ELWYN B. ROBINSON DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
CHESTER FRITZ LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA
GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA 58202

LILLIAN WITMER PAPERS

COLLECTION: OGL #245

DATES: 1897-1986

SIZE: 5.75 linear feet

INTRODUCTION

ACQUISITION: The Lillian Witmer Papers were deposited in the Orin G. Libby Manuscript Collection as a gift from her daughter, Jean Meline of Macomb, Illinois on November 4,1993 (Acc. #93-1930).

ACCESS: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Department of Special Collections.

RELATED COLLECTIONS:

North Dakota Dames Club Records, OGL#108
Faculty Wives, Women and Associates of the University of North Dakota Records, OGL#298
Franklin Club Records, OGL#322
Alpha Phi Sorority Records, OGL#586
P.E.O. Chapter D Records, OGL#878

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Lillian Leith was born January 16, 1903 in Grand Forks, North Dakota, to Dr. John and Isabella Leith. She was raised in Larimore, North Dakota, and graduated from Larimore High School as salutatorian of her class in June 1919. In September 1919, she enrolled at the University of North Dakota and became a member of the Alpha Phi sorority. She graduated from UND in June 1923 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the College of Liberal Arts. She worked as the assistant registrar at the University for seven years. She married R.B. (Robert Bonner) Witmer in August 1927 and had one daughter, Jean. Mrs. Witmer had an outstanding record of community service and dedication to the University of North Dakota. She was a member of the UND Alumni Association Board, district governor of Alpha Phi International Fraternity, a member of the Grand Forks Public Library Board, and secretary of the Grand Forks Historical Society. She served as president and was a fifty-year member of each of the following: Franklin Club, Chapter D of the P.E.O. Sisterhood, the North Dakota Dames Club, the Alpha Phi Alumni Chapter, and the UND Faculty Wives and Women's Club.

Lillian Leith Witmer died on September 13, 1993, at the Deaconess Health Center in Northwood, North Dakota.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The bulk of this collection consists of presentations put together for the North Dakota Dames Club, Chapter D of the P.E.O., and the Franklin Club. This information has been separated by those various organizations in rough chronological order. The first part of the collection consists of materials from Lillian's eighth grade, high school, and college graduations, and information on various happenings at UND throughout her life. Much of this information is related to her sorority, Alpha Phi. The second part of the collection contains general information. These materials have also been arranged in rough chronological order. Two scrapbooks filled with ephemera from Lillian and Robert's years at UND can be found, as well as a few wall hangings. Lillian's bookmark collection, which consists of about 165 bookmarks from the mid 1850s to 1987, is included as well. Books were separated and are housed elsewhere within the Department. Photographs were separated and have been placed in the Orin G. Libby Photographic Collection and University Archives Photographic Collection.

