Transcriptions have been provided for each letter, journal, and manuscript in the collection. Underscores and boldfaced type have been included when they appear in the original items. Bracketed letters and words were added by the transcribers when necessary, for clarity. Original spellings have been retained in the transcripts, while blanks were inserted when handwriting was especially difficult to decipher. Each entry has been transcribed as it was written by the author.

McGuffey Letter Folios

The collection begins with original pieces of correspondence primarily sent or received by William Holmes McGuffey between 1826 and 1873, together with typed transcriptions of each letter. During processing of this portion of the collection, the original numbering system of the letters in the four folios was maintained. There is no information about the original order of the letters in the collection.

Several letters are a testament to McGuffey's professional accomplishments during this period. For example, in a June 14, 1826 letter to McGuffey, John Witherspoon Scott congratulates McGuffey on obtaining a position at Miami University, which to him is "a situation of such respectability and eminence; for judging from the position, funds and present auspices of Oxford, I presume the time is not far distant when it will be one of the most respectable institutions in our country, and not improbably the foremost in the west. That it may take its station in the first rank of literary institutions, and that yourself may be one of its brightest ornaments is my sincere wish." (Folio 1, letter number 133-2AR (2)). The father of First Lady Caroline Scott Harrison (Mrs. Benjamin Harrison), Scott was the first president of the Oxford Female Institute and later was a professor at Miami University.

The collection also includes correspondence pertaining to McGuffey's August 1836 election as president of Cincinnati College (Folio 1, letter number 88-2P (50)), and McGuffey's May 22, 1839 invitation and definite offer (dated June 25, 1839) to become president of Ohio University. A September 30, 1841 letter from Washington College invites McGuffey to participate in an association to make an active effort to promote the college's interests, while a July 30, 1845 letter transmits information about McGuffey's election as professor of moral philosophy at the University of Virginia (Folio 2, letter number 184-8A (92)). McGuffey is also informed of his election to the presidency of Washington College in Lexington, Virginia (now known as Washington and Lee University), in a letter dated October 2, 1848.

Letters from other notable contemporaries of McGuffey's appear in this portion of the collection. Noah Webster wrote to McGuffey on March 3, 1837, discussing their mutual interest in orthography, or the art of correct spelling. On July 1, 1845, Catharine Beecher wrote McGuffey, inviting him to join a committee to advance the cause of popular education (Folio 2, letter number 68-2D (89)).

The letters in this collection also reveals glimpses into Miami University and Oxford history. In several letters, Alexander T. Bledsoe keeps McGuffey informed of changes of staff at the university. A document signed by Alexander McGuffey pertains to leasing his house and lot in Oxford, formerly owned by his brother. The collection also includes a June 30, 1854 letter that provides information on Miami University's well-being, pursuant to McGuffey's election as president of the institution (Folio 4, letter number 119-2AF (184)). McGuffey's September 26, 1827 proposal to improve a lot north of High Street and west of West can also be found in this portion of the collection.

McGuffey's personal interests are also detailed in the collection. A February 6, 1833 letter from Nicholas Longworth, the noted Cincinnatian who enjoyed viticulture, suggests how McGuffey might secure cuttings in order to collect native grapes. Longworth writes, "It will always afford me pleasure to exchange foreign, for any fine native grape, but the kinds generally in the woods are useless." (Folio 1, letter number 110-2AA (38)).

The collection also indicates the McGuffeys' progress on writing the Readers. Writing to his brother on April 11, 1836, Alexander McGuffey states, "I gave my ‘first born' to Truman and Smith; and at their earnest solicitation, brought down your book. Smith was very urgent in requesting one to come to Cincinnati (if he should write for me) while you were there…." (Folio 1, 116-2AE (43)). A June 17, 1845 letter from Alexander to William McGuffey outlines the details of publishing the grammar/primer. A contract between W.B. Smith and Alexander McGuffey (dated September 30, 1841; Folio 4, letter number 194-14B (165)) can also be found in the collection.

Several letters provide insight into McGuffey family relationships. Letters between the families of Alexander and William McGuffey provide details of the young McGuffey children and their upbringing. Parents remind children of the importance of good penmanship and industriousness, as in McGuffey did in a letter to his son, Charles, dated October 3, 1850 (Folio 3, letter number 50-1L (109A)). Another familial relationship that is well documented in the collection is that of McGuffey and his son-in-law, Andrew D. Hepburn.

