“What Do You Mean by Good?” (Look magazine)

File — Box: 15, Folder: 35

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection: The Ernest and Gladys Groves Papers are comprised of eleven series: Legal Documents and Personal Background; Correspondence; Manuscripts/Books; Articles, Bibliographies and Book Reviews; Conferences and Organizations; Notes and Case Studies; Course Materials; School Bulletins; Newspaper Clippings; and Subject File. The collection is not complete and the original filing was either poor or was not retained. However, the collection does give a good indication of the type of work the Groves’ did and the attitudes of the general population with regards to relationships, sex, and the family during the 1920s to the 1940s. The Legal Documents and Personal Background Series is small. The legal documents are of Marriage and Family Council, Inc. only and are not a complete record of that organization. The personal backgrounds are not as complete as a researcher would like; the information on Gladys Groves is particularly lacking. The Correspondence Series spans the 1910s through the early 1960s. It is filed in chronological order and then when necessary, by alphabetical order by addressee. It includes letters which were not to or from Ernest and/or Gladys, although there is not a great deal of this “outside” correspondence. The correspondence was not separated by “Ernest” and “Gladys”, but that makes sense since so much of their work was done as a team. The correspondence was also not separated into “incoming” and “outgoing” mail. The majority of the letters are between the Groveses and those who wrote to them for advice and this is perhaps the most interesting and revealing part of the Series. The problems seem to give a good gross-section of the attitudes and concerns of the people of that time. The correspondence between Ernest and Thelma Betty Krussell may be of special interest. Their letters date from the1920s. Mrs. Krussell was an articulate and interesting but troubled woman who developed a special friendship with the Groveses. (There is also a case study of Mrs. Krussell filed in the Notes and Case Studies Series). A letter dated April 1, 1942 from Ernest Groves to Dean R. B. House includes two diverse letters received by the Groveses regarding their work. One praises them for their wise counsel and the other condemns them for their “crass and disgusting advice”. The Manuscripts/Books Series is just that. It includes the rough and final drafts of Ernest’s autobiography as well as drafts and galley proofs for the other titles. The autobiography was not submitted for publication until after Ernest’s death; it was never published. The Articles Series is divided into three subseries: Articles by Ernest and/or Gladys Groves; Articles by Other Authors; and the Man, Woman, & Child series. The Groves’ articles are in alphabetical order by title. All are drafts unless noted as the actual article or reprint. This section includes some of the columns by the Groveses including “Your Everyday Problems; and “Parent’s Problems” in Junior Home and Look magazine. It can be noted that the Groves focused their attention in the early 1940s to relationship problems which were specific to World War II. Articles by Other Authors are those which were retained by the Groveses. These are alphabetical by author. The Man, Woman, & Child Series, from 1929, consists of 75 numbered articles. These are filed in numerical order. A list of the titles precedes the actual articles. The only clue as to where these articles were published is a note on the list of titles which indicates “newspaper work” and gives a New Orleans, Louisiana address. The Bibliography and Book Reviews Series is subdivided into Bibliographies, and Book Reviews and Announcements. Both of the Groveses saved many bibliographies which are filed here. The book reviews consist of reviews about the Groves’ work as well as some reviews written by Ernest. There are also announcements and flyers regarding the publication of books by the Groves and their daughter, Catherine Groves Peele. The Conferences and Organizations Series has four subseries: Groves’ Annual Conference on Conservation of Marriage and the Family; North Carolina College for Negroes-Durham Annual Conference on Conservation of Marriage and the Family; Various Conferences; Organizations. The first three are in chronological order; the fourth is in alphabetical order by organization name. For the Groves’ UNC conference, information on the first, second, and third conferences are missing. From the fourth conference in 1938 through the twenty-first conference in 1958, there is some information for each year, although the papers retained each year are not consistent. In 1959 the literature announces the 25th anniversary, and subsequent conferences are numbered from that point. There is no obvious explanation for the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th conferences. Included for 1940, 1946, 1947, and 1949 are notes taken by Dorothea Beach. The conference of the same name held at North Carolina College for Negroes is complete for the first through the fifth conference, 1942 to 1946. At the sixth conference, in 1947, the name of the college changed to North Carolina College-Durham and there is the disclaimer, “in affiliation with the tenth conference” held at UNC. The 1948 program was issued as part of the program for the UNC Chapel Hill program. There are separate conference programs for the eighth, ninth, and tenth conferences, 1949 to 1951. The files for this conference consist only of the program bulletin; there is no additional information. The Various Conferences subseries consists of some of the groups to which the Groveses were members. A few of the files include membership lists and correspondence but none of the files are complete. The Notes and Case Studies Series is subdivided into those categories. The Notes subseries is in alphabetical order by subject heading. The notes are by Ernest and Gladys, or both (rarely is the distinction noted) and are for lectures. There are several files of notes on the subject, “Short History of Women”. This essay was written by Mrs. Groves upon the request of the editor of The American Mercury. Some of the notes seem to be the foundation for a book, but no such book was ever published. There are also several files of Gladys’ shorthand notes. When possible, these are filed by date. The Case Studies subseries includes case studies done by the Groves’ and their colleagues. Some were for publication; others were submitted for study at conferences and workshops. The Course Materials Series consists of materials from the wide variety of classes taught by the Groveses. The series is in alphabetical order by course/number or course/title. The files hold general information unless specified as book lists or student papers. Gladys particularly saved student papers and these may be of special interest because the topic is usually autobiographical or the student’s opinion. The School Bulletin Series is in alphabetical order by college or university and also includes a yearbook and alumni information. The Newspaper Clippings Series is in alphabetical order by subject heading and primarily includes articles about Ernest or the annual conferences. The Subject Files Series is in alphabetical order by subject heading. Among the files are the Groves’ card files of case studies, Gladys’ 1910 diary, a live voice message from 1949 (content unknown), various questionnaires and statistical findings from marriage and sex surveys, and two radio scripts from broadcasts done by Gladys. There is also a copy of “The Children’s Charter” from the 1931 White House Conference on Child Health and Protection, signed by President Herbert Hoover. There is a file of incomplete papers; there are one or two pages which must belong with other notes, letters, or lists. There is also a summary of meetings between Gladys and Dr. Howard Odum of the University of North Carolina in which he informs her she is to be honored by being asked to quit her faculty position because of her age.