Guide to the Doris Perdue Gormly papers, 1924-1992

Descriptive Summary

Creator Gormly, Doris Perdue, 1910-1995
Title Doris Perdue Gormly papers
Dates 1924-1992
Identification MS 168
Quantity 2 linear feet linear feet (1 manuscript container, 1 oversized container)
Collection Abstract The Doris Perdue Gormly papers consists mainly of materials about her years at Simmons College, 1928-1932. The collection includes meticulously kept course materials, class notes and notebooks. Programs document Simmons events and activities, including Glee Club memorabilia and Step Singing. The Alumnae Association and Reunion newsletters offer further personal and professional information on Gormly. There are approximately 70 photographs included in Gormly's collection that consist of family photos, Simmons classmates, and Gormly at Simmons.
Historical Abstract Doris Perdue Gormly, Simmons Class of 1932, was born July 22, 1910, in Brookline, Massachusetts. Gormly lived most of her life in Jacksonville, Florida but spent many summers of her youth visiting family in the Boston area. Gormly attended Simmons College from 1928 to 1932 where she received a B.S. in Household Economics, preparing her for employment as a nutritionist.
Language Material in English.
Location Collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Archives staff for more information.

Information for Users

Access Restrictions

Collection is open.

Copyright Notice

Copyright for materials resides with the creators of the items in question, unless otherwise designated.

Publishing permission

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

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item: description and date], Doris Perdue Gormly papers, MS 168, Simmons College Archives, Boston, MA, USA.

Acquisitions Information

The Doris Perdue Gormly papers were donated to the Simmons College Archives in 1997 by Richard B. Gormly.

Accession number: 1997.038

Processing Information

Processed by Jessica Suarez, April 2005

Supervised by Donna Webber, April 2005

This collection guide was encoded as part of the LEADS project by Emily Gonzalez, August 2013


Biographical Note

Doris Perdue Gormly, Simmons Class of 1932, was born July 22, 1910, in Brookline, Massachusetts. She lived most of her life in Jacksonville, Florida but spent many summers of her youth visiting family in the Boston area. Gormly attended Simmons College from 1928 to 1932 where she received a B.S. in Household Economics, preparing her for employment as a nutritionist. While at Simmons, Gormly was an active member of the Glee Club and participated in school dances and Simmons activities, such as Freshman Bib Signing, Step Singing, and Tennis. After graduating from Simmons, Gormly worked as a dietician at the veteran’s hospital in Perry Point, Maryland and at a veteran’s hospital in Pennsylvania in the 1930s and 1940s. She then returned to Jacksonville where she was employed at St. Luke’s Hospital and concluded her career as a dietician at the veteran’s hospital in Lake City, Florida.

Gormly married Raymond Erl Gormly of Jacksonville, Florida on April 12, 1947, and together they ran Perdue’s Inc., an office machines company, until the business was sold in 1975. They had two sons, Robert Erl Gormly and Richard B. Gormly. Gormly remained active in the Simmons Alumnae Association throughout her life, holding the position of Secretary, 1977-1982, and attending many reunions, including her third (1935), 25th (1957), and 50th (1982). Gormly died on October 3, 1995, at 85 years old.


Collection Overview

The Doris Perdue Gormly papers consists mainly of materials about her years at Simmons College, 1928-1932. Collection includes meticulously kept course materials, class notes and notebooks. These course materials do not include syllabi or reading assignments, but still provide insight into the coursework of a Household Economics major in 1928-1932. Programs document Simmons events and activities, including Glee Club memorabilia and Step Singing. The Alumnae Association and Reunion newsletters offer further personal and professional information on Gormly, such as a notice of a new job, trips she took with her husband, and reasons for not attending the 45th reunion.

Photographs consist of a family photos, Simmons classmates, and Gormly at Simmons. The photos range in size from 2x3 to 5x7 with the majority in black and white. Color photos are mainly of the 50th Reunion. Of particular note is a photograph taken of the Main College Building, Simmons College, in the winter, almost completely obscured by snow.


Online Catalog Headings

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

Gormly, Doris Perdue, 1910-1995
Scrapbooks.
Simmons College (Boston, Mass.) -- Alumni and Alumnae
Simmons College (Boston, Mass.) -- Students
Simmons College (Boston, Mass.). Alumnae Association.
Women college students -- Massachusetts -- Boston

Collection Arrangement


Detailed Description of the Collection

Series I: Course materials and notebooks, 1924-1932 (25 folders)

Gormly’s course materials and notebooks document her education at Simmons College. These course materials describe classes including Clothing, Foods, Education and Lunchroom Management. This series also includes two notebooks from the eighth and ninth grades.

