Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 09: Biography
Series 05: Board of Trustees
Series 10: Built Environment
Mary Rockwell Hook Correspondence 1941
Published 2018-07-04 hw
Updated 2021-10-05 aae

[Note: Letters from PMSS staff in the PMSS Collections are carbon copies, typewritten, unsigned, and meant for the Office files. The original signed copies were sent to the correspondents. Mary Rockwell Hook‘s letters are handwritten and original.]

January – March 1941

001 January 2, 1941. To Mary Rockwell Hook (Mrs. Inghram D. Hook), Kansas City, MO, from (unsigned, likely Glyn Morris). The School has $5,000 to use and suggests adding a guest wing to Big Log; encloses sketch. Hopes to present plans to the spring Board meeting for making over Big Log and building a Boys’ House. Asks Hook’s opinion about bringing Jim Terney to PMSS to discuss the plans.

002 January 10, 1941. To Hook from (unsigned, likely Glyn Morris), sending photos of the progress on Girls’ House. Asks her to share them with Jim Terney, showing “how much excavating through rock had to be done to get down to the bottom. The footings are down below this.”

003 March (?), 1941. Address side of postcard to Glyn Morris with postmark from Atlanta, GA.
003a N.D. (later notation: “March 1941”) To Morris from M.R.H. (Hook), en route to Sarasota by train. She asks about buying logs and poles for the Big Log addition; “They need a year to dry.” Jim Terney will send a picture of a “fireplace for Girls’ House (and a) detail of the terrace which Leach wanted.”

004-004a March 10, 1941. Two-page letter to Hook from (unsigned, likely Morris), who is sending her a pamphlet, “Work Camps for High School Youth” in which PMSS participates; includes PMSS photographs. He reminds her that “this project is distinct from the Kiwanis camp for fifty youngsters which is held here for one month….” Tells about plans for the annual Pine Mountain Youth Guidance Institute in May; and the Harlan County Planning Council’s participation in a Youth Guidance Institute held in Washington, D.C. He hopes that the Girls’ House construction will be completed for the Institute meeting.

005 March 25, 1941. To Hook from (unsigned, likely Morris), who is sending her a copy of the Winter 1941 Kentucky with an article about Pine Mountain.

006-006a N.D. Newspaper clipping titled “Not All About Women” by Nell Snead. It includes a paragraph about Mrs. Hook’s architectural work at PMSS and the dedication of the new girls’ dormitory at which Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt will speak.

Notation in Hook’s handwriting in margin: “My friend, Nell Snead, just called up to ask how I liked her sending me to Pine Mt, via yesterday’s paper. She will have her little jokes.”

007 N.D. Newspaper clipping titled “Home Atmosphere Is Achieved in Cottage Unit at Park College. Recently Completed Dormitory Is Attracting the Attention of Educators Who See in It a Happy Solution of Housing Problems for Schools.” Hook’s notation in margin: “I will go look at this. My idea for the boys’ house is to do a low(?) building under 10,0000.”

April – May 1941

008-009 April 5, (no year). Two-page letter to “Glyn” from Hook in Sarasota, FL, telling her travel plans to the board meeting by bus from Knoxville to Harlan; and how to contact her in Knoxville. She hopes the Board can come to unanimous agreement over “trends of education and aims of the school & accomplishments….”

010 April 8, 1941. Western Union telegram to Morris from Hook, who will arrive in Knoxville on Friday, take a bus to Harlan, then taxi over Pine Mountain on Saturday.

011 April 10, 1941. Western Union telegram to Hook in Sarasota, FL, from Morris, regretting she missed the play.

012 April 26, 1941. To Hook from (unsigned, likely Morris), thanking her for attending the Board meeting at PMSS and “all that you do for the School and for Gladys and me personally. … As we look about the School, so much of it is a reflection of what you have done. …[We] appreciate that our School has such lovely buildings and that we are proud of them….”

013 April 28 1941. To “Mary” (Hook) in Kansas City, MO, from C. Dick, Office of the President, The University of Kansas City, thanking her for sharing the “preliminary announcement of the Pine Mountain Youth Guidance Institute.”

014 May 17, 1941. To Hook from (unsigned, likely Morris), thanking for bath rugs and brushes for Laurel House. Hook has offered “to pay for tools to be awarded to students for the most skilled use of hands and tools.” He names the students: Calvin Jones and Bill Turner (Stanley jack plane); Bertha Lewis (Fannie Farmer Cookbook). “Work on West Wind is going along rapidly….”

