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The Vassar Brothers Hospital Collection Repository Dutchess County Historical Society 549 Main Street Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 845-471-1630 www.DCHSNY.org [email protected] Access Number 1984.0004 Processed by Finding Aid Author: Gregory Wiedeman, 2012 Arranged by: unknown Described by: unknown & Gregory Wiedeman, 2013 Preservation work: Gregory Wiedeman, 2013 Encoded by: n/a Date Completed 2013 April 3 Creators Vassar Brothers Hospital Extent 3 linear ft Dates Inclusive: 1895 – 1981 Conditions Governing Access No Restrictions Languages English Scope and Content The collection consists of contracts, historical narratives, administrative correspondence and other documentation concerning the administration of Vassar Brothers Hospital and the demolition of Old Vassar. The historical society may hold assorted more historical and administrative documents pertaining to Vassar Brother Hospital. Included may be listings of employees and graduated nurses, historical narratives and annual reports. However, this material has yet to be located. Historical Note James Vassar emigrated to the United States from France via London in 1796 and settled near Manchester Bridge. He started a farm and a brewery with the help of his two sons John Guy and Matthew (the founder of Vassar College). John Guy Vassar married a daughter of Baltus Van Kleeck and had two sons also named John Guy and Matthew. Matthew Vassar (the younger) was born in 1809 in the old Van Kleeck house of his mother’s family that was built in 1702 – the first permanent building in Poughkeepsie on the south side of Mill street between Washington street and Vassar street. The original brewery built by James Vassar burned in 1811 in a disaster that cost the life of John Guy Vassar (the elder). The elder Matthew Vassar would rebuild the business after 1814. The younger Matthew ran his uncles’ brewery and served as a trustee of his uncle and namesake’s Vassar College. When he died on August 10, 1881, the younger Matthew Vassar’s will allocated a portion of his estate for the incorporation of a hospital. The will stated that that the institution would be called Vassar Brothers Hospital if his brother John Guy Vassar (the younger) was willing to participate. Unlike his brother, John Guy Vassar (the younger) had not been involved in local affairs. His tenuous health lead him to travel for his health while he build an investment fortune. The hospital opened on April 11th, 1887 and received its first patient, Minna A. Maxiner on April 27th. The hospital leaders also consisted of Matthew’s widow, Irene B. Vassar and a number of Poughkeepsie magnates including Oliver H. Booth, James H. Weeks, Joseph M. Cleveland, Edward Van Kleeck, and William S. Johnson. A nurse training school was established and gave out its first certifications on October 1, 1890. It seems that criticism of the staff was common around the turn of the century. In 1906, Dr. Henry G. Bugbee became the new superintendent and began a reorganization of staff and a broadening of policy. In 1910 Dr. Bugbee resigned and original trustee Benjamin M. Fowler took his place. His tenure was one of great expansion. The number of patients increased over 200% from 1903 to 1913 and new buildings and wards were added. The babies department was added in 1916 and the year witnessed 15 births at the hospital. At first the lack of adequate facilities meant that maternity patients were admitted only on a charitable basis if they could not give birth at home. Funding became more of a problem as the original endowment made in Matthew Vassar’s will continued to dwindle. During the hospitals first 33 years charity patients outnumbered pay patients two to one. 1921 witnessed the beginning of major expansion and policy changes for the hospital. A new wing doubled the number of beds and allowed the original building to be used for patients to be treated by their own local doctors. The enlargement of the staff met professional standards of American College of Surgeons and the American Hospital Association. A campaign to replenish the depleted endowment in 1924 raised over $660,000. The 1920s witnessed more fundraising campaigns and the end of a closed body a permanent trustees. The governing body became the Vassar Brothers Hospital Association in 1929 which consisted of all contributors and elected trustees. In 1932 funds from the estate of Joseph T. Tower enabled the construction of a new nurses’ home. In 1936 the hospital has grown to hold 3,944 patients. Provenance The Collection was donated to the Dutchess County Historical Society by Vassar Brothers Hospital on February 14, 1984. A second donation was made on June 16, 1984. Subject Headings Vassar Brothers Hospital; Historic preservation Copyright Notice Individuals requesting reproductions expressly assume the responsibility for compliance with all pertinent provisions of the Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. ss101 et seq. Patrons further agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Dutchess County Historical Society and its staff in connection with any disputes arising from the Copyright Act, over the reproduction of material at the request of patrons. For more information please visit the following website: http://www.loc.gov/copyright/title17/. Container List Box 1 Item Contents Date File 1 Historic Trust 1981 – 1982 File 2 Histories 1936 – 1976 File 3 “The Vassar Family” in Poughkeepsie Bicentennial Forum 1976 File 4 Administrative correspondence and other manuscript material 1895 – 1952 File 5 Clippings, photographic prints and negatives of Old Vassar circa 1981 File 6 Correspondence concerning demolition circa 1981 File 7 Environmental study 1980 – 1982   File 8 “Vassar Hospital, Poughkeepsie Tests the Wonders of the X-ray” in the Sunday Courier 1914 November 15 Box 2 Item Contents Date File 1 Bound books of photographs of Old Vassar Hospital undated Box 3 Item Contents Date Item 1 One bed pan with cover undated Item 2 Three enamel pans with half-covers undated Container List from accession (may not reflect current holdings Item Contents Date Item 1 Miscellaneous architectural plans for Vassar Brother Hospital; some by Frederick C. Withers, architect undated Item 2 Framed registration certificate for Vassar Brothers Hospital, Training School for Nurses undated Item 3 “Twenty Years Around the World,”

