Title: Frances Hoffman Lavine Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1925-1983

Creator:

• Lavine, Frances Hoffman, 1906-

Call Number: Superior Mss Z; Superior Micro 4; Micro 2060; PH Superior Mss Z

Quantity: 0.6 c.f. (2 archives boxes), 1 reel of microfilm (35mm), 38 photographs, and 4 negatives

Repository:

Housed at the Area Research Center, Jim Dan Hill Library, University of Wisconsin-Superior; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

UW-Superior Jim Dan Hill Library / Superior Area Research Ctr. (Map)

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

Abstract:

Papers of Lavine, a Jewish actress and founder/director of the Children's Theatre of Duluth; relating to her theatrical work and civic activities in Duluth, Minn. and Superior, Wis. Microfilmed scrapbooks of newsclippings, programs, and photographs pertain to the Children's Theatre, the French River Dramatic Arts Club, the Little Theater of Duluth, dramatic presentations of the Senior Hadassah of the Temple Emanuel Congregation (Duluth), and Lavine's own one-woman dramatic performances and readings.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-sup000z

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

Frances Hoffman Lavine was born in Chicago, on January 7, 1906. However, the family moved to Duluth, Minnesota when Frances was still a child. Her father, Louis Hoffman, later moved the family to French River, Minn. to satisfy a desire to live in the country.

There, Frances served as director of the French River Dramatic Arts Club from 1926-1927 and engaged in dramatic work through the Senior Hadassah at the Temple Emanuel Congregation in Duluth. In 1924, Frances participated in theater performances during summer stock at Northwestern University, Gloucester, Mass. She was a student of Maurice Giesen of the Goodman Theater in Chicago, and worked under Fritz Leiber, a Shakespearean actor.

She founded the Children's Theatre of Duluth in 1928 and served as its director until her resignation nine years later. In 1932, the Children's Theatre opened what was believed to be the first children's theater playhouse in the country. Throughout its history, the Children's Theatre of Duluth was unique in originally having all officer positions on the executive board held by teenagers, and later as the only theater group of its kind supported and operated by its own organization. Works Progress Administration monies assisted the organization for a period in the 1930's. The Children's Theatre of Duluth disbanded in 1939 due to lack of funds.

Frances Hoffman married Max H. Lavine in 1935 and the couple made their home in Superior, Wis. where Frances continued her one-woman performances and dramatic readings. A son, John Morgan Lavine, was born in 1941. (See also John M. Lavine Papers at the Wisconsin Historical Society.)

Mrs. Lavine's civic involvements included service in the Superior Chapter of the Wisconsin Tuberculosis Association, Superior board of the National Association for Crippled Children and Adults; and as a member on the Governor's Committee on the Employment of the Physically Handicapped (1956), Board of Trustees of St. Scholastica College, Board of Directors of the UW Foundation of Superior, and Executive Board of the Duluth Superior Educational Corporation. She also acted as president of the Lavine Newspaper Group.

The records consist of five series: PERSONAL, DRAMATIC WORK AND PUBLIC SPEAKING, COMMUNITY SERVICE/VOLUNTEER WORK, PHOTOGRAPHS, and SCRAPBOOKS. The collection does not adequately document Lavine's many civic involvements and dramatic accomplishments. However, information on dramatic activities in Duluth, Minnesota from 1926-1939 is a collection strength. Researchers interested in Lavine's dramatic work are encouraged to also check the COMMUNITY SERVICE/VOLUNTEER WORK series as Lavine often incorporated her dramatic talents into her volunteer work.

PERSONAL (1941-1982) includes correspondence with friends, acquaintances and typically consists of letters of appreciation and well wishes. There are also scattered biographical materials relating to her father, Louis Hoffman, and the Lavine family; including eulogies for both father and husband, a birth announcement (1941) for son John Morgan in the form of a play bulletin, and miscellaneous materials.

