Title: Helen Buckler Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1916-1970 (bulk 1930-1959)

Creator:

• Buckler, Helen, 1894-1988

Call Number: Mss 1066; PH 6624

Quantity: 8.3 cubic feet (20 archives boxes and 1 flat box) and 120 photographs (1 archives box)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

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

Abstract:

Papers, 1916-1970 (mainly 1930-1959), of Helen Buckler, a freelance journalist and author whose research interests included issues relating to women, civil rights, social welfare, race relations, aviation, personalities, travel, and gastronomy. The collection includes personal and professional correspondence; undergraduate class work; newspaper clippings of her published works; freelance writing files; manuscripts; promotional materials from her work at the National Council of Negro Women, Camp Fire Girls, and other nonprofits; photographs; and research files and notes. She published two well-received books: Doctor Dan: Pioneer in American Surgery, a biography of early African American physician and surgeon Daniel Hale Williams, and Wo-He-Lo: The Story of Camp Fire Girls, 1910-1960, a history of the first 50 years of Camp Fire Girls. Buckler was also involved in public relations for numerous nonprofit organizations including the YMCA, Camp Fire Girls, and the National Council of Negro Women.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss01066

Helen Buckler was born on October 1, 1894 in Buffalo, New York, to Edman V. and Rosa B. Buckler. She lived in New York, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. She also went by the names of Bobs and Bobby. In 1912, she graduated valedictorian from South Milwaukee High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Illinois in 1922 with a major in English and Journalism and a minor in History and Sociology. After graduation, Buckler moved to New York City where she lived, except for the period from 1924 to 1926, when she lived in Paris, France.

Ms. Buckler spent a lifelong career as a freelance journalist and authored two well-received books: a biography of Daniel Williams, an early African American physician and surgeon, and the history of the first 50 years of Camp Fire Girls. Her main areas of interest were issues relating to women, civil rights, social welfare, race relations, aviation, personalities, travel, and gastronomy. She was also involved in public relations for numerous nonprofit organizations including the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), Camp Fire Girls, and the National Council of Negro Women.

In the early 1960s Buckler was the co-leader in the first New York City Knickerbocker Democrats, which helped elect Fiorello La Guardia mayor. She later ran for state assembly on the Knickerbocker ticket but was defeated. She worked for a dozen years during the Cooperative Movement and conducted numerous lectures on co-ops. She was also involved in numerous committees including: Citizens Advisory Committee to Clinton Community Center, West Side Housing Committee—New York City, Board of Managers at Friends Journal, and was a delegate to the World Meeting of Quakers. Additionally, she was the founder and first president of the Boerum Hill Association, leading the brownstone revival in Brooklyn, 1963-1966.

Helen Buckler died in 1988.

The Helen Buckler Papers covers the period of 1916-1970, with the bulk of the materials in this collection from the 1930s through 1950s. It documents a woman's work in addressing various social issues such as women and race during 1920s-1950s. Although Buckler was very active in community involvement, such as the Boerum Hill Association, running for state assembly, and committees, this collection does not provide evidential and informational materials relating to her political involvements and committee activities. This collection contains drafts and the research process for numerous manuscripts and promotional materials for activities in which Buckler took part.

The collection is organized into four series: PROFESSIONAL, PERSONAL, ACADEMIC, and PHOTOGRAPHS. The first and largest series is PROFESSIONAL, which is divided into two sub-series: Writings and Professional Endeavors. The Writings sub-series are further divided into Manuscripts, Poems, Published Materials, Financial, Research Materials, and Awards. The Manuscripts materials contains numerous manuscripts written by Buckler arranged in alphabetical order. Types of materials found in these files include drafts, research materials and notes, and correspondence related to the manuscripts. Of particular note are the materials related to several of Buckler's projects including her book Doctor Dan: Pioneer in American Surgery, as well as materials for a biography of Grimod de la Reynière, and materials related to race. The Doctor Dan materials include correspondence from her publishing company and correspondence from friends and family congratulating Buckler. Also included are two articles by Buckler about Doctor Dan, but there are no drafts or copies of the actual book Doctor Dan in this collection. The materials about the biography of Grimod de la Reynière include drafts of four different manuscripts about de la Reynière, research materials in French and English, photocopies of Reynière's works (in French), and correspondence. The materials on race consist of three separate manuscripts relating to race as well as research materials and correspondence.

