Mary Rozet Smith papers, 1913-1934

  • IdentificationMSSmit77
  • TitleMary Rozet Smith papers MSSmit77
  • PublisherSpecial Collections
  • LanguageEnglish
  • RepositorySpecial Collections
  • Physical Description0.25 Linear feet
  • Date1913-1934
  • AbstractPart of the Jane Addams Memorial Collection. Mary Rozet Smith (1868-1933) was a philanthropist and companion to Jane Addams. She was from a wealthy Chicago family, the daughter of a successful manufacturer and a Philadelphia philanthropist. Mary Rozet Smith first came to Hull-House in 1890 as a volunteer leading a variety of children's clubs. She became an important benefactor of the settlement house and used her connections in Chicago society to secure gifts for Hull-House. Mary Rozet Smith was also Jane Addams' companion, with her house on Walton St. providing a retreat for Addams from the spotlight at Hull-House. The two bought a house together in Bar Harbor, Maine in 1904 that they shared until Smith's death in 1933. The collection contains Hull-House Music School recital and concert programs, musical scores, sheet music, and sound recordings of music composed or arranged by Eleanor Smith.
  • OriginationSmith, Mary Rozet, d. 1934

Old Resource ID was MSmith

Mary Rozet Smith was born on December 23, 1868 to Charles Mather and Sarah (Rozet) Smith. Her family was prosperous and well connected as her father had once worked for the Illinois Central Railroad and later became president of the Bradner-Smith Paper Company. Mary Rozet Smith did not attend college which was not unusual for wealthy young women in the late 1880s, but she did find her way to Hull-House during the first year of its operation.

Mary Rozet Smith by all accounts was a devoted volunteer at Hull-House and she made several substantial financial contributions to its work. Surviving accounts taken from a variety of documents describe her as physically beautiful, graceful, charming and unusually kind. Unlike many of the better known figures at Hull-House, Smith did not devote herself to any specific personal career or project, but she helped others with their work as circumstances required. Smith never resided at Hull-House, but she and Jane Addams maintained a close personal friendship throughout their lives. Mary Rozet Smith often acted as private confidant to Addams and made sure that the latter woman's nieces, nephews, and other relatives received holiday cards, gifts, and correspondence regarding important events in their lives. Jane Addams sought the company of Mary Rozet Smith whenever possible, including her extensive foreign trips during her later years.

This collection consists of personal correspondence between Mary Rozet Smith, Stanley and Myra Linn, Katherine and Robert Hamill, and one newspaper clipping.

Schultz, Rima Lunin and Adele Hast, eds. Women Building Chicago, 1790-1990: A Biographical Dictionary. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2001.

Mary Rozet Smith papers, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Illinois at Chicago

  • Names
    • Hull-House (Chicago, Ill.). Music School.
    • Hull-House (Chicago, Ill.).
    • Smith, Eleanor, 1858-1942
    • Smith, Mary Rozet, d. 1934 -- Archives
  • SubjectMidwest Women's History.