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Abigail Hopper Gibbons (1801-1893) was an important figure in many of the reform movements in the middle and late nineteenth century. Like her father, Isaac T. Hopper (1771-1852), "Abby" Gibbons was an ardent abolitionist and dedicated to prison reform. Of particular note is the correspondence sent and received by Abby Hopper Gibbons, including family letters and and related to her work to assist Union Soldiers during the Civil War. Also includes letters from Union soldiers, prominent Americans such as Theodore Roosevelt, Joseph Choate, and Lydia Maria Child, and correspondence reflecting Quaker family life and concerns.

Alice Whittier Jones (1873-1960) was a Quaker educator who spent much of her adult life in Israel and Palestine. She taught at the Girls' School at the Friends Ramallah Mission from 1906 to 1907, before becoming principal in 1907. Jones returned to the United States in 1914, and remained there through 1918, during which time the Ramallah School was closed because of World War I. In 1918, Jones volunteered with the Red Cross to go to Palestine and was put in charge of a large orphanage in Jerusalem. Jones, along with her friend Katie Gabriel, returned to Palestine in 1919, restored the badly damaged school, and resumed her position as principal of the school. 

Her diary entries discuss the history of the Friends School in Ramallah, Palestine, religious reflection and discussions concerning the divides between Muslims, Jews, and Christians in Palestine, and discussions concerning the politics within Palestine. Jones also provides descriptions of the children she teaches at the school.

Anne Dunkin Greene Bates (1885–1939) attended Bryn Mawr College from 1901 to 1903, before transferring to Barnard College. This collection primarily contains letters from Bates to her parents during her freshman and sophomore years at Bryn Mawr. Her letters describe College plays, sports, faculty, courses, and social activities.

The Association for the Care of Colored Orphans, also known as “The Shelter,” was founded in Philadelphia by Quaker women in 1822 to care for black orphans, both boys and girls, within a nurturing, home-like environment. In 1915, it relocated to Cheyney, Pa, adjoining the property of Cheyney Training School for Teachers (now Cheyney University) and became a home for girls, known variously as the Shelter for Colored Orphans and the Shelter for Colored Children. In 1965, its name was changed to “Friends Shelter for Girls,” and its mission evolved to serve as a home for teenaged girls, offering training and psychological support. It continued operation until 1981 when it ceased to function as a group home. It was succeeded by the Friends Association for the Care and Protection of Children which functioned as an emergency shelter.

Barclay White (1821-1906) was a birthright member of the Society of Friends and served as Clerk and Assistant Clerk for various Quaker meetings and committees starting in 1846. In 1871 President Grant appointed him to the position of Supervisor of Indian Affairs (Northern Superintendency) in which office he served until 1876. During this period he lived in Omaha, Nebraska. After this office was closed he was designated by the Convention of Delegates as Friends Special Indian Agent to periodically visit and inspect the reservations. In 1878 White returned to the East to live in Mt. Holly, New Jersey, until his death in 106 at age 86.

The collection comprises five bound volumes assembled by Barclay White titled Genealogy and Family History, “Collected by Barclay White.” White's autobiography begins on p. 251 of vol. 1. Each volume is indexed and illustrated with many tipped-in original photographs and drawings.

The Genealogy and Family History section in Volume 1 includes an index and genealogies of the families of Christopher White and William Smyth.

Barclay White's autobiography, beginning in Volume 1, includes detailed descriptions of his appointment in 1877 as Special Indian Agent of the Convention of Delegates of the Seven Yearly Meetings and his tenure as Superintendent of Indian Affairs under the Grant administration. Of particular interest is a very detailed history of his life in Nebraska and of the tribes with which he interacted including the Pawnees, Omahas, Winnebagoes, Santee Sioux, and others.