(For other photos, see blog post for Eva Lieuween Tonkinson Chase)
First Entry:
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| April 1945 Westport Crier; Frances Chase won an award in an essay contest |
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| Report Card for Frances Chase, age 9 |
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| Report card, Age 9 |
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| Report card, Age 9 |
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| Detail of report card |
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| Report card, Age 9 |
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| Detail of report card |
To Mrs. Hamilton Chase
21 East 51 Terrace, Kansas City 2, Mo
From Miss Frances L. Chase, 1025 Puritan Road, Birmingham, Michigan
August 22, 1946
Hi Mommy,
Are you having fun? Hope you are and also making lots of sales.
We’re sure having fun! It didn’t start out that way, tho. Guess Dad told you about the lousy train trip before we got on the Mercury. Boy, that is the way to live! But wasn’t that a dumb thing to do -- leaving our bags at the station!
I don’t know any better way to tell you what we are doing than to simply start at the beginning:
Sunday evening Marianne and I were invited next door to the Stover’s. They have 4 boys (yak, yak): Bob - 13, one 17 I can’t remember his name, Jim - Marianne says 19 and Aunt Ethel says 20 and last (or first, I guess) George - Marianne says 20 and Aunt Ethel says 23. The one 17 I haven’t seen but the others were there. George brought his date back over and we all played cards. Jim was blinded when he was little by one of his brothers when they threw a toy at him. But he is really marvelous -- plays cards, simply dashes when he walks fixes drinks and records and everything just so natural and can he play the piano! You’d never know he was blind if his eyes weren’t so awful.
George was in the Navy three years and is going to Boulder now. Can he dance! He and Margie were dancing and Heavens, how in the world just a commoner like poor me could ever follow him is beyond me. His steps are so intricate! He is by far the cutest and Marianne is trying to get him but Jim just hangs on all the time.
Bob is the one I got, naturally. But I sure learned how to play Cassino, Hearts and Gin Rummy. His big interest is photography and he has some marvelous pictures of course. He has his own darkroom and everything. They have all the money in the world and this house is only the little (!) town house. Marianne and I were invited to go out to the estate and go swimming, etc, but it rained. Darn!
We had lots of fun anyway ‘cause we were all on the screened porch playing cards while it rained and then we played records and drank you-know-what (sweet me had a coke) in the rec. Room. They’ve really got a record collection! Everything! Also the fellow have 2 or 3 cars, station-wagon, etc. Gad!
Monday and Tuesday we didn’t do anything too, too exciting but we always had fun. Jill wants to play crocket (sp) by the hour and Dad is really getting good and Marianne isn’t allowed to play anymore ‘cause she always skunks us.
Beside playing that (can’t spell it) we went up town, etc. It is simply freezing here and I’m wearing some sweaters Marianne can’t wear anymore and said I could have if I wanted. Besides being below 70 degrees, it rains too! Mess, mess.
Oh, I’m all mixed up on my days. It was Tues. night we went to Marianne’s sorority rush party. Was it fun! The members thought I was a rush and the rushes thought I was a member. (Hee, Hee) First, we were at one girl’s house for dinner and I never ate so much in my life!! Everyone ate like mad and still half the food was left. They really had it. Next, we went out to another girl’s farm and played in the hay loft. Everyone was jumping and running, etc. The dust was so thick you couldn’t see. I thought I was going to die from hay fever.
(Honestly Dad says you want a letter, not a book. I’ll address the envelope and write until he goes uptown and then quit. Don’t be surprised if it just ends. I’ve been writing this letter since Monday and I want to tell you all about everything so to heck with him).
Anyway we went in the house and my boogies went over big (yak, yak). We went outside and sang around the fireplace and roasted (burned is better) marshmallows. We had a Virginia Reel in the barn and had a real good time all the way around. Then, some fellows crashed the party and after a while, the members took the rushes home and the fellows left because they didn’t know the members were coming back for a slumber party. Good way to make them leave and at 9:00 too!
I’ll write about yesterday tomorrow or some time. It was double super marvelous. (___)!!!