015 N.D. (Later notation: May 1941”) A handwritten note from (Arthur) Dodd to Morris, with list of winners and the tools, and reminding him to ask Mrs. Hook to send the prizes.

016 May 24, 1941. Western Union telegram to Hook in Kansas City, MO, from Morris, asking if she can attend the Institute.

017-017c May 26, (No year – later notation: “1941”). Four-page letter to Morris from Hook, who will come to PMSS if she can get a new cook; hopes to check with Gladys (Morris) on furnishings and hangings. “Sorry Mrs. Roosevelt couldn’t make it – but she will come again. …”

018 May 27, 1941. To Hook from (unsigned, likely Morris), enclosing letters between him and Jim Terney and asking for her response.

June 1941

019 -019c June 3, (No year. Later notation: “1941”) Four-page letter to Morris from Hook. She expresses her opinions about Jim Terney’s and Morris’s letters concerning adding extra space in the dormitory for guests and the subsequent extra cost. Asks Gladys (Morris) to write about what she has purchased for living rooms in West Wind and Laurel House. Regrets missing the Institute meeting.

020 June 9, 1941. To Hook from (unsigned). Morris is on vacation but he had dictated a letter to Hook. Hook’s letter will be forwarded to him at Woods Hole (Massachusetts).

021 June 9, 1941. To Hook from (unsigned), acknowledging her May 26 letter and enclosures. Mentions the success of the Institute. “Fern (Hall) Hayes had her baby last week. It’s a boy and his name is Steven.”

022 June 16, 1941. To Hook from “A.W.D.” (Arthur W. Dodd, enclosing photos of West Wind, which is just being finished up. “The girls have moved in and are greatly pleased with their new quarters.”

July – August 1941

023 July 15, 1941. To Hook from (unsigned), enclosing bills for the students’ prizes, with Barbara Spelman’s advice on how to pay them. Describes how the students received their awards. “Since Mr. Morris isn’t here right now, I’d like to thank you for him and all of us for your generosity in making these awards possible.” Mentions work camp and Kiwanis camp.

024 July 19, 1941. To Hook from (unsigned), who is sending a mimeograph of the baccalaureate sermon by Morris. The cost of the mimeographs for seniors and board members was covered by Dr. Newman, who was visiting at the time.

025 August 5, 1941. To Hook from (unsigned, likely Morris), adding his thanks to Janet’s and Mr. Dodd’s for the students’ prizes. “I wish you were here to make suggestions about Far House. I get a sinking feeling every time I go in the house.”

026 August 16, 1941. Western Union telegram to Hook from Morris, welcoming her and her guests.

September – December 1941

027 September 12, 1941. To Hook from “J.G.,” sending information about the linoleum in West Wind and figures from Barbara (Spelman). Appreciated the party that Hook held at Open House.

028 “Linoleum used at West Wind (purchased from Wright Rubber Products Col, Racine, Wisconsin),” with sizes, costs, and related items for the same job. 029 (Continuation of price list.)

030-030a October 24, (No year. Later notation: “1941”) Two-page letter from Hook in Sarasota, FL, to Morris. Encloses check from “Mabel Keller of Wellesley, Mass. She is an ex-teacher & was a really good one.” She cannot get to NY by November 15 meeting.

031 October 30, 1941. To Hook from (unsigned, likely Morris), thanking here for the check from Miss Mabel Keller. Provides PMSS updates: Miss Ward left for a higher-paying job and a new dietitian has arrived: Ruth Moody, who graduated from Asheville College in June. “This makes the third Home Economics person from Berea within a year who has left Pine Mountain in the middle of a job. I am not any too pleased about this but shall live through it.” Answers Hook’s question about the U.S. Employment Service.

032 November 6, 1941. Address side of postcard to Morris. 032a Message side of postcard to Morris from Hook, who is en route to Kansas City via train; cannot attend meeting in NY on the 15th.

033 December 19, 1941. Typewritten message on “The Office” notepaper: “Mr. Morris thanked Mrs. Hook in long hand for the furniture in Laurel House.”

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See Also:
MARY ROCKWELL HOOK Album I – Full Pages
MARY ROCKWELL HOOK PHOTO ALBUM II Part I – Individual Photos

MARY ROCKWELL HOOK AUTOBIOGRAPHY 1970 This and That
MARY ROCKWELL HOOK Biography

Return To:
MARY ROCKWELL HOOK Correspondence Guide

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