Aside from writing manuscripts, Buckler wrote several poems which are included in the Writings sub-series. The Published Materials contains newspaper clippings and articles of some her published materials. They are two oversize folders consisting of newspaper clippings compiled by Buckler on materials she published. Correspondence from publishing companies to and from Ms. Buckler pertaining to her work and manuscripts are located in the Publishing Companies Correspondence. The Research Materials contains research ideas, materials, and notes, as well as unidentified research materials that potentially could correlate to her manuscripts. These Research Materials are primarily newspaper clippings. Awards include honors from the National Council of Negro Women for her work on Doctor Dan as well as an honor from Delta Delta Delta.

Professional Endeavors includes promotional materials, correspondence, and newsletters with which Buckler was affiliated. This consists of involvements with the Cooperative Movement, Camp Fire Girls, Metropolitan Center for Mental Health, Methodist Committee for Overseas Relief, National Council of Presbyterian Women, National Urban League, Tuberculosis Prevention, YWCA, and National Council of Negro Women. Of particular note are Cooperative Movement lecture notes and materials from Buckler's travels to co-ops in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and New York State.

The PERSONAL series is divided into Correspondence and Personal Endeavors. Correspondence includes personal correspondence from friends and family to and from Buckler. It is arranged chronologically from 1923-1970 and includes some division of personal friends such as Wanda Gag, Oswald Garrison Villard, Winifred Rawlins, and Langston Hughes. Personal Endeavors contains Christmas card designs and drafts created by Buckler, letters of recommendation, job seeking materials, and a Personology Analysis report performed by Robert L. Whiteside on Buckler in 1959.

The ACADEMIC series includes articles and materials written from 1916-1922 while Buckler was a student at the University of Illinois. They are arranged by year.

The PHOTOGRAPHS series contains images of Buckler's travels to co-ops, and portraits.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Helen Buckler, October 23, 1970; January 31, 1972; and November 17, 1980. Accession Number: MCHC70-115, MCHC72-009, MCHC80-109

Processing Information

Processed by Mai Youa Lee (Practicum student), May 2010.

