Frances Doherty

Letters
May 11, 1921
September 20, 1930
March 31, 1937

Handwritten Excerpt(32 kb)

1904 Program:

Instructor in English Literature at Bergen School for Girls, 1903-.
Present address: 52 Kensington Avenue, Jersey City, NJ.

June 1906 Kalends:

Frances Doherty, Hattie Taylor and Edith Powell were in Baltimore to attend their class reunion.

December 1910 Kalends:

Frances Doherty is head of the English Department in the High School, New Brunswick, New Jersey.

July 1930 Alumnae Quarterly:

Frances Doherty was back, after an absence of 17 years - but she says she'll never stay away again so long. Frances teaches in Washington Irving High School. She lives in Madison, New Jersey, and enjoys the flowers, birds and people of that delightful borough.

July 1939 Alumnae Quarterly:

Frances Doherty writes:"I have been spending the winter months in New York near my school; and now am back in Madison, N.J., traveling three hours a day. Each place has its own advantages. This summer I expect to go to California with a friend, returning by automobile. I am sorry to miss 1903's reunion this year. It is too far for the few hours I could spare.

August 1945 Alumnae Quarterly:

Frances Doherty wrote from Madison, N.J.: "I retired last September, and am greatly enjoying my freedom for church and commiunity work, in which I am much interested."

November 1945 Alumnae Quarterly:

Frances Doherty writes an interesting letter from her home, 10 Dean St., Madison, N.J. After teaching 35 years, she had retired- in good health and spirit. She has taken a number of interesting trips in the U.S. and Canada. Now, she is enjoying doing the things she has longed to do. Frances is also the type that, wherever she is, will help in her church and her community.

Summer 1949 Alumnae Quarterly:

Mabel Day Parker sends word that Frances Doherty and her house mate were going to spend nearly a year in California. Frances wanted addresses of our classmates out there. I enclosed also the address of Johnetta Van Meter; and of Eva May Kendrick, who tho' not of our class, will be remembered as living in Glitner Hall when she and I both were living there. We hope to hear directly from Frances in the not distant future. - Claire Ackerman Vliet

November 1949 Alumnae Quarterly:

"Most unexpectedly I find myself on the West Coast instead of the East. The change took place with amazing rapidity. A letter came one morning early in May asking my friend and me to occupy her cousin's house in Palo Alto from early in June until next March. He is a professor in Stanford and with his wife and son is spending his sabbatical in South America. We accepted the invitation by return mail. Within two days we had made a bargain with a couple of teachers to rent our house furnished. And by June 8 we were established in an interesting modern house in Palo Alto. This is a beautiful city with an ideal climate. We had the interesting experience of attending Hoover's birthday party. The scene in the great grass-lined amphitheater was beautiful. Chairs had been placed on the terraces, so we were comfortable enough to enjoy the beauty. A stray do, trotted back and forth in front of the row of honored guests. Birds flew over our heads from side to side of the great bowl. A row of camera men knelt before Hoover like heathen worshippers before a god. I am told Hoover has never lost his popularity here, because of the many kind deeds quietly done by him and Mrs. Hoover. The whole city, as well as the University, turned out to do him honor.
Beside, my great surprise in being here at all I have had another surprise. Claire sent me Miss Van Meter's address and I find she lives with her sister and brother-in-law at the next corner )n our street. I hardly knew Miss Van Meter at college and bad never seen her sister but, like the rest of us, greatly admired their father and have enjoyed making their acquaintance. Miss Van Meter has not been well, but is somewhat better now.
A sad bit of news concerns '04 particularly. Last year I renewed acquaintance with Chizu Takamori after Laura Faus told us her address. She was greatly distressed about Japan's 'mistake' in starting the war. She had retired from teaching and had withdrawn to a safer part of the country. She was evidently down-hearted, and soon afterward I learned from her sister Fuji that she was ill. Now a card from her sister tells me she passed on to her Heavenly home last March I enjoyed association with her at college and 'was hoping for a pleasant correspondence now.
I still cherish the memory of our Sunday in June 1948 when Florence and Emilie entertained us so royally. In both places we had such abun-dant and delicious food and in both places such satisfactory opportunity to exchange experiences with everybody and renew happy associations of the past. I think neither party could have been pleasanter than it was. Arid I was grateful to Emilie's family, too, gracious sisters and aunt, for allowing us to enjoy them also.
If any of you come, this way before next March I hope you'll call to see me at 1224 Webster Street, Palo Alto. And of course that invitation holds for my Madison, N. J. home after March."

Winter 1950 Alumnae Quarterly:

Frances Doherty, still in California, attended the inauguration of Dr. Wallace Sterling as President of Leland Stanford. She notes: "The academic procession was very long, and colorful as always. Goucher was represented by Mrs. Billings."

Winter 1952 Alumnae Quarterly:

Frances Doherty promises to report more next time! "I have had the pleasure of a nice long chat with Olive Osborn Farmer '02, who for a few weeks is visiting her daughter in Madison, N.J."

