]> Finding Aid for the Mary Haynsworth Mathews Collection, 1944 - 1945 Processed by: Linda Jacobson; machine-readable finding aid created by: Elizabeth Carmichael

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Machine-readable finding aid derived from XML authoring program. Date of source: January 2004 Description is in English Finding Aid for the Mary Haynsworth Mathews Collection, 1944 - 1945 WV-0119 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Descriptive Summary Women Veterans Historical Collection Mathews, Mary Haynsworth Mary Haynsworth Mathews Collection, 1944 - 1945 #WV-0119 Material in English linear feet archival boxes For current information on the location of these materials, please consult University Archives & Manuscripts. Mary Haynsworth Mathews was born in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1916. She served with the American Red Cross in England, France, and Germany from 1942 to 1946. Photographs and an oral history interview document Mathews's service with the American Red Cross during World War II and her work in the theater both before and after the war. Subjects of the photographs include Mathews in Germany, serving troops from the Clubmobile, dancing with a G.I., and participating in a VE Day parade. Subjects of the oral history interview include Mathews's studies at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill in the mid-1930s, her work with service clubs and Clubmobiles in Europe, and her interest in theater. Administrative Information Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law. Individuals obtaining materials from University Archives & Manuscripts at UNCG are responsible for using the works in conformance with United States copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Mary Haynsworth Mathews Collection, #WV-0119, Betty H. Carter Women Veterans Historical Project, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, NC, USA.

Interview with Mary Haynsworth Mathews by Eric Elliott, November 9, 1999, Mary Haynsworth Mathews Collection, #WV-0119, Women Veterans Historical Collection, Jackson Library, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Acquisitions Information

Gift of Mary Haynsworth Mathews of Cedar Mountain, N.C., on November 9, 1999.

Processing Information

Processed by Linda Jacobson, December 1999

Encoded by Elizabeth Carmichael, January 2004

Biographical Note

Mary Mathews

Mary Haynsworth Mathews was born in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1916. She graduated from Greenville High School and attended Winthrop College in Rock Hill, South Carolina, before transferring in 1935 to the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Mathews finished her degree in 1937 and joined Michael Checkov's theater group in Dartington Hall, England, in the spring of 1938. Mathews moved with the training group to Connecticut in December 1938 and toured across the United States with them for the next five years.

Mathews returned to Greenville in late 1942 and joined the American Red Cross in mid-1943. After two weeks of training in Washington, D.C., she was sent to work in a service club outside of London, England, near Essex. Two months laster she was sent to an air base in Norwich, England, where she remained through the summer of 1944. After another brief stint near Essex, Mathews transferred to an air base outside of Paris. In the spring of 1945, she was sent to a Clubmobile in Le Havre, France, and by August 1945 Mathews was stationed in Fulda, Germany. She remained in Fulda until March 1946.

Mathews returned to Greenville when she left the service and continued to work in the theater and for the United Fruit Company. She got married in 1951 and lived with her husband in New York until 1974 when they moved to Cedar Mountain, North Carolina.

Collection Overview

Mary Haynsworth Mathews served with the American Red Cross in England, France, and Germany from 1942 to 1946. Photographs and an oral history interview document Mathews's service with the American Red Cross during World War II and her work in the theater both before and after the war. Subjects of the photographs include Mathews in Germany, serving troops from the Clubmobile, dancing with a G.I., and participating in a VE Day parade. Subjects of the oral history interview include Mathews's studies at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill in the mid-1930s, her work with service clubs and Clubmobiles in Europe, and her interest in theater.

Organization of the Collection

The collection contains the following series.

Series 1. Oral History Series 2. Photographs Detailed Description of the Collection Series 1. Oral History, 1999.

Documents Mary Haynsworth Mathews's early life, school experiences, service with the American Red Cross, and work in the theater before and after World War II.

Mathews describes her education at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill in the mid-1930s, when it was unusual for women to attended that school, and her desire to study drama and to become an actress. She also comments on her work in the theater in New York and in England with Michael Chekhov before the war started and in Greenville and New York after the war.

Mathews also provides detailed information about her work with service clubs in England, France, and Germany. She discusses running the clubs and serving coffee and donuts; meeting the men when they arrived at the base and jitterbugging with them; visiting hospitals and writing letters for the men; interacting with English volunteers; the response in France to VE Day; and the death of a Red Cross woman in France. Mathews also mentions meeting actor Robert Preston.

Interviewed by Eric Elliott on November 9, 1999. Transcript: 29 pages. Sound recordings: 1 audio cassette (55 min.)

1Sound recording 2Transcript Series 2. Photographs, 1944-1945.

Document Mathews's work with the American Red Cross. Subjects include Mathews in Germany, serving troops from the Clubmobile, dancing with a G.I., and participating in a V-E Day parade.

3 Photographs Separated Material

Separated items includes oral history sound recording.

Online Catalog Headings

These and related materials may be found under the following subject headings in online catalogs.

American National Red Cross. Mathews, Mary Haynsworth. World War, 1939-1945--Participation, Female. World War, 1939-1945--War work--Red Cross. World War, 1939-1945--Women--United States.