Mss 1066	Series: Professional
	Subseries: Writings
	Manuscripts
Box   1 Folder   1	“A Good Egg”
Box   1 Folder   2-6	“Adolphe Meyer,” 1928
Box   1 Folder   7	“An Illinois Student Sees Paris: A Soviet First Lady”
Box   1 Folder   8	“Autumn in Paris and Thereabouts”
Box   1 Folder   9	“Cakes Marks the Calendar”
Box   1 Folder   10-14	“Choosing a Hearing Aid”
Box   1 Folder   15	“Churches of Virginia”
Box   1 Folder   16	“Concerning Mince—and Other Pies,” draft
Box   1 Folder   17	Research notes and materials
Box   1 Folder   18	“Conservation of Food, Clothes, Household Supplies & Labor”
Box   1 Folder   19	“Country Peace and Charm,” 1920
Box   1 Folder   20-21	“Do You Know Your Chocolate?,” draft
	Doctor Dan: Pioneer in American Surgery
	Atlantic Monthly Press correspondence
Box   2 Folder   1	1951-1953
Box   2 Folder   2	1954-1956
Box   2 Folder   3	1954-1962
Box   2 Folder   4	Congratulatory, 1954-1957
Box   2 Folder   5	General, 1944-1970
Box   3 Folder   1	Publicity, 1954
Box   3 Folder   2	Reviews, 1954-1955
Box   3 Folder   3	Newspaper clippings, 1954-1955
	Williams correspondence
Box   3 Folder   4	1945-1946
Box   3 Folder   5	1947-1956
Box   3 Folder   6	“Between Two Worlds”
Box   3 Folder   7	“The Surgeon Who Dared,” 1965
Box   3 Folder   8	D. Appleton-Century Company, 1944
Box   4 Folder   1-2	“Elizabeth Robbins Pennell,” draft
Box   4 Folder   3	Correspondence
Box   4 Folder   4	Research notes and materials
Box   4 Folder   5-6	“Etienne Gaspard Cooks,” draft
Box   4 Folder   7	Research notes and materials
Box   4 Folder   8	“Everybody Happy”
Box   4 Folder   9-10	“Fantastics in Food,” draft
Box   4 Folder   11	Research materials
Box   4 Folder   12	Feminism
Box   4 Folder   13	For Bon Vivant
Box   4 Folder   14	“Good News,” 1947
	Alexandre Balthazar Laurent Grimod de la Reynière biography
Box   4 Folder   15	Grimod de la Reynière, draft
Box   4 Folder   16-21	“Almanac for Gourmands,” draft
Box   4 Folder   22-24	“Malesherbes,” draft
Box   4 Folder   25	Correspondence
Box   4 Folder   26	Research notes and materials
Box   5 Folder   1-6	“Motley's the Only Wear: The Life & Dinner of ABL Grimod de la Reynière,” drafts
Box   6 Folder   1	“Motley's the Only Wear: The Life & Dinner of ABL Grimod de la Reynière,” drafts (continued)
Box   6 Folder   2	Research notes and materials
Box   6 Folder   3	Reynière's works
Box   6 Folder   4-5	“Hell's Kitchen,” draft
Box   6 Folder   6	“All My Babies Had Their Keg of Beer,” draft
Box   6 Folder   7	Research notes and materials
Box   6 Folder   8	“How to Hear Better,” 1952
Box   6 Folder   9-10	“In Paris and Thereabouts”
Box   6 Folder   11-12	“In the Driftway,” draft
Box   6 Folder   13	Notes
Box   6 Folder   14	“Jimmy Finds a Father” (pseudonym: Margaret Spenser)
Box   6 Folder   15	“Junior's April Fool Party”
Box   6 Folder   16	“Know Before You Buy”
Box   6 Folder   17-18	“Lafcadio Hearn's Cook Book,” draft
Box   6 Folder   19	Notes
	Luther Gulick research
Box   6 Folder   20	Materials and notes, 1960
Box   6 Folder   21	Gulick's journal
Box   6 Folder   22	“Mrs. Trollope Beats Mr. Lewis to It”
Box   7 Folder   1-2	“New Data on Better Hearing,” drafts
Box   7 Folder   3-6	“New Friend in Old Clothes”
Box   7 Folder   7	Research notes
Box   7 Folder   8	“Nor Rust Corrupt”
Box   7 Folder   9	“Old Folks like Camping Too!,” draft
Box   7 Folder   10	Research notes and materials
Box   7 Folder   11	“Peter: A Play in One Act”
Box   7 Folder   12	“Pink Carnations for a Bat: A Play in One Act”
	Race
Box   7 Folder   13-17	“Little Known Facts about Negros,” draft
Box   7 Folder   18	Correspondence
Box   7 Folder   19	Research notes and materials
