Rankin Family Collection

Descriptive Summary

Creator: Walter Lowrie Rankin, Mary Jane Nickell Rankin, May Nickell Rankin, and Carrie Adela Rankin Title: Rankin Family Collection Dates: 1860-1949 Size: 11 archives boxes, 172 books/scrapbooks Location: Archives Reading Room 204, Range 4, Shelf 1-2 and Archives Reading Room 204, Range 2, Shelf 1-3

About the collection:

This collection documents the Rankin family, which consists of the following individuals: • Walter Lowrie Rankin, 1841-1910 • Mary Jane Nickell Rankin, 1839-1933 • May Nickell Rankin, 1868-1931 • Walter Lowrie Rankin, 1870-1944 • Carrie Adella Rankin, 1880-1955

Walter Lowrie Rankin served as Carroll College’s second president from 1866 to 1903, with two short absences. Rankin was born in India in 1841 to American missionary parents. He attended Princeton University from 1857-1860, graduating third in his class at age 19. He taught school in Elizabeth, N.J. and studied law, before coming to Waukesha in 1866. In addition to serving as president and chief fundraiser, he taught Latin at Carroll.

During Rankin’s first year in Waukesha, he met and married a local woman, Mary Jane Nickell, and they went on to have four children: May N. Rankin (1868-1931), Walter Rankin Jr. (1870-1944), Sarah Rankin (1875-1876), and C. Adela Rankin (1880-1955). Walter Rankin had two absences from Carroll College during his long tenure, both caused by serious financial issues. From 1871-1873, Rankin took a professorship at Pennsylvania Female College in Pittsburgh and returned after the board was able to guarantee his salary (previously it had been tied to how much fund raising he was able to do.) From 1879-1881, Rankin taught at Lake Forest College in Illinois, and when he returned to Carroll in 1881, he brought back substantial Presbyterian connections to Waukesha, which was just coming into its own as a springs resort town. During the 1890s, Rankin renewed contact with a childhood friend, Ralph Voorhees, who, with his wife Elizabeth, was generously funding a number of religiously-based colleges, Carroll included. The Voorhees’ donations between 1896 and 1906 totaled $200,000, and helped to set the college on sound financial footing.

The Voorhees’ donations funded the construction of three buildings on campus, one being the Rankin Hall of Science, which was completed in 1906. By the turn of the century, Walter Rankin was in poor health, and retired at the end of 1903 as both a professor, college president, and chief-fundraiser. During the last few years of his life he lectured occasionally, and studied and published articles on astronomy. After a trip to Biloxi, Mississippi during the winter of 1909-1910 with his wife Mary, Rankin died in June 1910.

His daughter, May Nickell Rankin, was born in 1868 in Waukesha, and started attending Carroll College Academy classes around 1881. She graduated in 1887 as valedictorian, and attended Milwaukee College (later Milwaukee Downer College) from 1887-1888. May returned to Carroll in 1888 as an instructor in Latin, French, and English, but her time at Milwaukee College had also interested her in what was called “physical culture” as well as elocution. This interest inspired her to attend Emerson College of Oratory in Boston, which she did in 1894, 1897, and 1900, which is when graduated, though while there, her interests turned to literary expression. Adela Rankin attended Emerson as well in 1897. While May was back at Carroll in 1896, she was awarded funding from Ralph and Elizabeth Voorhees to teach oratory.

May also founded the Carroll Players theater group in 1896, their first performance was Richelieu, performed at the Silurian Casino in Waukesha. In addition to teaching at Carroll, May earned her B.A. in 1905, in the first class to graduate with a college degree from Carroll since the 1860s. She taught drama, oratory, and theater, as well as directing most of the plays performed between 1896 and 1930. Many of her students went on to theatrical careers, notably Alfred Lunt, who she taught from 1908-1912.

May and Adela traveled together and with friends frequently, and May saw stage productions everywhere she went, saving playbills and clippings from theaters in Boston, Chicago, California, as well as Milwaukee. She also collected information about famous actors and actresses of the day as well as studied theater throughout her lifetime.

