MS-285 Margaret Shardelow Young Papers

Introduction

The papers of Margaret Shardelow Young were accessioned into the Wright State University Special Collections and Archives in May 1999. They were donated by Patricia Shardelow DeReamer of Louisville, Kentucky; and William D. Shardelow of Ramsey, New Jersey in 1991. The collection provides biographical information on Margaret Shardelow Young and examples of her writing. It contains personal materials, photographs, clippings, her papers from the Friday Afternoon Club, and miscellaneous writings from 1913 to 1984.

The collection fills two Hollinger boxes and twenty file folders. There are no restrictions on this collection.

Biographical Sketch

Margaret Shardelow Young was born on September 7, 1895 and died at the age of 91 in 1987. A Dayton native, she graduated from Steele High School in 1913 and Miami University in 1917. She taught English in Lewisburg, Oakwood, and Dayton, settling at Roosevelt High School from 1926-1953. She earned a master’s degree from Columbia University in 1937.

Ms. Young was a member of the First Baptist Church of Dayton; the member with the longest continuous membership at 78 years.

She was a member of the Friday Afternoon Club, one of Dayton’s oldest women’s literary clubs. Her papers covered a variety of topics and exemplified her varying intellectual interests. She enjoyed writing and studying poetry as is evidenced in the samples included in this collection.

As the wife of Dwight Young, editor and publisher of the Dayton Journal Herald, Margaret traveled to Europe and the Far East. Margaret Young was known as an interesting and talkative person—a reputation furthered by her husband who referred to her in his columns as his “seldom silent companion.”

Scope and Content Note

The papers of Margaret Shardelow Young are divided into five series: Personal materials, Photographs, Clippings, Friday Afternoon Club papers, and Writings.

Series I: Personal materials is composed of a Steele High School Yearbook, 1913; a travel journal,1927; a daily journal, 1946; passports from 1927 and 1959; programs and notes from her memorial service, 1987; and undated school books, teaching notes, and lesson plans.

Series II: Contains two photographs, one of Margaret Young ca. 1920, and one of Margaret and her niece Patricia Shardelow ca. 1946. Two additional photographs can be found in the passports in box 1, series I, file 4.

Series III: Clippings consist of a photo and announcement of Mr. and Mrs. Young’s travel itenerary, February 17, 1960; and Ms. Young’s death notice, 1987.

Series IV: Friday Afternoon Club papers is composed of Margaret Young’s papers written for the literary club: Directions in Modern Poetry, November 21, [1958]; Fact vs Fiction, October 9, 1959; Henry James, January 6, 1961; The Riddle, February 1, 1963; Book and Thimble Day, February 14, 1964; Dante, [January 21], 1966; Garibaldi, [February 3], 1967; The Durable, Delicate Sex, [November 3, 1967]; Christopher Morley, [November 3, 1961]; Lady Mary Wortley Montague, 1970; The Town in Literature, [January 22, 1971]; Writers in a Foreign Tongue, [March 16, 1973]; Chaucer, April [29], 1977; The Barbary Coast, December 2, 1977; Political Giants, 1979; Willa Cather, [January 11, 1980]; Pilgrim’s Progress, October 16, 1981; The Greeks Had a Word For It, October 8, 1982; The Lore of the Land, November 16, 1984. Dates for many of the papers were obtained from the program books of the Friday Afternoon Club found in MS #290.

Series V: Writings are composed of Christmas, anniversary, and birthday cards with original poetry, 1953-1984; and poetry and essays from the 1950’s to the 1980’s. Mixed throughout the poetry are original works along with copies of her favorites by other authors.

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