Guide to the Nichol Family Papers
Open for research.
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The Reverend William M. Nichol was born in 1864. He applied to the Board of Foreign Missions (UPCNA) in 1889 and was sent to Egypt, accompanied by his bride Laura Herget. She died in childbirth a year after their arrival. Nichol subsequently married Amanda Evaline Jamieson, a Sunday-school teacher in the Egypt Mission. In 1899 the Nichols retired from service, returning to America. Their daughter Ruth was born in Brooklyn.
Ruth Nichol applied to the Women's General Missionary Society (UPCNA) in 1933. She had hoped to serve in Egypt, but a need arose for a teacher in the Ethiopia Mission and Nichol accepted the offer. Upon arrival in Addis Ababa, she took charge of the American Girls' School, which had opened in 1923 as the first girls' school in the country. During World War II Nichol was transferred to the Sialkot Mission, returning to Ethiopia after peace was declared. She continued to teach in the Ethiopian Mission until her retirement in 1973.
Record Group 306 contains diaries, correspondence and photographs of the Nichols. William and Amanda Nichol are represented by their diaries, one home letter, and one photograph of "single lady missionaries" of the Egypt Mission. Ruth Nichol's papers constitute the bulk of the record group. They consist of her letters home, mainly written to her sister Lucille, and a few general letters to her friends. There are also some articles and photographs and some other miscellaneous correspondence. Of particular interest are two photographs of Nichol with His Majesty Haile Selassie of Ethiopia.
The collection is arranged as follows:
SERIES 1: WILLIAM M. NICHOL, Sr, 1890-91, 1938
SERIES 2: AMANDA EVALINE JAMIESON NICHOL, 1893-97
SERIES 3: RUTH M. NICHOL, 1933-84
To browse this collection's digitized content visit Pearl.
Materials marked "Digital" in the Collection Inventory may not have been digitized in their entirety.
Collection processed and finding aid prepared: September 1992
Stephanie Muntone, Processing Archivist
| Box | Folder | Description | Alternative Formats |
| 1 | 1 | Finding Aid to Record Group 306 | |
| SERIES 1: WILLIAM M. NICHOL, Sr, 1890-91, 1938 | |||
| 1 | 2 | Diary, Loose Diary Pages, 1890-91 | |
| 1 | 2 | Memorial to Wm. Nichol (by G. Robinson), 1938 | |
| SERIES 2: AMANDA EVALINE JAMIESON NICHOL, 1893-97 | |||
| 1 | 3 | Diaries, 1893-94 | |
| 1 | 4 | Home Letter, 1897; Diary, undated | |
| 1 | 5 | Photograph, 1893 | |
| SERIES 3: RUTH M. NICHOL, 1933-84 | |||
| 1 | 6 | Articles/Stories, 1947, 1977, undated | |
| 1 | 7 | "On Trek in the Sialkot Mission," 1942 | |
| Correspondence: | |||
| 1 | 8-9 | Outgoing, 1954-55 | |
| 1 | 10 | 1956, 1958-59 | |
| 1 | 11 | 1962-64 | |
| 1 | 12-17 | 1965-70 | |
| 1 | 18 | 1971-72, 1984 | |
| 1 | 19 | Biographical/Mission Historical Letters, 1966, 1974 | |
| 1 | 20 | "Dear Friends" Letters, 1954-84 | |
| 1 | 21 | Incoming, 1965-74 | |
| 1 | 22 | "Dear Friends" Letters--other missionaries, 1970-78 | |
| 1 | 23 | Miscellaneous, 1954-77 | |
| 1 | 24 | Maps--Addis Ababa and surrounding Sim Church area | Digital |
| 1 | 25 | Mission Records--Christmas program of American Girls' School, 1948 | |
| 1 | 25 | Mission Records--Mission letter to Haile Selassie, 1960 | |
| 1 | 25 | Mission Records--COEMAR (UPCUSA) letter/report, 1961 | |
| 1 | 25 | Mission Records-- Personnel evaluations of Ruth Nichol, 1969-73 | |
| 1 | 25 | Mission Records--Mission statement of concern, undated | |
| 1 | 26 | Photographs, 1933-60, undated | Digital |