May fell and injured her knee in 1929 while moving scenery and spent most of 1930 either bedridden or on crutches, often teaching classes from home. In January 1931, she had her leg amputated at the advice of doctors, but developed an infection and died at the end of Feb. 1931 at age 62.

Adela Rankin became the collector for family details, helping to create a fellowship for Carroll students in May’s name, as well as donating May’s extensive book collection and papers to the Carroll Library. Their mother, Mary Rankin, died in Waukesha in 1933, and Adela Rankin died in 1955. None of the Rankin children married or had children. May and Adela’s brother Walter worked as a piano tuner in Chicago for many years before returning to Waukesha to live with his mother and sisters, he died in 1944.

Notes:

The finding aid is divided into sections to make navigation easier.

• Rankin Family Materials: items concerning the entire family or family history. • Walter L. Rankin Materials: correspondence written by Walter Rankin, as well as scrapbooks and research publication in astronomy and other subjects. Includes letters written while Rankin was president of Carroll. • Adela Rankin Materials: correspondence written by Adela Rankin, including information about the establishment of the May N. Rankin Fellowship. • May N. Rankin Materials: correspondence, photographs, dramatic readings, and scrapbooks by May N. Rankin. • May N. Rankin Theater Collection: materials collected by May Rankin, includes theater programs and playbills, scrapbooks and her book collection located in Special Collections. • May N. Rankin Teaching Materials: notes, curriculum, and teaching materials used by May Rankin during her teaching career at Carroll.

Collection Citation:

Author or creator's name. “Title of Article.” Title of Publication. Date. Volume or Box & folder number. Rankin Family Collection. Carroll University Archives. Waukesha, WI.

Acquisition Information: donations from Adela Rankin.

Arrangement note: Initial items arranged in series according to creator, then chronologically.

Processing Information: Processed by Amelia Osterud, Feb. 2015.

Collection Inventory

Contents List:

Description Box Folder Rankin Family Materials Rankin Family Bible- “presented to W.L. and M. N. Rankin by their Mother, Range 4 Mrs. Sarah Rankin. July 9th, 1867. [The Comprehensive Bible containing the Shelf 2 Old and New Testaments, L. B. Lippincott, 1866 “Brief Historical Account,” Rankin family history written by Adela Rankin, 2 7 undated Brief genealogy of the Rankin & Nickell families, written by Adela Rankin, 2 9 undated Mary J. Nickell Rankin- Nickell family history, 1922 2 6 Rankin family photographs, undated 3 6 Rankin family photograph album, undated 5 Rankin & Nickell home photographs 3 8

Walter L. Rankin Materials Walter L. Rankin biographical material and obituaries 1 1 Walter L. Rankin writing and addresses 1 2 Walter Rankin Autograph Book, Princeton University, 1860. Includes notes Range 4 from instructors and classmates. Shelf 2 Walter L. Rankin correspondence, 1881-1882 1 3 Walter L. Rankin correspondence, 1896-1903 1 4 Walter L. Rankin correspondence, 1904-1910 1 5 Walter L. Rankin correspondence about astronomy and lectures, 1909- 1 6 1910 Walter L. Rankin and Adela Rankin correspondence, 1889-1910 1 7 Walter Rankin Carroll College scrapbook, includes clippings, circulars, 10 notes, and programs, 1866-1889. All relate to the operation of the college and Dr. Rankin. Scrapbook- “Historical Material about Walter Lowrie Rankin, A.M., PhD., Range 4 President of Carroll College, 1866-1904, compiled by his wife, Mary Rankin Shelf 2 and daughter, Adela Rankin. “Lectures on Astronomy, Volumes I & II,” clippings scrapbook of articles Range 4 written by Walter Rankin, 1909-1911. Includes copies of testimonials about Shelf 2 Dr. Rankin’s work. Scrapbook with clippings of Walter Rankin’s “Lectures on Astronomy,” 11 11 1909-1911. “Diagrams and Maps for Observations of the Heaven,” pamphlet by Walter 11 12 Rankin, 1909 or 1910, multiple copies. Article about Walter Rankin, Carroll College Bulletin, Spring 1945, written 2 11 by Adela Rankin

