Finding aid for the Dorothy Elizabeth Walker and Oviatt family papers

Biography of Dorothy Elizabeth Walker and the Oviatt family

Longtime Hudson resident Dorothy Elizabeth "Libby" Walker (1918-2004) was best known for her work on behalf of female students while a dean at Case Western Reserve University for forty years.

Libby was born on January 25, 1918, to Lida M. Oviatt (1890-1960) and Vernon Walker (b.1884). She was a descendant of the Oviatt family, one of the original families to settle Hudson, Ohio.

The Oviatts were one of the original pioneer families of Hudson, Ohio. Benjamin Oviatt (1755-1854), along with David Hudson and four others, was one of the original business owners of the rights to the land designated Range 10, Town 4, what would become Hudson. Although Benjamin Oviatt never set foot in Hudson himself, many members of his family settled in Hudson and help develop the new town. This collection pertains to the Samuel Oviatt (1741-1818) branch of the Oviatt family. Samuel was Benjamin Oviatt's brother. The first member of the Samuel Oviatt branch that can be said to have actually lived in Hudson is Samuel's grandson John (1767-1827). The bulk of the papers in this collection pertain to Samuel's great grandson Homer Oviatt (1802-1882) and his descendants. Dorothy Elizabeth "Libby" Walker is Homer's great great granddaughter. Libby was born and lived in 33 Division Street in Hudson, a home that Libby's great-grandmother Charity Norton Oviatt purchased from the original builder in 1904. The home remained in the Oviatt family since that time and Libby herself owned the home until she passed away in 2004.

Libby excelled at academics, graduating first in her class at Hudson High School in 1935, and graduating magna cum laude from the Flora Stone Mather College, the former women's college of Case Western Reserve University. She went on to Radcliffe College, receiving her A.M. in Classics and remained in Massachusetts teaching Latin at Derby Academy in Hingham for three years. Due to a family illness, she returned to Hudson in 1943 and soon was offered a position as Director of Admissions at Western Reserve University, where she remained for 40 years.

She served in several positions at the University, including Director of Admission, Freshman Dean, Dean of Women, and Dean of Students. In each position, she worked tirelessly and passionately on behalf of her students, especially women. In 1968, she persuaded the administration to establish a contraceptive clinic on campus. As Dean of Women and Dean of Students, she was in charge of women's dormitories and helped plan some of the new buildings. During that time she also recognized the changing needs and social spheres of women and petitioned the administration to allow coed housing on campus, a position that was revolutionary (and controversial) at the time as only a few colleges in the country were allowing coed dormitories. Libby felt that students could be trusted and that such an arrangement would promote friendship between males and females. In 1968, due to Libby's efforts, Mather House became the first coed dormitory at Case. In a December 9, 1987, Hudson Hub-Times interview, Libby Walker stated "she was glad to have been a pioneer in co-ed housing on campuses."

After her retirement in 1983, Libby became an active member of the Hudson community. She served on the Architectural and Historical Board of Review and the Board of Hudson Heritage. She also continued her work on behalf of women as a member of the National Association of Women Deans and Counselors and the Ohio Association of Women Deans and Counselors. She was on the Vestry of Christ Church Episcopal and also served as president of Episcopal Church Women. She also served on the board of St. John's Home in Painesville, a home for troubled girls. Libby's legacy will continue to live on at Case Western Reserve and in the town of Hudson. Friends and alumni established The Elizabeth Walker Scholarship upon her retirement, which awards a scholarship to a student with financial needs. She wanted to support needy students because she relied upon scholarships to attend Mather and Radcliffe. The personal papers of Elizabeth Walker and the Oviatt family are available at the Hudson Library & Historical Society.

Sources: "Elizabeth Walker, championed rights of women students while dean at Case" by Wally Guenther, Cleveland Plain Dealer; House Report: 33 Division Street, HLHS; Elizabeth Walker papers, HLHS; "'A sense of equilibrium'", Hudson Hub Times, December 9, 1987; "I remember Hudson," Hudson Life, Nov. 1, 1999; Case Western Reserve website

Abbreviated family tree: Samuel Oviatt, Jr. (1722-1804) -Benjamin Oviatt (1755-1832) -Samuel Oviatt (1741-1818) --John Oviatt (1767-1827) --Homer Oviatt (1802-1882) ----Miles Oviatt (1840-1903) m. Charity Norton (1835-1908) -----William H. Oviatt (1865-1947) m. Mary (May) Leach (1868-1926) ------Lida M. Oviatt (1890-1960) m. Vernon C. Walker (b. 1884) -------Dorothy Elizabeth Walker (1918-2004)

Scope and Content

The collection consists of personal papers of Dorothy Elizabeth ("Libby") Walker and papers of the Samuel Oviatt (1741-1818) branch of the Oviatt family. Libby Walker maintained the papers of her family and therefore the collection has been preserved as one larger collection encompassing her personal materials and the Oviatt family.

The Libby Walker materials include some biographical materials (various newspaper articles about Libby) and photographs of Libby. Her papers also include an application and notes for the Hudson First Families organization to establish that she is a descendant of the original pioneer families of Hudson. Also included are several folders of materials for the Hudson Heritage Association application for a historic marker to 33 Division Street. Blueprints, notes, and a draft of the application are included. Libby's papers also include a set of index cards with notes about Arthur Waite, a former mayor of Hudson. The index cards were used possibly for some kind of research project about Waite.

The Oviatt family materials encompass a wide variety of materials and include materials of several generations of the Oviatt family, including Libby's parents (Lida Oviatt and Vernon Walker), her grandparents (William H. Oviatt and May Leach), her great-grandparents (Miles Oviatt and Charity Norton) and a few materials of her great-great grandparents (Homer Oviatt and Charlotte Darrow). Eunice Oviatt, a great-great-great grandmother appears on a deed.

The collection includes several autograph books, one belonging to May Leach and another attributed to "Emma," an unknown niece of Charity Oviatt. Charity Oviatt's diary of 1865 is also part of the collection, which includes almost-daily brief observations of her life and experiences in Hudson. A bulk of the collection consists of various deeds and other real estate documents of the Oviatt family. Vital documents include a birth certificate for Libby Walker, a marriage license for Miles Oviatt and Charity Norton (dated 1864) and a marriage license for Sherman Leach and Clara Brennan. Postcards written primarily to May Oviatt (from S.H. Leach) are also included. Other materials include death and burial information for Miles Oviatt, miscellaneous receipts and promissory notes, property tax receipts, a handwritten recipe book, and Valentine's cards. The collection also includes a set of five historic photographs, including group photographs of the a Macedonia baseball team, the Hudson Band, and a group of men in front of a railroad engine. Another group of working men and a family group (possibly identified as W.H. Oviatt and family) is also included.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Use

The collection is open for research use.

Restrictions on Access

The collection is open for research use.

Researchers interested in the history of the Oviatt home on 33 Division Street in Hudson should consult the house report, a copy is available at the Hudson Library & Historical Society. The Historical Society also owns the Heman Oviatt (1775-1854) family papers, another branch of the Oviatt family.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

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Preferred Citation

[Box number, Folder number], Dorothy Elizabeth Walker and Oviatt family papers, Hudson Library & Historical Society, Hudson, Ohio

Acquisition Information

The collection was donated in 2011 by Pat Kilpatrick as part of the Libby Walker estate.

Processing Information

The collection was processed by Polly Reynolds in August 2012.

Detailed Description of The Collection