%eadnotat; ]> 5136shar An Inventory of the Benjamin Sharp Family Papers, 1809-1915. Finding Aid Prepared by FHL staff Encoding made possible by a grant by the Gladys Kriebel Delmas Foundation to the Philadelphia Consortium of Special Collections Libraries Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. 1989 Text converted and initial EAD tagging provided by Apex Data Services, December 2000. ENG Benjamin Sharp Family Papers, 1809-1915. FHL staff Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. 1989 Descriptive Summary Family Papers, 1809-1915. RG 5/136 Benjamin Sharp (1858-1915) 2 boxes; 1 linear ft. Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College.

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.

Benjamin Sharp (1858-1915), a zoologist who was primarily affiliated with the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, attended Swarthmore College (1876) and earned a M.D. and Ph. D. from the University of Pennsylvania. A birthright member of the Society of Friends (Quakers), Dr. Sharp was the son of Benjamin and Hannah B. (Leedom) Sharp of the Germantown section of Philadelphia, Pa. He was married to Virginia May of Ridley, Mass. The family moved to Massachusetts in the early 20th century, and Dr. Sharp served as Representative for Nantucket to the Massachusetts Legislature. The collection consists primarily of correspondence from friends and colleagues, memorabilia from Swarthmore College, and family materials, including the diary of Rebecca Sharp. BIOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL

Benjamin Sharp (1858-1915), a zoologist who was primarily affiliated with the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, attended Swarthmore College (1876) and earned a M.D. and Ph. D. from the University of Pennsylvania. Travelling and studying in Europe, he received a second Ph.D. from the University of Wurzburg, Bavaria in 1883.

A birthright member of the Society of Friends (Quakers), Dr. Sharp was the son of Benjamin and Hannah B. (Leedom) Sharp of the Germantown section of Philadelphia, Pa. He worked as a professor of zoology at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia and later at the University of Pennsylvania, and also traveled extensively, to Europe, Hawaii, the Caribbean, and the Arctic circle. He served as Corresponding Secretary of the Academy of Natural Sciences for eleven years.

Sharp was married in 1881 to Virginia May of Ridley, Massachusetts, and had three children, two sons, Karl and Harold, and a daughter, Dorothy. Sharp was a member of the Green Street Monthly Meeting of Philadelphia. Sharp and his family moved to Massachusetts (Brookline and Nantucket) in his last ten years. There he was elected as representative for Nantucket to the Massachusetts Legislature and served as vice-president of the Nantucket Historical Association. He died in 1915.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

The collection consists primarily of correspondence from friends and colleagues, memorabilia from Swarthmore College, and family materials, including the diary of Rebecca Sharp.

Arrangement

The collection is divided into five series:

Biographical and genealogical Benjamin Sharp correspondence Swarthmore College, 1875-1879 Family papers, including the diary of Rebecca Sharp Miscellaneous ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Accession information

Donor: Virginia S. Richmond, 1989

Access

Collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

Copyright has not been assigned to Friends Historical Library All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in to the Director. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Friends Historical Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by reader.

Preferred Citation

[Indicate the cited item or series here], RG 5/135, Benjamin Sharp Family Papers, Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

A group of books originally included in the collection were noted and recatalogued.

SELECTED SEARCH TERMS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Friends Historical Library (TRIPOD). Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings:

Quakers - Philadelphia (Pa.) Universities and colleges - Pennsylvania Pennsylvania - Education - Universities and colleges Swarthmore (Pa.) - Education - Universities and colleges Philadelphia (Pa.) --Quakers Swarthmore College - Students Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia Quakers - Pennsylvania Quakers - Massachusetts Quaker - Naturalists Zoologists Naturalists Diaries Sharp, Rebecca, 1823-1853 Sharp, Virginia Mae Guild DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE RECORDS

Note to Researchers: To request materials, please note both the location and box numbers shown below:

Ser. 1. Biographical and Genealogical, 1970, n.d. General records 1 Guild and Dodd Families, Charts 1 Hutton [Janney] Family, compiled by S. Janney Hutton 1970 1 photocopy Ser. 2. Correspondence, ca. 1855-1915

Letters include a description of the first elephant born in captivity (at the Philadelphia zoo), 3/23/1880, and events surrounding the death and funeral of Lucretia Mott, 12/28/1880.

From Benjamin Sharp to his grandparents 1871 1 To Benjamin Sharp while he was a student at Swarthmore College, 1871-1885 1 To Benjamin Sharp 1871-May 1876 To Benjamin Sharp June 1876-1878 1 To Benjamin Sharp 1879-1885 1 To Virginia (May) Sharp 1877-1915 1 To Hannah Leedom, calling cards ca. 1855 1 Ser. 3. Swarthmore Memorabilia, 1875-1879 Event Announcements 1875-1879 2 “`78 Class Paper” dated May 25, 1875. 2 Benjamin Sharp's book, autographs of students 1875-1876 2

Also includes moss from the graves of W. Penn, I. Pennington, and Th. Ellwood, dated 1831.

Ser. 4. Family Memorabilia, 1809-1853, n.d. Diary and memorials of Rebecca Sharp 1853 2 Benjamin Sharp 2 Family miscellany, including almanacs and wedding announcements 2

Almanacs dated 1809 and 1831.

Signed title pages (photocopies) of books removed from collection 2 Ser. 5. Miscellaneous, n.d. Photographs 2 “Charter and Bylaws of Tirard Woolen Manufacturers.” 2 Miscellaneous Material. 2