May N. Rankin Materials May N. Rankin correspondence, 1880-1900 1 8 May N. Rankin, valedictorian address at Carroll College, 1887 2 3 May N. Rankin at Milwaukee College, 1888 3 1 Photos of May N. Rankin’s instructors at Emerson College of Oratory, 3 7 undated. (She attended Emerson College in 1894, 1897 and 1900.) May N. Rankin correspondence, 1901-1906 1 9 May N. Rankin correspondence, 1907-1910 1 10 May N. Rankin correspondence, 1911-1915 1 11 May N. Rankin correspondence, 1916-1920 1 12 May N. Rankin correspondence, 1921-1926 1 13 May N. Rankin correspondence, 1927-1931 2 1 Photographs of May N. Rankin at camp, undated 3 10 Dramatic readings performed by May N. Rankin, 1895-1901, 1919 3 2 Dramatic readings performed by May N. Rankin, undated 3 3 Dramatic readings performed by May N. Rankin, undated 3 4 May N. Rankin, Women’s Club & Chapel addresses, 1926 2 4 May N. Rankin Biography, compiled by her sister Adela Rankin, 1931. Range 4 Shelf 2 Scrapbook- “Historical Material about May Nickell Rankin, Carroll College Range 4 1888-1930, Professor of Literary Interpretation & Dramatic Literature” Shelf 2 compiled by her mother, Mary Rankin and sister, Adela Rankin. Carroll College Catalogs, documenting May N. Rankin’s career at Carroll 8 College, 1888-1930 Carroll Echo- Selected issues “recording events in the Department of May 8 N. Rankin, also items of General Interest, 1893-1928 (Vol. 1) Carroll Echo- Selected issues “recording events in the Department of May 8 N. Rankin, also items of General Interest, 1893-1928 (Vol. 2) Carroll Echo- Selected issues “recording events in the Department of May 8 N. Rankin, also items of General Interest, 1893-1928 (Vol. 2) Carroll Echo- Selected issues “recording events in the Department of May Range 4 N. Rankin, also items of General Interest, 1893-1928 (Vol. 3) Shelf 2 History of May N. Rankin’s time at Carroll College (1888-1930) written by 2 8 Adela Rankin, undated May N. Rankin obituaries, remembrances, and condolence letters to Adela 2 5 Rankin, 1931 History of Waukesha Theater & May N. Rankin’s career, written by Adela 2 10 Rankin, 1949 Inventory to May N. Rankin Memorial Collection, original, undated 11 10