DRAMATIC WORK AND PUBLIC SPEAKING (1925-1983) provides some documentation of Lavine's work and involvement in the dramatic arts, but primarily contains newsclippings and programs. Newsclippings relate to the Children's Theatre of Duluth, Lavine's own dramatic performances and readings, and occasionally to Lavine's civic involvements. Programs and other materials pertain to the Children's Theatre of Duluth, Associated Studio's School of Speech Arts (Duluth), Lavine's narration work with the Duluth Symphony Orchestra, and Lavine's performances. There are also some materials which concern Lavine's commencement speeches at Mount Senario College in Ladysmith and at Northland College in Ashland where she was also awarded an honorary doctorate degree. There is one file of Lavine's writings and speeches consisting of a speech which Lavine gave for a wellness program, scattered notes relating to drama, and a booklet, "Play Production Course" written by Lavine for the St. Louis County (Minn.) Rural Schools, circa 1932.

COMMUNITY SERVICE/VOLUNTEER WORK (1935-1982) includes newsclippings, correspondence and materials related to her many community service involvements including her service on the St. Scholastica Board of Trustees and later receipt of an honorary doctorate degree from the college, teaching work with the Clam Lake Job Corps Center (1968-1969), and establishment of the Max H. Lavine Award for Scholarly Activity at the Wisconsin State University at Superior. Other materials are more fragmentary and include some invitations of the Duluth Women's Club, and newsclippings and miscellany related to Lavine's work with the Red Cross, Anti-Tuberculosis Association, and disabled children.

PHOTOGRAPHS (circa 1936-circa 1969) include a few images of the Children's Theatre of Duluth; Frances; son John and family; an unidentified newspaper office, presumably part of the Lavine Newspaper Group; and the Clam Lake Job Corps Center.

SCRAPBOOKS (1926-1938) relate to Lavine's dramatic involvement in the Duluth and French River communities and contain newsclippings, programs, and occasional photographs relating to the Children's Theatre of Duluth, Little Theater of Duluth, French River Dramatics Arts Club, the Senior Hadassah at Temple Emanuel Congregation in Duluth, and Lavine's (then Hoffman's) dramatic performances. The scrapbooks have been microfilmed and the original scrapbooks are in the possession of the Northeast Minnesota Historical Center, University of Minnesota-Duluth.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Frances Lavine, Duluth, Minn., 1984. Accession Number: M84-261

Processing Information

Processed by Gayle Martinson, 1998.

Superior Mss Z	Series: Personal
	Correspondence
Box   1 Folder   1	General, 1963-1982
Box   1 Folder   2	Following Surgery, 1980
	Hoffman, Louis [Lavine's father]
Box   1 Folder   3	Biographical, 1956-1960
Box   1 Folder   4	“Our Heritage” [French River, Minn.], undated
	Lavine Family
Box   1 Folder   5	General, 1941-1980
Box   1 Folder   6	Lavine Holiday Cards, undated
	Series: Dramatic Involvements and Public Speaking	⇧
Box   1 Folder   7	Associated Studio's School of Speech Arts [Duluth, Minn.], 1930-1936
	Children's Theatre of Duluth
Box   1 Folder   8	General, 1931-1936
Box   1 Folder   9	Programs, 1933-1940
Box   1 Folder   10	Duluth Symphony Orchestra, 1956-1961, 1980
Box   1 Folder   11	Mount Senario College Commencement, 1983
Box   1 Folder   12-14	Newsclippings, 1925-1981, undated
Box   1 Folder   15	Programs of Lavine's Performances, 1932-1982
Box   2 Folder   1	Northland College Commencement and Honorary Doctorate Degree, 1981
Box   2 Folder   2	Speeches, Writings, and Notes, 1932, undated
	Series: Community Service/Volunteer Work	⇧
Box   2 Folder   3	General, 1946-1979
Box   2 Folder   4	Clam Lake Job Corps Center, 1968-1969
Box   2 Folder   5	College of St. Scholastica, 1967-1982
Box   2 Folder   6	Duluth Women's Club, undated
Box   2 Folder   7	Max H. Lavine Award for Scholarly Activity [Superior State University], 1968-1975, 1982
	Series: Photographs, circa 1936-circa 1969	⇧
Box   2 Box   8	Photocopies of original photos
PH Superior Mss Z	Original photographs
Superior Micro 4/Micro 2060	Series: Scrapbooks	⇧
Reel   1	1926-1930
Reel   1	1932-1934
Reel   1	1934-936
Reel   1	1937-1938