Lorence Munson Woodside papers, 1888-1953

Biography/History: 
Born in Hamilton County, Iowa, to Norwegian immigrant parents Sivert and Mesine Munson, she graduated from Highland Park Normal College in Des Moines in 1893 and later pursued studies at the University of Chicago and Boston University. She taught elocution at Buena Vista College in Storm Lake, Iowa, and briefly served as director of Physical Culture for the Iowa Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU).

From 1901 to 1927, she worked as a reader and occasionally a manager for the Redpath Lyceum, Eastern Lyceum, and the Chautauqua system. In 1909 she married Alonzo Woodside, a veteran of the Spanish-American War who also served in World War I and later became superintendent of the inquiry section at the Boston Post Office. Her interests extended beyond public speaking: she developed a cut-flower dahlia known as the “Mrs. Woodhouse” and devoted significant energy to community service. She held positions with the Massachusetts Food Administration (1918), the Advisory Council of Women at Massachusetts State College, Amherst (1926-1953), Boston Rental Housing (1951-1952), and numerous local organizations.

Her travels to Norway in 1906, 1913, and 1926 – her final visit as an honorary fellow of the American-Scandinavian Foundation – connected her with contemporary Norwegian writers. Among her most notable accomplishments were her translations of Sverre Brandt’s Sonja’s Search for the Christmas Star, produced by the New York Junior Players in December 1929, and Barbra Ring’s Peik, published by Little, Brown in Boston in 1932.

Scope and Content: 
This extensive collection covers all aspects of Woodside's impressive career as educator, public speaker, author, translator, civic leader, and gardener.