Gertrude Knox Smith Thompson papers
Abstract
The Gertrude Knox Smith Thompson Papers consist of letters to her from Europe dated January 1940 to December 1953. These letters were written to thank her for gifts and help she sent to individuals in Great Britain and France during World War II and to Germany following the war. In addition to expressions of gratitude, they contain detailed personal commentary on the war and politics of the time. There is also one folder containing two letters that reference The League of Women Voters from a friend in New Zealand. One folder also contains a resume and translated references from a German woman.
Dates
- Creation: December 20, 1939-December 15, 1953, undated
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open to the public and must be used in the John M.K. Davis Room of the Watkinson Library, Trinity College Library, Hartford, Connecticut. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws when using this collection.
Conditions Governing Use
Digital surrogates may be provided to researchers, in accordance with the duplication policy of the Watkinson Library. Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs unless otherwise specified. It is the researcher’s responsibility to secure permission to publish materials from the appropriate copyright holder. Archival materials may contain sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal and/or state right to privacy laws or other regulations. While we make a good faith effort to identify and remove such materials, some may be missed during processing. If a researcher finds sensitive personal information (e.g. social security numbers) in a collection, please bring it to the attention of the reading room staff.
Biographical / Historical
Gertrude Knox Smith Thompson was born Gertrude Dietrich in Hastings, Nebraska in 1880. Her father, Charles Henry Dietrich was a governor of Nebraska in 1901 and US Senator from the state from 1901 to 1905. Her mother, Elizabeth Slaker died when she was seven. Her stepmother, Margretta Stewart Shaw Dietrich was a suffragist and activist for women and the elderly. Gertrude graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 1903 as did her stepmother. She married Herbert Knox Smith, a member of Theodore Roosevelt’s “Kitchen Cabinet,” in 1908. They lived in Farmington, Connecticut. Herbert Knox Smith died in 1931 and Gertrude Knox Smith married John Thompson in April 1941. She died in a plane crash in Ireland on September 5, 1954.
Full Extent
.25 Cubic Feet (1 letter clamshell box with 20 letter size folders) ; Letter Clamshell Box (12.25 x 3 x 10.25) equals .22 cubic feet (UNLV)
Language of Materials
English
French
Arrangement
Arranged in a single series in alphabetical order by name of correspondent.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Source unknown.
Separated Materials
A copy of Cornelia B. Pinchot's diary of her trip to Iran and Iraq in May-June 1949 has been removed and placed in the Vertical File Manuscripts, Watkinson Library.
- Title
- Guide to the Gertrude Knox Smith Thompson papers
- Author
- Marjorie Clarke
- Date
- 2020-02-28
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Watkinson Library - Archival Collections Repository