BOX/FOLDER LISTING

Box 1
Folders

  1. Graduation from Larimore High School, Commencement programs (8th grade 1916 and high school 1919), graduation speech
  2. Brief history of organizations and happenings at UND while Lillian attended
  3. Public speaking oration; "True Culture" by Lillian Leith
  4. Commencement programs, 1921 and 1926
  5. Lillian's graduation from UND; commencement program, class list, invitations, 1923
  6. Commencement, Founder's Day, and other addresses, 1946-1958
  7. Mortar Board members list, 1922-1965
  8. Grand Forks Herald-reproduction of first page of first issue, JUN 26, 1897; Lillian and Robert's wedding announcement, AUG 15 and 16, 1927
  9. Alpha Phi, 1921-1966
  10. Alpha Phi, miscellaneous thoughts and programs
  11. Alpha Phi Plaque
  12. Pi Plant, JUN 1924-JAN 1933
  13. Pi Plant, APR 1935-MAY 1942, 1952
  14. Miscellaneous programs of events attended by Lillian, 1921-1922
  15. "Kane for President", 1932
  16. Grand Forks Public Library Board information, 1947-1948, 1960
  17. Newspaper clipping, R.B. Witmer-Arts College Dean, JUL 1949
  18. Miscellaneous correspondence
  19. Cora E. Smith-Smith Hall Dedication by Lillian Witmer, MAY 1964
  20. Tributes: Raymond R. Hitchcock, William G. Bek, Mrs. O. H. Bridston, Mrs. Orin Grant Libby, Donald H. Miller, Mrs. Howard Edwin Simpson, George Abbott, Hazel Hauk, Dr. Frederick Brooks, Mrs. Maxwell Brown, Margaret Starcher
  21. Lillian Leith Witmer-"A Career of Service", MAY 1973
  22. North Dakota Dames Club-History and constitutions, 1933-1974
  23. 75th anniversary of North Dakota Dames Club, NOV 1984
  24. Book review-"Ellen Terry and Bernard Shaw: A Correspondence"-Dames Club program, MAY 1933
  25. "The Life of Sir William Osler"-Dames Club Program, 1934
  26. "Modern Trends in Medicine"-Dames Club Program, OCT 1937
  27. "Consumers' Forum", (OCT 1938),"Consumers Cooperatives: How to Budget", (DEC 1936)-Consumers information for Dames Club programs
  28. "Hallmarks of Silver"-Dames Club programs
  29. "The Story of Allergies"-Dames Club program, FEB 1945
  30. "The Split Atom as a Healing Force"-Dames Club program, MAR 1947
  31. "Our Public Library"-Dames Club program, OCT 1948
  32. "New Horizons in Government"-Dames Club program, NOV 1952
  33. "Scottish Kilts"-Dames Club program, OCT 1954
  34. "Trends in Education"-Dames Club program, MAR 1958
  35. "Comparative Religions"-Dames Club program, FEB 1959
  36. "Understanding Old Age"-Dames Club program, FEB 1961
  37. "Political Prairie Fire"-Dames Club program, FEB 1961
  38. "Dr. Fred G. Lundy"-Dames Club program, 1962
  39. Review of DR. G.A. Henry's "Letters to Virginia"-Dames Club program, MAR 1960
  40. "Hope"-Dames Club program, JAN 1964
  41. "Wedgewood"-Dames Club program, APR 1966
  42. "Fans"-History, style, etc.-Dames Club program, FEB 1968, P.E.O. program, APR 1979
  43. Fans resource material continued
  44. "Dr. James Grassick"-Dames Club program, 1971; P.E.O. program, APR 1979
  45. Li Ling Ai, and her book "Life is for a Long Time"-Reviewed for Dames Club program, SEPT 1973

Box 2
Folders

  1. "An Early Bow to the Bicentennial"-Dames Club program, FEB 1976
  2. "The White Kid Glove Era" by Mrs. J.E. Engstad-(Early Grand Forks History)- Dames Club program, FEB 1981
  3. "Little Old Grand Forks"-Franklin Club program, OCT 1925
  4. "UND History Programs"-Franklin Club programs, OCT 1946 and FEB 1974, Revised for Dames Club, NOV 1977
  5. "Prince of Players: Edwin Booth"-Franklin Club program FEB 1954, Dames Club program
  6. "What's Past is Prologue"-Review of the book-Political Prairie Fire-Franklin Club program, FEB 1967
  7. Chapter D of P.E.O.-50th anniversary, APR 1963; 75th anniversary, APR 1978; membership lists
  8. "The Education of an American"-P.E.O. program, APR 1939
  9. "The Houses of Tomorrow"-P.E.O. program, FEB 1944
  10. "How Our City Works"-P.E.O. program, FEB 1951
  11. "Golden Treasures" (Collecting)-P.E.O. program, NOV 1962, Dames Club program, FEB 1963
  12. "Books in my Baggage"-P.E.O. program, OCT 1965, Dames Club program, NOV 1968
  13. Miscellaneous material written by Robert Witmer-"The Amana Colony", Wranglers Club; "Waterfowl", Franklin Club, 1963; Address at dedication of Witmer Hall, 1969; The Department of Physics, 1970 program
  14. "John S. Lundy"-biography by Jean Witmer, AUG 1949
  15. Biography information, 1959-1979
  16. Antiques and Collecting information, 1962-1969
  17. North Dakota Mills-Newspaper clippings, SEPT 1969
  18. Vilhjalmur Stefansson-General information and newspaper clippings, AUG 1962- AUG 1967
  19. Belleek information, NOV 1961-SEPT 1986
  20. Wild Rice-general information and newspaper clippings, 1981-1983
  21. "A Reporter at Large: The Mountain of Names" (Genealogy)-general information, 1985
  22. "The Magnificent Yankee" by Oliver Wendell Holmes-general information, 1985
  23. The Pennsylvania Dutch information (Germans), undated
  24. Program ideas and materials, undated
  25. Miscellaneous programs, undated
  26. Information regarding the publications within the collection

