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Elizabeth Hull Gould papers

 Collection
Identifier: A.G69

Biographical/Historical note

Elizabeth Hull Gould was born in 1875 to the parents of Seward Forbes Gould and Alice Hart in Rochester, NY. She was the granddaughter of General Jacob Gould, Rochester's second mayor and first Democrat to hold that office. In the family home which stood at 53 Fitzhugh St. S. in the once fashionable Third Ward, General Gould once entertained President Martin Van Buren However, most of her life Miss Gould lived at 240 Alexander St.

She first became interested in playwriting when she was a student in Miss Hake's School, a finishing school once located in Rochester. Later her parents attempted to turn her interest to art. For a time she was a student in a pen and ink class in Mechanics Institute, now Rochester Institute of Technology. The class was taught by Claude Bragdon, the famed architect. But Miss Gould often laughed that Bragdon told her she would never be an artist and so she turned to writing. She taught school for a year in New York City at the turn of the century and then spent eight years there writing plays. During that time two of her works were produced on Broadway. They were "Tomorrow and "What it Means to be a Women." The later, written with F. Whitehouse, was included in the collection "Best Plays of 1909-1919.

When she returned to Rochester, Miss Gould wrote for and edited a children's page for the Democrat and Chronicle for four years. She also contributed to the editorial page of the newspaper. Two of her plays were produced by the Community players. They were "Three Old Meddlers" and "Clare Willoughby," which won the $300 prize of the thespian and later was produced on Broadway.

Elizabeth Hull Gould Lived with her brother, Fred at 240 Alexander St. She was ill for the last five years of her life and a month before her death she wrote the Hedges Memorial Chapel what she wanted to appear as her obituary notice in the newspaper: "Elizabeth Hull Gould, sister of Frederick S. Gould, entered the new life (date). Believing in the teachings of Christ, the only service, a prayer in the hearts of those who loved her.

She died December 18, 1954 at the age of 79.

Scope and Contents

The collection contains manuscripts of her plays and newspaper clippings.

Creator

Dates

  • Creation: 1875-1954

Language of Materials

English

Extent

2 box(es)

Access

The Elizabeth Hull Gould Papers is open for research use. Researchers are advised to contact the Rare Books Special Collections & Preservation Department prior to visiting. Upon arrival, researchers will also be asked to fill out a registration form and provide photo identification.

Use

In consultation with a curator, reproductions may be made upon request. Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from a curator. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Mrs. Rossiter Seward, September 24, 1957 and May 1, 1959.

Preferred Citation

[Item title, item date], Elizabeth Hull Gould Papers, A.G69, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Genre / Form

Occupation

Title
Elizabeth Hull Gould papers
Author
Finding aid prepared by Rare Books and Special Collections staff
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Library Details

Part of the Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation Library

Contact:
Rochester NY 14627-0055 USA