Hill, Patty Smith (1868-1946) Papers, 1878-1942

Held by The Filson Historical Society 

Creator:  Hill, Patty Smith, 1868-1946 

Title:  Papers, 1878-1942 

Rights: For information regarding literary and copyright interest for these papers, contact the Collections Department. 

Size of Collection:  4.33 cubic feet 

Location Number:  Mss. A H647 

Scope and Content Note 

Collection contains biographical material, including an autobiographical sketch, “Memories of childhood”; correspondence, 1880-1942; material about the dinner held in honor of Hill’s fortieth year in education; the Patty Smith Hill Fund; her professional trip to Russia in 1929; honorary degree from Columbia University, 1929; and biographical material about other members of the Hill family.  

The major portion of the collection consists of Hill’s work: transcripts of speeches, articles, lectures, and papers on the subjects of kindergarten, nursery schools, teacher education, and other educational topics. 

The correspondence discusses her move from Louisville to New York, speaking engagements, establishment of nursery schools, and miscellaneous topics. Also included is material concerning Utopia Children’s House, Hilltop, the Patty Smith Hill Farm, and plans to aid needy children during the depression; bibliographic information on Hill; material concerning the work of Friedrich Froebel, Anna E. Bryan, Susan E. Blow, and Maria Montessori; Pearl Allen Williams’ paper, “The History of the kindergarten movement in Louisville, Ky., 1881-1930”; scrapbooks of newspaper clippings; and miscellaneous material. 

Folder List 

 

Box 1 

1 Biographical material. 

2 Biographical sketch- “Fifty years in kindergarten,” by Beulah Amidon. 

3 Biographical material.

4 Autobiographical sketch- “Memories of childhood.” 

5 Photographs (photocopies). Originals transferred to Photographs and Prints Dept.

6 Correspondence, 1880-1926.

7 Correspondence, 1927 Mar. 4-Apr. 19.

8 Correspondence, 1927 Apr. 21-May.

9 Correspondence, 1928 Jan.-June.

10 Correspondence, 1929.

11 Correspondence, 1931 Jan.-June.

 

Box 2 

12 Correspondence, 1931 July-Dec.

13 Correspondence, 1932 Jan.-Feb.

14 Correspondence, 1932 Mar.-Aug.

15 Correspondence, 1933. 

16 Correspondence, 1934 Jan.

17 Correspondence, 1934 Feb.

18 Correspondence, 1934 Mar.-Apr.

19 Correspondence, 1934 May-Dec.

20 Correspondence, 1935.

21 Correspondence, 1936-1940.

22 Correspondence, 1942.

 

Box 3 

23 Lists of speaking engagements and regrets, 1923-1934.

24 Fortieth anniversary dinner, 1927 Apr. 29. Program and tickets, letter asking for contribution to fund, and two speeches.

25 Fortieth anniversary dinner, 1927 Apr. 29, speeches.

26 Patty Smith Hill Fund.

27 Parents’ Exposition, 1928 Apr. 21.

28 Trip to Russia, 1929.

29 Honorary degree, Columbia University, 1929. 

30 Ceremony upon the presentation of a portrait of Patty Smith Hill to Teachers College, 1935 Nov. 8.

31 W. W. Hill will (copy). Birth and death dates of members of the Hill family. 

32 Archibald Alexander Hill memorials. Paper written by him about social settlement work. 

33 Biographical sketch of Mary Downing Hill. Memorial. Paper written by her – “The Educational values which the child carries over from kindergarten into the primary grades.” 

34 Mildred Jane Hill biographical sketch. Tribute by Patty B. Semple. Sheet music. 

35 Two papers and one abstract for the Memorial History of Louisville concerning the Louisville Free Kindergarten Association. 

36 Pearl Allen Williams: “History of the kindergarten movement in Louisville, Kentucky, 1887-1930.” (Two copies).

37 Rose Emery Bliven: paper presenting the philosophy of kindergarten work of Susan Blow and Patty S. Hill. 

 

Box 4 

38 History of the kindergarten dept. of Teachers College; report on work of dept., 1920 Jan., plan for unification of depts. of elementary education and lower primary education.

39 International Kindergarten Union.

40 Susan E. Blow kindergarten program for4- and 5-year-olds. 

41 Patty Hill’s answer to Susan E. Blow’s criticism of St. Louis Exhibit of articles made by kindergarten and primary children.

42 Questionnaire-Clark University. Anna E. Bryan and others, study of kindergarten,1895-1896. 

43 Kindergarten program, part I, historical approach. Conformity v. conviction in supervision. Paper about Henrietta B. Schrader. 

44 Syllabus I-kindergarten program. Experimental play room-printed form. 

45 Kindergarten curriculum.

46 Surveys of kindergarten.

47 The kindergarten program-notes for class lectures.

48 Council on Pre-School Education, 1927.National Committee on Nursery Schools, 1930. 

49 Nursery school plans.

50 Utopia Children’s House report, 1933, and other material.

 

Box 5 

51 Applications for employment at the Utopia Children’s House.

52 Hilltop report to 1935 Apr. Patty Smith Hill Farm. 

53 Data concerning Jewish Theological Seminary.

54 Report on the Neighborhood Association of Morningside and Manhattansville. Community Association for Cooperative Education, article and bulletin, 1939-1940. 

55 Alterations to room 116, Teachers College, program, plan, bills, etc.

56 Kindergarten Centenary, 1837-1937.Life of Friedrich Froebel, told in a series of fifteen episodic paintings, planned by Patty Hill. Froebel and education. 