This portion of the collection continues past McGuffey's death. A letter from the University of Virginia faculty dated May 5, 1873 expresses the faculty's interest in having McGuffey buried in the university's cemetery. A portion of it reads, "…it seems to be peculiarly fitting that he should sleep here, where his living presence was most felt, and his greatest work best understood, where his example will be a perpetual power…and the Faculty hope that the institution, which he did so much to adorn and to advance, may be permitted to have the honor of guarding his remains as it will always cherish and revere his memory." (Folio 4, letter number 190-12B (152)). Aficionados of the University of Virginia will appreciate McGuffey's November 15, 1856 letter to his daughter, Henrietta Hepburn, as it is written on stationery with a view of the university from Harper's Magazine.

Folio 4 also includes two of McGuffey's sermons, written in his own hand, believed to be the only two sermons known to exist. One of those sermons is 15 pages long, with text taken from First Corinthians, 1st chapter, 26th verse. McGuffey delivered it in June 1826 and again in June 1827. McGuffey's second sermon dates from March 5, 1828.

Items Donated by Norm and Alice Wolford

Letters, papers and accompanying transcripts in this portion of the collection provide details of McGuffey family news, such as the birth of Charles McGuffey Hepburn, plans to erect a monument to McGuffey on the site of the family's log house, and information about the descendants of William and Ann (McKittrick) McGuffey, grandparents of William Holmes and Alexander Hamilton McGuffey. Sources are listed and notes included where information conflicts. This portion of the collection also includes photographs of the McGuffey monuments at the University of Virginia's cemetery.

Miscellaneous Letters and Accompanying Transcripts

The collection continues with other letters received and sent by William Holmes McGuffey, together with their accompanying transcripts. For example, McGuffey's resignation letter to Miami University's board of trustees, dated August 26, 1836, can be found in the collection. McGuffey's February 22, 1868 recommendation of Andrew Hepburn for a chair of an English literature position to be created at his university can also be found here. Examples of Alexander McGuffey's legal correspondence, together with a certificate of reward he presented a student in 1833, are also in this portion of the collection.

Miscellaneous Manuscript Items

A teaching certificate signed by William Holmes McGuffey in 1838, an 1871 certification of deed signed by Alexander McGuffey, and a McGuffey family history written by Henrietta McGuffey Hepburn ca. 1880 are located in this portion of the collection.

John Witherspoon Scott's September 1, 1836 account of William Holmes McGuffey's relations with Miami faculty and students, transcribed by R.W. McFarland, can also be found here. Endeavoring to relate his views about "the nature and origin of the difficulties which have been for some time agitating us as a Faculty with which Mr. McGuffey's name is considerably involved," Scott relates he "noticed the very dubious and unfair course of Mr. McGuffey towards his fellow members of the Faculty, and its influence both in college and with the public." In his account, Scott mentions that McGuffey first exhibited "symptoms of weariness or dissatisfaction" in the summer session of 1831, when he "first began seriously to prosecute his plan of having a new professorship struck off for himself out of what had before belonged to the department of the President." The account is an insightful glimpse at one man's perspective on university affairs in McGuffey's day.

Items Donated by Richard Long

Next, the collection contains items donated by Richard Long. These include McGuffey Reader contracts dating from 1836 to 1937, copyright agreements for Reader revisions, receipts for payment for work done on those revisions, and letters documenting reprint and copyright requests for excerpts to be included in the Readers. A May 5, 1931 letter from W.P. Roudebush to Dean Minnich regarding McGuffey's Oxford property and August 14, 1839 deed can also be found in this portion of the collection.

William Holmes McGuffey's "Mental Philosophy"

The collection continues with four original volumes and their accompanying transcriptions of William Holmes' McGuffey's unpublished manuscript, "Mental Philosophy." Dating from 1871, this work was designed "to aid both teacher and pupil in forming correct conceptions of things as they are and especially to promote the habit reflective consciousness and thus…telling their thoughts to select their own expression instead of allowing words or even definitions to suggest their ideas."

