Frances Copeland Stickles Family Papers

Collection

Identifier: WCMss-730

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Frances Copeland Stickles family papers house the personal records of Frances Copeland Stickles and her parents, Paul W. and Mary Penrose Copeland. This collection, which dates from 1950 to 2009, consists of personal letters authored by Stickles and her parents, as well as slides taken during various family trips around the world, mostly in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. The collection is divided into two series: 1. Letters (1950-2009) and 2. Slides (1951-1994). The Frances Copeland Stickles family papers documents a mix of family life and international relations from the perspective of an American family living overseas in the mid-twentieth century.

Dates

1950-2009

Creator

Stickles, Frances Copeland (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Biographical Note

Frances “Franghie” Virginia Copeland Stickles was born on March 3, 1929 in Portland, Oregon to Mary “Maysie” Deming Penrose Copeland and Paul Worthington Copeland. Maysie (1889-1996) grew up in Walla Walla, Washington as daughter of Stephen B.L. Penrose and Mary Shipman Penrose and graduated from Whitman College in 1919 with a major in Greek. Paul (1899-1971) served in the U.S. Navy during World World I and graduated from Whitman College in 1920. Maysie and Paul married in 1924 and had two children, Frances born in 1929 and Margaret “Peggy” Copeland (Corley) born in 1931. Paul spent most of his career teaching at Franklin High School in Seattle, Washington. From 1952 to 1956, Paul taught at Aleppo College in Syria. During this time Mary’s brother, Stephen B.L. Penrose, Jr., was president at the American University in Beirut, Lebanon.

Frances graduated from Whitman College in 1950 with a major in philosophy. Upon her graduation, Frances taught at the American Community School (ACS) in Beirut, Lebanon from 1950-1953 and served as the school’s librarian from 1954-1956. From 1953-1954, she earned her masters in library science from the University of Washington. While at ACS, Frances implemented a pen-pal program for her fifth grade students with students at an elementary school in Seattle, Washington. In 1957, Frances married Milton John “Jack” Stickles, Jr. (1929-2014) in Seattle, Washington. Jack was a maritime lawyer for the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command. Frances and Jack lived in the greater Washington D.C. area (in Chevy Chase, Maryland) beginning in 1959, except when Jack was briefly posted overseas. They lived in London, England from 1963 to 1965 and in Bremerhaven, Germany from 1965 to 1966. Frances and Jack had two children, Mary born in 1962 and James born in 1964. During her life, Frances was active in both national and international causes, notably a champion of Palestinian rights and involved in the YWCA, and authored four books. She also worked as a private art conservator and framer of textiles and prints. Frances lived in Chevy Chase, Maryland until her death on January 9, 2018.

Extent

3 Linear Feet (6 manuscript boxes, 1 half-manuscript box, 1 small flat box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Frances Copeland Stickles family papers, dating from 1950 to 2009, house the personal letters and slides of Whitman College alumni Frances Copeland Stickles, Paul Worthington Copeland, and Mary Penrose Copeland. A well-traveled family, their letters and slides document national and international events, as well as family life during the second half of the twentieth century.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into two series: 1. Letters and 2. Slides.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated to the Whitman College and Northwest Archives by Mary P. Stickles on January 25, 2020 and July 20, 2020. The accession number associated with this donation is 2020-007.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Colby Dragon under the supervision of Dana Bronson. Materials were put into new acid-free folders and boxes. The collection was arranged into series based on the original order of the records and the original folder titles were retained. The original arrangement of slides was also retained.