Olive Bell Daniels Papers, 1909-1981 | Oberlin College Archives

Daniels, Olive Bell (1891-1984)

Olive Bell Daniels was born on 20 July 1891 in England on the way to India where her father was a missionary for several years.  She spent her childhood and high school years in Minneapolis, MN, with her aunt and uncle Edwin Slater (enr. 1880-81 prep., 1880-83 OC) and Sarah Greer Slater (A.B. 1883).  In 1913 Bell received the A.B. degree in history from Oberlin College.  As an undergraduate Daniels was active in many student organizations including the following:  Student Senate, YWCA, the Literary Magazine, Sigma Gamma Literary Society, Class Poet, and Phi Beta Kappa.  After graduation, she spent two years teaching history and English literature at a high school in Alexandria, MN, and served two years as Director of Religious Education at the Plymouth Congregational Church in St. Paul, MN.  In 1917, Daniels married Farrington Daniels, a professor of physical chemistry at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

Thereafter, Daniels directed her energies to numerous creative projects, including six mural panels depicting changes in women’s dress styles that hang in the Brewer Library in Richland Center, WI.  Olive Bell Daniels also wrote a volume of reminiscences entitled “Minnetonka Morning and Other Memories” (114 pp., 1981) which covers the first 26 years of her life and includes a chapter on her experiences as a student at Oberlin College.

During her life, Daniels was active in many organizations including the American Association of University Women (AAUW), YWCA, Madison Women’s club, Madison Art Guild, and the First Congregational Church.  In 1979 she was the recipient of the Senior Service Award of the Madison Rotary Club.

Olive Bell and Farrington travelled extensively, including two trips around the world. These experiences are document through letters Olive Bell wrote to family members.  The Daniels’ had four children:  Farrington Jr. (b. Sept. 29, 1918); Florence Mary (b. Aug. 15, 1920); Miriam Olive (b. Aug. 10, 1924; OC A.B. 1946); and Dorin Slater (b. Sept. 23, 1927; OC 1946-48).  Along with the Daniels children and Olive Bell’s aunt and uncle, other relatives that attended Oberlin include Clare E. Bell (OC 1915).

Author: Roland M. Baumann

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