Winter 1953 Alumnae Quarterly:

Mary J. Bunting writes me from Norfolk, Va., that Frances Doherty has moved to California. Her new address is 1420 Kenwood Road, Santa Barbara, Calif. I am not sure this is a permanent address there, since their furniture hasd not arrived as yet.-Claire Ackerman Vliet

Spring 1953 Alumnae Quarterly:

If Frances Doherty is not with us at our reunion in June, we'll have to write her all that happens then. Her new address is 316 W. Micheltorena St., Santa Barbara, Calif. May earthquakes never terrify her!

Summer 1953 Alumnae Quarterly:
Frances Doherty writes from Santa Barbara, "My friend with whom I have lived for more than thirty years, and I decided to come here to stay, after having spent a happy three months in Santa Barbara three years ago. It meant heard work, sorting over possessions and accumulations of many years. Finally arrived here, December 8, and now we intend to relax and enjoy our sunny apartment, as well as the beautiful city. I should be delighted to see any of you if you ever come out here. I shall be with you in spirit at Goucher."

Spring 1955 Alumnae Quarterly:

"Before coming to California, I disposed of most of my possessions. We came out by auto, enjoying every bit of the trip. Friends had secured a spacious three-room apartment for us and we were glad not to have the responsibility of a house, especially as I developed anemia. I have not felt robust (the doctor's word) since then and my activities have not been dynamic. I thoroughly enjoy this beautiful and beautifully situated city. My plans for '55? Just quiet enjoyment of it all. People are friendly; there is much good music; there are many lovely rides; and sometimes friends from the East surprise us with a call. I heard of the death of Edna Coultas Kennedy, which came less than a year after that of her sister, Lotus Coultas Bower (Goucher '05). 'Like Saul and Jonathan, they were lovely and pleasant in their lives and in death they were not divided.'"

Spring 1957 Alumnae Quarterly:

This letter comes to us from Santa Barbara. "I shall have to write to you for Frances Doherty. I am her friend who has lived with her for 35 years and as she is very ill, I am doing all her writing for her. She had been failing for some time, and just before Christmas, she gave out completely, and now she is very weak and bedridden. She receives excellent care.
She has loved Santa Barbara, so we are happy that we came here to this beautiful city with its fine climate.
Her mind is affected, so I could not give her all that was in your letter but I think she understood who wrote it and wanted me to answer. I do not think she suffers except from the discomfort from being in bed. Sincerely yours, H. May Greene."

Winter 1958 Alumnae Quarterly:

Back in November I received a rather sad letter from May Greene, the devoted friend of Frances Doherty. The two, as you remember, were living in Santa Barbara, but Frances had been very ill for a long, long time. "We have come to the point where we must make a change in our way of living, so we are going into a nursing home some time this month. Frances' bodily condition remains about the same but her mind seems to be a little better. She sends her love. Thank you so much for your friendly messages. Will send the new address."
The address came shortly on a post card, then I had this word from Mary Beavers: "Sad news has just reached me from California. May Greene, Frances Doherty's friend and companion for many years, died early in December but Frances had already been moved to a nursing home. The address is 2031 De la Vine St., Santa Barbara."

Summer 1958 Alumnae Quarterly:

IN MEMORIAM
The class of 1903 feels a great loss in the death of Helen Frances Doherty, who was chosen vice-president in our senior year, and served in that office through all the years, attending reunions whenever she could. Her classmates remember her as a quiet, serious, cooperative person with a Puckish sense of humor.
Most of her life, after graduation, was spent as a teacher of English in the Washington Irving High School, in New York City. She loved her work there, where her sympathy and understanding made friends of her pupils, many of whom came from difficult backgrounds. She received a Master's degree in Pedagogy from New York University in 1907 and a Master's in Arts in 1909.
In 1944 she retired from teaching and spent the next years at her home in Madison, N.J. Always interested in civic affairs and in non-partisan politics, she enjoyed especially her participation in the College Club and in the League of Women Voters. She was a devoted Christian and the work of her church and the contacts she made through it were of vital importance to her.
Frances was interested in people, without bias or prejudice, and she always had a special sympathy for anyone whose life seemed hard or lonely. One evidence of that was her practice of inviting foreign students to spend the holidays with her; many of these became her fast friends.
She enjoyed travel, and with her friend, May Green, made several trips to the west coast, where May had relatives. Finally, as the health of both declined, they determined to move to California. Frances regretted leaving the life she enjoyed in Madison, but she hoped that the warmer climate would benefit both of them. She looked forward eagerly to long sunny days in Santa Barbara. And she did enjoy them for a few years, until she developed Parkinson's disease and had to relinquish all activity. Death came to her in a nursing home in Santa Barbara not long after the death of her lifelong friend, May Green.
The class of 1903 has lost a most loyal member and many grieve for the loss of a dear and valued friend. - Mary F. Beavers Ex '03

Winter 1961 Alumnae Quarterly:

"Mary Bunting writes rather sadly of a small round robin that circulated among a few friends for many years, until one by one they died - Edith Beck '04, Viola and Grace Emery '02, Clara Tucker Thrall '02, Olive Osborn Farmer '02, Frances Doherty, and Martha Baxter. There is always the last one in any group."