57 Horace Mann School, Teachers College. Record of Development.

58 Incomplete material dealing with improving reading ability.

59 Material concerning the effects of the depression on education.

60 Addresses: The Social settlement. Untitled concerning a social settlement in Louisville, ca. 1894.

61 Lectures, 1899.

 

Box 6 

62 Lectures: programs and plans; programs; the free play program (Miss Blow).

63 Lectures: humor.

64 Lectures: music in the kindergarten.

65 Lectures: Christmas.

66 Lectures: philosophy of supervision.

67 Lectures: mother play.

68 Lectures: religion.

69 Graduation address, 1889.

70 Address: tribute to Miss Susan Blow. Susan Blow the woman. Our pioneers of the South. 

71 Lectures: The Significance of progress and conservatism in the kindergarten.

72 Lectures: kindergarten. Lecture I: The use of Froebel’s gifts and outside materials. Lecture II: The aesthetic emotion. 

 

Box 7 

73 Lectures: Materials and methods. Symbolism. Kindergarten plays and games. Stories and rhymes. 

74 Lectures: Study of the emotions: fear, sympathy, symbols.

75 Addresses: Kindergarten of yesterday and tomorrow, 1923 June. 

76 Addresses: Methods of education. Reading clinic. The kindergarten and reading. 

77Speech of Eva Von Baur Hansl, 1923 July 18. 

78Addresses: Radio talk. The young child in the new deal. Shall the youngest suffer most? The right of the kindergarten child to his share in the new deal. 

79 Addresses: Importance of early childhood. Principles of arbitration. What should be our attitude toward laws-good and bad? 

80 Addresses: Immaturity of the child. Right of the child to better security. Reasons for slow growth. Better relationships between adults and children. Different conceptions of economy and waste. 

81 Nursery school and the present social order. Opening address-Nursery School Conference.

82 Addresses: Some mistakes made in promoting women to administration. The problem of leisure time. The young child. Growing appreciation of the imp. of Pre-sch. ed. Varying types of nursery schools. 

83 Addresses: Problems of the nursery school. Play. 

84 Addresses: Considerations, basic to the discussion of method. Methods of education. Methods courses. 

85 Addresses: Use of materials in the kindergarten. Kindergarten and the physical welfare of children. Function of music in early education. History of children’s literature. 

 

Box 8 

86 Addresses: Safety first vs. adventure in the profession of teaching. Two types of leaders. The function of the kindergarten. 

87 Addresses: What is new in kindergarten and first grade. The strategic position of the kindergarten in American education. 

88 Normal school problems. Social organization of normal schools. 

89 Addresses: Preservation of personality in the professional life.

90 Addresses: The educational and philanthropic importance of the kindergarten.

91 Addresses: Toys and books. The educative value of the doll. 

92 Books of which P.S. Hill was co-author. Lists of articles written by Hill. 

93 Series on childhood education edited by Hill.

94 Stories written for children.

95 The Project-an educational adoption of a life method of thought and action. 

96 Articles: School discipline-a continuing evolution; Editor’s page-Child Study Association; Speyer School experimental play room.

97 Articles: A generous offer for a new cause. Education of the nursery school teacher. 

98 Articles: The individualistic aspect of the young child in the social group.

 

Box 9 

99 Articles: School vacation and education in the home. Nursery school procedures at Teachers College. 

100 Articles: Influences which lead to pre-school care and education of children. Mental hygiene of the nursery school child. 

101 Outlines.

102 Outlines: Nursery school and kindergarten education as a career. Play as an aesthetic experience. 

103 Articles: Some hopes and fears for the kindergarten of the future. What makes life worthwhile in the self and society. 

104 Chart-relation of activities to materials, etc. Articles: Taking stock in the kindergarten. Babies. 

105 Article: Life of Montessori.

106 Articles: Kindergarten training in retrospect and prospect. The project for kindergarten and the first grade. 

107 Articles: Unification of kindergarten and primary. Promotion standards in the kindergarten. Function of the kindergarten. 

108 Articles: Different types of schools. Place of guidance in child development. Historical development-35 years of change in the education of young children. 

109 Articles: An evaluation of the educational contributions of Friedrich Froebel. Other material about Froebel. 

110 Psychological creed written for the Committee of Nineteen.

111 Article: The school festival.

112 Article: Study of individual and social projects together with types of material which stimulate them.

 

Box 10 

113Articles: The benefit of child study to the kindergarten. Child study? the basis of future education. 

114Articles: Some present day dangers in adult-child relationships. Untitled article. 

115Articles: Language. Untitled article. 

116Articles: Some causes for changes in conceptions of government and control in politics, industry, home and school.

117Articles: Changing conception of discipline and control in the school.

118Article: Place of the kindergarten in American education.

119 Articles: What the kindergarten has contributed to the elementary school. Kindergarten supervision. 

120 Articles: The kindergarten program. Problems in selecting songs, music rhythms and games and dances. 

121 Articles: Nursery school procedure at Teachers College. Nursery school. 

122The reconstructed teacher.

123Miscellaneous notes for lectures and papers.

124Miscellaneous notes for lectures and papers.

 

Box 11 

125 Miscellaneous material.

126 Presbyterian Orphans’ Home.

127 Clippings.

128 Clippings.

129 Clippings.

130 Forest Ilse. Patty Smith Hill: Pioneer in early childhood education. 1949. Miscellaneous correspondence.

 

Box 12 

131 Pamphlet: Relation of the kindergarten and elementary school.

132 Pamphlet: A study of the kindergarten problem. 

133 Scrapbook. 

134 Teachers College Record, 1914 Jan. 

135 Book: Mental development. 

136 Pamphlet: The reconstruction of kindergarten. 

 

Box 13 

137 Thoughts for everyday living. 

138 A Book of true lovers.

139 Walker’s diary of the siege of Derry. 

140 The Education of children at Rome. 

141 The Seven great hymns. 

pkg.142 Scrapbook of clippings containing addresses by Hill and information about her.