Volume I of "Mental Philosophy" explores the purpose and cause of pleasure and pain; classification of feelings; emotions; understanding of perception and consciousness; cognitions of comparison; definition, description, and division; the faculties discriminated as to their actions, objects, and products; the distinction between presentative and representative faculties; memory and latencies; pleasure and pain; perception and consciousness; judgment; and imagination.

Volume II of "Mental Philosophy" covers the noetic faculty, or common sense. Time, space and substance; causality; the supernatural; the constancy of nature; the true, the beautiful and the good; and moral freedom are also discussed in this portion of the manuscript.

Volume III of "Mental Philosophy" discusses logic, reasoning, fallacies, and the educational aspects of mental philosophy. In Volume IV, McGuffey explores the importance of asking and answering questions in the classroom, the advantage of literary societies to discussion, extemporaneous thinking and speaking, selecting books, employment and relaxation, desire of power and esteem, parental and filial affections, social affections, and friendship.

Henrietta McGuffey Hepburn's Journals

Other manuscripts in the collection include Henrietta McGuffey Hepburn's journals (dating from 1853 to 1910). In her first journal, Henrietta occasionally documents her monthly allowance from her father and her expenditures from 1851 to 1853.

The first volume of Henrietta's daily journal (June 27, 1853 - June 11, 1854) records her daily activities, which include sewing dresses, drawing, preparing for her Sunday school class, and reading popular books of the day, including "Nicholas Nickleby." It also provides insights into Henrietta's efforts for self-improvement and her constant struggles with ill health and suffering from "low spirits." This volume also provides information about activities occurring at the University of Virginia, including literary society and choir meetings, visits from preachers, and student activities. Most of all, this first journal records Henrietta's daily desire to hear from and be with her beloved "A." The only designation for Andrew Hepburn used during this journal was a dash which she later filled in with a capital "A." After October 21, 1853, Henrietta wrote A. to refer to her future husband, Andrew D. Hepburn.

The first year of Henrietta's marriage to Andrew Hepburn is the subject of the second volume of her daily journal (November 21, 1857-August 19, 1862). She intimates the challenges of running a household, such as interacting with servants and having recipes turn out correctly, as well as her delight in taking care of her husband, from cutting his hair to fixing him fried potatoes. Most important, it documents Henrietta's first pregnancy, her preparations for her child, and her thoughts about the possibility of her not surviving childbirth. The journal continues after the births of her son, Charles McGuffey Hepburn, and her daughter, Henrietta Williamson Hepburn, and the beginning of the Civil War.

In the journal Henrietta kept between April 1, 1893 and March 3, 1895, she documents daily life in Oxford, such as collecting rainwater in barrels, hearing sermons preached in church, arranging for home maintenance projects, and celebrating the Fourth of July with a balloon ascension.

Her routine is occasionally relieved by trips to Cincinnati to shop and see her son and his family. She also records the event of a young man named Mr. Ball becoming seriously ill with pneumonia while on duty at a guard house and his subsequent return to health. Fellow Oxford residents raised money to pay for bringing his mother from out of town and other financial aspects of his care during his illness.

Henrietta also documents the opening of the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and a hand-painted table mat that her sister sent her from the fair. Her journal also records efforts to recruit professors away from Miami to other educational institutions, the establishment of the Hepburn Prize for student success in English courses at Miami by John I. Covington, and her discussions with local women about women's right to vote. On June 8, 1893, she records meeting Ohio Governor Charles Anderson during a visit to the Miami campus in which he gave a talk in the chapel. When Miami President William Oxley Thompson called on her on July 12, 1893, Henrietta wrote, "I never saw a president or any other gentleman call on ladies in his shirt sleeves before but President Thompson is a good hearted easy going sort of a man and intended no disrespect."

The journal also records books that Henrietta and her daughter read, including "The Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle's "Beyond the City" and "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," and Sir Walter Scott's "Anne of Geierstein."

Several passages in the journal indicate how fond Henrietta was of her grandchildren, from visits by little Sam to the birth of granddaughter Henrietta on February 5, 1894. As Henrietta wrote on June 19, 1893, her grandson helped her pass many a weary hour. "No one knows how stupid life is to me," she confided to her journal. "I get tired doing sweeping, dusting, making beds and all that kind of work but when that is done, there is nothing more I can do but write in this journal for a little while at a time. Oh, if I only could see to read and sew if I could sew I would make pretty little garments for our baby boy and if he were here how we would enjoy ourselves together but no one seems to understand how dull life is to me."

