Professor Mary

Hussey,
Semitic Linguist
Mt Holyoke Expert Wrote
Widely on Sumerians.
South lladley. Mass. June 21, 1952 (AP)
Miss Mary I. Hussey,
seventy-six, professor emeritus of
religion at Mt Holyoke College
and an accomplished linguist,
died Friday while attending the
annual meeting of the New
England society of Friends in
Andover.
Amongthe languages she
knew were Hebrew, Arabic,
Assyrian, Babylonian, Sumerian,
Ethiopian, and Egyptian. During
her long career, she had worked
in the near and Middle East and
in the Orient excavating
translating and solving problems
of pre-historic archeology.
Among her publications
were books and articles on the
Sumerian tablets in the Harvard
Semitic Museum, studies of
Babylonian life and art and
works of comparative religion.
Miss Hussey was bom in
New Vienna, Ohio, graduated
from Earlham College at
Richmond, Indiana, and received
a Ph. D. Degree at Bryn Mawr.
She also studied at the University
of Pennsylvania, The University
of Berlin, and the University of
Leipsig, where she was the first
woman to study Semitic
languages.
She taught at Wellesley
College, and was on the staff of
the Harvard Semitic Museum
before Joining the Mt. Holyoke
facility in 1913.
Mary is survived by one
nephew, Allan Hussey, of
jII
m-\
Mary Inda Hussey 1876-1952
Florham Park. New Jersey. He
being the son of her brother,
i lomer Fail Hus.sey.
Roberi Hussey: ""Source of info
on Mary Hussey was my 3'"'
cousin. David A. Haskell. ol
Massachusells. whose great-
grandraliter. Joseph 1lussey. was
a brother oi" my greal-grand-
talher. Joshua Hussey."
David Hussey: '"In South i iadley.
Mary lived near the campus in a
small cozy, one-floor house - one
could call it a cottage - on
Morgan Road. 1visited her there
about May 1949. 1 remember
that the walls were lined with
books and that she smoked
cigarettes in a long ivory holder."
David Hussey recently
retired Professor from Mt.
Ilolyoke College, South 1iadley,
MA.
The Clinton Chronicle. Ohio Volume XI Issue 2 April 2()()()
Robert HUSSEY
Robert A. HUSSEY, 76, ofLeesburg, OH,
died Wednesday morning March 1, 2000, at
Clinton Memorial Hospital. He is survived by his
wife, Ruth Haines HUSSEY. They were married
on April 10, 1946.
Mr. HUSSEY was born near Blanchester,
Ohio on December 14, 1923, son of Hugh D. and
Pearl CLARK HUSSEY.
He was a long-time member of the
Highland Friends Church inHighland, a member of
the Clinton County Farm Bureau, the Clinton
County RetiredTeachersAssociation, theSouthern
Ohio Genealogy Society, the Clinton County
Genealogy Society and the Society of
Manufacturing Engineers.
Bob graduated from Sabina High School
in 1941 and served in World War 11 as a Staff
Sergeant in Battery C, 383*^^ Field Artillery
Battalion, 103"* Infantry Division in European
combat. He was awarded the Bronze Star for
nleritorious service to the United States Army in
France.
Bob graduated from Wilmington College
witha Bachelor's degree in Industrial Educationin
USSN 1060-4510
The Clinton County Historical Society
Clinton Co. Gen. Soc. The Clinton Chronicle
P.O. Box 529
Wilmington, OH45177-0529
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED
DOROTHY J CARTER
5607 S CIH-COL RD
WAYNESVILLE OH 45068
1949. He also received a Master's degree in
Education in 1968. Bob taught briefly at
Wilmington College. He helped to develop the
Montgomery County Vocational School and
initiated the Aviation Programthere. In 1973 he
became the Assistant Director for the Laurel Oaks
Career Development Center in Wilmington. Later
he worked for Cincinnati Milacron as a design
checker. During a great partofthis time, hefarmed
his wife's family farm near Leesburg.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by
four children, Marian (Phillip) HOWARD, of
Dayton; Robert (Margaret) HUSSEY, of Troy;
Janet (David) BOWMAN, of Greer, SC; and Joy
(John) SETTLEMYRE, of Wilmington.