May N. Rankin Theater Collection Books owned by May Rankin can be found in Special Collections. Range 2 Shelf 1-3 American Drama: Actors and Actresses, scrapbook compiled by May N. 9 Rankin. This is a reference-type scrapbook with articles and images of actors and actresses. “Dramatic Art Notes,” notes scrapbooks from May N. Rankin’s writing, Range 2 compiled by her sister Adela Rankin, 1930. 2 copies of each volume. Shelf 1 “Great Artists of the Stage” Vol. 1, bound volume of souvenir programs Range 2 collected by May N. Rankin, 1899-1911 Shelf 1 “Great Artists of the Stage” Vol. 2, bound volume of souvenir programs Range 2 collected by May N. Rankin, 1910s-1920s Shelf 1 “Modern Drama- Dramatic Analyses, Vol. 1 & 2,” notes and dramatic Range 2 analyses scrapbooks from May N. Rankin’s writing, compiled by her sister Shelf 1 Adela Rankin, 1930. 2 copies of each volume. “Shakespeare- Dramatic Analyses,” notes and dramatic analyses Range 2 scrapbooks from May N. Rankin’s writing, compiled by her sister Adela Shelf 1 Rankin, 1888-1930. 2 copies of each volume. Theater scrapbook, 1897-1901, includes clippings, photos and playbills for 9 performances in Boston and at Carroll College, with Adela Rankin as actress. Presumably compiled by May N. Rankin Theater scrapbook, 1893-1913, includes clippings, photos and playbills for 10 performances in Boston & Milwaukee. Presumably compiled by May N. Rankin Boston Museum- theater programs and playbills, 1901-1903 6 1 Boston Theatre- theater programs and playbills, 1899-1903 6 2 Castle Square Theatre, Boston- theater programs and playbills, April & Dec. 6 3 1902 Colonial Theatre, Boston- theater programs and playbills, 1901-1903 6 4 Hollis St. Theatre, Boston- theater programs and playbills, 1889-1903 6 5 Park Theatre, Boston- theater programs and playbills, March 1903 6 6 Tremont Theatre, Boston- theater programs and playbills, 1901-1903 6 7 Boston Symphony Orchestra & Symphony Hall Programs, 1896-1903 6 8 Albert Armstrong Picture Plays program, sixth season, early 1900s (?) 6 9 Alcazar Theatre, Chicago- playbill for Birth of a Nation, June 21, 1915 6 10 Auditorium Theatre, Chicago- theater programs and playbills, 1914-1928 6 11 Art Institute of Chicago, Opera Evenings and plays at Fullerton Memorial 6 12 Hall & Kenneth Sawyer Goodman Memorial Theatre- theater programs and playbills, 1916-1917 Blackstone Theatre, Chicago- theater programs and playbills, 1913-1921 6 13 Century Opera & Grand Opera Companies, Chicago- theater advertising 6 14 and playbills, 1914-1917 Chicago Little Theatre, Chicago- theater programs and playbills, undated 6 15 Cohan’s Grand Opera House, Chicago- theater programs and playbills, 6 16 1917-1921 Colonial Theatre, Chicago- theater programs and playbills, 1918 6 17 Columbia Theatre, Chicago- theater programs and playbills, undated 6 18 Cort Theatre, Chicago- theater programs and playbills, 1914-1921 6 19 DeLuxe Theatre, Chicago- theater programs and playbills, undated 6 20 Fine Arts Theatre, Chicago- theater programs and playbills, undated 6 21 Gaiety Theatre, Chicago- theater programs and playbills, 1923 6 22 Garrick Theatre, Chicago- theater programs and playbills, 1913-1926 6 23 Great Northern Theatre, Chicago- theater programs and playbills, 1924 & 6 24 undated Hull House Theatre, Chicago- theater playbill, undated 6 25 Illinois Theatre, Chicago- theater programs and playbills, 1913-1917 6 26 LaSalle Theatre, Chicago- theater playbills, undated 6 27 Majestic Theatre, Chicago- theater playbills, 1915 6 28 , Chicago- theater programs for Anna Pavlowa/Ballet 6 29 Russe, Dec. 1920 Olympic Theatre, Chicago- theater programs and playbills, undated 6 30 Orchestra Hall, Chicago- theater programs and playbills, 1912-1917 6 31 The Playhouse, Chicago- theater playbills, undated 6 32 Powers’ Theatre, Chicago- theater programs and playbills, 1913-1921 6 33 Princess Theatre, Chicago- theater programs and playbills, 1914-1918 6 34 Ravinia Park Theatre, Chicago- theater playbill, undated 6 35 Studebaker Theatre, Chicago- theater programs and playbills, 1913-1918 6 36 , Chicago- theater playbill, 1918 6 37 Chicago theater programs and playbills, unidentified, undated 6 38 Association Hall, Madison, Wis.- theater program, 1906 7 1 Fuller Opera House, Madison, Wis.- theater programs & playbills, 1907, 7 2 1910, 1917 & undated University of Wisconsin, Madison- theater programs & playbills, 1907 & 7 3 undated Alhambra Theatre, Milwaukee, Wis.- theater programs & playbills, 1912- 7 4 1913 Auditorium, Milwaukee, Wis.- theater programs, 1911-1912 & 1917-1918 7 5 Davidson Theatre, Milwaukee, Wis.- clippings, theater programs & 7 6 playbills, 1901-1925 & undated Davidson Theatre, Milwaukee, Wis.- oversize theater programs, 1905-1909 8 1 Davidson Theatre, Milwaukee, Wis.- oversize theater programs, 1909-1916 8 2 Davidson Theatre, Milwaukee, Wis.- oversize theater programs, 1918-1928 8 3 Davidson Theatre, Milwaukee, Wis.- clippings, theater programs & 7 7 playbills, 1926-1933 Empress Theatre, Milwaukee, Wis.- theater program, undated 7 8 Garrick Theater, Milwaukee, Wis.- theater program, undated 7 9 Majestic Theatre, Milwaukee, Wis.- theater playbill, undated 7 10 Pabst Theatre, Milwaukee, Wis.- oversize theater programs, 1907-1909 8 4 Pabst Theatre, Milwaukee, Wis.- clippings, theater programs & playbills, 7 11 1913-1927 Shubert Theatre, Milwaukee, Wis.- theater programs & playbills, 1915- 7 12 1917, undated California & Iowa- theater programs & playbills, 1914, 1919, & undated 7 13 New York- theater programs & playbills, 1924, 1929, & undated 7 14 Libretto- Aida, Chicago Opera Association (2 copies) 7 15 Libretti- Barber of Seville & Carmen, Grand Opera 7 16 Libretti- Cavalleria Rusticana & Eleonora Duse 7 17 Libretti- La Boheme & Dinorah, Chicago Opera Association 7 18 Libretti- Isabeau & Jongleur de Notre Dame, Chicago Grand Opera 7 19 Libretti- L’Amore Dei Tre Re, Grand Opera & Lohengrin, Chicago Opera 7 20 Association Libretti- Lucia di Lammermoor, Chicago Grand Opera Co. & Madama 7 21 Butterfly Libretti- Manon, Chicago Opera Association & Martha, Grand Opera Co. 7 22 Libretti- Mignon, Chicago Grand Opera Co. & Parsifal 11 1 Libretti- Il Segreto di Susanna, Chicago Grand Opera & Siegfried, Grand 11 2 Opera Libretti- Thais, Chicago Opera Association & Il Trovatore, Grand English 11 3 Opera Libretti- The Valkyrie, William Tell, Tales of Hoffman 11 4 “Some Vagrant Verse” booklet of poetry written by F. W. Campbell for May 11 8 N. Rankin, July 23, 1897 “Movie Play- A Good Buy,” script, possibly written by May N. Rankin, 11 9 undated

