Marion H. Steele papers

The Marion H. Steele papers, spanning the years 1906-1999, contain correspondence, newspaper clippings, publications, ephemera, employment documents, photographs, programs, postcards, professional files, journals, obituaries, bibliography, greeting cards, and video tapes. The collection is small—2 linear feet—yet the material gives a clear view of her life as a devoted professional on the staff of the American Home Economics Association (AHEA). The papers also show her connection to the University of Delaware’s Women’s College, and her involvement with the Alumnae Association in the 1930s.

The papers are arranged in three series: I. University of Delaware, II. AHEA, and III. Miscellany, following Steele’s life from college to her post-retirement days. The first series documents her work with and association to the University of Delaware.

The second series, itself divided into three sub-series, includes information relating to Steele’s professional life at AHEA. The first sub-series - AHEA - contains materials related to Steele’s various roles at AHEA over time, culminating in her editorship of the Journal of Home Economics from 1946-1969. The second sub-series documents her work with AHEA’s International Scholarship Fund. The third and final sub-series is devoted solely to material about the life and work of Helen W. Atwater, Marion Steele’s one-time boss and colleague at the Journal of Home Economics and an important figure in the home economics field in her own right.

The third series contains personal and professional miscellany: news clippings, notes, photographs, and other materials saved by Steele over time that cover topics such as home economics and the Second World War.

Series I. contains publications from Steele’s undergraduate days at the University as well as documents and expenses associated with the Women’s College Alumnae Association; a reunion list from 1932 for classes 1918-1931; and, a notebook filled with correspondence and notes about the University’s Centenary in 1934—Steele served on the executive committee for its planning (Box 1, F2-F4).

The bulk of the collection concerns AHEA, where Steele worked from 1928-1969 (Boxes 1-2, F10-F44). Much of the correspondence is evidence of her relationships with students, professors, and professionals in her job at AHEA. There is substantial material pertaining to the International Scholarship Fund run by AHEA (Box 2, F30-38), which was overseen by Marion Steele from 1947 until her retirement in 1969.

AAFCS (AHEA) provided two videotapes to include in the collection that have been placed in the media section of Special Collections. The first recording is titled Marion H. Steele Remembered. The video presents the reminiscences of many of Steele’s colleagues, co-workers, friends, and relatives. Some of those interviewed recall stories about Steele’s childhood in Wilmington, Delaware, while others discuss her long-time devotion to AHEA. Most of the interviewee’s remarks illustrate a common theme - praise for Steele’s professional character and her devotion to being a mentor and friend to so many, particularly those students she aided from the International Scholarship Fund. The second film, A Living Tribute to Marion H. Steele, is a shortened version of Marion H. Steele Remembered.

Finally, a collection of over fifty black and white World War II-era photographs is housed within the Miscellany section (Box 2, F46). Many of these photographs attempt to illustrate how home economics issues (food production and selection, clothing purchasing, cooking practices, and so on) could help America win the war. In this subject-matter, therefore, the photographs tie in nicely to the work done by Marion Steele and AHEA writ large. Nearly each photograph is stamped with a caption, the photographer, and, in most cases, the organization that created and distributed the photo. Many of the photographs are credited to the USDA’s Bureau of Home Economics with the photographer of “Forsythe.” Others hail from the British War Ministry, the (Canadian) Director of Public Information, and the U.S. Navy. A few print advertisements are also present in this photograph collection.