Papers of Mary Irene Anderson (b 1920)

Small collection of papers relating to the work of Mary Irene Anderson at the Aburi Girls' Secondary School, Ghana, including a typescript copy of a school log book kept by her predecessors, 1920-1953; typescript accounts of events, 1954-1961; and correspondence relating to the expulsion of non-Ghanaian teachers, 1969-1970.

Mary Irene Anderson (more generally known by her middle name of Irene) was born in Scotland and was educated at the Girls' High School in Doncaster and Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, where she studied geography, graduating in 1941. She worked as Geography Mistress at Kirkby Stephen Grammar school, Westmorland, 1941-1944. Wishing to work as a missionary, Miss Anderson then underwent two years of training at the Church of Scotland Women's Missionary College in Edinburgh from 1944-1946, followed by a short period running the Church of Scotland Club for Fishergirls, until December 1947. In March 1948 she then moved to the Gold Coast and took a post as Geography Mistress at Achimota School, remaining there until 1953 when she was appointed Headmistress of the Aburi Girls' Secondary School, a Scottish Mission Girls' School, where she stayed until her retirement in 1970.

Open

Open, subject to signature of Reader Application Form.

These papers were delivered by Nicolas Hawkes in March 2000. He had obtained them as a result of an oral history interview conducted with Miss Anderson.

Electronic and paper catalogues.

A reader wishing to publish any quotation of information, including pictorial, derived from any archive material must apply in writing for prior permission from the Archivist or other appropriate person(s) as indicated by the Archivist. A limited number of photocopies may be supplied at the discretion of the Archivist.

Further material relating to Mary Irene Anderson is held at Rhodes House, Oxford. An interview with Mary Irene Anderson is held as part of the British Empire and Commonwealth Museum collections at Bristol Archives.