Wilfrid Parsons, SJ Papers 2
Collection
Identifier: GTM-GAMMS433
The Rev. Wilfrid Parsons, S.J. Papers: Part 2 consist primarily of letters sent to Rev. Wilfrid Parsons, S.J., an editor for "America" Magazine, from Annie Christitch. More than 100 letters from Christitch to Fr. Parsons are retained in this collection. Christitch's letters to Fr. Parsons document in detail the role of Catholicism in Yugoslavia during the 1920s and 1930s. Her letters also touch on the subject of Catholicism in Czechoslovakia during that same period. In her correspondence, Christitch discusses many significant individuals, including King Alexander of Yugoslavia, Antun Bauer, John LaFarge, Tomas G. Masaryk, Benito Mussolini, Stjepan Raditch, and Eamon de Valera. Furthermore, Christitch describes her work for various international women's organizations.
Part 2 of Fr. Parsons' Papers supplement the extensive Wilfrid Parsons Papers: Part 1 already preserved in the Georgetown University Library Booth Family Center for Special Collections. Georgetown University Special Collections also holds the America Magazine Archives. Fr. Parsons was an editor and contributor to that periodical. Some of Annie Christitch's correspondence is also found in the Rev. John LaFarge, S.J. Papers, which are located in the Georgetown University Library Booth Family Center for Special Collections. The Rev. Wilfrid Parsons, S.J. Parsons Papers: Part 2 are stored in one archival box (0.5 linear feet).
The John J. Burns Library at Boston College owns part of Annie Christitch's personal papers, and her efforts for women's rights are described in the following article: Elaine Clark, "Catholic Men in Support of the Women's Suffrage Movement in England," "Catholic Historical Review," 94.1 (2008) 22-44.
SERIES SYNOPSIS:
Series 1 - Correspondence from Annie Christitch to Rev. Wilfrid Parsons, S.J. Arranged chronologically from 1925 through 1936.
Series 2 - Correspondence with Others. Arranged chronologically from 1920 through 1965.
Most manuscripts collections at the Georgetown University Booth Family Center for Special Collections are open to researchers; however, restrictions may apply to some collections. Collections stored off site require a minimum of three days for retrieval. For use of all manuscripts collections, researchers are advised to contact the Booth Family Center for Special Collections in advance of any visit.
Rev. Wilfrid Parsons, S.J. (1887-1958) was a noted Jesuit author and editor. Born on March 17, 1887 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Wilfrid Parsons was the son of Paul J. Parsons and Alice (Avery) Parsons. Wilfrid Parsons received three degrees from Woodstock College in Maryland: M.A. in 1908, Ph.D. in 1910, and S.T.D. in 1919. He studied at Gregorian University in Rome from 1919-1921. Parsons was given an honorary Litt. D. from St. Joseph's College in Philadelphia in 1929 and from Fordham University in New York City in 1932. Fr. Parsons was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1918. From 1925 to 1936, he worked as the chief editor of "America" magazine, a weekly Catholic news magazine. Next, from 1936 to 1940, he taught political science at Georgetown University. During his stay at Georgetown, he also served as librarian, archivist, and dean. Fr. Parsons then became a political science professor at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. Fr. Parsons wrote the following books: "Mexican Martyrdom" (1927), "The Pope and Italy" (1929), "Which Way Democracy?" (1932), "The First Freedom" (1939), and "Early Catholic Americana" (1939). In 1926, he founded the quarterly review entitled, "Thought." Rev. Wilfrid Parsons, S.J. died on October 28, 1958. [Sources: "Who Was Who in America." Vol. 3. (Chicago: Marquis, 1960), p. 668. "The National Cyclopedia of American Biography." Vol. 44. (New York: James T. White & Co., 1962), p. 118.]
Annie Christitch was a noted English writer and journalist. She was born in Belgrade, and her father was an officer in the Serbian court. Her mother, Elizabeth O'Brien Christitch, was a writer in her own right, publishing by the pseudonym "Ben Hurst." Annie's grandfather was a former prime minister of Serbia. Annie Christitch earned a B.A. from the University of London, and she embarked on a career in journalism. During World War I, Christitch worked as a nurse on the Serbian battlefields. Christitch also administered a soup kitchen in conjunction with the American Red Cross in Belgrade. At the end of the war, she undertook child welfare work duties. Annie Christitch was involved with Catholic issues in Yugoslavia. She was the only Catholic woman on the International Council of Women. Moreover, she played an important role in the women's rights movement. In fact, Christitch won the support of Pope Benedict XV for the Catholic Women's Suffrage movement. In 1920, she embarked on a lecture tour of the United States. A noteworthy linguist, Christitch was fluent in English, French, Italian, German, Serb, Croat, Russian, and Gaelic. As a journalist, she had a remarkable career. She was the first to bring a news story to a London paper by an airplane. She wrote for a number of periodicals, including "America" magazine.
[Source: Biographical Sketch provided by Boston College Special Collections].
0.75 Linear Feet (2 boxes)
English
Transferred from the California Province of the Society of Jesus, 2006.
Part of the Georgetown University Manuscripts Repository