Finding Aid of the Gladys Ryland papers 0186

Finding aid prepared by Philip Meyer and Rebecca Hirsch
USC Libraries Special Collections
Doheny Memorial Library 206
3550 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, California, 90089-0189
213-740-5900
specol@usc.edu
2011 August


Title: Gladys Ryland papers
Collection number: 0186
Contributing Institution: USC Libraries Special Collections
Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 4.13 Linear feet 8 boxes
Date (bulk): Bulk, 1930-1945
Date (inclusive): 1930-1970
Abstract: Materials pertaining to group dances collected by the social worker Gladys Ryland in the 1930s and 1940s.
creator: Ryland, Gladys

Conditions Governing Use

The collection contains published materials; researchers are reminded of the copyright restrictions imposed by publishers on reusing their articles and parts of books. It is the responsibility of researchers to acquire permission from publishers when reusing such materials. The copyright to unpublished materials belongs to the heirs of the writers. Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.

Conditions Governing Access

COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE. Advance notice required for access.

Preferred Citation

[Box/folder# or item name], Gladys Ryland papers, Collection no. 0186, Special Collections, USC Libraries, University of Southern California

Scope and Content

This collection contains the papers of Gladys Ryland. These papers include sheet music, periodicals, manuscripts of Ms. Ryland's academic writing, books, booklets, scrapbook pages, and photographs. There is also a small set of index cards with sheet music and choreographic descriptions and illustrations for various dances and dance productions. Though Ryland had earned degrees in education and was a social worker by trade, most of the collection relates directly to dance, which she used extensively in her practice of group social work.

Biographical Note

Gladys Ryland was born on June 30, 1900 in Pine Bluff, North Carolina to Henry and Effie Ryland and grew up in the coal towns of Western Pennsylvania. Interested in the connection between physical activity and morale, she began studying physical education in Battle Creek, Michigan. She moved to New York in 1921, where she earned her certificate in physical education in 1923 and moved to Chicago, where she taught classes in sports and dance to women at the YWCA in the Loop. After stints at YWCAs in Manchester, New Hampshire, and Buffalo, New York, she returned to New York City in 1927, where she earned a B.S. in education from New York University.
Ryland returned to Chicago in 1931 to work as the Health Education Director at the West Side YWCA. She continued, as she would for most of her life, to teach classes in sports and dance. In 1937, she joined the faculty of Western Reserve University's School of Applied Social Sciences and then moved to the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work, eventually becoming an assistant professor and earning a master's degree in education in the Graduate School of Education. In Pittsburgh, Ryland began to work seriously on developing a theory of group work. In 1949, she and Gertrude Wilson published their seminal work, the textbook Social Work Group Practice. In 1950, she moved to Tulane University, where she continued to teach and conduct group work in the community.
In 1965, Ryland retired to the mountains of Northern California with her lifelong friend, Ms. Wilson. She passed away on April 3, 1980.

Separated Materials

A list of the published items removed from this collection is attached to its accession record. These items can now be found in USC's online public access catalog, Homer.

Acquisition

Donated by Gladys Ryland.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Ryland, Gladys -- Archives
Dance--Archival resources
Manuscripts
Music and dance--Archival resources
Periodicals
Photographs
Sheet music
Social group work--United States--20th century--Archival resources
Social group work--United States--Archival resources
Social work education--United States--Archival resources
Women social workers--United States--Archival resources

Box 1, Folder 1

Bach Sheet Music

Box 1, Folder 2

Bennington College Bulletin 1936

Box 1, Folder 3-4

Bennington School of the Arts

Box 1, Folder 5

Bookmark

Box 1, Folder 6-7

Collected Writings of Gladys Ryland

Box 1, Folder 8

Dance - Ballet

Box 2, Folder 1-2

Dance - Dance Group History

Box 2, Folder 3

Dance - Dido and Aneas

Box 2, Folder 4

Dance - Duncan, Isadora

Box 2, Folder 5

Dance - Dunham, Katherine

Box 2, Folder 6

Dance - Graham, Martha

Box 2, Folder 7

Dance - Holm, Hayna

Box 2, Folder 8

Dance - Humphrey - Wiedman

Box 2, Folder 9

Dance - Israel

Box 2, Folder 10

Dance - Joos

Box 2, Folder 11

Dance - Jose Limón

Box 2, Folder 12

Dance - Kreutzberg, Harold

Box 2, Folder 13

Dance - Mansfield, Perry

Box 2, Folder 14

Dance - Modern Dance and Music

Box 2, Folder 15

Dance - Music

Box 2, Folder 16

Dance - Office Workers Dance Group

Box 2, Folder 17

Dance - Outline of Dances

Box 3, Folder 1

Dance - Pictures & Ideas

Box 3, Folder 2

Dance - Programs

Box 3, Folder 3

Dance - St. Denis, Ruth

Box 3, Folder 4

Dance - Shan Kar

Box 3, Folder 5

Dance - Shawn, Ted

Box 3, Folder 6

Dance - Trudi Schoop

Box 3, Folder 7

Dance - Wigman, Mary

Box 3, Folder 8

Dance - Younger Dancers Group

Box 3, Folder 9

Dance in History

Box 3, Folder 10-11

Dances With Songs I

Box 3, Folder 12

Dancing - Indian (American)

Box 3, Folder 13

English Fold Dance Music [Manuscript]

Box 3, Folder 14

Folk Dance Festival 1937

Box 3, Folder 15

Folk Dances

Box 3, Folder 16

Folk Songs and Dances

Box 4, Folder 1

Gladys Ryland - Photographs Childhood & Youth

Box 4, Folder 2

Gladys Ryland - Writings 1930-70 Bibliography 1930-1970

Box 4, Folder 3-4

Group & Couple Dances

Box 4, Folder 5

Group Dances - Circle, Longways

Box 4, Folder 6

Group Dances - Square Dances

Box 5, Folder 7

Let's Lead

Box 4, Folder 8

Manuscript Music Boko - Kilpatrick 2

Box 4, Folder 8-9

Music & Dance

Box 5, Folder 1

NASW Oral History Project Transcript 1978 August

Box 5, Folder 2

Prospectus of Taylor Thesis with Biographical Material

Box 5, Folder 3

Pre-Classic Dance Forums

Box 5, Folder 4

Retirement Correspondence 1965

Box 5, Folder 5

Ryland - Biographical Materials

Box 5, Folder 6

Ryland - Biographical Materials Photographs

Box 5, Folder 7

Ryland - Chapters of Biography, Correspondence, Misc. Papers

Box 5, Folder 8-10

Songs

Box 6, Folder 1

Songs

Box 6, Folder 2

Songs and Dances - Trades and Occupations

Box 7

Ryland Scrapbook Photo Pages

Box 8

Index Cards