Guide to the Ruth Aikin Papers

Descriptive Summary

Title

Ruth Aikin Papers

Inclusive Dates

1916-1970

Call Number

RG 185

Creator(s)

Aikin, Ruth, 1885-1970.

Quantity

2.00 cubic feet (2 boxes)

Restrictions on Access

Collection open for research

Repository

Presbyterian Historical Society, 425 Lombard Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-1516 USA

Biographical Note / Administrative History

Biographical Note

Ruth Aikin was appointed by the Board of Foreign Missions to the West Africa Mission in 1916, and served there until her retirement in 1950. She divided her thirty-four years of missionary service among Lolodorf, Efulan, Metel and Nkol Mvolan stations, where she taught women and children, administered several girls' schools and did evangelistic work.

Collection Overview

Ruth Aikin's papers include correspondence, diaries, photographs and miscellaneous items reflecting her missionary service in Africa. The correspondence is nearly all outgoing, comprising Aikin's letters to her family; there is only one folder of incoming correspondence. The diaries are incomplete. Many of the approximately 300 photographs reflect African life and culture and Aikin's own missionary experience, but are otherwise unidentified.

Organization and Arrangement

SERIES 1: CORRESPONDENCE, 1916-1970

SERIES 2: DIARIES, 1923-1949

SERIES 3: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1916-CIRCA 1965

SERIES 4: MISCELLANY, 1921-1945

Administrative Information

Processing Information

Collection processed and finding aid prepared: 1984
Frederick J. Heuser, Jr., Archivist

Catalog Headings

The following headings have been used to index the description of this collection in the society’s electronic catalog.

Personal Name Subject

Aikin, Ruth, 1885-1970.

Corporate Subject

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. West Africa Mission.

Topical Subject

Women missionaries--Africa, West--Educational work.

Evangelistic work--Africa, West.

Presbyterian Church--Missions--Africa, West.

Missions--Africa, West.

Church work with children--Africa, West.

Church work with women--Africa, West.

Women--Education--Africa, West.

Geographic Subject

Africa, West--Missions.

Genre-form

Correspondence. aat

Diaries. aat

Photographs. aat

Collection Inventory

Box	Folder	Description

1	1	Finding Aid to Record Group 185

		SERIES 1: CORRESPONDENCE, 1916-1970

1	2-34	Outgoing Correspondence, 1916-1950
1	35	undated
1	36	Incoming Correspondence, 1932-1970

		SERIES 2: DIARIES, 1923-1949

1	none	Volume #1, 1923-1930
1	none	Volume #2, 1931
1	none	Volume #3, 1932
1	none	Volume #4, 1935
1	none	Volume #5, 1936
1	none	Volume #6, 1938-1939
1	none	Volume #7, 1940
1	none	Volume #8, 1948
1	none	Volume #9, 1949

		SERIES 3: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1916-CIRCA 1965

2	1-13	1916-1965

		SERIES 4: MISCELLANY, 1921-1945

2	14	Station Letters and Reports, 1921-1945
2	15	Manuscripts, undated

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Guide to the Ruth Aikin Papers

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