Louise Gilman Hutchins Papers

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: BCA 0173 SAA 174

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection contains writings, news clippings, correspondence, photographs, publications and personal materials related to the life and work of Louise G. Hutchins.

Dates

created: 1923-1996

Creator

Hutchins, Louise Gilman -- 1911-1996 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

There are no known restrictions on the collection other than federal copyright regulations. Please cite all references to this collection. Records can be accessed through the Reading Room, Berea College Special Collections and Archives, Hutchins Library, Berea College.

Extent

6.40 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Louise Gilman Hutchins was born February 2, 1911 to Episcopal missionaries—Gertrude Carter Gilman and Bishop Alfred Alonzo Gilman—in Changsha, Hunan Province, China. Hutchins graduated from Wellesley College in 1932 and married Francis S. Hutchins in 1934. Louise Hutchins earned her M.D. from Yale University in 1936. After graduating from Yale, Hutchins returned to China to live with her husband who was serving as an administrator for the Yale-in-China program and to complete her medical internship caring for refugee children. It is during her internship in China when Dr. Hutchins became interested in family planning and maternal health services. With the start of the Japanese invasion, the Hutchins reluctantly left China in 1939 and moved to Kentucky, where Francis Hutchins became the president of Berea College. In the same year as moving to Berea, Dr. Hutchins became board president and medical director for the Mountain Maternal Health League—established in 1936 and committed to bringing maternal health care and family planning services to rural women in Estill, Harlan, Garrard, Jackson, Lincoln, Madison, Powell, Rockcastle, and Whitley counties. The League offered medical services by traveling to reach women in geographically isolated areas. Hutchins would go on to serve as the League president for over 47 years. Additionally, in 1944, Hutchins founded the Mountain Maternal Health League’s first family planning services center and served as Berea’s only pediatrician from 1939 to 1967. In 1967, with Francis Hutchins’ retirement from Berea College, the Hutchins moved to Hong Kong. During their time in Hong Kong, Louise Hutchins completed a residency in gynecology while working with the city's Family Planning Association. The Hutchins returned to Berea in 1970 and Dr. Hutchins continued to work to improve the health of women and children in Kentucky. Dr. Louise Hutchins received numerous awards and accolades for her pioneering efforts in eastern Kentucky. She died in 1996 in Berea at the age of 85.

Arrangement Note

The collection is arranged in seven series:

Series 1: Personal and Biographical Material, Newspaper Clippings: This series contains biographical writings, synopses of Dr. Hutchins’ work from awards ceremonies, interviews with Dr. Hutchins, information regarding her time at Wellesley College, newspaper clippings dated 1940–1990, research on the Gilman family genealogy, and information regarding Dr. Hutchins’ death and memorial.

Series 2: Correspondence: Boxes 1-4 contain letters written and received by Dr. Hutchins from family, friends, professional colleagues and students; dated 1923–1994. Box 4B contains a series of letters Dr. Hutchins wrote to her family members over the course of many years. The particular letters in this collection were sent to her son (and his family), William M. Hutchins. The letters contain information about family members, events and people in Berea, travels in the US and abroad, her work in family planning clinics (including those in Manchester, McKee, Sand Gap, Corbin, Mt. Vernon, and Pineville), work (of Francis S. Hutchins ) and trips to the E.O. Robinson Mountain Fund Homeplace and Pine Mountain, events and services at Union Church (Berea), politics, and many other subjects. Dated: 1970-1980, 1983-1985, 1993

Series 3: Writings, Speeches and Awards: This series contains awards, speeches and writings by Dr. Hutchins including journal articles, conference presentations, pamphlets and reflections on her research and work promoting family planning in Appalachia and China.

Series 4: Photographs: Contains negatives and print photographs (in both black and white and color) of Dr. Hutchins family, professional life and travels abroad. Contains one moving picture film reel.

Series 5: People’s Republic of China: Contains Dr. Hutchins diaries from her time in the People’s Republic of China, information regarding the Kuling American School, newsletters and research collected from Chinese groups, and signature books from events.

Series 6: Schedules and Notes: This series contains schedule books, personal journals, patient journals and guest books kept by Dr. Hutchins between 1941 and 1991.

Series 7: Oversize Materials: This series contains a scrapbook kept by Dr. Hutchins (photos unrelated to family / professional life), awards and honorary degrees and one oversize photograph (scanned).

Custodial History

All further communications about the Hutchins and Gilman collections should go first to William M. Hutchins at hutchwm@appstate.edu

Related Materials

Related Berea College Collections:

Mountain Maternal Health League Records, 1936-1986

Papers of Alfred A. and Gertrude C. Gilman

President Francis S. Hutchins Papers, 1924-1979

Faculty-Staff Video-Audio Interviews on Berea Digital

Joyce Hannan Berea Community Oral History Collection

Other Descriptive Information

BCA 0173 SAA 174

Processing Information

The collection was originally processed as part of a larger collection regarding Hutchins husband, Berea College President Francis S. Hutchins. The papers were separated from the Francis S. Hutchins Papers and made into a distinct collection in December 2014. While the primarily arrangement remains the same, additional materials were added and a new box list and finding aid were created by Samuel Gleaves, Archives Processing Assistant, in December 2014. The new finding aid was created in 2014 by Lori Myers-Steele, Collections Archivist.

Series 2, Box 4B was added in March 2020. The finding guide and boxlist were updated at that time.