1938 DCHS Yearbook Article and Clippings Relating to Formation of Dutchess County Historical Society 1845 to 1846

Scrapbook Clippings The first two pages of the item below are in reverse order, please start with the second page until we are able to fix this, thank you! The best way to view the above on issuu is to view in full screen, explained below

Website in Transition During the month of August, we will be transitioning to a new website platform that is intended to improve access and search. During this period, parts of the website will be down, or appear incomplete. Thank you for your patience! This website is going through a significant restructuring to make it clearer, faster and more encompassing of the wide range of DCHS collections, publications, programs, photographs, and resources. Certain portions of the website will be offline until the end of October 2022. Thank you for understanding. Over the past five years we have grown from near zero to 800 pages of content and thousands of images and recordings…

Above left to right: the recent headstone at the grave of Susan Elizabeth Frazier in Rhinebeck, NY in the shadow of gravestone of her great-great grandfather, Andrew Frazier, who fought in the Revolutionary War. Frazier’s 1919 passport photo. When President Woodrow Wilson addressed Congress in April 1917, seeking a declaration of war on Germany, he ended with a call to the nation saying, “The supreme test of the nation has come. We must all work, act, and speak together.” The emergency of the war, the proximity of the men, women and children of all races that were called to work together, created a sudden and visible near-meritocracy that challenged prior stereotypes. Although many of those stereotypes and prejudices persisted, many suffered cracks that began to help the United States move toward a fuller delivery on the promise that all are created equal. Susan Elizabeth Frazier (1864-1924) is of particular interest because decades before the war she had emerged as an outspoken thought leader on the untapped capacity of persons of color, and of women in general, in a world that needed their contributions. On February 16, 1892 Frazier spoke to the Brooklyn Literary Union on the topic of, Some Afro American Women of Mark, profiling a list of women of color who had made important contributions that were under represented. Susan Elizabeth Frazier Susan Elizabeth Frazier’s paternal great-grandfather served in the Revolutionary War out of Dutchess County, including at the Battle of White Plains. Andrew Frazier earned a pension and his headstone reflects this service. Miss Frazier herself was born in, and lived in, New York City. She earned a national reputation when, in 1896, she became the first person of color to teach White students in New York City. Although her legal action failed, her moral argument and public relations appeal prevailed. The story was carried in newspapers across the country. She was a teacher in the public schools until her death in 1924. In addition to her teaching, Frazier founded and became President of the Womens’ Auxiliary of the 369th, the Harlem Hellfighters. During her tenure she received accolades from former President Theodore Roosevelt, and a wide range of social organizations in New York City. In 1919, in a highly fortuitous and coincidental reflection of her commitment to teaching and to veterans, she won a New York City newspaper contest as “New York City’s favorite teacher.” The prize was a trip to the battlefields of Europe. Comments from newspapers at the time of her trip in 1919 reflect her strong character: “An effort was made to buy her off when it was discovered that she was one of the successful contestants. But she would not be bought. To all of the propositions, arguments and offers to prevent her sailing, Miss Frazier returned one answer, that she was standing on her rights as an American woman and would make the trip. On board the boat an effort to seat her at a separate table and a similar effort at the hotel in Paris were frustrated by Miss Frazier’s ignoring of the plan. The officer in charge of the party, in fact, was put to the necessity of apologizing to Miss Frazier.” She died February 3, 1924, the same day as former President Wilson. Her funeral was held at the Regimental Armory and included remarks by former commander Col. Wm. Hayward and the subsequent and commander at the time, Col. Arthur Little. She was accorded full military honors, the first time for a woman of color according to newspapers at the time. And yet she came to rest in an unmarked grave in the family plot she had purchased on organized for the family in Rhinebeck. Newspaper reports at the time gave conflicting reports as to whether she was buried in New York City or Rhinebeck. In 2018, local residents secured an investigation by cemetery managers and confirmed her burial there. They raised money to erect a memorial headstone at what had prior to this been an unmarked grave. On her memorial headstone are the words, “Her Voice Endures” indicating the firm belief that her call for the full capacity of persons of color and of women should be welcomed and accommodated. The Frazier family of Dutchess County fought in all of the major wars of the United States:the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War 1 and World War 2.