Bob was an avid genealogist. He was
proud to be President of the Clinton County
Historical Society at the time when the Rombach
Avenue building waspurchased. Hewasservingas
a Trustee for the Clinton County Historical
Society. Inlieu of flowers, memorial contributions
may be made to the Clinton County Historical
Society Building Fund or to the Highland Friends
Church.
Bob was an active memberofour Society.
Our deepest sympathy isextended to Ruth andher
family.
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
Wilmington, Ohio
45177
PERMIT NO. 43
Mary Inda Hussey
1876-1952
Moiinl llolyokc luis lost another of the
crninent women who have made itsname sowidely
known inthe world of scholarship, onthis occasion
an authority on cuneiform languages.
At the lime of her sudden death on June
21, 1952, Professor limeritus Mary Inda Hussey
had just about completed her work on a group of
Akkadian tablets belonging to Yale's Babylonian
collection. Thc.sc texts, dating between 2000 and
3000 BC, will bepublished by Vale University, as
previously planned, her final contribution to
scholarship. Whether the case book on primitive
religions, which was tohave been her next piece of
works and for which much material had been
gathered, will ever sec light depends upon whether
any of her students can go on with her work. The
material is at hand in Williston library.
Before she joined the Mount Holyoke
faculty. Miss Hussey, thena memberofthestaffof
the Harvard Semitic Museum, had published on
some of Harvard's Sumerian tablets. I have been
told that at that time shewasoneof three people in
this country able todecipherancient Sumerian. But
during the years of her active service in the Mount
Holyoke Department of Religion, 1913-1941, she
laid aside her highly socialized work and devoted
herself to her .students and her courses in Bible and
in comparative and primitive religions. The
scholar's need for firsthand knowledge led to
extensive travels in India, China, Japan, Korea,
Arabia, and Egypt where she studied the great
religions in their ownsettings.
The first woman to be appointed to the
annual professorship at the American School of
Oriental Research inJeru.salem, she brought back
from that year knowledge of Bible lands 'that
illuminated her courses in biblical literature and
history. Another year she spent in our own
Southwc.st, driving herself from Indian reservation
to Indian reservation, studying those civilizations
native to our country and making, as she always
did, friends among the very people she was
studying. Some ofus remember on ofher American
Indian friends and a nicmorable evening in New
York where sheexeculed a ritual sandpainting for
her students. Perhaps the secret of her ability to
make friends of people of other races and religions
was her real respect for them. There was never any
patronage inher attitude. Sherespected, and taught
her students to respect, all honest .seeking for
religious truth, however strange its manifestations
might be.
Another aspect of her teaching might be
described by a popular term which I am sure she
never used - visual education. Her students had
ample opportunity to learn by looking. Her house
was filled with most carefully, selected treasures
from the various lands in which she had traveled,
images of Egyptian deities rubbed shoulders with
Buddhas, Chinese local deities, those of North
American Indians, and many others on the
mantelpieces, and on the top of a long bookca.se.
Furniture, textiles, and pictures all rcfiectcd her
travels. A beautiful Korean chest was filled with
art treasures. In a Willistoon .seminar room there is
a Japanese shrine to the ricedeity, a gift from Miss
Hussey to the College.
Research, teaching, and travel, however,
by no means filled the wholeof her life. A Quaker
by conviction, as well as by birthright, she was
deeply interested in certain Quaker concerns,
especially in efforts to forward disarmament
proposals, to further international good will, and to
help in the relief program of the American Friends
Service Committee. The small Students Friends
Meeting has for many years heldits weekly hour of
quiet worship in her home. It was .she, who in
1938, first proposed that Mount Holyo;|ce open its
doors to students whocouldno longer go to college
in their own totalitarian countries, a proposal
which resulted in Mount Holyoke's program for
refugee students and in a succession ofable women
who have brought honor to the College.
At the service for Miss Hussey held in the
small college chapel on June 25, her colleagues,
neighbors and former students Joined in paying
respect to a distinguished .scholar, a devoted
teacher and a generous, understanding friend.
By: Ilelcn Griffith, Professor Ijncritus of English,
Mount Ilolyoke College, South Hadley, MA.
Submitted bv Robert HUSSEY
.38
I he Clinton (3ironicle, Ohio Volume XI Issue 2 April 20()()
Kdiieation Committee Notes
p Ry Sue IJlerj Ash
QuffVs Why You .should slill .sond Ihcm to
lU'wslchAT.s and take time to read the new.sletter.s!
