Scope and Contents
In Series I, Correspondence, the Original letters subseries begins with letters written by Charlotte to her parents as she left them in Japan and began her journey to continue her education first in Germany and then in the United States. Charlotte had literary interests and wrote substantive, detailed letters throughout her life. Charlotte's letters to family members dating from 1907 to 1912 are primarily from Japan, except when she was on furlough or vacationing in Guling (Kuling), China. Circular letters written by Charlotte date from 1940 to 1951 and relate primarily to her activities at Kobe College. Also of interest in Series I are letters written to Charlotte by Kobe College alumnae who were affected by the incarceration of Japanese-Americans during World War II.
In 2022, a series of eight printed volumes of transcribed correspondence and other papers were added to Series I. These volumes, with accompanying CDs with the digital files, are from a project to transcribe Charlotte DeForest letters in the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions Archives, 1810-1961 (ABC 1-91) held in the Houghton Library, Harvard University. The project was done by Motomi Tsugami of Kobe College as part of the Sougou-Kenkyu Project, 'Reading Missionary Letters of Charlotte De Forest and others', supported by the Kobe College Research Center from 2016- to 2022. The digital files are available the Divinity Library's server.
Series II, Writings, provide valuable autobiographical information about Charlotte DeForest, as well her writings on a variety of Japan-related topics. Journals kept by Charlotte in Japan, when she was eleven to fourteen years old (1890-1893), provide fascinating detailed information regarding the activities and feelings of a missionary child of the era. The later diaries are of the five-year variety.
Series III, Subject Files, includes material related to Kobe College and several files relating to Charlotte's translation and publication projects. She worked with Japanese writer Tasuku Harada, who was pastor of the Kobe Kumiai Church and later president of Doshisha University of Kyoto, to versify Japanese nursery rhymes that Harada had translated into English. Correspondence and drafts relate to the publication of The Prancing Pony: Nursery Rhymes from Japan.
Series IV, Personal Items and Memorabilia, includes biographical information, photographs of Charlotte DeForest and Kobe College, and collected memorabilia. One folder of correspondence in this series relates to Charlotte's inquiries regarding familial history of the incidence of cleft (or hare) lips. The folder of biographical information regarding Charlotte's brother John includes genealogical information about the DeForest family.
In 2022, a series of eight printed volumes of transcribed correspondence and other papers were added to Series I. These volumes, with accompanying CDs with the digital files, are from a project to transcribe Charlotte DeForest letters in the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions Archives, 1810-1961 (ABC 1-91) held in the Houghton Library, Harvard University. The project was done by Motomi Tsugami of Kobe College as part of the Sougou-Kenkyu Project, 'Reading Missionary Letters of Charlotte De Forest and others', supported by the Kobe College Research Center from 2016- to 2022. The digital files are available the Divinity Library's server.
Series II, Writings, provide valuable autobiographical information about Charlotte DeForest, as well her writings on a variety of Japan-related topics. Journals kept by Charlotte in Japan, when she was eleven to fourteen years old (1890-1893), provide fascinating detailed information regarding the activities and feelings of a missionary child of the era. The later diaries are of the five-year variety.
Series III, Subject Files, includes material related to Kobe College and several files relating to Charlotte's translation and publication projects. She worked with Japanese writer Tasuku Harada, who was pastor of the Kobe Kumiai Church and later president of Doshisha University of Kyoto, to versify Japanese nursery rhymes that Harada had translated into English. Correspondence and drafts relate to the publication of The Prancing Pony: Nursery Rhymes from Japan.
Series IV, Personal Items and Memorabilia, includes biographical information, photographs of Charlotte DeForest and Kobe College, and collected memorabilia. One folder of correspondence in this series relates to Charlotte's inquiries regarding familial history of the incidence of cleft (or hare) lips. The folder of biographical information regarding Charlotte's brother John includes genealogical information about the DeForest family.
Dates
- 1879-1967
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
The materials are open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Received from UCBWM offices.
