Skip to main content

Lisetta Neukom Higgins collection

 Collection
Identifier: 00172

Scope and Contents

The Lisetta Neukom Higgins collection consists primarily of newsclippings, a scrapbook of newsclippings, and a few complete editions of newspapers - all of which contain the published work of Higgins and span the dates 1907-1917. The newspapers are in frail condition. The scrapbook is in stable, leaning towards frail, condition. In all cases, Higgins faithfully either encircled or marked in some way the articles that she wrote. They have been marked, and often dated, with a black grease pencil.

It is not certain for how many papers Higgins wrote during her career as a reporter. Those most heavily represented here are the Battle Creek Daily Journal, Philadelphia Evening Ledger, Detroit Free Press and Detroit News. In all papers she wrote mainly feature style articles, with heavy emphasis on church (she worked as church editor) and society events. While reporting for Battle Creek, Lisetta covered extensively the activities of J. H. Kellogg and the Battle Creek Sanitarium. This included everything from weekly lecturers to interviews with those seeking treatment, such as Jacob Riis, to the First International Conference for the Betterment of the Race held in 1914.

There are notable gaps in the collection, with only vague reference to her personal life: a December 30, 1912 letter home to her parents while Higgins worked for the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press and a holiday newsletter written by Lisetta to family and friends during the 1966-1967 holiday season.

Dates

  • Creation: 1907-1985, undated
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1966 - 1967

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish material from this collection must be obtained from University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University.

Biographical Note

Lisetta Neukom Higgins was born August 25, 1888 to Edward F. Neukom, a mechanical engineer, and Nellie (Garsed) Neukom. She was educated at Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, Pennsylvania and Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. On June 23, 1917 Lisetta married Max Brown Higgins of Joliet, Illinois. They had three children: Marnell, Maxine Tacy, and Marshall Neukom.

Lisetta Neukom Higgins was one of the early female reporters in Michigan, working for newspapers in Alpena, Detroit and Battle Creek, as well as for papers in Toledo, Ohio; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Houston, Texas. Socially, she served as secretary-treasurer of the Fort Neches, Texas Red Cross and was a member of the board of directors of the Jefferson County, Texas Red Cross during World War I. She was a member of the A.A.U.W., the Hastings D.A.R., Girl Scout Council (Hastings), Needlework Guild of America Clubs, Women Writers (Philadelphia), Ye Merrie Players (charter member while at Miami U.), Miami University Alumni Association.

Higgins and her husband traveled extensively, eventually settling in Stamford, Connecticut. She died September 1974.

Extent

0.33 Cubic Feet (, 3 oversize folders, 1 volume (in box))

Language of Materials

English

Custodial History

Gift of Joan Combs Rudman, 1997-08-21

Legal Status

Copyright: Michigan State University.

Property Rights: Michigan State University.

Title
Lisetta Neukom Higgins Collection
Status
4 Published And Cataloged
Author
J. Mazak
Date
September 2002
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the University Archives and Historical Collections Repository

Contact:
Conrad Hall
943 Conrad Road, Room 101
East Lansing MI 48824 US
517-355-2330