Mary Whitcomb Hess papers
Scope and Content
The Mary Whitcomb Hess (MWH) papers span from 1924 to 1975 and document MWH's life as a writer and philosopher of religion and poetry.
Box 1 contains offprints of her textual publications from 1926 to 1976. These essays and commentaries on philosophical, literary, and religious topics were published primarily in Catholic periodicals as well as some philosophical journals. These are arranged alphabetically by title. The checklist noted below includes a four-page subject index (p. 31-34); a copy of this index is appended to the inventory.
The second, smaller box contains a loose leaf binder of Hess's collected poems (also arranged alphabetically by title). Also in the box are two pamphlets related to Penington or Quakerism. In addition, a Fall 1930 catalog of "Quaker and Other Books" from the Friends Bookstore. Two of Mrs. Hess's poems were set to music by composer Earl E. Kelly. The original score for a song "White Wings Flying," published as a poem in 1953, and a photocopied score for "River Asleep," from a poem published in 1959, are housed with the collection. Lastly, there are 2 copies of the annotated bibliography, "M. Whitcomb Hess, A Bibliographical Checklist of Fifty Years: 1924-1974," written by her daughter, Sister Mary Carolina Hess S.N.D., upon which this inventory is largely based.
Dates
- Creation: 1924-1973
Language of Materials
The records are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the Ohio University Libraries.
Conditions Governing Use
Ohio University retains all property rights to the collection.
Ohio University retains all copyrights unless retained by the donor, other correspondents, or other artists.
Biography of Mary Whitcomb Hess
Mary Whitcomb Hess (MWH) was a philosopher, author and poet. She was born December 11, 1893 in the small farming town of Hayden, Indiana. She was the daughter of Harry Young Whitcomb and Caroline Elizabeth Nighswander. She began her career as a teacher in Hayden and Vernon, Indiana. In 1918 she married John Hess (JH) and moved to Lawrence, Kansas. MWH continued her studies, receiving a bachelor's in Philosophy in 1926 and joining Phi Beta Kappa. In 1927, MWH and family moved to Athens, Ohio where JH became chairman of the German department at Ohio University (OU). During this time, MWH obtained a master's in Philosophy from OU. Her published work The Name is Living
(1936) was a result of her thesis.
Early in her writing career, MWH developed the theory that the individual can directly confront the objects of knowledge within the structure of poetic language. This ability to transcend the static meaning of words had a direct bearing on much of her writing. In 1927 Warner Fite of Princeton University described her philosophical theories of poetry as, "very Platonic and somewhat mystically Einsteinian."
MWH wrote several journal articles on philosophy, literature, political and social theory, music, art, and mysticism. Over 160 articles were published in scholarly, religious, and trade publications. MWH was listed in Who's Who in Philosophy
in 1942 and in American Catholic Who's Who
. Her poetry is included in at least nine anthologies.
On October 12, 1988 MWH was the subject of a special symposium sponsored by the OU Department of Philosophy. In the words of Dr. George Weckman, this was an opportunity "to honor a distinguished graduate." At the symposium, MWH's daughter Mary Carolina Hess presented the Philosophy Department with her mother's rare 1681 edition of the book, The Works of Isaac Penington
. She also presented the department copies of MWH's articles and an annotated bibliographical checklist.
MWH continued writing up until her death at the age of 93 at Raphael's Home in Columbus, Ohio on February 12, 1987.
Extent
1.3 cubic feet
Abstract
The Mary Whitcomb Hess (MWH) papers span from 1924 to 1975 and document MWH's life as a writer and philosopher of religion and poetry.
Statement of Arrangement
This collection is arranged in the following series:
- Series I: Offprints
- Series II: General
Other Finding Aid
A paper copy of the folder list is available.
Acquisition Information
The Ohio University Libraries received the Mary Whitcomb Hess Collection through a transfer from the Philosophy Department in 1991 following a gift to it by Sister Mary Carolina Hess, daughter of Mary Whitcomb Hess, in 1988.
Existence and Location of Copies
Ohio University will entertain requests to photocopy reasonable amounts of material from the collection for the convenience of individual researchers.
Description Note
Original, legacy collection inventories may contain inaccuracies or be incomplete. Collection descriptions may change or be updated as they are verified. Please contact Mahn Center staff if you note any errors or discrepancies.
Subject
- Hess, Mary Whitcomb (Person)
- Ohio University -- Alumni and alumnae (Organization)
- Title
- Finding aid for the Mary Whitcomb Hess papers
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Caroline A. Lanza in Winter 1993
- Date
- 2020
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English
- Sponsor
- The finding aid was converted into EAD with funding support from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission
Revision Statements
- 5 January 2024: Subjects and other notes added from ALICE MARC records and Mahn Center Microsoft Office finding aids by Ohio University Libraries Metadata Services Department Python scripts.
Repository Details
Part of the Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections Repository
