Overview of the Collection
Biographical NoteHerbert and Laura Beth Hearsey were longtime residents of Bellingham, Washington. Both were librarians, involved in the Bellingham Power Squadron, and had an active role in the community. Herbert Hearsey was born November 27, 1910. His first experience in the library predated his education, working as a page at the Cambridge Public Library from 1923-1928 and from in 1927-1937 at the Harvard College Library. Between 1931-1935, Herb attended Tufts College and continued to work at Harvard. From 1937-1941, with the exception of a brief return to Harvard, Herb pursued graduate study at the school of Library Science at the University of Illinois, Champagne-Urbana. Here he met Laura Beth Davis, who was also studying to be a librarian and they were married in 1938. Laura Beth Davis Hearsey was born August 9, 1908 in Neosho, Missouri. In September, 1926, Laura attended Cottey College in Nevada for girls, where she worked for two hours a day in the college library to reduce the cost of tuition and board. She transferred to Howard Payne College to complete her degree, working concurrently at her former high school in Neosho as a teacher for a series of terms. Finishing college, Laura Beth continued to work at both the Neosho Junior high school and her former high school for an additional six years teaching English and social studies. In 1941, after Herb and Laura Beth were married, they moved to Bellingham, Washington where Herb worked until 1974 as both Reference Librarian and Head of Circulation at Western Washington State College. Laura Beth continued to work as both a librarian and teacher in the Bellingham public school system. Herb, being an avid boater served as the first Commander and founder of the Bellingham Power Squadron in 1958. Laura Beth was also an active member of the Bellingham Power Squadron. In addition to her extensive writings of family history, Laura Beth kept detailed records for the Power Squadron. Laura Beth was also known for her role as leader of the Women’s Study Club in Bellingham. This group of women met to discuss a variety of books and issues from 1942-1997. Herb was a prolific writer, whose memoirs comprise Boating in my Life: forty years & five boats in the Puget Sound, the San Juans, Canadian waterways & southeastern Alaska (2001), and Recollections of Herbert R. Hearsey: An Autobiographical Account (2003). Content DescriptionThe Herbert and Laura Beth Hearsey papers are a small collection documenting the careers and personal life of a Bellingham, Washington family, with the bulk of the materials spanning from 1928-1999. Both Herb and Laura Beth were librarians, with Herb serving as both the acting director of Western Washington University’s library, as well as its special collections. Laura Beth Hearsey’s papers include diaries, academic yearbooks, photographs, clippings and scrapbooks pertaining to her personal and professional life. Her papers contain extensive information regarding her family genealogy, including photographs and unpublished histories of the Vandiver and Davis families. The collection includes a 1962 navigational log book reflecting Laura Beth Hearsey’s membership in the Bellingham Power Squadron. Laura Beth’s papers also document her role and interest in the activities of the Study Club, a Bellingham women’s group. The collection includes a Study Club minute book dated 1949-1969, and an eponymous club history written by Laura Beth in 1997. Herb Hearsey’s papers include degree certificates, and academic writings including his 1935 Master’s Thesis “Reading Ability at Tuft’s College”, as well as clippings and articles relating to library and campus affairs at Western Washington State College. The collection also contains the Hearsey’s financial records dated 1942-1993. Use of the Collection
Restrictions on Access :
The collection is open to the public. Preferred Citation :Herbert and Laura Beth Hearsey Papers, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Washington University, Bellingham WA 98225-9123 Administrative Information
Arrangement :
The Herbert and Laura Beth Hearsey papers are organized in accordance with the following series and subseries arrangement:
Acquisition Information :
Herbert and Laura Beth Hearsey donated their papers to the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies in 1998. Processing Note :The Herbert and Laura Beth Hearsey papers received some preliminary processing and preservation work upon the collection’s arrival to the center. In 2005, Jason Kaltenbacher completed its processing and developed the finding aid. Bibliography :
An additional collection of Herb Hearsey's, titled the "Herbert R. Hearsey Papers, 1910-2003," is housed at the University of Illinois Archives. Detailed Description of the CollectionThe following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
SubjectsThis collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.
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