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Identifier/Call Number
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MCC-00143
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Description
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en
These materials consist of newspaper clippings, correspondence, photographs, and a scrapbook, a trophy, and sound recordings that primarily document Rev. Soucy’s Career as a priest in the Saint John Valley. The Bulk of the manuscript material consists of articles and correspondence relating to Soucy’s work on establishing cooperatives in the Valley. This includes a scrapbook Father Soucy kept of articles about himself and the valley and correspondence sent to him during the height of the cooperatives success, and early 1940s. Although few of the manuscript materials are primary sources, the over five-hundred, mostly well-labeled photographs taken between 1909 and 1980 offer visual insight into Father Soucy’s life. Both personal and professional, the photo collection includes pictures of Soucy’s family and friends as well as his various activities as a priest, especially during his pastorate in Sinclair- Guerette.The seventy-one sound recordings are the other significant component of the collection. Soucy made several recordings about cooperatives for broadcast on his weekly radio show, and he also cut several records on various occasions with his friends and family. These recordings are a valuable source for research about both Father Soucy’s personal and professional life.
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Copyright Statement and Conditions governing use
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Unknown
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Extent
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3 cubic feet (6 boxes, 6 audio cassettes, 2 photograph albums)
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Arrangement
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en
This collection is arranged by series and subseries according to provenance, format, content, and chronology. Series 1 is divided into three subseries: biographical, autobiographical, and photographs, according to the provenance and format. The photograph subseries is further divided to maintain the integrity of the albums. The loose photographs are divided by content, but this was impossible to do for the albums without disrupting their original order. Within each folder/binder in this series, the materials are ordered by date, with undated materials at the end. Series II is broken into four subseries, according to provenance and content. All of Father Soucy’s Original recordings were separated from those he recorded from commercial radio. The subseries’ also reflect Father Soucy’s reasons for making the carious records he cut, i.e., family gatherings, WAGM radio show. In the inventory, each subseries is ordered chronologically, but, as seen in the box/folder list, the recordings are ordered according to the number assigned to them by the sound engineer. Deteriorating manuscript materials were photocopied onto acid-free paper, all staples were removed, and fragile materials were foldered separately. The scrapbook was interleaved with acid-free paper, wrapped in buffered tissue, and housed in an acid-free box. It is very acidic and has become embrittled. Therefore, it should be handled as little as possible. For this reason a photocopy version was made that allows researchers access to the information without handling the original book. The preservation photocopy is housed with the collections manuscript materials. Photographs were removed from the adhesive-based albums Father Soucy kept them in, given unique numbers, and housed in polypropylene sleeves in three-ring photo binders in their original order. The trophy was wrapped in unbuffered tissue and placed in an acid-free box. Paul McDonald, a sound recording engineer, transferred the seventy-one sound recordings from their original records onto 1⁄4” analog audio tape for long-term preservation, and onto audio cassette tape and compact disc to facilitate access. Thus, the finding aid lists reels, boxes of records and compact discs, and cassette tapes, as well as records.
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Collection Inventory
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en
This collection is divided into two series:
Series1. Biographical Material, 1936-1993, n.d. This series includes items which reflect on the life of Rev. D. W. Soucy. It includes both materials created by Father Soucy about his own life as well as documents that show others’ perceptions of him.
Subseries A. Autobiographical Material, 1988-93, n.d. This subseries consists primarily of correspondence from Father Soucy. He included in his letters a copy of (with translation) of his song, “Hommage aux familles acadiennes de la Vallee du haut- Saint-Jean,” and a photocopy of his 1988 memoir, “Father Soucy’s Memoirs of the Foundation of the Parish of Sinclair-Guerette.” In addition to his correspondence and inclusions is an undated, alphabetized list of commercial records written in Father Soucy’s hand.
Subseries B. Biographical Material, 1936-92, n.d. This subseries includes articles about Father Soucy: his work in Sinclair-Guerette, his retirement, and his Golden Jubilee celebration of fifty years in the priesthood. The largest collection of articles and correspondence are found in Rev. Soucy’s scrapbook which contains materials from 1938- 82, but centers on the years 1939-47.
