The Wood Family Papers comprises the story of J. Howard Wood as a student at Lake Forest College from 1918-1922 as well as his life as a graduate student at Harvard from 1922-1926. This collection includes maps and town information of where the family lived, genealogical information such as birth, death, and marriage records, family photographs, and hand written as well as typed letters of correspondence. Most important to this collection is Howard Wood’s correspondence with his father (John), mother (Julia), brother (Rob), and sister (Mildred). In these letters, the reader will develop a sense of how close this family was with one another, Howard Wood’s student life and his financial struggles, and his journey into a his career at the Chicago Tribune.

This collection contains materials amassed by Van Sickle while undertaking the writing of his senior thesis. The bulk of this collection contains audiocassettes with interviews Van Sickle conducted with Lake Forest residents who lived in the town during the Great Depression. There are also handwritten notes and transcripts from the interviews, as well as 18 release forms.

Also in the collection is a copy of Van Sickle’s 1986 published article in the Illinois Historical Journal that was developed from his senior thesis and has the same title.

Additionally, there is a box containing late 19th-early 20th century theatre programs, mostly from Illinois.

This small group of materials includes small-format candid amateur photographic prints, family letters, and news clippings by and about members of this Lake Forest, Illinois family, mostly from the 1940s and 1950s.

There is a small reference collection of copies of articles and entries and an informal, handwritten family tree.

This collections contains manuscripts of published and unpublished scholarly and literary works by Professor Frederick C.L. Van Steenderen. Some of the manuscripts are typed, while others are handwritten.

This collection contains photocopied portions of a Rumsey family history written and edited by Jean Rumsey. Rumsey’s writing and the original documents she incorporated into the family history produced a document 1,350 pages in length. Examples of original documents Rumsey integrated into the history include family correspondence, inventories, newspaper clippings, familial records, and other memorabilia. While only some of the almost 1,400 pages of her work reside as photocopies in this collection, they nonetheless provide a good picture of the Rumsey family.

In addition to the family history, the collection contains another work written by Rumsey titled, "Tour of Lake Forest, Ill. via the 1900 census.” The work speaks to the Rumsey's connection with other Lake Forest residents.

This scrapbook contains various photographs of George Jennings, often with the players he coached. There are several photographs solely of tennis players without Jennings pictured in them.

Also in the scrapbook are a few newspaper articles about Jennings and/or the George Jennings Tennis School. Additionally, the scrapbook contains a small amount of correspondence and an award Jennings received for outstanding service from the Professional Lawn Tennis Association.

The Ruth Hendrickson Wood Diaries record her day-to-day life. They contain writing about daily activities, oftentimes noting the weather. The diaries include musings on social engagements and other events. They have also been used to keep track of scheduled appointments and travel dates.

This collection consists of blueprint specifications for the Lake Forest, Illinois residence and garage of Dexter Cummings, all prepared by architect Harrie Lindeberg.

This collection contains a typed manuscript by author Kathy Stevenson of her book "The Lake Poet," set in Lake Forest, Illinois. It also contains two newspaper clippings from the Pioneer Press, one a photocopy. The clippings feature Stevenson's short stories from two separate years that placed first and second, respectively, in the Pioneer Press North Shore Fiction Writing Contest.

This collection contains meeting minutes of the Lake Forest Caucus held at various locations throughout the area.

This collection holds materials related to the exhibition held at Lake Forest College entitled “A Retrospective Art Exhibition of the sculpture of Sylvia Shaw Judson, 1897-1978.” The exhibition was planned and executed by students enrolled in a course at the college called History 348: Museums and Exhibitions taught by Dr. Virginia Stewart in the fall of 1998. The exhibit was open to the public from November 12-December 1, 1998.

The collection contains student’s research information collected on Sylvia Shaw Judson, student assignments related to the exhibit, planning materials and design and installation ideas for the exhibit, art gallery labels, as well as photographs, slides and negatives of both Judson and of the exhibit.

The collection further contains loan requests asking other institutions for Judson sculptures to put in the exhibit. Additionally the collection contains general materials collected about the exhibit’s opening and the almost month it was up, including guest books, the exhibition catalogue and publicity package. There are also several oversized materials, including enlarged black and white photographs used in the exhibition, as well as the main title cards attached to the wall during the exhibit. One of the more unique items in the collection is a 1928 edition of a poetry book, “Songs of a Baby’s Day,” written by Frances Shaw (Sylvia’s mother) and illustrated by Judson.

This scrapbook, compiled by Yale University class agent of many years George Douglas Miller, contains newspaper clippings, photographs, announcements, pamphlets and other written works related to activities and members of the Yale University class of 1870. Among these graduates was the Reverend Dr. James G.K. McClure, the president of Lake Forest College from 1897-1901. McClure was also a trustee of the college.

Other noted members of the class of 1870 include George Bird Grinnell, a naturalist, conservationist and ethnologist and Edward O. Wolcott, United States senator from Colorado from 1889-1901.

This collection contains correspondence to and from Mary Horton Wadsworth, as well as Lake Forest University Commencement programs from 1889. There are also various programs from Presbyterian churches in Massachusetts and Washington D.C. Additionally the collection contains a book of Lake Forest University class meeting minutes and two poetry books, "Drifting Leaves" and "At Easter's Dawn."

This collection consists of a small three ring binder of typed pages. The notebook is divided into three sections and contains information about various inorganic, plant, and animal fossils. This information includes the name of the fossil, its geological period, the location where it was found and its taxonomic classification.

This collection contains materials related to the city of Lake Forest. This includes brochures, newsletters and numerous other materials from organizations and institutions in the city, political documents, as well as City of Lake Forest directories, briefings, council meeting minutes and a resident handbook. The collection also contains documents regarding Lake Forest public schools, Lake Forest Academy, Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart and Barat College. The collection also contains a number of records related to Market Square.

This collections consists of three binders noting sightings of plants and their identification. Plants from all over the country are recorded in the binders, though there are a significant amount from the Illinois Dunesland.

This collection also contains newspaper clippings about or written by Elizabeth T. Lunn. Additionally, the collection has documents related to Lunn and her tenure at Lake Forest College. These documents include faculty questionnaires and news releases, among other records.

The collection includes sketches completed by architecture students in Lake Forest IL. Sketches include Lake Forest structures and European structures. The collection also includes a binder of photocopies by laws, founding documents, and minutes from the Foundation for Architecture and Landscape Architecture.

This collection contains membership lists and directories for various clubs and organizations in the Chicago metropolitan area.

This collection consists of papers, photographs and items donated by Susan Dart detailing her research and later published book, "Market Square" on the architect Howard Shaw and his work in Lake Forest.
For more information or questions, please contact the Lake Forest College Archivist.

This collection contains materials related to Marvin Dilkey. This includes newspaper clippings, photographs both of Dilkey and his family, a DePauw Alumnus magazine and a scrapbook of materials about Dilkey. The collection also includes a journal featuring biographies of various American historical figures, handwritten by Dilkey.