Love yah awful much
Have loads of fun and write soon.
Francie
To Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton Chase
21 East 51 Terrace, Kansas City, Mo
From Miss Frances L. Chase, Severance Hall, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA
October 3, 1949
Dear Folks,
I wrote you a card but it still lacks a penny stamp so I will just put all that news and some more in a letter. We got here about 3 o’clock Friday afternoon. Mikey had already unpacked her trunk and everything and had a royal welcome for me. My trunk was at the station so it came on out and was unpacked yesterday. So far the suitcase with my slippers, blouses, jewelry, wool dress and various other much-needed things has not been seen or heard from. Also I have heard nothing from the red-head. There is a slim chance that the mail got mixed up because no one has gotten any so far.
Oh, we got out of K.C. at 1:30 and arrived in St. Louis at 11:05. We had lunch and caught the Knickerbacher at 1:00, changed the next morning in Albany, had breakfast and took the Boston express here. It was rather a mess but we all like going thru St. Louis.
Say, there is a matter of grave importance we much care for as soon as possible -- blanket permission. The Grey Book says:
Upper class students may secure a blanket approval for chaperons. A letter from parents must be presented to the Head of House, absolving the college of all responsibility in chaperons. Such a letter will be valid for one year only. This does not include Boston hotel permissions (must stay in approved hotel).
Mrs. Lupy wrote something about giving her daughter blanket permission to do so at her own discretion. This is only for overnight permissions and covers where, when, how and with whom. Also, Lech house parties are automatically approved if the College has the name of the chaperon and your escort. If you will enclose my permission, I will give it to Mrs. Comeys.
Our window is about 50 feet wide and 50 feet long. The drapes up now are 48’ by 60’.
I think hoops would be easier than rings because we have monk’s cloth drapes we all have to keep on our rods to make the building uniform. We would like to have a fairly dark green flounce about 5 inches deep to go all the way across and then straight drapes to go with green bedspreads that have yellow roses and dark leaves. We couldn’t have a print.
Something like green Indian head would be perfect with a separate flounce across the top.
Again about the green -- nothing anywhere near chartreuse. No yellow. A little less blue than my plaid-lined jacket. Well, just green. Light spinach. A true dark green. Not kelly. Well, also, it has to brighten up a drab room. You poor thing! Mikey says to thank you ever so much for offering to make these. And I do too. That’s awfully sweet of you.
We had a Danish carillonneur play a concert this afternoon which we enjoyed from our window.
Also today, after dinner, I met all sorts of wonderful girls who live here. Each of us went to dinner with an “old girl” and I went with a Junior who is terribly nice. Friday we went to see all the Elmes in the Quad and came home, glad to see them but very happy we are where we are. Now we are double so.
Friday evening six of us, Mikey, Moffat, Tish, Annie B, Jamie A and I went to Framingham to meet Janie K. and Betsy Sutton from the train and beforehand we had pizza. Well, I’m glad I’ve had it and don’t need to want it anymore. Saturday evening some of us went to the vaudeville for the Freshman and then to the well. We met Betsy Tucker and Edie Barton and came home to knit, read, etc. while Betsy played her LP records for us. We heard the Nutcracker Suite and lots of others. Very good time.
Tomorrow classes begin. My schedule is atrocious but I have some real good teachers, tho.
That skirt hanger is terrific. Mikey has one and if you could find one for me, I’d love it.
Well, write soon.
Much love,
Fras
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To Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton Chase
21 East 51 Terrace, Kansas City, Missouri
From Miss Frances L. Chase, Severance Hall, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA
November 2, 1949
Dear Folks,
You’ve certainly done well by me lately with all the boxes and such.
The curtains look terrific ! They really add a lot to cheer up the room and frame our beautiful view. And the pillows are perfect! We were so surprised to find them in the package. They are so original. Everyone thinks my mother is a genius. The blue top fits just right and makes a wonderful outfit with the grey skirt. Do you know I was just going to go buy one like it ? I love it!
