Finding Aid for the Ida E. Wickenden Papers, 1903-1962
Processed by Laura Ward; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé and edited by Josh Fiala.
UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections
Manuscripts Division
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
Email: spec-coll@library.ucla.edu
URL: http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/special/scweb/
© 2005
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Ida E. Wickenden Papers,
Date (inclusive): 1903-1962
Collection number: 885
Creator: Wickenden, Ida E., 1886-ca. 1972
Extent:
3 boxes (1.5 linear ft.)
Abstract: Ida E. Wickenden (1886-ca.1972) spent her early years in Toledo, Ohio. Her interest in missionary work began as a college
student, with her involvement in the Young Women's Christian Association. In November of 1906 she traveled to Nashville to
attend a missionary convention, and a year later she sailed for Hangchow, China to begin work there as a missionary. In 1911,
her letters to her family made an American newspaper for their descriptions of the Republican Revolution, which transferred
power from the Manchu dynasty to Chinese rule under Sun Yet Sen. The collection consists mostly of correspondence from Ida
E. Wickenden and other hand-written and printed materials relating to the time she spent as missionary in Hangchow, China.
Also included are a Wickenden family history, miscellaneous correspondence, photographs of China, photographic portraits of
Ida E. Wickenden during her missionary years, photographic postcards, and photocopies of three volumes of transcribed correspondence
entitled, “Letters from China, 1907-1913: Ida E. Wickenden to members of her family”.
Repository:
University of California, Los Angeles. Library.
Department of Special Collections.
Los Angeles, California 90095-1575
Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library, Department
of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Administrative Information
Restrictions on Access
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Advance notice required for access.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library,
Department of Special Collections. Literary rights, including copyright,
are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of
the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the
copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC
Regents do not hold the copyright.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Gift of Charles Robert Nixon, 1998.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Ida E. Wickenden Papers (Collection 885). Department of Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research
Library, UCLA.
UCLA Catalog Record ID
Biography
Ida E. Wickenden was born February 11, 1886, the third of eight children born to Thomas R. Wickenden and Ida Consual Wickenden.
According to a Wickenden family history, Thomas R. Wickenden's family ancestry was English Roman Catholic and French Huguenot;
Ida Consual Wickenden was of Spanish Huguenot, Dutch, and Quaker descent. Ida spent her early years in Toledo, Ohio. Her interest
in missionary work began as a college student, with her involvement in the Young Women's Christian Association. In November
of 1906 she traveled to Nashville to attend a missionary convention; a year later she sailed for Hangchow, China to begin
work there as a missionary. Ida stayed in Hangchow for just over five years, during which she taught at a Baptist girl's school.
In 1911 her letters to her family made an American newspaper for their descriptions of the Republican Revolution, which transferred
power from the Manchu dynasty to Chinese rule under Sun Yet Sen. Ida wrote to her family frequently throughout her stay in
China. In June of 1913 Ida left Hangchow, traveling by train across Siberia to Moscow and then to Berlin. She met her sister,
Lottie Wickenden, in England. From there they traveled to Scotland and Paris. Ida married Justin Wroe Nixon in June of 1914
after her return to the United States. The Nixons lived first in Minneapolis, Minnesota and then in Rochester, New York. They
had five children, all of whom, except the first, were born in Rochester. Ida and Justin Sr. traveled together in Europe and
Turkey after his retirement in 1954. They were married for 40 years until Justin's death in 1958. Ida spent her latter years
in a retirement community in Pomona, California and died about 1972.
Expanded Biographical Note
Ida E. Wickenden was born February 11, 1886. She was the third of eight children born to Thomas R. Wickenden and Ida Consual
Wickenden. According to a Wickenden family history, Thomas R. Wickenden's family ancestry was English Roman Catholic and French
Huguenot; Ida Consual Wickenden was of Spanish Huguenot, Dutch, and Quaker descent.
Ida E. Wickenden spent her early years in Toledo, Ohio. Her interest in missionary work began as a college student with her
involvement in the Young Women's Christian Association. In November of 1906 she traveled to Nashville to attend a missionary
convention; a year later she sailed for Hangchow, China to begin work there as a missionary. Ida stayed in Hangchow for just
over five years, during which she taught at a Baptist girl's school. In 1911 her letters to her family made an American newspaper
for their descriptions of the Republican Revolution, which transferred power from the Manchu dynasty to Chinese rule under
Sun Yet Sen. Ida wrote to her family frequently throughout her stay in China.
In June of 1913 Ida left Hangchow, traveling by train across Siberia to Moscow and then to Berlin. She met her sister, Lottie
Wickenden, in England. From there they traveled to Scotland and Paris. Ida married Justin Wroe Nixon in June of 1914 after
her return to the United States. The Nixons lived first in Minneapolis, Minnesota and then in Rochester, New York. They had
five children: John Harmon, Charles Robert, Elizabeth Wickenden, Alice Wroe, and Justin Wroe., Jr. All of the children except
the first, John Harmon, were born in Rochester. Ida and Justin Sr. traveled together in Europe and Turkey after his retirement
in 1954. They were married for 40 years until Justin's death in 1958. Ida spent her latter years in a retirement community
in Pomona, California.
