A Letter Written on May 24, 1921

Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, Massachusetts

Department of Zoölogy

May 24, 1921.

My dear

At commencement of this year Dr. Cornelia M. Clapp will celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of her graduation from Mount Holyoke College. At this time we hope to announce gifts sufficient to make possible the erection of a building to replace Williston Hall which was burned in 1917 and in which she worked from 1876 to 1916. During her life time Dr. Clapp has had wide and enduring friendships among American biologists from the pioneers of Pinekese to the undergraduates of the present year.

I can think of no anniversary gift which would be more satisfying to her than one given by a large number of these friends and presented for her to the Mount Holyoke zoology department which she built and in which the power of her vision is each year felt more clearly.

I am sending a copy of this letter to Dr. Clapp's biological friends in the hope that each one may like to have a share in such an anniversary gift. In this way each one may have an opportunity to contribute fifty, twenty-five, ten or five dollars as may seem possible to him or to her. I enclose a slip on which the contribution may be registered and an envelope in which the slip and your check may be returned to me by May 30 if convenient.

A list of the contributors will be give to Dr. Clapp at commencement and the fund will be used in the furnishing of two laboratories which will stand as the gift of American biologists to Dr. Clapp in recognition of her own distinguished gifts to humanity and to zoological science.

With grateful appreciation of your cooperation and help, I am,

Very sincerely yours,

[Unsigned form letter, probably sent by Ann Morgan.]