Sells, Cato

Student file of Sarah Williams, a member of the Chippewa Nation, who entered the school on August 8, 1889 and ultimately departed on March 6, 1899. The student did not attend the school continuously, but left and reentered. The file contains student information cards, a former student response postcard, a returned student survey, correspondence…

Student file of Sadie Ingalls, a member of the Sac & Fox Nation, who entered the school on September 9, 1906 and ultimately departed on September 3, 1913. The student did not attend the school continuously, but left and reentered. The file contains student information cards, applications for enrollment, a medical/physical record, a former…

Student file of Charles A. Peters, a member of the Mashpee Nation, who entered the school on February 15, 1910 and departed on January 20, 1914. The file contains a student information card, outing records, an application for enrollment, a trade/position record card, and correspondence related to Peters' initial and continued enrollment at…

Student file of Max La Chapelle, a member of the Sioux Nation, who entered the school on January 18, 1913, graduated in 1917, and departed on February 21, 1918. The file contains a student information card, progress/conduct reports, correspondence, applications for enrollment, an outing record, medical/physical records, outing reports, a…

Student file of Cora James, a member of the Choctaw Nation, who entered the school on May 18, 1917 and departed June 11, 1917. The file contains student information cards, an application for enrollment, financial transactions, and correspondence about her enrollment in and departure from the school.

Personnel file of John Francis Jr., who served as Superintendent of the Carlisle Indian School from April 1, 1917 to July 2, 1918. The file includes information from Francis' previous positions within the Civil Service, including as Clerk in the Permanent Census Bureau, Clerk in the Office of the Secretary of the Department of the Interior,…

This folder contains documents related to Charles E. Dagenett's time in the Indian Service as Supervisor of Indian Employment. Dagenett enrolled at Carlisle in 1887 and graduated in 1891. Though he did work on and off in the Service in the 1891-1905 period, this folder only covers Dagenett's employment from 1905 onwards, (see his Service Record…

Materials related to the disposition of funds of the Carlisle Indian School Athletic Association following an investigation by E. B. Linnen. Contains the Constitution and By-Laws of the Association for the year 1908, correspondence regarding how to handle money moving forward, a resolution updating the by-laws, as well as other financial…

Howard Fremont Stratton, Director of the Art Department at the School of Industrial Art of the Pennsylvania Museum, asks Commissioner of Indian Affairs Cato Sells why the Bureau of Indian Affairs does not pay the living expenses of Indian students, many of whom formerly attended Carlisle, accepted to his school. Stratton also forwards Sells an…

This folder contains documents related to James Riley Wheelock's employment and applications for employment in the Indian Service. It covers the second period of his employment at the Sherman Institute, Carlisle Indian School, and Genoa Indian School from 1914-1920. Then it touches on Wheelock's repeated attempts to be reinstated as a band…

Including documents from Siceni J. Nori's time employed as a clerk at Carlisle, this service file was compiled at the Office of Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C. It comprises mostly of correspondence and official evaluations like efficiency reports. 

The folder has been split into two PDFs. The first PDF primarily covers the…

This folder includes documents related to Stauffer's time working at Carlisle as the school musical director or band leader. Two thirds of the material relate to how Stauffer left the school. Having been suspended after the 1914 investigation into the school, Stauffer was not formally fired, but his job position was abolished. The other third…

Personnel file of Wallace Denny, who served as Assistant Disciplinarian of the Carlisle Indian School from sometime before 1910 until 1918. Denny was a member of Carlisle's class of 1906, and was married to Nellie Robertson Denny.

The file contains quarterly employee reports, letters of resignation, complaints from students, a photograph…

This folder covers a portion of Lida Johnston's time in the Indian Service. Having started her work in the Service at Fort Totten School, she transferred to Carlisle in 1907 as a teacher. From 1912-1918 she was the outing agent for young women. When the school closed she was a clerk in the Office of Indian Affairs. As part of that role she was…

This folder includes a few letters related to whether or not Dennison Wheelock was a government employee. 

One pair of letters from 1910 is between Wheelock and staff of the Office of Indian Affairs. Wheelock asks to be appointed as the "Supervisor of Indian Land Sales." In his reply, the Second Assistant Commissioner of Indian…

These materials include correspondence, a list of supplies, and a survey regarding unserviceable property at the Carlisle Indian School. Some of the condemned materials were approved for sale on the open market.

At Carlisle, David Dickey served as the Outing Agent for male students between 1911 and 1918.

Most of this folder is made up of efficiency reports about Dickey's work performance. There are also small groups of letters regarding Dickey's request to live permanently in Newton, PA and negotiations about his salary.

The parts of the…

These materials include correspondence regarding requests for Henry P. Sutton to enter the Carlisle Indian School in order to take a commercial course. Sutton was initially due to his physical health but was later enrolled after paying his own transportation to the school.

These materials include correspondence, a supplies list, and a survey of unserviceable materials at the Carlisle Indian School. Some of the condemned materials were approved for sale on the open market.

These materials include correspondence regarding the Alumni Association of the Carlisle Indian School including its new constitution, a new building in Carlisle, and other news.

These materials include correspondence discussing appropriate requirements for enrollment in government-funded Indian schools. Carlisle's superintendent, Oscar H. Lipps, argues that Carlisle should focus on educating only those Native American children who do not have the financial means or access to education at their homes. Lipps further…

Anna H. Ridenour worked as matron at Carlisle from January of 1912 until her resignation in late May of 1914. She started work in the Indian Service in 1897.

This folder includes document related to her time employed at Carlisle. Arranged in reverse chronological order, the documents cover her resignation, the charges levelled against her…

Commissioner of Indian Affairs Cato Sells writes a lengthy letter to G. McM. Ross in which he thoroughly disagrees with Ross' claim that Carlisle Indian School students should be paid for their labor, reasoning that the government pays for their lodging, food, and education, that students can earn money on outing, and that their labor at the…

Edward McKean served briefly as disciplinarian at Carlisle from April 16, 1913 until June 17, 1914. This post includes selections from his employee paperwork collected by the Bureau of Indian Affairs while he worked in the Indian Service. 

These selections include paperwork about McKean's transfer to and from Carlisle and his job…

These materials include correspondence regarding a request to enroll Milford Henderson at the Carlisle Indian School. Henderson was initially denied admittance to the School due to his proximity to attend a local public school. However, upon learning that his mother was moving to Wisconsin and due to the interceding of the Governor of Utah and…