In her journal kept from April 1, 1895 to December 31, 1895, Henrietta provides an account of the election for school commissioner in which 150 women cast their vote; she decided not to participate. She also reports of the death of John I. Covington and having her picture taken. The Hepburns also attended local events, such as the Beta Theta Pi convention on May 24 and 25, 1895 and Miami University's commencement on June 20, 1895.

Frequent visits to her son Charley's home in Avondale, and later in College Hill, document time spent with her grandchildren, most notably the birth of granddaughter, Janet Douglas Hepburn, on October 15, 1895.

Henrietta's journal beginning January 1, 1896 and continuing through August 5, 1897 records her visits with her grandchildren both in College Hill and in Oxford. Her dismay at losing one of her front teeth and having to wear dentures is another frequent theme. Trips to Frank Snyder's photography studio are common; she also mentions attending a lecture that he gave on February 7, 1896 in which he exhibited a number of pictures, among them one of the young Henrietta sitting under a maple tree that William Holmes McGuffey planted on the Miami campus about 1828.

On February 22, 1896, Henrietta writes of watching the students welcome President Thompson and his wife. The couple was driven from the depot to their house on Church Street in a carriage decorated in red and white with a brass band marching in front; as they drove, firecrackers went off and horns sounded. "This honor was shown President Thompson because it was through his efforts that Miami has been put on the tax list," Henrietta states. "This gives her yearly about $2500."

In addition to details of ordering new clothes, trying different household cleaning remedies, and attending religious services, the family continues their practice of reading aloud to each other. Titles of books read include "The Bonny Brier Bush," James Lane Allen's "Butterflies," "The Romance of Two Worlds," "Handy Andy," "The Adventures of Midshipman Easy," "David Copperfield," and R.D. Blackmore's "Mary Annerley."

On June 5, 1896, Henrietta read a notice about the death of her uncle, Alexander McGuffey, which stated that he was the author of the McGuffey Readers. "To have my father's name blackened in this way has roused all the anger in my nature," Henrietta writes. "My father is the author of the Readers and his brother Alexander knew it well and his saying he was the author is a lie out and out. I hope some one will set this matter right….Father had Alex help him in making some selections just as he would employ a secretary to look over articles but that certainly did not make him the author of the books." On June 17, 1896, she writes of reading a newspaper article denying that Alexander was the author of the Readers.

On July 8, 1896, the ground for the gymnasium building of Miami University was measured off. "The building is to be 110 feet long 70 wide. The cost 15000," Henrietta writes. She also records the publication of her son Charles McGuffey Hepburn's book, "The Development of Code Pleading," on March 5, 1897.

In May 1897, Henrietta spends a week with her sister and niece in Dayton, where she visited the graves of her mother and brother. Her husband, son, and grandson travel to Carlisle, Pennsylvania to visit the Hepburn family in July 1897.

Henrietta's journal from August 6, 1897 to December 29, 1898 begins with the celebration of her son Charley's 39th birthday and the funerals of several Oxford residents.

Three significant family events occur during the period in which this diary is kept. The death of her 90-year-old father-in-law in Carlisle, Pennsylvania on November 15, 1897 is recorded, as is the death of her nephew, Harry Hepburn, on June 24, 1898, as a result of being thrown from a wagon in East Falls Church, Virginia. Henrietta's newest grandchild, Andrew Hopewell Hepburn, is born on November 29, 1898.

Trips to College Hill, visits by her grandchildren, attending religious services, buying presents and making scrapbooks for the grandchildren are frequent activities noted in the diary. "Roderick Hudson" by Henry James, "Studies in the Life of Christ" by Fairbairn, Arthur Conan Doyle's "Round the Red Lamp" and "Rodney Stone," "The Last Days of Marie Antoinette," Farmer's "Life of Christ," and R.D. Blackmore's "Springhaven: A Tale of the Great War" are some of the books that the family reads together.

