Mary Louise Vincent was born on February 19, 1916, in Saint Paul, Minnesota.  She received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Minnesota in 1938, and was awarded the Moses Marston Fellowship of the same institution for the 1938-1939 academic year.  She earned a Master of Arts degree in 1943, as well as a Ph. D. in 1967, also from the University of Minnesota.

            Miss Vincent joined the faculty of Hiram College as an instructor in 1939 and was named Professor Emeritus upon her retirement in 1984.  MLV, as she was known, was named to the A. C. Pierson Alumni Memorial Chair in English in 1976 and was the first recipient of the Vencl-Carr Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1982.  She was an eminent scholar and researched Hiram alumnus Vachel Lindsay as well as modern American writer Lafcadio Hearn extensively.  First and foremost, though she was a teacher.  Even after her retirement, Miss Vincent continued to teach classes at Hiram, primarily in creative writing. 

             File Inventory 

Personal Religious and Academic Documents –1916-1987

1.  Baptismal Certificate, July 15, 1916
2.  Confirmation Certificate, April 14, 1933
3.  High School Diploma, June 15, 1934
4.  Bachelor of Science Degree, June 13, 1938
5.  Court of Honor Award Certificate
6.  Moses Marston Fellowship Award Certificate, 1938-1939
7.  Master of Arts Degree, August 27, 1943
8.  Ph. D. Thesis, December 1967
9.  Ph. D. Degree, December 16, 1967
10.  Research Notebook—Lafcadio Hearn
11.  Letter from Caribbean Studies editor accepting “Two Painters of the Tropics: Lafcadio Hearn and Paul Gauguin in Martinique” for publication, September 18, 1969
12.  Issue of Caribbean Studies in which article (see above) was published, October 1970
13.  Proposal by Elmer Jagow to the Board of Trustees to name MLV to the A.C. Pierson Alumni Memorial Chair in English—copied from the minutes of the June 1976 meeting
14.  Comments by Mr. Jagow at Commencement, June 1976, re: MLV—Taken from Commencement records
15.  Citation read by President Elmer Jagow upon the granting of the Vencl-Carr Teaching Award to MLV, June 6, 1982
16.  Omicron Delta Kappa Membership Certificates
**NOTE** Two similar certificates with corresponding dates but different signatures were found among the papers of the collection.  No Explanation was available.
17.  Letter to MLV from Brainerd Stranahan informing her of a faculty resolution concerning her, June 1, 1984
18.  Copy of a Resolution of the Hiram College Faculty concerning MLV, May 31, 1984
19.  Letter to MLV from Elmer Jagow re: Resolution of the Board of Trustees of Hiram College concerning MLV
20.  Pages copied from minutes of the Board of Trustees Meeting re: MLV resolution, June 1984
21.  Special Recognition Certificate from the Ohio State House of Representatives e re: Festschrift in honor of MLV, August 17, 1987

Hiram College Programs and Publications—1950-1984

1.  Hiram College View book—photograph of MLV with other members of Student Senate student-faculty subcommittee, 1950
2.  Hiram College Broadcaster— article featuring MLV begins on page 7
3.  Comments of MLV at Commemoration of John Samuel Kenyon, October 15, 1980
4.  Photocopy of Recognition Convocation program, November 10, 1982—taken from the records of convocation ceremonies
5.  Hiram College Advance—reference to special award presented to MLV by Student Senate, May 24, 1984
6.  Friends of the Hiram College Library Charter Program—MLV honored.  Award certificate found in collection is on display in Hiram College Archives office—June1, 1984
7.  Hiram College Commencement program—MLV presented with Distinguished Service Award—June 9, 1984
8.  Hiram College Broadcaster---MLV appears on cover.  Article inside announces Award received at Commencement, retirement plans, and establishment of American Drama Book Fund in Her honor.  Summer, 1984 (2 copies)

Personal Correspondence:          1962-1985

Selected Student Manuscripts [1988]

          MLV’s writing classes were the stuff of which legends are made.  It was not at all unusual for a student of hers to have accumulated upwards of 20,000 words by the end of the quarter.  There are references to this effect found among the tribute letters (see separate heading, this document), and volumes of student manuscripts were found among her personal papers.
            The manuscripts found among her papers appear to have originated from a class she taught following her official retirement in 1984.  She generally returned to teach at least one class per year in the years between her retirement and death.
            The manuscripts included in this collection were chosen for the level of input from MLV as well as their overall representative value, based on the processor’s comprehension of MLV’s teaching methods and goals.  It is hoped that these choices have done their justice. 

Photographs          [1982-1984]

Tribute Letters – 1984

            Upon the occasion of her retirement, a special tribute was planned for MLV by all of those who had the privilege of knowing her.  Letters came from everywhere.  Most of these were bound in a scrapbook among her papers.  Some letters and cards, which were found loose among her papers, were added to the scrapbook by the processor.

Death Notices and Announcements (1989)

Size of Collection

            The collection is contained in one full-size document case, a scrapbook and an oversize folder.

            Special note:    A few items were removed from this collection during processing.  These include works by Lafcadio Hearn in Japanese, a copy of the Hayes Historical Journal, volume 3, number 4, Fall, 1981.  This edition was a special number in honor of James A. Garfield.  For this reason, it was removed and placed with the Garfield Collection.  Many student manuscripts, which were only indirectly related to MLV (see separate heading, this document), were also removed.  Additionally, a copy of an art history study aid written by MLV’s sister, Jean Anne Vincent, was removed and placed in The Hiram Author Collection.