Finding Aid: MS 505 - Edgar M. Robinson Papers

This collection documents the career of Edgar M. Robinson. Robinson was active in the establishment of the Boys Scouts of America, the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), and the High School YMCA (HI-Y) in the United States throughout the first half of the twentieth century. Robinson also spent a large portion of his career at Springfield College, establishing its Freshman Camp and teaching many of the ideas of the Boy Scouts of America and the YMCA to students at Springfield College. Most of the materials found in this collection pertain directly to Robinson’s work with these organizations and/or with specific individuals within them. The collection includes handwritten and typed research notes which, presumably, correspond to Robinson’s manuscripts, and it also contains correspondence between Robinson and various men like Ernest T. Seton, Robert Baden-Powell, Daniel C. Beard, Charles B. Horton, and Gordon L. Foster. In addition to his active role in the YMCA and Boys Scouts of America, Robinson was also interested in researching and recording these organizations’ histories. From this research, Robinson compiled three manuscripts, which are included in the collection: “Early Years of the YMCA’s Work with Boys,” “Recollections of the Early Days of the Boys Scouts of America,” and one about his friend and colleague Ernest T. Seton entitled "Ernest Thompson Seton: An Unforgettable Personality.” A large portion of the YMCA and of the Boy Scouts of America series comprises Robinson’s notes and research for these manuscripts. Many of Robinson’s personal handwritten and typed notes are undated. Presumably, they predate his manuscripts, and there is some evidence from the recycled papers on which Robinson wrote that some of the notes and research were written after October 1929. Robinson’s extensive work at Springfield College is represented within this collection. Robinson is responsible for the implementation of the College’s first Freshman Camp in 1930, an event which is still held annually for incoming freshmen at the College’s East Campus (today’s Outdoor Pursuits program). Much of Robinson’s work is documented in camp reports, budget proposals, and photographs. Robinson also played a large part in the building of Pukwana Lodge and the Pueblo of the Seven Fires at East Campus. There is significant correspondence with builders and contractors, budgets, blueprints, sketches, and photographs of the construction of the two camp buildings. Many of these first designs and sketches for the Pueblo of the Seven Fires were created by Ernest T. Seton, and Native American artist Wo Peen (Louis Gonzales) also created some of the artwork within the Pueblo. Information about Robinson’s personal life can be found in his correspondence and in articles from newspapers, bulletins, and memorial notices.For biographical information on Edgar M. Robinson, see: https://springfield.as.atlas-sys.com/agents/people/554