1845-1991; bulk: 1874-1937
Guide to the Collection
Restrictions on Access
The Joseph Lee papers are stored offsite and must be requested at least two business days in advance via Portal1791. Researchers needing more than six items from offsite storage should provide additional advance notice. If you have questions about requesting materials from offsite storage, please contact the reference desk at 617-646-0532 or reference@kionssdywfnkr.com.
Abstract
The collection consists of the papers of social worker and philanthropist Joseph Lee of Boston and Brookline, Mass., 1874-1937; and papers of related Lee and Colt family members, 1845-1991. Included are papers related to the various social and educational organizations Joseph Lee was involved with, most notably the Immigration Restriction League, Massachusetts Civic League, Playground and Recreation Association of America, Boston School Committee, War Camp Community Service, the Community Service of Boston, Inc., and Harvard University.
Biographical Sketch
Joseph Lee was born 8 March 1862 in Boston, Mass. He was the son of Henry Lee, a Boston banker, and Elizabeth Perkins Cabot Lee of Brookline, Mass. He prepared for college at the Nobles School in Boston and then attended Harvard and Harvard Law School, graduating in 1883 and 1887 respectively. Joseph Lee never practiced law, but as a social worker, author, and philanthropist, he sought to strengthen community life through playgrounds and play, eliminate social problems, and promote social legislation. He was often referred to as "the grandfather of play."
In 1897, Joseph Lee married Margaret Cabot, who was involved with the kindergarten movement and the work of German educator Friedrich Froebel. In Brookline, Mass., they raised four children: Margaret Lee (later Woodbury Southard), Susan Mary Lee, Joseph Lee, and Amy Lee (later Colt). Margaret Cabot Lee died in 1920, and in 1930 Joseph Lee remarried, this time to his secretary Marion Snow.
Joseph Lee was the founder and president of the Massachusetts Civic League, 1897-1937; an active officer in the Immigration Restriction League, 1905-1937; vice-president and president of the Playground and Recreation Association of America, 1906-1937; president of the National Recreation Association, 1910-1937; member of the Boston School Committee, 1909-1917; member of the Committee on Training Camp Activities, 1917-1919; president of the War Camp Community Service and its successor Community Service of Boston, Inc.; and an overseer of Harvard University, 1918-1921, 1928-1934.
Joseph Lee was the author of many articles and books on recreation, education, social work, economics, and democracy, including Constructive and Preventive Philanthropy (1902) and Play in Education (1916). He also published numerous newspaper columns, letters to the editor, and poems, some under the pseudonym Jocelyn.
In 1937, Joseph Lee died from pneumonia while at his family home in Cohasset, Mass. He was buried in the Walnut Hills Cemetery in Brookline, Mass. His social and philanthropic work was continued by his children, and for many years, Joseph Lee Day was celebrated across the country.
Collection Description
The collection consists of the papers of social worker and philanthropist Joseph Lee of Boston and Brookline, Mass., 1874-1937; and papers of related Lee and Colt family members, 1845-1991. The collection, housed in 49 record cartons, is organized into three series: I. Joseph Lee professional papers, II. Joseph Lee family papers, and III. Colt family papers.
The professional papers include letters, drafts of books and articles, clippings, printed matter, and research notes from the various social and educational organizations Joseph Lee was involved with, most notably the Immigration Restriction League (concerning the campaign for a literacy test for voters and immigrants), Massachusetts Civic League, Playground and Recreation Association of America, Boston School Committee, War Camp Community Service, the Community Service of Boston, Inc., and Harvard University. The professional papers also include subject files organized by Joseph Lee documenting his interest in various social issues used for his writings.
Personal papers of Joseph Lee and Lee family papers include Joseph Lee's correspondence with his family and friends, including his first and second wives, Margaret Cabot and Marion Snow Lee; parents Henry and Elizabeth Perkins Lee; siblings Elliot Cabot and George Lee and Elizabeth Lee Shattuck; and children Susan, Margaret, and Joseph Lee, Jr. Personal papers also include diaries; fictional writings; personal financial information; genealogical information gathered by Joseph Lee and other family members; and correspondence, writing, and research by other Lee family members.
Colt family papers consist of correspondence between Joseph Lee's daughter Amy Lee and her husband Charles "Chis" Cary Colt and correspondence between other Colt family members, 1901-1991. Correspondents include Timothy Pickering, Patrick Tracy, Charles C. Colt, Jr., Margaret Cabot, Sylvia, and Joseph Lee Colt.
Acquisition Information
The bulk of Joseph Lee's professional papers were given to the Massachusetts Historical Society in September 1982 by his daughter Susan Mary Lee through his grandchildren Amy Domini Kinder and Peter Kinder of Cambridge, Mass. Joseph Lee's personal and family papers, along with some additional professional papers, were donated by Amy Domini Kinder in November 1996, and the Colt family papers were donated by Susan Colt Doolittle, March 1997. The diary/commonplace-book of Amy Lee Colt was given to the Massachusetts Historical Society by Susan Colt Doolittle in March 2011.
Restrictions on Access
The Joseph Lee papers are stored offsite and must be requested at least two business days in advance via Portal1791. Researchers needing more than six items from offsite storage should provide additional advance notice. If you have questions about requesting materials from offsite storage, please contact the reference desk at 617-646-0532 or reference@kionssdywfnkr.com.
