Guide to the Frances M. Swain Letters
Daniel Hartwig
Stanford University. Libraries.
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
January 2013
Stanford, California
Copyright © 2015 The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. All rights reserved.
Note
This encoded finding aid is compliant with Stanford EAD Best Practice Guidelines, Version 1.0.
Call Number: SC1145
Creator:
Swain, Frances M.
Title: Frances M. Swain letters
Dates: 1885-1911
Physical Description:
0.25 Linear feet (31 items)
Language(s): The materials are in English.
Repository:
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Green Library
557 Escondido Mall
Stanford, CA 94305-6064
Email: specialcollections@stanford.edu
Phone: (650) 725-1022
URL: http://library.stanford.edu/spc
Purchase, 2013.
The materials are open for research use.
All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the
Head of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, California 94305-6064. Consent
is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission
from the copyright owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright owner, heir(s) or assigns. See: http://library.stanford.edu/depts/spc/pubserv/permissions.html.
Restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research
and educational purposes.
Frances M. Swain Letters (SC1145). Dept. of Special Collections & University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford,
Calif.
Frances M. Swain was the wife of Joseph Swain (1857-1927), professor and later president of the University of Indiana, professor
of mathematics at Stanford University, and later president of Swarthmore College.
Joseph Swain was born in Pendleton, Indiana. He graduated with both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from Indiana
University. Swain's teaching career began at Indiana University where he served as instructor in mathematics and biology,
and eventually he rose to full professor of mathematics. When David Starr Jordan went as president to Leland Stanford University,
Swain followed him as professor of mathematics, 1891-1893. He then accepted the invitation to return to Indiana University
as president, 1893-1902. Swain was a member of the Quaker faith, and, though successful at Indiana University, he felt a strong
impulsion to accept the invitation to Swarthmore College, where he served as president from 1902-1921, when he retired as
president emeritus.
The materials consist of letters written by Frances [Fannie] M. Swain to members of her family in Indiana
Fourteen of these letters were written while the Swains were at Stanford, many written on Stanford stationery. Fannie recounts
life in California, and mentions that Senator Stanford had invited Prof. Swain to return to Stanford as Vice Priesident after
completing his time at Indiana, which he apparently declined. Fourteen letters were written from Edinburgh during 1885-86,
during a tenure at the University of Edinburgh, and three from London and Vienna, during later trips abroad.
Swain, Joseph.
Letters.
Box 1
Letters 1885-1911