The event will honor the arrival of more than 300 years of records from the Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia, the city's oldest Quaker meeting.
Haverford College's department of Quaker & Special Collections will celebrate the arrival of more than 300 years of records from the oldest Quaker meeting in Philadelphia on Sunday, November 8, at 3:30 p.m. in the auditorium of Stokes Hall.
The records from the Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia, which was established in 1682, span issues such as anti-slavery, education for African Americans, and the establishment of codes of practice in Quaker life and business. Among the records are some deeds signed by William Penn.
“We are excited about this acquisition because we now have available over 100 linear feet of the original records of the Meeting,” says Diana Franzusoff Peterson, Manuscripts Librarian and College Archivist.“The records will permit researchers to examine issues of the day, from minutes of meetings during times of stress to the education of poor people and minority children, as well as manumission records, which further explain the Quaker position on the abolition of slavery.”
The November 8 celebration will feature scholars Maurice Jackson, an associate professor of history at Georgetown University, and Emma Lapsansky-Werner, professor of history at Haverford. They will speak about the research opportunities made available by this acquisition. Emma Cox, a recent Haverford graduate involved in the processing of these records, and Carol and Willman Spawn, the longtime caretakers of the records, will also speak about their work.
A reception will follow in Magill Library. Personal tours of the records will be available.