Subseries C. Photographs, 1909-80, n.d. Although the photographs are often undated, they span the period of Rev. Soucy’s youth through his Golden Jubilee celebration in 1980, and include photos of various family and friends as well as several pictures of his colleagues, Sinclair and Guerette, and some of the cooperatives’ activities.
1. Loose, 1956-65, n.d. The loose photos in this collection include personal and professional pictures, portraits and other miscellaneous events. Although few of them are dated they probably date between 1936-1965.
The personal pictures are of Father Soucy’s family; the more professional photos are of him performing weddings, with various communion classes, greeting parishioners who arrived at St. Joseph’s by boat, and examining sweaters made by the handicraft cooperative.
Of the pictures not included in the albums, there are two photos of Father Soucy alone. There is one formal portrait and one more informal picture of him. Neither are dated, but they are both circa 1940.
The miscellaneous photographs include two pictures of cooperative work - one of a woman crocheting on her porch with her child, and another of two men packaging butter for the creamery. There are also two 8x10” photos of the village of Sinclair, including the “thoroughfare.”
2. Albums, 1909-80, n.d. The photograph collection consists of three albums: two kept by Father Soucy and one compiled for him by his family. In 1980, on the occasion of his Golden Jubilee, Father Soucy’s Family gathered together an album of photos and memorabilia for him. Dating from 1910 to 1980, the album includes photos of Soucy as a youth, with his family, in school, alone, with colleagues, performing the wedding of his nephew, Phil, as well as some pictures of St. Joseph’s (old and new) church in Sinclair.
The albums that Father Soucy kept document his personal and professional activities with photos from 1909-79. They include several pictures of family (including extended family) and friends (including his various housekeepers), the churches and parishioners of Sinclair and Guerette, several of which are of his activities during his first years as a priest in the St. John valley. Among these are photos of father Soucy using the Sinclair post office as a chapel before the church was completed, pictures of some of the people who served as his hosts before the rectory was built, the first communion classes of both Sinclair and Guerette, and the rectory after it was finished.
In addition to several photos of friends and family, there are also some pictures of his activities both in school and as an assistant in Westbrook. There are also some photos of altar boys, other priests, his travels, and some of the people who came to visit him.
Series II. Recordings, 1939-47, n.d. This series consists of seventy-one records cut either by or about Father Soucy during 1939-47. The records are n both French and English and most are approximately five minutes long. They have been transferred onto 1⁄4” analog audio tape, audio cassette tapes and compact discs.
Several of the recordings are of Father Soucy discussing cooperatives for WAGM, the Presque Isle radio station that broadcast Rev. Soucy’s weekly show.
In addition, Father Soucy had his own record-cutting machine and was able to make home- recordings of his family and friends. These include a number of recordings from the Soucy family’s New Year’s Day celebrations in 1941 and 1947. He also recorded some excerpts from commercial radio.
The recordings are of varying degrees of quality, ranging from inaudible to very good. However, even some of the best quality recordings are incomplete because they were incorrectly recorded. Portions of some are missing, often either the beginning or end.
There are multiple duplicates within this collection of recordings which, where known, have noted. There are also fourteen blank sides.
The recordings are arranged chronologically in the inventory, but are numbered according to the order in which they were boxed. On the cassettes the recordings appear in numerical order with one exception: number 57 (a/b) appears after48b rather than 56b. They are also numerically ordered on the CDs, but on CD 57 appears after 58.
Subseries A. Cooperative Radio Broadcasts, 1939-42, n.d. This subseries includes recordings made during the years 1939-42 about cooperatives for broadcast. They include
recordings Father Soucy made for his weekly radio show on WAGM, a broadcast nation- wide.
1. Father Soucy’s Broadcasts, 1939-41, n.d. Father Soucy’s show on WAGM centered on cooperatives, including discussion about the principles of cooperatives, the progress of the various cooperatives Rev. Soucy was working with in the St. John Valley, and news from other cooperative movements throughout the world. These broadcasts are in both French and English.