Pulling out a tooth on February 25, 1898 and the death of her 19-year-old canary, Dandy, on June 8, 1898 are some of Henrietta's more memorable entries in this journal. Several other entries detail installing a bathroom in the upper hall of the dormitory in which the Hepburns live. As the project calls for putting the bathroom pipe down the wall beside the front door, "all this vexes us greatly but when one lives in a Public Building they of course have no say as to how they would like things to be done," Henrietta writes on November 4, 1898. The next week, workmen begin digging trenches for the water pipes where the Hepburns' clematis vine is. The hard work of putting in pipes for the bathroom and for steam heating causes great disruption and upset to Henrietta; she wonders "if all this ditching done around my room will bring malarial fever."

On July 20, 1898, Henrietta records that Miami's board of trustees decided to add a wing to the Main Building and to extend the chapel. She notes that Oxford celebrated the proclamation of peace between Spain and America by ringing bells, blowing steam whistles, playing by a band, and a bonfire on August 13, 1898.

Henrietta's journal spanning the period from March 1, 1902 to December 31, 1902 includes information about what she is reading (Elizabeth and Her German Garden, by Elizabeth Von Arnim), weather and a break-in at the Oxford post office. She also provides information about Miami University's board of trustees March 29, 1902 meeting, at which Dr. David Stanton Tappan was asked to resign his place as president of the university. She also mentions inviting Miami President Benton, his secretary, and Dean Dyer for dinner, serving them mutton steaks, peas, mashed potatoes, tomato salad, cake and sliced pineapple. For this occasion, she set the table with her fine plain white china, her McGuffey silver, and French gilt band coffee cups, and a glass bowl filled with nasturtiums. On August 8, she records giving her grandson a copy of A Biography of a Grizzly by Ernest Seton Thompson for his birthday. This volume also includes a description of Dr. Hepburn's academic gown that he wore to the inauguration of Dr. Benton as president of Miami University, as well as Henrietta's interaction with members of the Oxford community, including professors and their families who are new to town.

Henrietta's journal kept between July 1, 1904 and November 20, 1905 documents the disappearance of Martin Hiney Porter, only son of Rev. Dr. Porter, pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Oxford. It also records the laying of the cornerstone and dedication of Hepburn Hall on the campus of Miami University, which William Howard Taft attended. Oxford's becoming a "dry town" as a result of the victory of the Temperance party, together with the fire at the Old Mansion House at the corner of Main and High Streets, are both recorded. The journal also marks Andrew Hepburn's cataract operation at Christ Hospital, Mount Auburn, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Accounts of the installation of a Bell telephone in the Hepburns' dining room, the conferring of a degree on their son, Charles Hepburn, on Class Day (June 20, 1907), celebration of the Hepburns' 50th wedding anniversary, and Faculty Athletic meetings on the Miami campus can be found in the volume of Henrietta's journal covering the period from March 28, 1907 to June 3, 1908. The journal concludes with the Hepburns seeking a new place to live either in Oxford or in Bloomington, Indiana.

Henrietta's journal from December 20, 1909 to June 9, 1910 begins a few months after the Hepburns left Bloomington, Indiana for Los Angeles, California. Henrietta provides an account of their time at Santa Monica and the death of her sister, Mary McGuffey Stewart. After returning to live for a short time in Hamilton, Ohio, the Hepburns moved back to Oxford.

Henrietta McGuffey Hepburn's Reminiscences

A collection of Henrietta McGuffey Hepburn's reminiscences continues the collection. In the first volume, Henrietta reflects on learning to write her first letter, her pet pigeons, making dolls and candles, and keeping chickens. She also provides details of living in Athens, Ohio, such as accounts of her neighbors and Athens hotels. Her father's move to the University of Virginia is also documented here, with descriptions of the pavilions in which the university's professors lived, the "key basket," and other Southern household customs that Henrietta and her mother learned.

The second volume of Henrietta's reminiscences refer to Bremo, the Fluvanna County, Virginia home of General Cox which the McGuffey family frequently visited. It also describes the difficulties Harriet Spining McGuffey had adjusting to life in Virginia, her subsequent illness, and her death on July 3, 1850. The death of Henrietta's brother, Charles McGuffey, Henrietta's meeting, marriage to and early married life with Andrew Hepburn, the marriage of her sister to W.W. Stewart, the birth of their son and daughter, and the death of stepsister Anna McGuffey are also recorded here.

