Swarthmore College Peace Collection, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081 U.S.A.

George & Florence Nasmyth
Papers, 1911-1937

Document Group: DG 057

Size: 17.5 linear inches

Provenance: Donated by Mrs. Ransome H. Poythress, 1962, 1964

Restrictions: None

Microfilm: None

Finding Aid: Checklist prepared by Jennifer Podlecki, February 1999; collection reprocessed &
checklist revised by Anne Yoder, February 2001

This checklist is the property of the Swarthmore College Peace Collection.


Introduction

George W. Nasmyth was born in Cleveland, Ohio, July 9, 1882. He was educated at Cornell, Berlin, Gottingen, Heidelburg and Zurich. During his graduate studies in Europe, he founded class clubs similar in ideals to those of the American Cosmopolitan Club. These he organized into an Association of International Clubs of which he was president; in 1911, he was a delegate to the International Student Congress in Rome (7th). He was elected President of the Central Commission of the Federation Internationale des Etudiants with Louis Lochner. In the services of the international student movement, he visited the universities of 22 countries.

It was during the tense years of 1912-1914 that Nasmyth finally decided to give up mathematical physics which he had studied, and dedicate his life increasingly to the cause of international understanding and peace. In 1909, in recognition of his international work with students, he was elected a member of the Board of Directors of the World Peace Foundation, Boston. He later became a member of its executive staff. In 1919, he went again to Europe to attend the Paris Peace Conference, and to organize the first meeting since the outbreak of the war of the World Alliance for Friendship Through the Churches. It was there in Geneva that he died of a typhus infection at the age of 39, on September 20, 1920.

In addition to the above mentioned positions, George W. Nasmyth was president of Corda Fratres, 1911-1913; an administrator in the U. S. Fuel Administration, 1917-1919; and a founder and member of the Trade Union College.

Nasmyth's correspondents included Edwin Mead, Norman Angell, E.D. Morel, Hamilton Holt, John Haynes Holmes, Dorothy Douglas, Norman Thomas, Frederick Lynch and Agnes Warbasse. Letters of condolence were sent by Emily Greene Balch, David Starr Jordan, Norman Thomas, Alfred Fried, and Lucia Ames Mead, among others.

Photographs were removed to the Photograph Collection.

See also: World Alliance for International Friendship Through the Churches (CDGA)

See also poster (with photo) re: Nasmyth's lectures on "Vital Questions of America's Foreign Policy" [located in Poster Box B10 (Misc. Organizations: A-Com.)]


Contents of Collection
Box 1
Checklist
Material from/about George
Biographical information
Biographical information re: death in 1920
Letters of introduction for his travels
Outgoing correspondence, 1911-1920
Incoming correspondence, 1911-1920, n.d.

Box 2
Material from/about George
Speaking engagements / lecture series
Speeches/lectures given to Women's International League, 1919 (March 18 & 25, April 1 & 8)
Writings -- published, 1911-1920
Writings -- unpublished
"The Vision"
Article "The New Testament as a Social Document" [includes notes]
Re: Christianity/religion
Work in progress re: Christianity & social reconstruction
Writings & speeches re: internationalism / foreign policy
Writings & speeches re: the League of Nations
Writings & speeches re: peace/disarmament
Work in progress re: foreign trade

Box 3
Material from/about George
Writings -- unpublished
Work in progress re: morality
Working papers re: peace & militarism
Work in progress re: the religion of power
Work in progress re: social reconstruction
Work in progress re: possible Socialist University
Misc. writings/speeches
Misc. notes/outlines
Misc. notes
Translation of "The New Freedom of Women" (by Jacques Novikov)
Reference/reading material

Box 4
Material from/about George
Reference/reading material
Material from/about Florence
Account written of George's death
Letters of condolence received after George's death, 1920-1921
Correspondence & misc.




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For more information, contact Wendy Chmielewski, Curator,

at wchmiel@ swarthmore.edu or call 610-328-8557.