Box 3

Bookmarks, 1850s-1987

Box 4

  1. R.B. Witmer’s Scrapbook, 1918-1920
  2. Lillian Leith’s Scrapbook, 1919-1923

Box 5

Wall hangings from Witmer household

OVERSIZE FILES

Folders

  1. The Harpoon, 1925; The Co-Ed, MAR 1921 and MAY 1922
  2. UND graduating class of 1922

SEPARATIONS RECORD

The following materials were separated from the collection and placed elsewhere in the Department.

University Archives Photograph Collection

 Number  Description
 UAP #21301  Pi Chapter of Alpha Phi twenty-fifth anniversary reunion, 1936
 UAP #21302  UND President George W. Starcher and Deans of colleges or division
 UAP #21303  Synergoi pledges, Fall 1918
 UAP #21304  Gene Hough and Robert Bonner Witmer at Budge Hall, 1918-1919 or 1919-1920
 UAP #21305  UND Gray Gowns, 1922
 UAP #21306  Columbia River Expediton, JUL 1926
 UAP #21307  Robert Bonner Witmer and Lillian Leith Witmer at UND Center, FEB 1970
 UAP #21308  Robert Bonner Witmer receiving award at Alumni Days Luncheon in Smith Hall, MAY 1970
 UAP #21309  UND Alumni Days, breakfast at Smith Hall, MAY 1970
 UAP #21310  Lillian and Robert Bonner Witmer with Dr. Geo. A. Abbot at Pres. and Mrs. Starcher's home, MAY 1971
 UAP #21311   Alumni Days, class of 1922 and 1923, 1972
 UAP #21312  Lillian Leith Witmer and Pres. Thomas J. Clifford at start of construction of addition to the Chester Fritz Library, AUG 1980
 UAP #21313  "Breaking Ground" ceremonies for Chester Fritz Library, AUG 1980
 UAP #21314  UND's first graduating class, 1889
 UAP #21315  UND Military Training, 1917-1918
 UAP #21316   Jeanette's Garden, thirteenth annual May Fete, MAY 1920
 UAP #21317  Alpha Phi International Convention, 1930
 UAP #21318  Alpha Phi International Convention, 1930
 UAP #21319   Pi Chapter of Alpha Phi's twenty-fifth anniversary, JUN 1936
 UAP #21320  Dedication of Johnstone Hall, OCT 1952
 UAP #21321   UND reunion at Camelback Inn in Phoenix, AZ, DEC 1959
 UAP #21322  Alpha Phis at Camelback Inn in Phoenix, AZ, DEC 1959
 UAP #21323  Pi Chapter of Alpha Phi pledge group, 1919
 UAP #21324  Lagoon at UND
 UAP #21325  Budge Hall at UND
 UAP #21326  Main Building at UND
 UAP #21327  Macnie Hall at UND
   