Details about the birth and infancy of Charles McGuffey Hepburn can be found in the third volume of Henrietta's reminiscences. It also describes Henrietta's housekeeping practices, the differences between housekeeping in the South and the North, and a Southern mistress's interactions with her slaves. She also describes a visit by one of John Brown's agents to the Hepburn home and other homes in the congregation in an attempt to incite a rebellion among their servants. The birth of Henrietta Williamson Hepburn, the family's move to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and Henrietta's Civil War experiences are also recorded here.

The fourth volume of Henrietta's reminiscences begins with Andrew Hepburn's invitation to fill the pulpit of the Presbyterian church in Wilmington, North Carolina. She provides details of life during the Civil War, including General Sherman's passing through Wilmington, and also describes the effect of the Emancipation Proclamation on former slaves and Andrew Hepburn's return home. She then describes the family's new life with the Hepburn family in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, trying a new "waterfall" hairstyle, Andrew's year-long stay at the University of Berlin to study German, and their return to Chapel Hill, North Carolina in 1866.

Henrietta's visit to see her father at the University of Virginia, followed by starting housekeeping with free servants, are described in the fifth volume of her reminiscences. Upon Andrew's election as professor of English language and literature at Miami University, the family moved to Oxford. The volume provides details of Andrew's election as president of Miami University, the family's life in Oxford, and the death of William Holmes McGuffey. The account continues with the Hepburns' life on the Hepburn family farm in Westmoreland County, Virginia and their moving to Davidson, North Carolina after Andrew was elected as a professor of Latin and French at Davidson College. Henrietta describes setting up housekeeping there, activities with other professors and their wives. In 1877, Andrew accepted the presidency of Davidson College with what Henrietta describes as "great reluctance." The volume also describes Charley's studies at Davidson, his attending law school at the University of Virginia, his tutoring position at Davidson College, and the beginning of his law practice in Cincinnati.

In the sixth volume of Henrietta's reminiscences, she writes of Charley's first Davidson class reunion in 1882, and Andrew's resignation of the presidency at Davidson for a professorship at Miami University in 1885, after Miami had been closed since 1873. She describes their move back to Oxford, settling into life in boarding houses there, and provides names and details of several Miami faculty members. She also provides an account of Charley's 1888 engagement and 1891 marriage to Julia Benedict, daughter of Rev. Samuel Benedict, Rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Cincinnati. The volume concludes with a list of Charley's office locations from 1881 to 1895, together with printed material describing Barbara Fritchie's home in Frederick, Maryland.

In the seventh volume of Henrietta's reminiscences, she recounts the story of her childhood trip to Gallipolis. Riding in a hack, going to purchase two bonnets for her mother, having a damson pie for dessert, and a little girl's pink cloak and hat made the greatest impression on Henrietta, and she shared that story with her children and grandchildren often.

While the first 38 pages of the eighth volume of Henrietta's reminiscences are original material, the majority of this volume repeats the first volume of her reminiscences, transcribed earlier in the collection. Therefore, this volume is a copy of the original volume, written in someone else's hand. The original material in this volume provides details of the oil portrait of Harriet Spining McGuffey, the death of Henrietta's baby brother, Edward McGuffey, life in Oxford, her early school years, and Victorian customs of remembrance, such as hair bracelets.

Charles McGuffey Hepburn's Journals

The collection concludes with two journals kept by Charles McGuffey Hepburn. The first volume, dated October 21, 1869 through December 31, 1869, provides details of spelling competitions at his school and other academic lessons, sledding and playing with other Oxford boys, illnesses, the family's Christmas presents, and reading young people's newspapers like the New York Post. The second volume, kept during 1870, provides details of what Charley read, what he studied in school, and what he did at home with his family. Charley also mentions Andrew Hepburn's "trying with all his might" to get a teaching position at Princeton because Miami does not give them enough to live on." The volume ends with Charley's cash account record, a list of books he read during the year, a list of names of the boys he knew, samples of U.S. postage stamps from November 1870, a description of where the Hepburns' house was in Oxford and how far he traveled during the year.