I’m sending back the pictures of New Mexico. Just this minute I can’t find the negatives of the color ones but tell me which ones you want and I’ll see what I can do...Oh those pictures cost 35 cents per print. Aren’t they good photos ?
Marianne called me this morning. She lives in Concord, NH, but was on the way to New York to meet her Dad. Lucky thing. She’s going to have about 3 hours in Boston tomorrow afternoon, but I just can’t take the time to get in to see her. I’d really love to, tho. We are going to try it before long.
Say, Mom, thank you so much for that special check. That was so sweet of you.
Among other visitors we’ve had lately are two girls from Wells, Mikey’s Aunt Virginia and Pandit Nehru (Jawaharlal Nehru). The Wells girls, one a good Texas friend of Mikey’s, the other her hostess for the weekend, were here Sunday afternoon. They were quite impressed with our new, well equipped buildings, all the studying going on and also the men everywhere. We chatted here and there, walked around and ended up at the Well. They are lots of fun. Grand girls.
Aunt Virginia lives in Brookline and came out just a minute since she was driving out to a friend’s. She brought a little box of caramels with her. She brought us an ivy. She is really a sweet woman. The climax: She invited me to dinner Thanksgiving. Mikey is going, of course, but wasn’t that wonderful to include me !?!
Nehru was here a week ago Friday, visiting Harvard and Tech after us. We were the only ones to whom he spoke! It was quite exciting to see him. Girls were in the trees and on ladders and photographers, amateur and professional were taking pictures like mad. All the radio stations had mikes up and all. He had a police escort zooming around. One was getting on his motorcycle and offered us a ride to Harvard in his side car but we just didn’t have the time so had to wait ‘till Saturday to see Harvard. Nehru walked over to the Lower Court group so we ran around ahead and were within about 5 ft of him, so feel we almost know him personally. He was here with his sister, whose 2 daughters are Wellesley graduates.
A week ago Monday I went on a field trip for economics to see the factory of Ginn & Co., publishers of textbooks. I have a few here from their company. It was quite interesting.
Next Wednesday Miss Lucy Wilson is having a tea for the Pendleton Scholars. And the next day we are having a Kansas City party at the Well.
Nothing new is in store along the line of men. Went to the Harvard - Dartmouth game with Doug McCallum and afterward three cocktail parties and dinner at Harvard and then three house dances. We did a lot but he is absolutely the most blah person I can imagine and I don’t remember it with any enthusiasm at all. He called the next day and asked me to a party Friday, the Princeton game too. I kept saying I was busy so he got the idea. I had hoped the house dance, a mixer, would lead to further prospects but I didn’t meet the man of my dreams. However, I did meet two very nice boys and had a terrific evening, much cutting, etc.
I’m going to the Princeton game too. Jamie A. has a friend coming up whom she has never dated but is an old buddy, you know. Well, she has a date so I’m doing her the big favor (hah) of going out with the senior from Princeton. Mikey is going with his roommate. From what we hear from Jamie, they will be fun. We’ll see.
Don’t start making big plans about Neal coming to stay over sometime Christmas or anything because I haven’t heard boo from him. I guess he’s getting even with me for not writing this summer. Don’t worry about it tho, because he isn’t anymore than I thought he was last Spring. He’s smart and all that, I’ll admit. We had a good time together but he isn’t everything by a long shot.
I’ve seen Bean a lot. She’s coming for dinner in a couple of weeks. The two Jamies are coming this Friday. I see them all the time and Ellie too.
We are having loads of work but so far I’m not behind. All I can say is, I’m glad I’m not in love! There just isn’t time to think of the boys except on Saturday. My, what is coming over me ?!!
Well, write soon.
Much love, Fras
PS: I ordered a round-trip coach ticket thru St. Louis on NY Central and Missouri Pacific which is close as I can figure. Should be $ 80.91 or around there. F.
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| Highway 350 west of La Junta, Colorado, Sept 1949 |
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| Hamilton Chase in the garden of the Governor's Mansion Santa Fe, New Mexico, Sept 14, 1949 |
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| Lieuween T. Chase with Frances, Sept 14, 1949 |
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