Scope and Content
Collection consists mostly of correspondence from Ida E. Wickenden and other hand-written and printed materials relating to
the time she spent as missionary in Hangchow, China. Also included are a Wickenden family history; miscellaneous correspondence
from Wickenden family members; black-and-white photographs of China; photographic portraits of Ida E. Wickenden during her
missionary years; photographic postcards; photocopies of three volumes of transcribed correspondence entitled, “Letters from
China, 1907-1913: Ida E. Wickenden to members of her family”.
Organization and Arrangement
Arranged in the following series:
- Chinese language materials, correspondence, drawings, envelopes, maps, miscellaneous printed materials, newspaper clippings,
photographs, postcards, transcribed correspondence, Memoirs of the Thomas Rogers Wickenden family, miscellaneous correspondence,
and William E. Wickenden correspondence.
All materials relate to Ida E. Wickenden unless otherwise noted.
Processing Note
Processed by Laura Ward, February 2003.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Subjects
Wickenden, Ida E., 1886-ca. 1972--Archives.
Women missionaries--United States--Archival resources.
Memoirs of the Thomas Rogers Wickenden Family
Box 1, Folder 1
Memoirs of the Thomas Rogers Wickenden Family.
1962
Physical Description: (1 spiral bound book)
Miscellaneous Correspondence
Box 1, Folder 2
Miscellaneous undated correspondence.
n.d.
Physical Description: (3 items)
Scope and Content Note
Correspondence to and from various people, undated.
Box 1, Folder 3
Letters and commencement announcement.
1908
Physical Description: (3 items)
Scope and Content Note
Letters to and from various people and commencement announcement.
Box 1, Folder 4
Correspondence to and from various people.
1909
Physical Description: (3 items)
Box 1, Folder 5
Correspondence to and from various people.
1910
Physical Description: (1 item)
Box 1, Folder 6
Correspondence to and from various people.
1911
Physical Description: (2 items)
William E. Wickenden - Correspondence
Box 1, Folder 7
Letters from William E. Wickenden to his mother and father.
1903
Physical Description: (4 items)
Box 1, Folder 8
Drawings.
n.d.
Physical Description: (3 items)
Box 1, Folder 9
Newspaper clipping.
1911 December 1
Physical Description: (1 item)
Scope and Content Note
Newspaper article covering Ida E. Wickenden in China during Republican revolution.
Box 1, Folder 10
Chinese language materials.
n.d.
Physical Description: (3 items)
Box 1, Folder 11
Miscellaneous printed material.
n.d.
Physical Description: (2 items)
Box 1, Folder 12
Envelopes.
1909-1912, and n.d.
Physical Description: (23 items)
Box 1, Folder 13
Correspondence.
Physical Description: (28 items)
Scope and Content Note
Undated letters and enclosure.
Box 2, Folder 1
Correspondence to family from Granville, Ohio.
1903
Physical Description: (9 items)
Box 2, Folder 2
Correspondence to family from Granville, Ohio and Canada[?].
1904
Physical Description: (3 items)
Box 2, Folder 3
Correspondence to family from Granville, Ohio.
1905
Physical Description: (1 item)
Box 2, Folder 4
Correspondence to family from Canada and China.
1907
Physical Description: (12 items)
Boxes 2-3
Correspondence to family from China.
1908-1913
Box 2, Folder 5
1908.
Physical Description: (19 items)
Box 2, Folder 6
1908.
Physical Description: (18 items)
Box 2, Folder 7
1909.
Physical Description: (28 items)
Box 2, Folder 8
1910.
Physical Description: (12 items)
Box 2, Folder 9
1911.
Physical Description: (21 items)
Box 3, Folder 1
1912.
Physical Description: (17 items)
Box 3, Folder 2
1913.
Physical Description: (11 items)
Box 3, Folder 3
Incomplete letter.
1931
Physical Description: (1 item)
Box 3, Folder 4
Black-and-white photographs from China with notes.
n.d.
Physical Description: (8 photographs)
Box 3, Folder 5
Black-and-white photographic portrait of Ida E. Wickenden; two 120mm black-and-white copy negatives.
n.d.
Physical Description: (2 items)
Box 3, Folder 6
Black-and-white photographic portrait of Ida E. Wickenden in Chinese paper folder; two 120mm black-and-white copy negatives.
n.d.
Physical Description: (2 items)
Box 3, Folder 7
Black-and-white photographic portrait of Ida E. Wickenden in Chinese paper folder.
n.d.
Physical Description: (1 item)
Box 3, Folder 8
Photographic postcards sent by Ida E. Wickenden from China, Japan, Philippines, and New Hampshire, U.S.A.
1908-1924
Physical Description: (19 items)
Box 3, Folder 9
Map of Hangchow field [Hand-drawn?].
n.d.
Physical Description: (1 item)
Box 3, Folder 10-12
Transcribed correspondence from Ida E. Wickenden.
1907-1913
Physical Description: (3 vol.)
Scope and Content Note
Entitled "Letters from China, 1907-1913: Ida E. Wickenden to Members of her Family".
Box 3, Folder 10
vol.1.
Physical Description: (1 item)
Box 3, Folder 11
vol.2.
Physical Description: (1 item)
Box 3, Folder 12
vol.3.
Physical Description: (1 item)
