Ernest and Mary Fisk Papers, 1862-1966
| Oberlin College Archives
Administrative/Biographical History
Both Oberlin graduates of the Class of 1928, Ernest Fisk, diplomat and journalist, and his wife, Mary Wright Fisk, served the government for over twenty years, opening communication between the government of the United States and Asia. They witnessed first-hand the reorganization of the post-World War II world.
Ernest Harlan Fisk was born on January 28, 1906 to Harlan W. and Louise B. Hubbell Fisk of Fargo, North Dakota. Ernest and his parents moved to Kensington, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C., where Ernest grew up. He finished high school in three and one half years and ranked in the highest one third of his class (Central High School, Washington, D.C.). He entered Oberlin College in 1924 at the age of 18. A very active leader on campus, he served as the Editor-in-chief of the Oberlin Review; Chairman of Publicity for the 1928 Mock Convention; and, he was a Senator in the Men’s Senate. He was also a member of the Spanish Club, Frosh Glee Club, Musical Union, and the United Choir. His experience as Editor-in-chief of the Oberlin Review complemented his Journalism major, with which he graduated in 1928. Immediately after graduation, Ernest moved to Painesville, Ohio, where he became a Reporter for the Painesville Telegraph.
Mary Katherine Wright Fisk was born March 12, 1907 in Oberlin, Ohio, to Clarence J. and Nellie Parsons Wright. Her father, who grew up in Oberlin, owned a store in town until his sudden death in 1969. Her mother, born in Vermilion, Ohio, attended the Oberlin Academy and graduated from Oberlin College in 1903. After graduating from Oberlin High School, Mary attended Oberlin College where she majored in sociology and was a member of the Ladies Literary Society. She graduated in 1928 and went on to the University of Pittsburgh, where she received and A.M. degree in Retail in 1929.
Ernest and Mary were married at her home on Woodland Street in Oberlin on May 31, 1930. At the time, the couple was working in Painesville, Ohio--Ernest as editor of the Geneva Free Press and a Reporter for the Painesville Telegraph, and Mary as advertising manager of the Gail G. Grant Company Department Store. Both continued in their jobs until 1933, when Ernest became a reporter for the International News Service and Mary became a full-time homemaker. Over the next ten years, Ernest Fisk worked as a make-up editor for The Canton Repository of Canton, Ohio, 1934-1935; Telegraph Editor of the Portsmouth Times, of Portsmouth, Ohio, 1935-1939; and Managing Editor of the East Liverpool Review, of East Liverpool, Ohio, 1939-1944. In East Liverpool, Mary Fisk served as Chairman of the Red Cross Canteen.
During WWII Ernest Fisk's career took a new direction. In 1944, he began news writing and public relations work with the Office of War Information in Europe. This started a career in government, which would span the next twenty years. While Ernest was in Europe, Mary came back to Oberlin where she worked as Assistant Alumni Secretary for Oberlin College. In 1946, Ernest became Public Affairs Attaché (USIS) for the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India. From then on, his work centered on Asia and he was affiliated with the Department of State.
Over the next twenty years, Ernest and Mary Fisk lived in New Delhi, India until 1950; Lahore, Pakistan from 1953-1957; and Katmandu, Nepal from 1959-1963. His positions were as Consul General in Pakistan and Counselor of Embassy in Nepal. In the intervening years, the Fisks lived in Washington, D.C., where Ernest worked as Near East and Africa Director of USIS Programs; IIA (forerunner of USIA and Department of State), 1950-1953; Public Affairs Advisor for Far Eastern Bureau, Department of State, 1957-1959; and Public Affairs Advisor for Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, Department of State, 1963-1965. In 1965, Ernest retired, but was recalled for part-time work as a recruiter for USAID. In retirement, the Fisks returned to Oberlin, residing on Woodland Avenue.
During his professional career, Ernest was the President of the Blue Pencil Club of Ohio; Vice-President of Associated Press Editors of Ohio; and Vice-President of the Junior Chamber of Commerce of East Liverpool, Ohio.
On May 21, 1992, Ernest Harlan Fisk died in Oberlin, Ohio. Mary K. Fisk continued to reside on Woodland Avenue, then at some point moved to the Kendal Community in Oberlin, Ohio, donating her house to Oberlin College. She lived at Kendal until her death on February 13, 2006. They had no children.
Many relatives of the Fisks attended Oberlin College. In addition to Mary's mother, Nellie Parsons Wright, Mary's brother, Robert B. Wright attended from 1928 to 1933, and Ernest's sister, Marion S. Fisk Fleming attended from 1924 to 1925. Other relatives include Theodore W. Crossen, attended 1913-1916; Robert J. Crossen, Class of 1921; Ruth V. Crossen, Class of 1924; Virginia M. Crossen, Class of 1924; David F. Crossen, attended 1927-1928; Mrs. A.J. Barton, Class of 1902; and Dr. C.G. Wright, Class of 1899.
