Anne Aitken Papers
http://www2.hawaii.edu/~gthiroha/finding.doc
Inventory of Records:
Anne Aitken Papers
November 12, 2003
RECORDS OF THE ANNE AITKEN PAPERS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SERIES DESCRIPTIONS AND RECORDS CONTAINER LISTS
Anne Aitken Genealogy and Family History Documents
Anne Aitken Personal Documents
ANNE AITKEN PAPERS
INTRODUCTION
The Anne Hopkins Aitken Papers consist of two cubic feet of records in two 12-inch boxes. At the time of its donation to the University of Hawai'i, the archives had been posthumously arranged into two series, one containing material dealing with aspects of her genealogy and the other containing all other records. It has since been reorganized by University archivists into three series, titled "Writings," "Personal Documents," and "Genealogical Materials."
Records date from 1919 through 2002, with the bulk of the material dating from 1960 through 1994. Included are materials both created and collected by Anne Aitken during the course of her life, as well as a limited amount of biographical material collected posthumously by family members. The records are in various formats, including photographs; hand- and typewritten correspondence and journals; bound and unbound manuscripts of poetry and non-fiction; family trees and other genealogical material; and personal financial records. Access to the records is unrestricted.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Anne Arundel Hopkins Aitken was born in Chicago, Illinois on February 8, 1911 and died in Honolulu, Hawai'i on June 13, 1994. A graduate of Scripps College in Claremont California (B.A., English, 1932), Aitken spent two years (1929-1931) studying abroad as an undergraduate at Oxford University. She pursued a Master's Degree in Sociology, first at Stanford University (1933) and then at Northwestern University (1940-1942). In addition to her Oxford years, Aitken also lived in England from January to June 1937, and at various times in her life traveled to Sweden, Finland, France, Germany, Spain, Japan, Italy and much of South America.
A schoolteacher by training, Aitken received a sizable inheritance from her parentsãLambert and Marian Hopkinsãwhich she used to help fund a variety of social and Buddhist organizations. She is perhaps best known as a founding memberãalong with her husband Robert Aitken (subsequently Robert Aitken Roshi)ãof one of the first western Zen Buddhist training organizations, The Diamond Sangha, which was established in October 1959 in Honolulu. She was also active in the Maui Zendo at Peahi and the Palolo Zen Center on O'ahu.
Though Anne Aitken did not have any children of her own, she did have a stepson, Thomas L. Aitken, as well as several foster children. At the time of her death, she was survived by her husband Robert; stepson Thomas; sister Constance Hellyer; brothers Lawrence A. Hopkins and Thayer Hopkins.
The records in the Anne Hopkins Aitken Archives cover nearly the entire span of her life, though the majority of the material dates from her last 35 years. The complete contents of these archives are described in greater detail in the individual series descriptions, which follow.
ANNE AITKEN PAPERS
Series Title: Anne Aitken Genealogy and Family History Documents
Date Range: n.d., 1976-1994, 2002
Series Quantity: 0.5 cubic feet, in one 12" box
Arrangement Statement: Arranged alphabetically by subject, and thereunder chronologically.
Series Contents:
Contains Anne Aitken's research into her genealogy and family history. Documents include genealogical charts and family trees of the following families: Hopkins, Stinchfield, and Arundel. Also includes manuscript of family finances with regard to family wills, and the wills of Anne's parents, Marian and Lambert Hopkins; Stinchfield family stories and manuscripts; a bound copy of the Stinchfield genealogical history, dated 1993 and entitled, "One Bough from a Branch of the Tree: A Stinchfield Variation" by Diane S. Klingenstein (a cousin of Anne Aitken). Hopkins family correspondence regarding genealogical research and materials, circa 1976-2002, including e-mail correspondence from 2002. Typed transcripts of travel writing (originally in the form of a diary) by "grandpa Stinchfield," originally written in 1871; and excerpts from the writings of Charles Stinchfield circa 1874. Historical recounts by Charles Stinchfield. Stinchfield genealogical materials, photocopied photographs, photocopied news clippings. Books written by uncle Tom Hopkins.
ANNE AITKEN PAPERS
RECORDS CONTAINER LIST
Series Title: Anne Aitken Genealogy and Family History Documents
Box no./folder no. Contents
01/01 "Anne AitkenãRelating to Wills"
01/02 "Anne's Family Histories"
genealogical charts, manuscript of finances
01/03 Family Trees
Anne & Robert Aitken family tree
Hopkins-Stinchfield family tree
01/04 "Hopkins Family History" 1976-2002
correspondence
manuscripts of family stories
genealogy materials
emails from 2002
01/05 "Larry Hopkins on Family History" 1980-81
correspondence
transcripts of travel writing by grandpa Stinchfield 1871
1874 excerpts from Charles Stinchfield
historical recounts
genealogical materials
photocopied photographs
news clippingsãphotocopies
Uncle Tom Hopkins books
01/06 "Hopkins Wills"
Marian Hopkins (Anne's mother)
Lambert Hopkins (Anne's father)
01/07 "One Bough from a Branch of the Tree:
A Stinchfield Variation" by Diane S. Klingenstein 1993
01/08 "Stinchfield Stories"
manuscripts of family stories
ANNE AITKEN PAPERS
Series Title: Anne Aitken Writings
Date Range: n.d., 1931, 1932, 1950, 1952
Series Quantity: 0.5 cubic feet, in one 12" box
Arrangement Statement: Arranged alphabetically by genre.
Series Contents: Contains handwritten and typed poetry manuscripts, prose manuscripts, personal notebooks, reflections on personal relationships, dialogue, and rejection letters from poetry magazines. Also includes 20 typed manuscripts to and from N. Teira of Palo Alto, California. Some of the typewritten manuscripts are annotated by hand.
