Mary Mather, Class of 1883

Documenting Desire Through Journals & Memorabilia Books: Mary Mather, Class of 1883

Mary Mather, Smith College Class of 18831

Mary Askew Mather, Smith College Class of 1883, was a Smith student who kept diaries and memorabilia books where she frequently described her desires towards her friend Frona Brooks, also Class of 1883. Mather, also known as and referred to by friends as “Pollie/Polly” lived in Hubbard House, was president of the Class of 1883, and enjoyed writing and directing a number of student plays, which are also documented in her memorabilia books.

Mary Mather (right) and roommate Tip (aka Elizabeth Crocker Lawrence, left) in their senior year room in Hubbard House.2
Mary Mather is featured in this Hubbard House photo from June 18803, standing in the middle left. She is holding the hand of another student.

Code Words & Numbers

Mather’s records are particularly interesting as she often referred to people and events in her life through certain code words, letters, and numbers. Frona Brooks was coded as “A2G” and referenced constantly in Mather’s diaries and memorabilia books. Other friends were referred to with nicknames as well, but the intimate way in which Mather describes “A2G” in her records–sometimes slipping up and just writing “Frona” instead–feels significant.

Mather’s other frequently used code is 2+2=44 (or 2+2=4, sometimes), always mentioned alongside Frona/A2G. In her mem book from June 1882, Mather includes a program from the class of 1882 commencement and a pressed flower labeled “A2G” and “2+2=44.” In a diary entry that fall, Mather mentions Frona/A2G and alludes to something occurring at the 1882 commencement that past spring with A2G.

This example, and many, many, others are viewable below in a combined flipbook version of snippets from Mary Mather’s 1882 diaries4,5 and 1881-1882 memorabilia book.6

Frona Brooks, Smith College Class of 18837
Photo from Mary Mather

The image below highlights Mather and her friends from the Class of 18838, specifically those who are referenced frequently in her diaries and memorabilia books. Clicking on the plus icon will give you the name of the student and what Mather used to refer to them in her diaries and mem books.

Note: Due to the inability to change the size of the icons in the photo below, this feature is best viewed on a desktop rather than a mobile phone or tablet, as the icons obscure most of the students when viewed on mobile, unfortunately.

Flip through Mary Mather’s memorabilia book and diary, combined here, to get a glimpse into her desires toward Frona (A2G).

Click on the arrow icon in the bottom right corner to go to the next page, and click the plus icon (when applicable) to read a transcription of the handwriting. And make it full screen (top right of image) for best viewing!

Frona M. Brooks ’839

Mather’s Life after Smith

While it is difficult to trace lesbian desire following the majority of these students’ time at Smith, Mary Mather is an interesting exception. Unlike many of her friends (Frona Brooks, Elizabeth Crocker Lawrence, and others), Mather never married, instead living with her “close friend” Alice P. Smyth in Wilmington, Delaware until Mather’s death in 1925. Mather left much of her earnings to Alice P. Smyth10, and the pair was recognized by Mather’s Smith friends as “special friends.”11

While none of these pieces of evidence specifically label Mather as a lesbian, they do place her into the queer canon for the time period in which she lived–never marrying and living with another woman, while also expressing lesbian desire in her diaries and mem books during her college years.

Mary Mather, Smith College Class of 18831

References

  1. Portraits of Mary Mather, 1880s, CA-MS-01023, Box 1413, Classes of 1879-1890 records, Smith College Archives, Northampton, Massachusetts.
  2. Photograph of Mary Mather and Elizabeth Crocker Lawrence in their room in Hubbard House, 1882-10-23, CA-MS-00393, Box 1409, Elizabeth Crocker Lawrence papers, Smith College Archives, Northampton, Massachusetts.
  3. Group photo of Hubbard House residents, June 1880, Box 5, Buildings records, Smith College Archives, Smith College Special Collections, Northampton, Massachusetts.
  4. Mary Mather’s diary, Jan-June 1882, CA-MS-01023, Box 1413.1, Classes of 1879-1890 records, Smith College Archives, Northampton, Massachusetts.
  5. Mary Mather’s diary, Sept-Dec 1882, CA-MS-01023, Box 1413.1, Classes of 1879-1890 records, Smith College Archives, Northampton, Massachusetts.
  6. Mary Mather’s memorabilia book, 1881-1882, CA-MS-01023, Box 1413.2, Classes of 1879-1890 records, Smith College Archives, Northampton, Massachusetts.
  7. Portrait of Frona Brooks, Late 19th Century, CA-MS-01023, Box 1402, Classes of 1879-1890 records, Smith College Archives, Northampton, Massachusetts
  8. Group photo of the Class of 1883, 1882, CA-MS-01023, Box 1400, Classes of 1879-1890 records, Smith College Archives, Northampton, Massachusetts.
  9. Portrait of Frona Brooks from Elizabeth Crocker Lawrence’s photo album, Late 19th Century, CA-MS-00393, Box 1412.1, Elizabeth Crocker Lawrence papers, Smith College Archives, Northampton, Massachusetts.
  10. Mary Mather biography and misc. papers, CA-MS-01023, Box 1413, Classes of 1879-1890 records, Smith College Archives, Northampton, Massachusetts.
  11. Class of 1883 reunion correspondence, CA-MS-01023, Box 1400, 1401, Classes of 1879-1890 records, Smith College Archives, Northampton, Massachusetts.