Indenture and apprenticeship papers of Egbert Cook Personal correspondence from James Cook to John Cook “Dear Father” letters March, May and November 1808 1807 Correspondence

Planning your visit. How we can help you: We get many requests for onsite visits and have found that the most effective and efficient way to address enquiries is to have the requests submitted in writing in advance. DCHS is located at 6282 Route 9, Rhinebeck, New York and, in general, is open to the public Wednesday to Saturday 10:00 am to 3:00 pm excluding holidays. Because we rely so much on volunteer help, it is important you reach out to us in advance to confirm what you are looking for. We do not always have information on the topic that is of interest. Or it may take some time to establish if we do. That’s why writing down requests is so important. If you are onsite you may: This last item, collections items requires great care. Once we establish that we do indeed have relevant items, there are instances where we are able to create digital copies at a reasonable cost. In general, it is best practice with collections to minimize the physical handling of photographs, documents or objects. COSTS: The Dutchess County Historical Society is a non-profit 501c3 depending entirely on annual memberships and donations, and does not regularly receive any taxpayer monies for its operations. We have built some endowment funds to cover the costs of our sacred trust in professionally caring for nearly 5,000 square feet of archives. But activities beyond this require funding to be identified. Membership (or donation) of $100 or more allows us to do a high-level survey across publications, collections, photographs, oral histories and other miscellaneous items but beyond that a fee of $50 per research hour is required ($25 for $100 members/donors).

What we believe & what we do: The Dutchess County Historical Society (DCHS) remains committed to being the most meaningful source of Dutchess County history, a commitment in place since its 1914 founding. We do this through the responsible archival stewardship of tangible objects, and the restless and energetic interpretation and presentation of its history to the public. DCHS conserves the past to help us understand the present and prepare for the future. We are proud to be known for our community outreach through a wide range of publications, awards, exhibits, programs, talks, writings, videos, and oral histories. Our Annual Yearbook, published since 1914 and the oldest continuously published annual in New York State, is fully available online. In addition, 14 books on local history have been published. Online and traditional exhibits, lectures, history awards, conferences, and special presentations a round out programming for members of the Historical Society and the community at large. DCHS is a not-for-profit organization. We rely on support from memberships, gifts, grants, and donations. The Dutchess County Historical Society is a tax-exempt, charitable, non-profit organization as described in section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code. Watch a 2-minute video introduction: [email protected] Please submit requests in writing. To facilitate the most accurate and helpful response to you, please use this online form for questions related to the library, collections or research. In terms of genealogical requests, we frequently can not add to what is now broadly available online unless a family has left us information through a Collections Gift.  Board of Trustees Rob Doyle, President Wayne Nussbickel, Vice President, Development Chair Jack Cina, Treasurer, Finance Chair Christine Crawford-Oppenheimer, Secretary Michael Boden Jim Brands Peter BuntenTom Cervone Peter Forman Eileen Hayden, Membership Co-chair Karen H. Lambdin, Membership Chair Melodye Moore, Collections Chair, Publications Co-chair Rick SoedlerDavid Turner Andrew Villani, Program/Comms/PR ChairMarcy Wagman William P. Tatum III, Ex-Officio, Publications Co-chair Advisory Board Steven EffronBrad KendallSteve LantJames Merrell Dennis MurrayAl & Julia RosenblattFred SchaefferDenise Doring VanBuren Local Vice Presidents Amenia, Julian StraussBeacon, Diane LapisBeekman, vacantClinton, Craig Marshall, ChairDover, Valerie LaRobardierDover, Caroline ReichenbergEast Fishkill, Rick SoedlerFishkill, vacantHyde Park, vacantLaGrange, vacantMilan, Vicky LoBruttoMillbrook and Washington, Jim Inglis, Alison Brooks Meyers Millerton, Ed DowneyNorth East, Jane RossmanPawling, Bob & Nancy ReillyPine Plains, Dyan WapnickPleasant Valley, Marilyn BradfordPoughkeepsie, Michael DolanRed Hook Town, Elisabeth TatumRed Hook Village, Sally Dwyer-McNultyRhinebeck, David MillerRhinebeck Village, Michael FrazierStanford, Kathy SpiersUnion Vale, Fran WallinWappinger, Beth Devine Our Address: DCHS6282 Route 9Rhinebeck, NY 12572 Our former Post Office Box is no longer in use.