Orin G. Libby Photograph Collection

 OGL #245-1  Larimore, ND at the "Phillips" corner
 OGL #245-2  Lillian Leith, 1919 or 1920
 OGL #245-3  Lillian Leith and Nell M. Lunding, 1921
 OGL #245-4  Robert Bonner Witmer, 1922
 OGL #245-5   Lillian Leith, UND graduate, 1923
 OGL #245-6  Lillian Leith at UND apartments, 1927-1928
 OGL #245-7  Lillian Leith Witmer, 1929
 OGL #245-8   Robert Bonner Witmer, 1940
 OGL #245-9  Robert Bonner Witmer, MAR 1929
 OGL #245-10   Robert Bonner Witmer, 1950
 OGL #245-11  Lillian Leith Witmer, APR 1950
 OGL #245-12  Robert Bonner Witmer, 1953
 OGL #245-13   Robert Bonner Witmer, 1960
 OGL #245-14  Lillian and Robert Witmer at their home, JUN 1970
 OGL #245-15   Lillian Leith Witmer in her home, OCT 1970
 OGL #245-16   Edith Freeman Thompson, Margaret Libby Barr and Lillian Leith Witmer at Grand Forks Historical Society, DEC 1974
 OGL #245-17  Lillian Leith Witmer and Dr. Vernon Keel, 1989
 OGL #245-18   Helen and Marion Phillips and Lillian Leith at Stump Lake, ND, JUL 1925
 OGL #245-19   Larimore High School graduating class, 1919

North Dakota Book Collection

The Early History of Inkster, North Dakota, printed by H. V. Arnold, 1916
Painted Fans of Japan: 15 Noh Drama Masterpieces, by Keiko Chiba, 1966
The Way of Honor, by Dick Vaugan, 1961
The Dakotah, UND annual, 1921
The Dakotah, UND annual, 1923
North Dakota Medicine Sketches and Abstracts, by James Grassick, M.D., 1926
History of North Dakota, by Elwyn B. Robinson, 1966
The Story of Chester Fritz, by Chester Fritz and Dan Rylance, 1982
From Mountains to Prairies, John G. Arneberg, 1958
God Giveth the Increase: The History of the Episcopal Church in North Dakota, by Robert P. Wilkins and Wynona H. Wilkins, 1959
Elmer Ellis: Teacher, Scholar, and Administrator, 1961
University of the Northern Plains: A History of the University of North Dakota 1883-1958, by Louis G. Geiger, 1958 (2 copies)
Life is for a Long Time, by Li Ling Ai, 1972
Political Prairie Fire: The Nonpartisan League, 1915-1922, Robert L. Morlan, 1955
Grand Forks, Illustrated, by W.L. Dudley, 1897
Songs of Alpha Phi, published by the Alpha Phi Fraternity, 1921
North Dakota: The Northern Prairie State, by Bernt Lloyd Wills, 1963
The Passing of "Old Main", published by the Alumni Assn. of UND, DEC 1924
North Dakota Quarterly, published by UND, Spring 1971
North Dakota Quarterly, published by UND, Spring 1970
UND Catalogue, published by UND, 1884-1885
Through the Years: Student Health Service, by Ruth A. Noren, MAR 1977
Back Home Where I Come From on our Goose River, South Branch, by Jacob A. Evanson, MAY 1983
The First Hundred Years: The History of St. Paul's Church 1880-1980, Wynona H. Wilkins and Robert P. Wilkins
Your City Grand Forks, North Dakota, published by the League of Women Voters of Grand Forks, 1952
Windows of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, by Robert L. Woodward
Golden Memories of Chapter D: 1913-1963, by Margaret Libby Barr, 1963
Chapter D in retrospect: 1913-1983, by Margaret Libby Barr, 1984
Carrie B. Simpson: 1879-1964, by Jessie Simpson Holand, 1972
Fifty Years of P.E.O. in North Dakota: 1906-1956, by many authors
Beacon o'er our Western Land: University of North Dakota, by George W. Starcher,1964
Mother Verses, by Susie Griggs Yoder, 1979
Souvenir Book, Larimore, ND Diamond Jubilee, 1881-1956, by the Larimore Souvenir Booklet Committee, 1956
First Annual Catalogue of the Inkster Public Schools, 1899-1900
Souvenir of Grand Forks, published by Thos. B. Lude

University Publications

Flickertail Follies of 1926, a university production presented by Sigma Delta Chi

 Original Donation  First Addition: 1958-1980
 Second Addition: 1884-1975  Third Addition: 1923-1993

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