Box   7 Folder   20-22	“The Race Question: A Woman's Problem,” draft
Box   7 Folder   23	Research notes and materials
Box   8 Folder   1	Correspondence
Box   8 Folder   2-3	“Success Stories in Race Relations,” draft
Box   8 Folder   4-6	“Sam and Sadie Sparrow,” draft
Box   8 Folder   7	Research notes and materials
Box   8 Folder   8-9	“Scratch an Artist Find a Gourmet”
Box   8 Folder   10	Research notes and materials
Box   8 Folder   11-12	“Spiritual Healing Among British Friends,” draft
Box   8 Folder   13	Correspondence, 1953
Box   8 Folder   14	Research notes and materials
Box   8 Folder   15	“Soviet Art Comes to Paris,” draft
Box   8 Folder   16	Soviet Union
Box   8 Folder   17	Suro-Soviet Union
Box   8 Folder   18	“Styles Missed at the Fashion Shows”
Box   8 Folder   19-22	“Talking Turkey,” draft
Box   8 Folder   23	Research notes and materials
Box   8 Folder   24	“Taxis and Tulips”
Box   8 Folder   25-26	“The Compleat Gourmet: A Confession of Faith,” draft
Box   8 Folder   27-28	“The Compleat Gourmet: Lowly Pumpkin v. Lordly Mince,” draft
Box   9 Folder   1	“The Gimme Sisters,” draft
Box   9 Folder   2	Research notes and materials
Box   9 Folder   3	“The Holiday Maker”
Box   9 Folder   4	“The Right to Revel”
Box   9 Folder   5	Correspondence
Box   9 Folder   6	“Tomatoes Provencales”
Box   9 Folder   7	“True Story of Skipper: A Chimpanzee,” draft
Box   9 Folder   8	Newspaper clipping
Box   9 Folder   9-10	“Ulysses Grant Daily,” draft, 1956
Box   9 Folder   11	Correspondence, 1944-1962
Box   9 Folder   12	“Vignette sur Thomas”
Box   9 Folder   13-14	“When Coffee Was Bootlegged,” draft
Box   9 Folder   15	Research notes and materials
Box   9 Folder   16	“When Men Lived to Eat,” draft
Box   9 Folder   17	Correspondence
Box   9 Folder   18	Research notes and materials
Box   9 Folder   19	“Woman in Arch-Duval”
Box   9 Folder   20-21	“Woman Doctor in a Zoo”
Box   9 Folder   22	Research notes and materials
Box   10 Folder   1-4	Untitled, circa 1920
Box   10 Folder   5	Untitled, circa 1926
Box   10 Folder   6	Untitled, circa 1930
Box   10 Folder   7	Research notes and materials
Box   10 Folder   8	Untitled, 1931
Box   10 Folder   9	Correspondence, 1931
Box   10 Folder   10	Untitled, circa 1931
Box   10 Folder   11	Correspondence, 1931
Box   10 Folder   12-14	Untitled, circa 1955
Box   10 Folder   15	Research notes and materials, circa 1955
Box   10 Folder   16-18	Untitled
Box   10 Folder   19	Research notes and materials
	Poems
Box   10 Folder   20	“Arrival at Minnesing,” 1941
Box   10 Folder   21	“North Woods,” circa 1942
Box   10 Folder   22	“With a Gift of Herbs,” circa 1942
Box   10 Folder   23	“How I Have Loved to Live,” 1918
	Published materials
Box   10 Folder   24	“Attack the County Jail,” 1930
Box   10 Folder   25	“A Promotion Director Looks Back,” 1934
Box   10 Folder   26	“Combat a Life on the Color Line,” 1946
Box   10 Folder   27	“Concerning a Life-Long Desire to Read at Table”
Box   10 Folder   28	“Easter Fare That Delighted Men of Old,” 1931
Box   10 Folder   29	“How to Get a Loan from Your Bank,” 1954
Box   10 Folder   30	“Let's Start a Co-Op!,” 1942
Box   10 Folder   31	“Mrs. Pennell Plans a Dinner,” 1928
Box   10 Folder   32	“One-Third of a Billion for Overseas Relief,” 1958
Box   10 Folder   33	“Our Mangled Compensation Laws,” 1933
Box   10 Folder   34	“Sex and the Law,” 1931
Box   10 Folder   35	“Significant Tax Changes That Affect Departments and General Stores,” 1955
Box   10 Folder   36	“Straws in the Wind,” 1932
Box   10 Folder   37	“Talking Turkey—A Thanksgiving Paean,” 1930
Box   10 Folder   38	“The CORE Way,” 1946-1947
Box   10 Folder   39	“The Papaya Comes North,” 1929