Arrangement
- I. Correspondence
- II. Writings
- III. Subject Files
- IV. Personal Items and Memorabilia
Extent
2.5 Linear Feet (5 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Overview
Correspondence, writings, and collected material in the Charlotte B. DeForest Papers document her work in women's higher education in Japan, her literary efforts to translate Japanese poetry and children's books, and her work with Japanese-Americans. Charlotte Burgis DeForest was the daughter of ABCFM missionaries to Japan and a graduate of Smith College. She was a missionary educator in Japan from 1903 to 1940, serving on the faculty and as president of Kobe College. During World War II she was involved in work with Japanese-Americans incarcerated by the United States during World War II.
Biographical / Historical
- 1879 Feb 23
- Charlotte Burgis DeForest was born in Osaka, Japan, daughter of ABCFM missionaries Elizabeth Starr and John Hyde DeForest, who served in Japan from 1874 to their respective deaths in 1915 and ca. 1910. Charlotte's sister Lydia and her husband William B. Pettus were missionaries to China serving under the YMCA.
- 1882-1883
- In America on furlough with parents
- 1894 Feb-May
- In private boarding school in Hanover, Germany
- 1894-1897
- Attended, graduated from Newton High School, Newtonville, MA
- 1897-1901
- B.A., Smith College
- 1902 Sep -1903 Aug
- Assistant superintendent of Missionary Home, Auburndale, MA
- 1903Dec
- Returned to Japan as missionary serving under American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
- 1904
- Language study in Sendai
- 1905
- Taught English at Kobe College, with time for language study
- 1906Apr-1907 Mar
- Traveling to visit schools; language study
- 1907 Apr
- Returned to Kobe College: In charge of Sunday School work and later appointed as head of the Bible Department
- 1907
- M.A., Smith College
- 1910-1911 Oct
- Acting Principal of Kobe College during absence of Miss Searle
- 1911Nov -1913
- On leave of absence
- 1912Mar-May
- Studied at Hartford School of Missions
- 1913
- Returned to teaching at Kobe: English, Bible, Music
- 1915
- Appointed President of Kobe by Woman's Board of Missions of the Interior
- 1920
- Studied at University of Chicago
- 1921
- L.H.D. degree from Smith College
- 1921-1925
- At Kobe
- 1925 Dec - 1926 Dec
- Business trip and health leave in U.S.
- 1929 - 1934
- On Doshisha University Board of Trustees
- 1935Jun -1936
- On furlough in U.S. and Europe
- 1939
- Received medal from Hyogo Prefectural Education Association
- 1940
- Resigned presidency of Kobe; named "Honorary President"; received various citations and medals from Japanese government
- 1941- 1943
- Worked part time in American Board Library
- 1942 -1943
- Volunteer work at Boston Immigration Station for Japanese-Americans incarcerated by the United States during World War II
- 1943-1944
- Taught nine month course in Japanese language to Army Student Training Unit at Pomona College, Claremont, CA
- 1944 Jun - 1945 Dec
- Worked as "junior counselor" in Social Welfare Department of the U.S. government at Manzanar, CA Relocation Center for Japanese incarcerees from West Coast (e.g., for military hearings)
- 1947
- Returned to Kobe College to teach and help rally alumnae
- 1950
- On leaving Japan, received Fourth Grade of the Order of the Sacred Treasure
- 1951
- Retired at Pilgrim Place, Claremont, CA
- 1960
- Invited by alumnae to attend 85th anniversary of Kobe College
Processing Information
This finding aid was revised in 2020 to address outdated or harmful descriptive language. During that revision, description was changed in the abstract and scope and contents note for the collection. References to Japanese- American "relocation" and "detainees" during World War II were removed and replaced with community recommended and currently accepted terminology in 2020, such as "Japanese American incarceration." Previous versions of this finding
aid may be available. Please contact the Divinity School Library for details. If you have questions or comments about these revisions, please contact the Divinity School Library or the Archival and Manuscript Description Committee. For more information on reparative archival description at Yale, see Yale’s Statement on Harmful Language in Archival Description
- Title
- Guide to the Charlotte B. DeForest Papers
- Author
- Compiled by Martha Lund Smalley
- Date
- 2002, 2022
- Description rules
- Finding Aid Prepared According To Local Divinity Library Descriptive Practices
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Revision Statements
- 2021 May: Finding aid revised to replace outdated or harmful descriptive language. See the processing note for more information.
Part of the Yale Divinity Library Repository