These letters came to the Redwood Library as part of the bequest of Roderick Terry Jr. (1876-1951), who served as president of the Library's Board of Directors from 1940 to 1948. He was a graduate of Yale in 1898 and also continued onto Yale Law School. His father, Rev. Dr. Roderick Terry (1849-1933), who had also served as president of the Board, between 1916 and 1933, was collector of books and manuscripts. Roderick Terry Sr. graduated from Yale in 1870, the Union Theological Seminary in 1875 and was awarded an LL.D from Princeton in 1881. Although the major part of Mr. Terry's collection was sold after his death (it bought $270,000 at three sales in 1934 and 1935) his son kept several thousand items which were left to the Library at his death. Both Roderick Terry Sr. and Jr. were considered Newport's "leading philanthropists," during their respective times, and were famous bibliophiles. The Children's Ward of the Newport Hospital was named in honor of Eunice Terry Hale, the daughter of Roderick Terry Sr. as he was very active in supporting the hospital and also the Newport chapter of the Red Cross. (Excerpts from a letter written by Robert Behra, Curator of Special Collections at the Redwood Library, and New York Times (1857-Current file); Dec 29, 1933; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851-2005) pg. 21).
From the description of Roderick Terry Jr. Autograph Collection, 1672-1940, 1750-1915. (Redwood Library & Athenaeum). WorldCat record id: 463619730