SOURCES CONSULTED
Ernest H. Fisk Alumni Folder, the Mary Wright Fisk Alumni Folder (RG 28), the Oberlin News-Tribune obituaries from 2/21/2006, and Archivist Roland M. Baumann.
Forms of Material (links to similar genres) Administrative InformationFor more information on Wilbur Fisk and his newspaper dispatches, see James McPherson, “’Spend Much Time in Reading the Daily Papers’: The Press and Army Morale in the Civil War,” supplementary material for The American Experience program, “The Time of the Lincolns,” Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), 2001, at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/primary-resources/lincolns-press-army/ .
The Daily Green Mountain Freeman (Montpelier, VT), 1861-1865.
Wilbur Fisk Papers, 1862-1865, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
See also Oberlin and the Civil War digital collection by the Oberlin College Archives and the Oberlin Heritage Center, 2012, at http://www.oberlin.edu/library/digital/civilwar/ .
The Ernest and Mary Fisk Papers span the years of Ernest's career as a journalist and in the foreign service. The great bulk of the material is from the Fisks' time in India, Pakistan, and Nepal with the State Department. The very few papers not from this time are mostly not of the Fisks' creation. The collection is mainly personal, but contains much information about their professional duties. There is little material of an expressly professional nature.
The Fisk Papers are organized in six series: 1. Correspondence, 1946-1950, 1953-1960 and n.d.; 2. Scrapbooks, 1946-1950, 1953-1957, 1959-1963, and n.d.; 3. Photographs, 1948 and n.d.; 4. Letters of Wilbur Fisk (Transcripts); 5. Miscellaneous Papers, 1937, 1942-44, 1953, 1964, and n.d.; and, 6. Certificates, 1950, 1954, 1961, 1964-66. The first series, Correspondence, is further divided into three subseries: 1. Outgoing Correspondence, Personal; 2. Outgoing Correspondence, Group Letters; and, 3. Incoming Correspondence.
The Correspondence file and the Scrapbooks are the strongest points of the collection. These document the lives and activities of the Fisks in the Subcontinent while also describing the changing situation in the region. They record both large and small events in the Fisks' lives.
The Correspondence series, divided into subseries, shows three distinct views of the Fisks' lives. The first subseries, Outgoing Correspondence, Personal, contains a great number of letters from Mary to her mother. The bulk of this material is from the Fisks' tour in India from 1946 to 1950. These letters are a window in to the process of acclimation to a very different culture and into the lives of ambassadors to a new nation.
The second subseries, Outgoing Correspondence, Group Letters, contains the letters written by Ernest Fisk about life in the Subcontinent, vacations, events, and the political situation. These letters are especially interesting as they examine the relationship between the Americans and the Indian government. The letters are also very well written and entertaining.
The third subseries, Incoming Correspondence, contains letters sent to the Fisks from, primarily, their family members. The letters are mostly from Ernest's sister Marion, with whom her and Ernest's mother was living. These letters are very personal and they document the Fisk family life.
The Scrapbooks series contains five scrapbooks, "India, 1946-1950," "Pakistan Memorabilia, 1953-1957," "Nepal, 1959-1963," "Letters and Pictures of Famous People," and untitled. Four of the books have been completely disassembled to preserve the documents and photographs; one ("India, 1946-1950") has been kept partially assembled as a possible exhibition piece. These scrapbooks contain many photographs of places in South Asia, friends of the Fisks, the houses the Fisks and their servants, and political, social, and religious events. Especially interesting are the photographs of the 1948 Kumbh Mela in Ahmedabad, India, and of Mohandas K. Gandhi's funeral. In addition to photographs, these scrapbooks contain many invitations and programs from social events, clippings of articles found interesting by the Fisks, and cards and letters from famous people. These books are especially interesting because they show the Fisks' range of activities and which experiences they found important.
Less complete is the Photographs series, which contains loose photographs of the Fisks' time in Katmandu, Nepal. There are two groups of photographs: one of a ceremony including the King of Nepal and one less cohesive group of outside shots. There is also one loose photograph of Ernest and Mary.
