Helen Culver Ewing Breasted papers, 1931-2000

Old Resource ID was HBreasted

Helen Culver Ewing [Breasted] and her sister Katherine Everts Ewing [Hocking] worked as volunteers at the Hull-House settlement house in Chicago during the winter of 1931-1932. The two young women were relatives of Charles J. Hull, who built the original home in which the settlement was founded and great-nieces of Helen Culver, who had inherited the property from Charles Hull. Culver donated and sold parts of the property to Jane Addams for the settlement house and became a Board member and frequent financial donor. At Hull House, Helen and Kay (Katherine) did "door duty" - answering questions from neighborhood visitors and giving referrals to various social services and agencies. They also assisted Edith DeNancrede with her children's theatre productions. Both women continued to have an active social life during their stay at Hull-House. Helen treasured the memories of her experience at Hull-House and she continued to re-read the letters she had written home into her final years. Helen Culver Ewing Breasted died in 2000 at the age of 90.

This collection consists of photocopies of eleven letters written by Helen Culver Ewing to her parents Mary Everts Ewing and Charles Hull Ewing. The correspondence dates from November 10, 1931 to May 11, 1932. Written permission to quote from these letters must be obtained from Helen Culver Ewing Breasted's heirs.

Permission must be obtained from heirs to photocopy.

None

Helen Culver Ewing Breasted papers, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Names
  • Breasted, Helen Culver Ewing -- Correspondence
  • Hull-House (Chicago, Ill.).
• SubjectMidwest Women's History.