Daniel and Emily Oliver papers MC.1134
Last updated on September 10, 2020.
Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections Daniel and Emily Oliver papers
Table of Contents
Summary Information...... 3 Biography/History...... 4 Scope and Contents...... 4 Arrangement...... 5 Administrative Information...... 5 Related Materials...... 5 Controlled Access Headings...... 6 Collection Inventory...... 7 Correspondence...... 7 Photographs...... 8
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Summary Information
Repository Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections
Title Daniel and Emily Oliver papers
Call number MC.1134
Date [inclusive] 1907-1960
Extent 0.5 linear feet (1 document box, 100 items)
Language English .
Abstract Daniel and Emily Oliver arrived in Brummana, Syria (later Lebanon) in 1895 and were put in charge of the Friends Mission School at Ras- el-Metn. The papers consist primarily of correspondence between the Olivers and supporters of their work, Marriott and Jane Morris, Elliston and Ann Morris, Thomas and Ethel Potts, and Grace and William Rhoads, concerning the work of the orphanage and school at Ras-el-Metn, and the schools at Brummana; also included are photographs of the buildings, children, and faculty.
Cite as:
Daniel and Emily Oliver Orphanage papers (HC.MC.1134) Quaker and Special Collections, Haverford College, Haverford, PA
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Biography/History
Daniel Oliver (1870-1952) was born in Scotland to Scots Presbyterians. He was educated to the age of 15 or 16 and then became a missionary in Morocco. In 1890, Oliver went to Palestine. He then studied Arabic at the American Mission in Beirut and worked at a mission school in Brummana (then Syria, now Lebanon). In 1895, Daniel Oliver married Emily Wright, a member of the Society of Friends and a fellow member of the mission school faculty. After their wedding, the Olivers went to work at a mission school in Ras-el-Metn (then Syria, now Lebanon) which also provided vocational training to orphans. Daniel Oliver became a member of the Society of Friends in ca. 1907. In 1908, Daniel Oliver became principal of the Boys' School at Brummana and Emily Oliver became its manager and from 1909 was also in charge of the Girls's High School. The Olivers returned to Ras-el-Metn in 1910. As a result of World War I, with the invasion of Turkey into Syria, and famine, many children were made orphans. In 1915, the Olivers opened an orphanage for both Druse and Christian children, educating them for careers as teachers, administrators, and the like. The children were also taught skills such as carpentry, shoe repair, sewing, and painting. In addition, the Olivers started a local industry of carpetmaking and needle work; the goods were sold abroad. From 1936 to 1946, Daniel Oliver published an Arabic weekly designed to promote peace in the Middle East. He was awarded the Lebanese Order of Merit by the President of Lebanon as well as a golden medal ten years later for his efforts on behalf of Peace between Arabs and Jews. Douglas Oliver was the son of Daniel and Emily Oliver who served as treasurer, based in Philadelphia, of the orphanages. Hubert Cooper, based in Philadelphia, was chairman of the board of the orphanages. Biographical information from the Dictionary of Quaker Biography and internal evidence.
Scope and Contents
The papers consist primarily of correspondence between the Olivers and supporters of their work, Marriott and Jane Morris, Elliston and Ann Morris, Thomas and Ethel Potts and Grace and William Rhoads, concerning the work of the orphanage and school at Ras-el-Metn, and the schools at Brummana; also included are photographs of the buildings, some children and faculty. Correspondence is from both Daniel and Emily Oliver and begins in 1907. Topics include financial and educational information, general reports on the school, world events such as World Wars I and II and the situation in the Middle East, refugees, and Daniel's travel to Palestine. There are also some materials from after Daniel Oliver's death in 1952, showing the next phase of the school.
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Arrangement
Correspondence is arranged in chronological order.
Administrative Information
Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections
Access Restrictions The collection is open for research use
Use Restrictions Standard Federal Copyright Law Applies (U.S. Title 17)
Processing Information Original processing information unknown. Reboxed and revised by Lilly Sweeney, March 2020.
Related Materials
Related Materials Henry Newman sketchbook (HC.MC-975-04-020) Jones family papers (HC.MC.1009) Khalil A. Totah and Eva Marshall Totah papers (HC.MC.1210) Lebanon Hospital for Mental Diseases records (HC.MC-975-09-015)
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Controlled Access Headings
Corporate Name(s)
Personal Name(s)
• Oliver, Daniel, 1870-1952 • Oliver, Emily Wright
Subject(s)
• Society of Friends -- Missions -- Lebanon • Society of Friends -- Education • Orphanages
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Collection Inventory
Correspondence.
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Letters, 1907-1920, 1907-1920. 1 Scope and Contents
Topics Include: Administration of schools in Lebanon, Daniel Oliver is taken an a prisoner of war, and appropriations for various programs.
Letters, 1921-1934, 1921-1934. 1 Scope and Contents
Topics Include: A report and letters on the situation of Armenian and Greek Refugees, some of the orphans' progress and grades in school, general progress reports on the Orphanage, and the Arab-Isreali conflict in Palestine, among others.
Letters, 1935-1960, 1935-1960. 1 Scope and Contents
Topics Include: General Progress Reports of the Orphanages, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the American's Friends Service Committee, the Orphanage School, the death of Daniel Oliver, among others.
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Photographs.
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Photographs. 1 Scope and Contents
A variety of photographs of the children, staff, and teachers at the orphanage.
Photos of Students and Staff at the Daniel and Emily Oliver Orphanage. 1 Scope and Contents
Photographs of the students of the Orphanage's school. Includes a photograph of the graduating class of 1930 and class of 1929.
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