Box   10 Folder   40	“What They Want Is Fun!,” 1944
Box   10 Folder   41	“Whence These Mince Pies?,” 1927
Box   10 Folder   42	“When Coffee Was Bootlegged,” 1928
Box   10 Folder   43	“We Celebrate with Cake,” 1928
Box   10 Folder   44	“Women Officials in Aviation”
Box   10 Folder   45	“Women's Prison,” 1931
Box   10 Folder   46	“Women Who Achieved Greatness as Cooks,” 1932
Box   10 Folder   47	“You Can Take Your Troubles to Church,” 1959
Box   10 Folder   48	Book review written by Helen Buckler, 1947
Box   21 Folder   2-3	Newspaper clippings
	Publishing companies correspondence
Box   10 Folder   49	Doubleday Company, 1955-57
Box   10 Folder   50	MacMillan Company, 1955-1957
Box   10 Folder   51	Reader's Digest, 1943-1959
Box   10 Folder   52	Editors
Box   10 Folder   53	Financial, check stubs
	Research materials
Box   11 Folder   1	Albert Einstein, 1955
Box   11 Folder   2	American cookery, 1928-1930
Box   11 Folder   3	Brillat-Savarin, 1925-1926
Box   11 Folder   4	Contemporary celebrities on food, 1928-1931
Box   11 Folder   5	Cookery books, 1928-1929
Box   11 Folder   6	Foreign cookery, 1929
Box   11 Folder   7	French cookery, 1929
Box   11 Folder   8	George Rector, 1926-1928
Box   11 Folder   9	Holiday articles, 1927-1929
Box   11 Folder   10	Ideas, 1927-1951
Box   11 Folder   11	Correspondence, 1928
Box   12 Folder   1	Minnesing, Dr. Sharma
Box   12 Folder   2	Jordan, 1941
Box   12 Folder   3	Lines written at Minnesing, 1941
Box   12 Folder   4	Correspondence, 1941-1943
Box   12 Folder   5	Miscellaneous food ideas, 1928-1932
Box   13 Folder   1	Tea, 1928-1929
Box   13 Folder   2-3	Unidentified research ideas
Box   13 Folder   4-7	Unidentified research materials
Box   13 Folder   8	Unidentified research materials and notes, 1920-1930
Box   12 Folder   6	Whittier [John Greenleaf]
Box   12 Folder   7	Women, 1925-1930
Box   21 Folder   1	Awards
	Subseries: Professional Endeavors	⇧
Box   14 Folder   1	American Association of University Women, 1954
Box   14 Folder   2	American Institute of Accountants, 1954-1955
Box   14 Folder   3	Assembly Campaign, 1934
Box   14 Folder   4	Boerum Hill, 1964-1968
Box   14 Folder   5	Committee on Race Relations, 1944
	Cooperative materials
Box   14 Folder   6	Consumer Co-Op in St. Claude
Box   14 Folder   7	Research notes and materials
Box   14 Folder   8	Expand Co-Op, 1941
Box   14 Folder   9	Exploratory Course on Consumer Education, lecture materials and notes
Box   14 Folder   10	Hampstead Co-Op
Box   14 Folder   11	Lawrence L.I., 1939
Box   14 Folder   12	Notes, 1939
Box   14 Folder   13	Les Cooperateurs de Champagne
Box   14 Folder   14	New York Co-Op, 1939
	Nova Scotia
Box   15 Folder   1	Correspondence
Box   15 Folder   2	Research materials and notes
Box   15 Folder   3	Town Hall Club
Box   15 Folder   4	Youth Co-Op, 1939-1942
Box   16 Folder   1	Research notes and materials
Box   16 Folder   2	Correspondence, 1939-1941
Box   16 Folder   3	Mental health materials, 1963
Box   16 Folder   4	New Brunswick Home Weaving, 1939
Box   16 Folder   5	Overseas Press Club, 1950-1969
Box   16 Folder   6	Unidentified materials and correspondence
Box   16 Folder   7	Young Women's Christian Association, 1937-1941
	Promotional materials
	Camp Fire Girls
Box   17 Folder   1	Promotional materials, circa 1961-1965
Box   17 Folder   2	Correspondence, 1965
Box   17 Folder   3	Press releases, 1961-1965
	Ludhiana Christian Medical College and Hospital
Box   17 Folder   4	Promotional materials
	Methodist Committee for Overseas Relief
Box   17 Folder   5	Promotional materials, circa 1960-1961
Box   17 Folder   6	Correspondence, 1960-1961