Many nl llW leading maga/ines on (icncalogy &
I ainily re.scandi are now di.scontiiuiirig the nuery
colninns in thciK magazines, ciiic to Internel (,)uery
lloaitis, and I'ori^s. Tliis is great lor those with
computers and InterWt service, we can post on many
lioards that are quickl^een by all on line resetirchcrs.
However, we must rcmeirVber there are many folks that
do not have orwill never nHye computers.
The Cienealogy and Historic^societies across the
country and manyaround the worfd, publish wonderful
rc.seareh information of their areak. They all carry a
query a)lumn or page for our queries.N^carly every one
of these publications is archived by\he Ft Wayne
Indiana Library. These archived inde.^s known as
IM!USI are used by researchers world widV You may
not hear from someone right away, but nuuiy of us
have made connections from our information^dng in
the newsletters and later seen in this PI"I<.S1 index.
We welcome your queries. Remember when piacinV a
query with any newsletter, to include your namt
address,and zipcode onthe same paper. 1oooflen the.
query sheets gel "lost" if the address and name are n^t
printed on the same paper. If you choo.se to ine^^jde
your telephone and your e-mail address we will/print
them too.
What makes a good query?
Keep it within 50 to 60 words if possibly. Ciive the
name, date or lime frame, ItKation (town/hip, county,
state, country). Capitalize all letters in tl^: SURNAME.
.Study a few queries if you have n/ver placed one.
Which ones catch your eye? Whicp ones doyou pa.ss
right over? Too many details at on/c are usually pa.ssed
over. Also, long li.stings of only surnames arc ollen
pa.ssed over.
II you have posted querieywhich would be vital to
folks hunting you, and yo^have changed addresses or
have newinformation, besure to post that information.
Weare a mobile.society. Since the Post OlViee doesnot
forward mail alter one year from the date of changeof
an adilress, we can get "lost" again.
Are ymi iipdaliiig your u(ldre.s.s and informat ion left
in those libraries you vi.silvd ona previoii.s lri(?
Iry l<i send iheiu a new address. Our fatnily surely
knows this IS iiiiporiant no matter how long ago you
left the iiilormaiiou. Iwcniy years can go hy and
sudden!) a cousin ileeides tt) look for the family they
didn I know We let) a .l.xVindex card with only our
name, address, and the s^name wc had inforniation
on. in die little liomeloyn library. Sixteen years later,
iny lalligr s Ursi eousinMbund us using that card. I harl
rcmemlxhed to upd;ue it when we madea move. My
father only lived llyce years after the cousin found us,
but what wonderful times they had together in that
.shortdime Ihe/visited us in our home, we attended
a large family i/union, we visited them in their home,
besides many/eliers, photos, and telephone calls. Our
cousin cont/uies to be in touch with many of her
father's si^ of the family. We are all treasuring this
"homcermiing."
Arc wu reading the newsletters??
We^xehangc newslellers with other genealogy groups
ir^)hio and other states with Ohio connections. We
Tiaintain thc.se newsletters in files for everyone toread.
Are you guilty of scanning the index and not
reading the newsletters, if you don*t find your
surnames? l-.vcn if your family is not mentioned in
the index, you might be .surpri.sed what you will learn
from thc.sc newsletters.
Some recent gleanings for the year:
I. Ilisloryof a cemeterythat was movedto make room
for a railrotad and canal. All removed by 1870.
Internet News
3Weseareh tips
V^iip'der Knowledge: Cleaning up Disk space
.Y Ck^ War Re.sourees
6. Doo^and donations to the societies (yielded a
book^^one ol my families)
7. MedicmSiotcs and terms
8. ProgrankVid meetings that may interest you.
9. Maps, charlV items for sale in each society
10.Bible rccor^^icwspaper gleanings, pedigrees
II.Diaries ofold^a^turch memberships, (one line was
my family)
12.Court records )f iiWmy types.
Do ytni gel the picture? Plea.se lake time to read the
newsletters. Send a note of thanks to the editors of
these newslellers. I.el them know we appreciate their
hard work, it is no! an easy task and they are all
volunteers!
The Clinton ( hroniele. OH Vol. XI Issue 2 April 2()()l)
37