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This program documents a production of "The Shoes that Danced," by the American poet and author Anna Hempstead Branch, put up by "The Laboratory Theatre" at the State Teachers College. The play, which was staged in 1935, would have been one of the earliest in Kendall Hall, which first opened in 1932. Like with the production of "Romeo and Juliet" a decade earlier, it appears that students, with teacher guidance, put together most aspects of the play. No transcription.

This is the June 1911 Commencement program for the New Jersey State Normal School at Trenton. It contains the names of the graduates, as well as any presenters, including musical performances. The Commencement Exercises took place at 8 pm on June 21, 1911.

This small booklet, held together by a red-and-silver ribbon, came from the first triennial (every 3 years) reunion of the Model School Class of 1904. The booklet outlines some speeches given by members of the class and the names of each student. A partial transcription of the autographs is included.

This small booklet records the Class Day exercises for the Model School's Class of 1904, depicting the class roster, the order of exercises, and the names of students performing. A reproduction of the corresponding commencement booklet can be found in "History of the Model Class of 1904" (see related materials below). No transcription.

This booklet from the 1903 Model School commencement includes lists of graduating students, their home towns, and their area of study. It also contains the list of commencement exercises. Of some note is the mention of an essay given by honor student Charlotta Miller on the Black poet and author Paul Lawrence Dunbar, which has unfortunately not survived. The student roster also includes several surnames that appear in other classes from around this period, namely Britton, De Cou, and Bosworth; these students may be siblings of those sharing their name. Some students from the Class of 1904 also appear. No transcription.

This grouping contains two items from very early Model School commencements. The first is a small invitation to the 1878 commencement ceremony at Taylor Opera House, in Trenton. The second is a (partly torn) booklet from the 1880 commencement, including a list of events and the names of the graduating students. No transcriptions, as the documents are typed.

This collection of four receipts for tuition, room, and board at the Model School gives insight into how much it cost to attend the de facto elite institution. The first two vouchers, made out to a John McCormick and from around 1862, show that the Normal School charged about $8.00 in tuition in its first decades. According to census statistics, an average New Jersey laborer spent about $2.50 per week on bread, so this was not an unsubstantial amount of money!

Forty years later, in 1902-1903, George Hildebrecht (owner of Trenton's Hotel Hildebrecht) paid $10.50 for per quarter for his son Albert. At this time, based on census statistics, this would have equaled about half a day's wages for the average Trenton industrial laborer.

No transcriptions, as the documents are largely typed.

This small booklet likely comes from the same unknown "black paper backing" scrapbook as several other documents from around 1918. It details the fifth annual debate between several debating societies of the New Jersey State Normal School and several from Pennsylvania's Swarthmore College. The topic for the debate, which took place amid American intervention in the First World War, regards whether colleges should substitute military training for athletics during the war. No transcription.

The Clara Wolverton Papers contain materials from her early education beginning in 1892, through Normal School, and her earliest teaching years ending in 1903. It comprises personal items such as her grades book, greeting cards, and notes of affection from her students, as well as professional items such as her teaching contracts and letters of recommendation, and also printed commencement programs and tickets and clippings. There are only a few items after this time period, and they document her involvement in the Red Cross and Botanical Society of Pennsylvania.

There are no materials related to teaching at Trenton Public Schools or attending University of Pennsylvania.

Her collection also initially contained six books, four of which were cataloged and added to the Historical Textbooks and General Collections of Gitenstein Library, and two were deaccessioned due to duplication.

The majority of the materials are related to Haskell’s education from primary through graduate school, with additional items from her early career and retirement. The Correspondence Series contains her first teaching recommendation letter in 1915, a teaching appointment notice, and a few personal letters ending in 1954. The Grade Cards and Transcripts Series span her eighth grade year in 1909 through a master’s degree program in 1938. The Ephemera Series comprises dinner and event programs she attended in her early career from 1923-1939. The Clippings Series (1937-1955) cover a variety of topics, as well as coverage of the 1955 Trenton State College centennial. The Prints Series includes four etchings or reproductions of St. Petersburg Florida churches inscribed: “for Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Wilhelm” by Will Kay Hagerman (Kent Hagerman). The Certificates and Diplomas Series span from her primary school years in 1904 through 1946. They include, among other items, her Normal School diploma and bachelor’s degree, as well as membership certificates to honorary sororities, Red Cross volunteer service, and her marriage certificate to Josiah Haskell.