Detailed Description of the Collection
I. Joseph Lee professional papers, 1874-1937
A. Immigration Restriction League, 1874-1937
This subseries contains records of the Immigration Restriction League kept by Joseph Lee in his capacity as officer and member. The bulk of the materials consist of correspondence regarding daily activities of the organization, publications by the Immigration Restriction League such as annual reports and bulletins, and publications related to or about the Immigration Restriction League. The subseries also includes writings by Joseph Lee about immigration.
Immigration Restriction League publications
Related publications
B. Massachusetts Civic League, 1891-1936
This subseries contains records of the Massachusetts Civic League kept by Joseph Lee, who was the founder and president of the organization, and includes correspondence regarding daily activities of the organization; committee records related to specific social issues such as child welfare, housing, and public service; records of the Citizen's Calendar distributed by the Massachusetts Civic League; and questions and responses to a social services survey conducted in various Massachusetts towns in 1901. The subseries also includes writings by Joseph Lee and printed material.
Committees
Citizens Calendar
Social Services Survey
Subject files
Writings
C. Playground and Recreation Association of America, 1888-1962
This subseries contains records of the Playground and Recreation Association of America (later the National Recreation Association) kept by Joseph Lee while serving as vice-president and president and includes correspondence, meeting minutes, financial records, writings by Joseph Lee related to playgrounds and play, scrapbooks related to the Columbus Avenue playground, printed material, and subject files related to fundraising, the Community Chest, playgrounds, and events.
Subject files, 1904-1935
Writings
Printed material
Scrapbooks
D. Boston School Committee, 1897-1934
This subseries consists of records of the Boston School Committee kept by Joseph Lee as a member of the Board of Education and includes correspondence, subject files, and printed material. The subject files, arranged alphabetically, contain records on elections, hygiene, corporal punishment, open-air rooms, teacher salaries, and other topics addressed by the Boston School Committee during Joseph Lee's tenure.
Subject files
Printed material
E. War Camp Community Service, 1901-1935
This subseries consists of records of the War Camp Community Service, which was formed during World War I as an affiliate of the National Recreation Association to provide recreation for soldiers waiting to go overseas and returning from the war. Joseph Lee was the founder and president. The subseries includes correspondence, meeting minutes, and subject files related to demobilization, finances, music, war camps, and the United War Work Campaign, among other subjects.
Subject files
Printed material
F. Community Service of Boston, Inc., 1914-1936
This subseries consists of records of the Community Service of Boston, Inc. (a successor to the War Camp Community Service) kept by president Joseph Lee. The subseries includes correspondence, meeting minutes, subject files, and printed material. The subject files, which are arranged alphabetically, include records of events, committees, music festivals, model boats, and other topics, as well as the writings of Joseph Lee.
Subject files
G. Causes: General subject files, 1876-1937
This subseries contains records maintained by Joseph Lee for research and reference to various social causes. An example of some of the causes represented in the subject files include: birth control, democracy, economics, education, Harvard University, the New England Watch and Ward Society, and Leo Tolstoy, among many others. Many of the subject files contain drafts and research notes of writings by Joseph Lee.
II. Joseph Lee family papers, 1845-1980
A. Joseph Lee personal papers, 1872-1939
This subseries contains the personal papers of Joseph Lee, including correspondence with his first wife Margaret Cabot Lee; parents Elizabeth Perkins Lee and Henry Lee; siblings Elliot Cabot Lee, George Lee, and Elizabeth (Bessie) Lee Shattuck; and other family members and friends. The series also contains diaries and date books, fiction writing and poetry, artwork, and personal financial records. Of note are letters sent by Joseph Lee to his family while traveling in Europe, 1883-1884, and Russia in 1889 to visit Leo Tolstoy. This subseries also includes genealogical papers and writings collected by Joseph Lee on the Lee family, papers related to property owned by Joseph Lee, and records of donations to various organizations.
i. Correspondence
iii. Writings
iv. Miscellaneous
v. Financial records
B. Lee family papers, 1845-1980
This subseries consists of correspondence, writings, and research of various members of the Lee family, including Joseph Lee's mother Elizabeth Perkins Lee, father Henry Lee, daughters Margaret Cabot Lee Southard and Susan M. Lee, son Joseph Lee, Jr. and Joseph Lee's second wife Marion Snow Lee. This subseries also includes papers collected by Joseph Lee's children on his career and events commemorating his life, as well as Lee family genealogy.
i. Elizabeth Perkins Lee
ii. Henry Lee
iii. Margaret Cabot Lee
iv. Susan M. Lee
v. Joseph Lee, Jr.
III. Colt family papers, 1903-1991
Joseph Lee's daughter Amy Lee married Charles "Chis" Cary Colt in 1923, and this series contains correspondence between Amy, Chis, and other Colt family members, including letters sent between Amy and Chis during World War II; correspondence among Amy, Chis, and their children Timothy Pickering, Patrick Tracy, Charles C., Jr. Margaret Cabot, Sylvia, and Joseph Lee Colt; and correspondence among Amy, Chis, and his parents.
This volume contains writings of Amy Lee (later Colt) as a young woman, including poetry and stories, diary entries, and Lee's thoughts on miscellaneous subjects such as "Boys I have partially fallen for in the past," "People you meet in the street," "What I want to be," and "If I ran society." Included are detailed descriptions of many of Lee's friends, as well as entries about her religious feelings, the illness and death of her mother Margaret Cabot Lee in 1920, her engagement and marriage to Charles Colt, and the birth of her son Charles Colt, Jr.
Photographs Removed from the Collection
Photographs from this collection have been removed to the MHS Photo Archives.
Preferred Citation
Joseph Lee papers, Massachusetts Historical Society.
Access Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in ABIGAIL, the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should search the catalog using these headings.