The Letters of Wilbur Fisk (Transcripts) series consists of transcribed Civil War dispatches by Wilbur Fisk, collected by Ernest Fisk, his grandson. The original letters, held by Ernest's sister Mildred, were transcribed, copied, and distributed to members of the Fisk family. The location of the originals is unknown. Wilbur was a soldier with the Second Vermont Regiment. Almost all of his letters are addressed to "Editor Freeman," entitled "A Soldier's Letter," and numbered, and were published either in whole or in edited form as a series in the Daily Green Mountain Freeman, published in Montpelier, Vermont from 1862-1865. The series follows the "Anti-Rebel," as Wilbur signed them, from Virginia through the Chesapeake Bay into New York and back, in and out of the hospital, and on and off the battlefield. There are one hundred letters in the series with a few more unnumbered letters to "Editor Freeman" or "Brother Webster". These transcripts do not constitute the entire series, however. The letters, written virtually weekly, give a fascinating view of the Civil War from the Northern perspective.
The remainder of the material includes the Miscellaneous Papers series containing a small amount of clippings, a few household documents, and one beautifully bound card; and, the Certificates series consisting of certificates presented to Ernest Fisk for his achievements in foreign service.
There is very little information dealing with any time other than the Fisks' foreign service, which spanned fifteen years. Only in the clippings file is there material from before the Fisks left for India in 1946. The documentation of their foreign service is remarkably thorough, however.
SERIES DESCRIPTIONS
The Fisk Family Papers are organized in six series: 1. Correspondence, 1946-1950, 1953-1960 and n.d.; 2. Scrapbooks, 1946-1950, 1953-1957, 1959-1963, and n.d.; 3. Photographs, 1948 and n.d.; 4. Letters of Wilbur Fisk (Transcripts); 5. Miscellaneous Papers, 1937, 1942-44, 1953, 1964, and n.d.; and, 6. Certificates, 1950, 1954, 1961, 1964-66. The first series, Correspondence, is further divided into three subseries: 1. Outgoing Correspondence, Personal; 2. Outgoing Correspondence, Group Letters; and, 3. Incoming Correspondence.
Series I. Correspondence, 1946-1950, 1953-1960, and n.d. (22f)
This series contains letters documenting the Fisks years in India, Pakistan, and Nepal with the State Department. The letters primarily contain personal anecdotes and experiences in the Subcontinent, but they also record some of the most important political events of South Asia's twentieth century from the American perspective. The Correspondence is divided into three subseries: Outgoing Correspondence, Personal; Outgoing Correspondence, Group Letters; and Incoming Correspondence.
Subseries 1. Outgoing Correspondence, Personal, 1946-1950, 1953, 1960, and n.d. (12f)
These letters give a comprehensive view of Mary's life in India, Pakistan, and Nepal. They are almost a diary, as they were written at least twice a week and are very personal. The great bulk of the material is from 1946-1950, the Fisk's years in India, and are almost all addressed to Mary's mother, Mrs. Clarence Wright of Oberlin, Ohio. The letters chronicle the social calendar of the Fisks and the problems of housekeeping in India. They also show the process of acclimation experienced by Mary Fisk. The later group of letters, from 1953-1960 are much less comprehensive, tending to only record special trips and events.
Subseries 2. Outgoing Correspondence, Group Letters, 1946-1949, 1953 (5f)
These group letters, copies of which were sent to all of the Fisks' correspondents, were written by Ernest Fisk. This numbered series chronicles the major events in the Fisks' lives and local and national Indian and Pakistani politics. Topics of the letters range from Fisk vacations to a description of Mohandas K. Gandhi's assassination. This series of letters deals with much more of the current political events than the previous subseries.
Subseries 3. Incoming Correspondence, 1953-1957 and n.d. (5f)
This series of letters was received by the Fisks in Pakistan. All of the letters are personal in nature. The bulk of the letters were written by Marion Fleming, Ernest's sister, who was living in Washington, D.C. with her husband Harry and her and Ernest's mother. These letters shed light into the Fisks' family life. There are also letters from other family members and friends.
Series II. Scrapbooks, 1946-1950, 1953-1957, 1959-1963, and n.d. (8f, 6 original scrapbooks)
This series contains the five scrapbooks recording the Fisks' experience in the Indian Subcontinent. The books are, "India, 1946-1950," "Pakistan Memorabilia, 1953-1957," "Nepal, 1959-1963," "Letters and Pictures of Famous People," and untitled. Four of the books have been completely disassembled to preserve the documents and photographs, one ("India, 1946-1950") has been kept partially assembled as a possible exhibition piece. These scrapbooks contain many photographs of places in South Asia, friends of the Fisks, the houses of the Fisks and their servants, and political, social, and religious events. Especially interesting are the photographs of the 1948 Kumbh Mela in Ahmedabad, India, and of Mohandas K. Gandhi's funeral. In addition to photographs, these scrapbooks contain many invitations and programs from social events, clippings of articles found interesting by the Fisks, and cards and letters from famous people. In most cases, items have been removed from the scrapbooks and placed in the 8 folders which are Series II. As indicated on the inventory, two of the scrapbooks still contain various newspaper clippings.
