Etter, Mary Spitzer Papers, 1924 – 2002 *JMU Alum Papers*

Repository:

Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University

Creator:

Etter, Mary Spitzer, 1912-2002

Title:

Mary Spitzer Etter Papers

Collection No.:

SC 0191

Date:

1924 - 2002

Extent:

7 folders, .25 Cubic Feet

Language of the Material:

English

Abstract:

The Mary Spitzer Etter Papers comprise correspondence, meeting minutes, treasurer's reports, and photographs related to Etter's time as a student and alumna of James Madison University.

Mary Spitzer Etter (1912-2002) was the daughter of Perry Franklin and Mabel Baldwin Spitzer. A 1934 graduate of the State Normal School (later James Madison University), she was active in the Glee Club, and was a devoted participant in campus events both before and after her tenure as a student. Her subsequent teaching career spanned four decades. She sponsored scholarships at Bridgewater College, Shenandoah University and James Madison University to honor her sister, Ruth, and her parents.

Mary Etter was an active member of the Madison College Alumni Association, serving as President of the Board from 1962-1966 and in various capacities throughout the 1950s and into the 1970s. She bequeathed her late Victorian era home to the local (Harrisonburg) arts association. Her life and possessions were featured in a 2002 exhibition at the Shenandoah Valley Folk Art and Heritage Center in Dayton, Virginia, "Vignettes from the Mary Spitzer Etter Collection."

This collection documents the relationship of Mary Spitzer Etter (class of 1934) with James Madison University as an active alumna, class agent, and member of the Alumni Association's Board of Directors.

Correspondence, 1959-1975, contains several dozen responses to Mary Etter's January 15, 1968 letter of appeal to her classmates to support the Agnes S. Dingledine Retirement Fund honoring "Mama Ding's" years of service as Alumni Secretary. Also included are letters regarding fundraising for the Glee Club Alumni Association as well as the State Madison College Alumni Association and the Harrisonburg/Rockingham Chapter of Madison College Alumnae.

Minutes, 1924-1976, contains the minute book of the Alumni Association 1924-1976 and handwritten minutes of the Harrisonburg/Rockingham Chapter of Madison College Alumnae, 1961-1968.

Treasurer's Reports, Accounting Records and Miscellaneous Papers, 1962-1975, contains financial records of the Harrisonburg/Rockingham Chapter of Madison College Alumnae, including receipts and treasurer's reports from 1963-1968. These materials also contain lists of donors and donations from 1976-1972, as well as a constitution and by-laws (1965-1972), a JMU crest needlepoint pattern, and miscellaneous papers of the Alumni Association.

Publicity and Photographs, 1934-2002, include photographs of Etter as a student and alumni, newspaper coverage of a historic exhibit featuring Mary Etter, two photographs of the 1988 Bluestone Society induction ceremony, and a self-published booklet of poems, 1986.

The collection is arranged topically in seven folders.