	Metropolitan Center for Mental Health
Box   17 Folder   7	Promotional materials, circa 1963
	National Council of Negro Women
Box   17 Folder   8	Promotional materials, circa 1967-1968
Box   17 Folder   9	Correspondence, 1967-1968
	National Council of Presbyterian Women
Box   17 Folder   10	Concern magazine, 1958
Box   17 Folder   11	Correspondence, 1958
	National Urban League
Box   17 Folder   12	Correspondence, 1956
	Rural Mission
Box   17 Folder   13	Newsletter, 1957
	Tuberculosis Prevention
Box   17 Folder   14	Promotional materials, 1959
Box   17 Folder   15	Press release
	Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA)
Box   17 Folder   16	Promotional materials
	Series: Personal	⇧
	Subseries: Correspondence
Box   18 Folder   1-4	1923-1965
Box   18 Folder   2	1951-1955
Box   19 Folder   1	1966-1970
Box   19 Folder   2	Bert Anderson and family, 1944- 1946
Box   19 Folder   3	Count de Tocqueville, 1938-1939
Box   19 Folder   4	Dora Wilson, 1953
Box   19 Folder   5	Langston Hughes, 1954-1955
Box   19 Folder   6	Norman L. Torrey, 1937-1946
Box   19 Folder   7	Oswald Garrison Villard, 1927-1946
Box   19 Folder   8	Wanda Gag, 1939-1946
Box   19 Folder   9	Winifred Rawlins, 1953-1955
Box   19 Folder   10	Woodbrookers, 1953-1956
	Subseries: Personal Endeavors	⇧
Box   19 Folder   11	Christmas card samples
Box   19 Folder   12	Letters of recommendation, 1924-1934
Box   19 Folder   13	Job seeking materials, 1939-1966
Box   19 Folder   14	Personology analysis, 1959
	Series: Academic	⇧
	Writings
	1916
Box   20 Folder   1	“A Thunderstorm,” 1916
Box   20 Folder   2	“Another Step Forward,” 1916
Box   20 Folder   3	“Death,” 1916
Box   20 Folder   4	“Economy,” 1916
Box   20 Folder   5	“Forever and Ever,” 1916
Box   20 Folder   6	“Gene Stratton-Porter,” 1916
Box   20 Folder   7	“Happiness,” 1916
Box   20 Folder   8	“How We May See the Progress of the Race Reflected in Our Literary Taste,” 1916
Box   20 Folder   9	“Irwing's Word Pictures,” 1916
Box   20 Folder   10	“More Sight Singing in the Schools,” 1916
Box   20 Folder   11	“My First Sunday School Picnic,” 1916
Box   20 Folder   12	“Sleepy Hollow's Invitation,” 1916
Box   20 Folder   13	“The Connotative Power of Certain Words,” 1916
Box   20 Folder   14	“The Hardships of a Beautiful Country,” 1916
Box   20 Folder   15	“The Proper Way to Concentrate,” 1916
Box   20 Folder   16	“Ways to Amuse a Baby,” 1916
Box   20 Folder   17	“What the Small Boy Likes to Read,” 1916
Box   20 Folder   18	“Why So Many People Need a Rest After a Vacation,” 1916
Box   20 Folder   19-20	Untitled, 1916
	Academic materials
Box   20 Folder   21	1916
	1917
Box   20 Folder   22	“I Begin to Philosophize,” 1917
Box   20 Folder   23	“Sister Mary Catherine,” 1917
Box   20 Folder   24	“When Life Began to be Prosaic,” 1917
	1918
Box   20 Folder   25	“The Gentle Savage in Us,” 1918
Box   20 Folder   26	Untitled, 1918
	1919
Box   20 Folder   27	“Four Monuments to Grief,” 1919
Box   20 Folder   28	“Horace,” 1919
Box   20 Folder   29	“The Contrasts in Woodstock,” 1919
Box   20 Folder   30	“The Man at Prexy's Desk,” 1919
Box   20 Folder   31	Untitled, 1919
	1920
Box   20 Folder   32	“Concerning the Satisfaction Found in Reading Middlemarch,” 1920
Box   20 Folder   33	“Martin Chuzzlewit,” 1920
Box   20 Folder   34	“Questions for the Study of The Ordeal of Richard Feverel,” 1920
Box   20 Folder   35	“The Machinery of Pride and Prejudice,” 1920
Box   20 Folder   36	“Why I Do Not Believe I Shall Read Vanity Fair Again,” 1920
Box   20 Folder   37	“A Supposed Ibsenian Utopia,” 1921
Box   20 Folder   38	“Is Shaw Indebted to Ibsen?,” thesis, 1922
PH 6624	Series: Photographs	⇧