May N. Rankin Teaching Materials May N. Rankin, notes on Shakespeare, 1899-1906 4 1 May N. Rankin, lecture notes, analysis, quizzes, and exams from Hamlet, 4 2 1901-1905 May N. Rankin, analysis and notes from Julius Caesar, 1901-1905 4 3 May N. Rankin, notes and quizzes from Macbeth, 1901-1906 4 5 May N. Rankin, lecture notes and analysis from Othello, 1902-1903 4 9 May N. Rankin, notes and quizzes from King Lear and Richard III, 1903- 4 4 1904 Shakespeare Note-Book, 1903, with May N. Rankin notes 11 5 May N. Rankin, lecture notes and production notes from Merchant of 4 6 Venice, 1904-1906 May N. Rankin, exam and dramatic analysis from Twelfth Night, 1905-1906 4 10 Shakespeare Note-Book, 1905, with May N. Rankin notes 11 6 May N. Rankin, American History class notes, 1905 4 14 May N. Rankin, American History class notes, 1905 4 15 May N. Rankin, American History class notes, 1905 4 16 May N. Rankin, dramatic analysis from Midsummer Night’s Dream, 1908 4 7 May N. Rankin, literary interpretation, class notes, 1918-1919 4 12 May N. Rankin, notes, Smith’s History Class, 1920 4 13 May N. Rankin, quiz and dramatic analysis from Much Ado About Nothing, 4 8 undated May N. Rankin, course notes: Dramatic Art, Public Speaking, and Debate, 4 11 undated

Adela Rankin Materials Adela Rankin correspondence, 1885-1941 2 2 Photographs of Adela Rankin, undated 3 9 Adela Rankin BA Thesis, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1908 11 7 Poems and stories written by Adela Rankin, 1928 4 17 Recital flyer, Adela Rankin, undated 3 5 May N. Rankin Fellowship Fund Agreement, 1938 2 12 Correspondence about May N. Rankin Fellowship, 1931-1941 2 13 Correspondence about May N. Rankin Fellowship, 1942-1949 2 14