Box 1

  • Folder 1: Architecture I House Building notebook, 1929
    • Folder 2: Clothing 50 Textiles notes, 1930-1931
      • Folder 3: Clothing 50 Textiles notebook and annotated "Home Demonstration Agent" handout, 1930-1931
        • Folder 4: Clothing class handouts, 1930-1931
          • Folder 5: Clothing 11 class notebook, 1930-1931
            • Folder 6: Dedham Teaching Conference class notebook
              • Folder 7: Design 10 notebook, 1928
                • Folder 8: Domestic Art notebook (eighth grade), 1924
                  • Folder 9: Domestic Science notes and notebook (ninth grade)
                    • Folder 10: Education 1 Class notes and notebook, 1932
                      • Folder 11: Education 3 Class notes and lesson plans for the Ames School, 1931-1932
                        • Folder 12: Education Class notebook
                          • Folder 13: English 12, 2 "The Fiend of Heathbury Plain", 1929
                            • Folder 14: Foods 12, 13 class notes and handouts, 1929-1930
                              • Folder 15: Foods 20 Class notes, menus, and "Student Dietician Training Course" handout, 1929-1930
                                • Folder 16: House Construction House Building notebook, 1929
                                  • Folder 17: "Laboratory Directions for a Course in General Bacteriology" by C.M. Hilliard, 1923
                                    • Folder 18: Lunchroom Management class notebook, 1931-1932
                                      • Folder 19: Lunchroom Management class notes, 1931-1932
                                        • Folder 20: Lunchroom Management cost summary handout, 1932
                                          • Folder 21: Meal Consumer cost cards, 1931-1932
                                            • Folder 22: "My Health Book"
                                              • Folder 23: Psychology 10 class notes, handouts, and final exam, 1931
                                                • Folder 24: Recipe cards A-Z - "Dinner for One Hundred"
                                                  • Folder 25: Textile notebook, 1931

                                                    Series II: Simmons College activities and events, 1928-1932 (7 folders)

                                                    This series includes Glee Club programs, Track Day programs, dance cards, song sheets, and Commencement materials. There is also correspondence from Gormly's Freshman Sister, Betty Taylor, as well as other classmates.

                                                    Box 1

                                                    • Folder 26: Admission notice and Student ID, 1928
                                                      • Folder 27: Commencement, 1932
                                                        • Folder 28: Correspondence with Betty Taylor and other classmates, 1931-1932, 1936, undated
                                                          • Folder 29: Freshman Sister assignment, 1931
                                                            • Folder 30: Glee Club programs, song sheets, and newspaper clippings, 1929-1931
                                                              • Folder 31: Playbills from various Boston theater productions, 1928-1932
                                                                • Folder 32: Song Sheets, undated
                                                                  • Folder 33: Social activities and events, 1929-1932

                                                                    Series III: Simmons College scrapbooks and memorabilia, 1928-1932 (23 folders)

                                                                    This series contains the contents of two scrapbooks Gormly assembled during her years at Simmons, as well as stickers, paper bibs, and other memorabilia. The first scrapbook, which was in poor condition, was disbound. Each of the twenty-one pages was photocopied to preserve the original look of the scrapbook. The photocopies of each page were placed in individual folders. Newspaper clippings were photocopied and the originals discarded. The photocopies of the newspaper clippings and other items from the scrapbook pages were placed in their corresponding folders. The second scrapbook, "Graduation Days," includes Gormly’s high school graduation in 1928 and her Simmons College graduation in 1932. The Class of 1932 Recipe Book includes a recipe by Gormly.

                                                                    Box 1

                                                                    • Folder 34: Class of 1932 Recipe Book, undated
                                                                      • Folder 35: Memorabilia
                                                                        • Folder 36-56: Scrapbook, disbound, 1928-1932
                                                                          • Folder 57: "Graduation Days" Scrapbook, High School and Simmons College, 1928, 1932

                                                                            Series IV: Alumnae Association newsletters and reunion information, 1934-1992 (13 folders)

                                                                            This series includes Alumnae Association newsletters, programs, song sheets, minutes, and correspondence. Materials document Gormly’s third, 18th, 25th, 30th, 35th, 50th, 55th, and 60th Reunions.

                                                                            Box 1

                                                                            • Folder 58: Alumnae Association newsletters, 1934-1992
                                                                              • Folder 59: Alumnae Association officers, 1977-1978, 1981-1982
                                                                                • Folder 60: Class of 1932 newspaper clippings
                                                                                  • Folder 61: Third Reunion, 1935 Class History
                                                                                    • Folder 62: 18th Reunion, notes, 1950
                                                                                      • Folder 63: 25th Reunion, 1957
                                                                                        • Folder 64: 30th Reunion, 1962
                                                                                          • Folder 65: 35th Reunion, 1967
                                                                                            • Folder 66: 50th Reunion program, song sheets, and minutes, 1982
                                                                                              • Folder 67: 50th Reunion correspondence, 1982
                                                                                                • Folder 68: 50th Reunion memorabilia, 1982
                                                                                                  • Folder 69: 55th Reunion program, 1987
                                                                                                    • Folder 70: 60th Reunion, 1992

                                                                                                      Series V: Nutrition publications and advertisements for household products, 1933-1936 (1 folder)

                                                                                                      This series contains publications about nutrition, "The Old Salt’s Story" and "The Story of Wheat From Seed to Flour" and advertisements for household products.

                                                                                                      Box 1

                                                                                                      • Folder 71: Publications

                                                                                                        Series VI: Photographs, 1933-1982 (1 oversized container)

                                                                                                        This series consists of over seventy photographs of Gormly’s family, classmates, activities at Simmons, and her 50th Reunion (1982).

                                                                                                        Box 2

                                                                                                        • Photographs