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Notre Dame of Maryland University Modern Language Club records

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: NDMU-007-016

Scope and Contents

The Notre Dame of Maryland University Modern Language Club records, dated 1940s-1974, consist of the organization's constitution, financial documents, meeting minutes, correspondence, event planning documents, programs, articles about the Volunteers to America program, and scrapbooks. The correspondence, event planning documents, and programs, dated 1950-1974, appear to be the records of Professor Regina Soria, presumably the organization's faculty adviser.

Dates

  • Creation: 1940s-1974

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is located at the Loyola Notre Dame Library. Contact Archives and Special Collections for more information.

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

The Notre Dame of Maryland University Modern Language Club records are the physical property of Archives and Special Collections, Loyola Notre Dame Library. Copyright, except in cases where material has passed into the public domain, belongs to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns.

Biographical / Historical

The Modern Language Club’s (MLC) undated constitution states its purpose as “to stimulate an interest in the culture and language of other countries; to keep direct contact wherever possible with other countries.” An article in the October 27, 1941, issue of Columns announced, “For all students interested in French, German, Italian and Spanish a modern foreign language club has been organized with the heads of each department as moderators...The group has been divided into four sections corresponding to the four languages.”

During the 1940s, MLC programs included presentations of classic fairy tales in their original languages, singing of folk songs, and other short skits in the various languages at the meetings of their sections. MLC also participated in postwar European relief drives. Other activities in later years included a dramatic reading of “Madman on Saint,” translated from Spanish (1958); a faculty speech on “The Life of an Artist from Italy to America” (1958); presentations by Italian students attending nearby universities (1959); a program called “Education Coming and Going,” featuring students from Korea and Argentina, as well as Notre Dame students who had studied abroad (1965); a “Coffee and Conversation” program called “Theatre of the Absurd: An Informal Inquiry” (1966); a guest speaker on “Friendship Mexico” (1967); an “International Mardi Gras” (1968); and a number of international Christmas parties over the years.

It is unclear when MLC ceased to exist, but there is no mention of them in the archives after 1968.

Extent

1.13 Cubic Feet (1 half-size legal document box and 2 oversize boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The Modern Language Club, established in the early 1940s, “stimulate[d] an interest in the culture and language of other countries; to keep direct contact wherever possible with other countries.” This collection, dated 1940s-1974, consists of the organization's constitution, financial documents, meeting minutes, correspondence, event programs, and scrapbooks.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Materials in this collection were transferred to the Archives by various university offices and individuals affiliated with the university.

Physical Description

Scrapbooks are brittle and fragile and should be handled with care.

Processing Information

This collection was processed in 2019 by Christina Meninger.

Title
Guide to the Notre Dame of Maryland University Modern Language Club records
Author
Christina Meninger, Jack Ray, and Bria Langston
Date
2019
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Notre Dame of Maryland University Archives Repository

Contact:
200 Winston Avenue
Baltimore MD 21212
410-617-6870