ANNE AITKEN PAPERS
RECORDS CONTAINER LIST
Series Title: Anne Aitken Writings
Box no./folder no. Contents
01/09 "1931 Oxford Journal"
essays, poetry, journal writing, newspaper clippings
01/10 "Anne Aitken Poetry I"
poetry manuscripts, rejection letters from poetry magazines
01/11 "Anne Aitken Poetry II"
handwritten and typed poetry manuscripts
poetry notebooks
20 typed manuscripts to and from N. Teira of Palo Alto,
California
01/12 "Anne Aitken Poetry III"
more poetry, typed single sheets, some with annotations in
margins
01/13 "Anne Aitken Writings"
notes, prose manuscripts, jokes, dialogue, do and don't
lists, reflections on personal relationships
01/14 "Notebook: 'Nhat Hahn"
quotes and annotations from books with page numbers
ANNE AITKEN PAPERS
Series Title: Anne Aitken Personal Documents
Date Range: 1919 ≠1994; bulk are dated 1960-1994
Series Quantity: 1 cubic feet, in one 12" box
Arrangement Statement: Arranged alphabetically by subject, and thereunder chronologically.
Series Contents:
Consists primarily of Anne Aitken's correspondence with friends, relatives, and associates primarily in the form of hand written letters and cards. There is a considerable amount of correspondence from certain individuals including: Thomas (Tom) Aitkens (stepson), Bonte Durau, Catalina Ferrer, Wilma Keyes, Connie and David Hellyer (cousin), Lambert (Larry) Hopkins Jr. and Bobbie (brother & sister-in-law), Diane (Dee) Klingenstein (cousin), and Dorthea Shirai, to which individual folders have been devoted. Family correspondence includes correspondence from Anne's parents, siblings, and relatives. Non-family correspondence include letters relating to the zendo, holiday greetings, and notes of financial assistance. Some letters include drawings, photographs, and receipts for donations. Personal papers contain Anne's non-correspondence materials including documents relating to Anne's death: death certificates, autopsy reports from 1994, funeral program, and newsletters; employment applications with educational background and work experience; financial documents including stock reports and trust statements spanning from 1971-1981. Also includes a transcript of an interview with Anne on her thoughts on ageing.
ANNE AITKEN PAPERS
RECORDS CONTAINER LIST
Series Title: Anne Aitken Personal Documents
Box no./folder no. Contents
02/01 Anne Aitken Cards, 1929-1996
personal cards from family & friends (some addressed to Robert Aitken)
02/02 Anne Aitken Civil Service Documents
1943 job applications with the federal government
02/03 Anne Aitken Correspondence with Parents 1963-1989
mainly from Daddy (Lambert)
includes letters from father dated 1919 & 1929
02/04 Anne Aitken Correspondence from Family 1961-1964
typed & handwritten correspondence
02/05 Anne Aitken Correspondence from Family II 1964-1972
typed & handwritten correspondence
02/06 Anne Aitken Correspondence 1940-1950
photographs, non-family correspondence
02/07 Anne Aitken Correspondence I 1951-1960
non-family correspondence, photographs
02/08 Anne Aitken Correspondence II 1961-1965
non-family correspondence, photographs
02/09 Anne Aitken Correspondence III 1966-1970
non-family correspondence, some relating to the zendo
02/10 "Anne Aitken Correspondence IV" 1971-1975
non-family correspondence, photographs, cards photocopies, some relating to zendo, birthday, holiday correspondence
02/11 Anne Aitken Correspondence V 1976-1980
non-family correspondence, some relating to zendo, includes photographs and greeting cards
02/12 Anne Aitken Correspondence VI 1981-1985
non-family correspondence, includes photographs
02/13 Anne Aitken Correspondence VII 1986-1990
notes, non-family correspondence, photographs
02/14 Anne Aitken Correspondence VIII 1991-1994
non-family correspondence
02/15 Anne Aitken In Memoriam
1994 newsletters
autopsy records
death certificate, 3 certified copies issued June 15, 1994
funeral program
02/16 Anne Aitken Interview on Aging
manuscript interview 1993
02/17 Anne Aitken Personal Financial Information 1971-1981
stock reports, municipal bond reports, bank and trust statements majority of which from Wells Fargo Trust Division, letters from Thayer Hopkins regarding family stock holdings, financial analysis from Larry
stock information from 1959
02/18 Aitken, Thomas (Tom, Anne Aitken's stepson) 1958-1991
correspondence from Tom to Robert and Anne Aitken, some financial documents regarding personal loans to Tom
02/19 Durau, Bonte
correspondence, n.d.
02/20 "Ferrer, Catalina" 1989-1995
correspondence, some in Spanish
02/21 "Foster Parent Materials" 1985-1991
correspondence with Lopez, 1985-1986
correspondence with Diallo, 1985-1991
correspondence relating to foster parenting
02/22 "Keyes, Wilma" 1987-1992
correspondence
02/23 Hellyer, Connie and David, 1971-1980
correspondence mainly from Connie
02/24 "Hopkins, Larry" (Anne's brother)
correspondence 1963-1991
02/25 Hopkins, Lambert Jr. & Bobbie (Anne's brother & sister-
in-law)
correspondence mainly from Bobbie
02/26 Hopkins, Bobbie, 1990
correspondence containing religious and personal content
photocopied letters from Anne Aitken
photocopies of books
02/27 "Klingenstein, Dee" (Diane) (Anne's cousin), 1993
correspondence
02/28 "Shirai, Dorothea" n.d. 1979
correspondence from Dorothea, drawings, writings, poems