Series III. Photographs, 1948 and n.d. (1f)
This series consists of a small number of loose photographs from Katmandu, Nepal. The photographs in two groups: one of a ceremony including the King of Nepal and one less cohesive group of outside shots. There is also one loose photograph of Ernest and Mary. See also Series VI. Certificates for photographs related to Fisk's retirement from foreign service.
Series IV. Letters of Wilbur Fisk (Transcripts), 1862-65 (1f)
The Letters of Wilbur Fisk (Transcripts) series consists of transcribed Civil War dispatches by Wilbur Fisk. Wilbur was a soldier with the Second Vermont Regiment. Almost all of his letters are addressed to "Editor Freeman," entitled "A Soldier's Letter," and numbered, and were published either in whole or in edited form as a series in the Daily Green Mountain Freeman, published in Montpelier, Vermont from 1862-1865. The series follows the "Anti-Rebel," as Wilbur signed them, from Virginia through the Chesapeake Bay into New York and back, in and out of the hospital, and on and off the battlefield. There are one hundred letters in the series with a few more unnumbered letters to "Editor Freeman" or "Brother Webster". The letters, written virtually weekly, give a fascinating view of the Civil War from the Northern perspective.
Series V. Miscellaneous Papers, 1937, 1942-44, 1953, 1964, and n.d. (2f)
This series is an artificially assembled group of truly miscellaneous material. It contains a Clippings File, 1937, (1942-44, 1964), with articles about or by Ernest Fisk before and after his overseas service. There is also a small file of Household Records from 1953 and one beautifully bound card from Begum and Colonel Muhir Ahmed of Lahore, Pakistan. This card is bound in red velvet and gold tassels and contains a message in Persian script.
Series VI. Certificates, 1950, 1954, 1961, 1964-66 (6f)
Includes certificates presented to Ernest Fisk for his appointments as Foreign Service Officer (1950), Consul General (1954), and Consul General at Katmandu, Nepal (1961); Certificate commemorating Fisk's twenty years of foreign service (1964); certificate of enrollment in the Department of State's Reserve Consultant's Roster (1966); and, certificate, correspondence, and photos concerning Fisk's retirement from foreign service after twenty-one years (1965).
INVENTORY
Series I. Correspondence
Subseries 1. Outgoing Correspondence
Box 1
Personal Correspondence - to Mother,
1946 - 1950 (5f)
Outgoing Correspondence, 1953 - 1960 (6f)
Outgoing Correspondence, n.d.
Subseries 2. Outgoing Correspondence, Group Letters
Box 1 (cont.)
Outgoing Correspondence, Group Letters,
1946 - 1953 (5f)
Subseries 3. Incoming Correspondence
Box 1 (cont.)
Incoming Correspondence, 1953 - 1957, n.d. (5f)
Series II. Scrapbooks
Box 2
India, 1946 - 1950 (2f)
Pakistan, 1953 - 1957
Nepal, 1959 - 1963 (2f)
Box 3
Nepal, 1959 - 1963
Letters and Pictures of Famous People, n.d.
Untitled Scrapbook
* See also Oversize box 4, Scrapbooks previously containing the contents of Series II. Scrapbooks. Scrapbooks Pakistan Memorabilia, 1953-57; and Letters & Pictures of Famous People, n.d., still contain newspaper clippings.
Series III. Photographs
Box 3 (cont.)
Miscellaneous Photographs, 1948, n.d.
* See also Series VI. Certificates, Certificates, correspondence, and photos concerning Fisk's retirement.
Series IV. Letters of Wilbur Fisk
Box 3 (cont.)
Wilbur Fisk Letters, 1862 - 1865
Series V. Miscellaneous Papers
Box 3 (cont.)
Clippings File, 1937, 1942-44, 1964, and n.d.
Miscellaneous Household Records, 1953
Series VI. Certificates
Box 3 (cont.)
Certificate commemorating Fisk's twenty years
of foreign service, 1964
Certificate, correspondence, and photos concerning
Fisk's retirement from foreign service after
twenty-one years, 1965
Correspondence referring to certificate of enrollment
in the Department of State's Reserve
Consultants Roster, 1966
Oversize box 5
Certificate of appointment as Foreign Service
Officer, 1950
Certificate of appointment as Consul General, 1954
Certificate of appointment as Consul General at
Katmandu, Nepal, 1961