A Mount Holyoke Woman in Macedonia: Mary Matthews and the American School for Girls, 1888 to 1920

Curator Liz Knoll, Class of 2016 and a Lynk intern, tells the story of Mary Matthews, who was a Mount Holyoke student in the 1880s and then spent thirty-two years as a missionary educator in the turbulent Balkans. Matthews became an institution in the city of Monastir through the Balkan Wars and World War I. Throughout her tenure, she helped women and girls from all religious and ethnic backgrounds and provided refuge to many families who were affected by war. Her work was recognized by the U.S. Department of State and in 1937 Mount Holyoke gave her its Medal of Honor.
 
This exhibit also marks the official opening of the Mary Matthews Collection of letters, diaries, photographs, and other personal items to the public since the material was donated by her family to Archives and Special Collections.
 
Peggy Hanson, a grandniece of Mary Matthews, will give an introduction to the collection's history on September 15 at 4:30pm in Dwight Hall 101 and a reception will follow at 5pm in Archives and Special Collections. 

 

Credits

Online exhibition curated by Archives and Special Collections Assistants Liz Knoll, Class of 2016, and Katia Kiefaber, Class of 2017.