Extramural Associates Program, and other NIH related materials.
Arranged alphabetically by topic as found in the original order.
Box 2
This series includes awards and certificates, theses, sabbatical report, retirement planning and transcripts of Mason. Both Mason's graduate thesis, "Gastric Secretions of Certain Post-operative Patients", and doctoral thesis, "Prediction of Plasma Ascorbic Acid levels of Pregnant Women" are included. Transcripts from the University of Miami and the University of Rochester are also included. Mason's Sabbatical Report is a review of the ADA Educational Standards.
Box 2
Oversized 7
This series includes publications and items related to publications of Mason. Mason's book The Dynamics of Clinical Dietetics is cataloged separately in the Archives. However, there are notes regarding both editions of the book and research note cards, arranged as found. This series also includes articles by Mason published in various journals. For a listing of Mason's publications in this collection, see Appendix A. For other publications see her Curriculum Vitae.
Box 4
This sub-series of contains materials relating to Mason's administrative roles at Simmons College. Included are records of the Committee on Tenure and Appointments, Department Chair Meeting, and the MGH Institutional Co-op.
Box 5
This sub-series contains materials relating to Mason's teaching roles at Simmons College. Classes included are Freshman Writing, Nutrition 111, Nutrition 113, and Nutrition 211. Materials include exams and keys and course evaluations. Also included are grade books and other related materials.
Box 5
The bulk of these relate to the Alumnae Achievement Conference "Transitioning to the Future," which occurred in 1996. The materials include biographies of speakers, budget, donors, guest book, lecture titles, and Mason's speech from that event. Also included are materials relating to an "Athletics and Wellness" study Mason conducted with the Sports Center, minutes of the Department of Nutrition, a position paper and task force for the Department in the 1970's, and other materials.
Box 5
Box 6
End of Alumnae Achievement Conference subseries.