2. Broadcasts About Father Soucy, 1940-41, n.d. This subseries includes recordings of two national shows, both produced by the Columbia Broadcasting Company. One, “We the People,” includes Mrs. Annette Ouellette, manager of the St. John Valley Handicraft Cooperative (Father Soucy’s sister) and Mr. Joseph Lozier, president of the St. John Valley Creamery, as well as Father Soucy. These broadcasts are in both French and English.
The other broadcast done by Columbia Broadcasting about Father Soucy was a radio dramatization about his role in the economic recovery of the St. John Valley. The show, “A Friend in Deed,” was designed to “give tribute to those individuals who do things for others at no personal gain to themselves.” (See scrapbook, pp.137) Father Soucy’s story was broadcast by actors on January 9, 1941.
Subseries B. Family Home Recordings, 1940-41, n.d.
Within this subseries are recordings of gathering of Rev. Soucy’s family and friends. They are in both French and English and often consist of anecdotes, stories, and songs. Many of the recordings are from New Year’s Day celebrations in 1941 and 1947, but they also include Christmas greetings from 1946, as well as stories, from Marie Castonguay (Rev. Soucy’s housekeeper) and her family.
C. Recordings from Commercial Radio, 1940-42, n.d.
This subseries consists of recordings Father Soucy made from commercial radio. They include excerpts from various newscasts, popular and classical music, as well as religious sermons and music. These recordings are in French, English, and Latin.
D. Miscellaneous Home Recordings, 1940-42, n.d
The final subseries of recordings include such varied items as a recorded letter from a relative in Minnesota, Father Soucy’s friends singing, and Father Soucy himself singing a verse of Evangeline. These recordings are in French and English.
BOX/FOLDER LIST
Series I. Biographical Material
Subseries A. Autobiographical
Box 1 Folder 1 Correspondence with inclusions (song, Memoirs), 1992-93, n.d.
Box 1 Folder 2 List of records, n.d. Subseries B. Biographical
Box 1 Box 1 Box 1 Box 1
Box 1
Box 1 Box 1 Box 2 Box 3
Folder 3 Folder 4 Folder 5 Folder 6
Folder 7
Folder 8 Folder 9
Handmade farewell card, 1936 Articles about Father Soucy, 1940-92 Golden Jubilee mass program, 1980
Preservation photocopy of Father Soucy’s scrapbook, pp. 1-99, 1938-83, n.d.
See also: Appendix A – Scrapbook inventory
Preservation photocopy of Father Soucy’s scrapbook, pp. 100-202 1938-82, n.d
See also: Appendix A – Scrapbook inventory
Photocopy of Golden Jubilee album, 1910-1980, n.d.
Manuscript materials from Golden Jubilee Scrapbook, 1955-80, n.d. Father Soucy’s scrapbook, 1938-82, n.d.
Throphy, c. 1940
See also: Appendix B – Throphy List Scrapbook, pps 33
Fotofolio album, photo # MCC:00143-334 Subseries C. Photographs
Photo binder 1
1. Loose
Personal photographs, ca. 1945-55 (7 pictures: 1-7)
Professional Photographs, ca. 1936-63 (9 pictures:8-16)
Photographs of Father Soucy Alone, ca. 1936 (2 pictures: 17-18) See also: Photo albums
Miscellaneous, ca. 1940 (4 pictures: 19-22) Photo binder 2
2. Albums
1. Golden Jubilee Scrapbook Album, 1910-80 (71 pictures: 23-92)
2. Personal Album, 1909-79, n.d. (80 pictures: 170)
Photo binder 3
3. Fotofolio Album, 1924-61, n.d. (340 pictures, 2 negatives (not original): 171-509)
Series II. Recordings
NB.for a listing of the content of the recordings, please see the inventory provided in Appendix C: Chronological listing of sound recordings, 1939-47, n.d. when requesting a recording, please request either the cassette tape or compact disc number required.
AA0274 Tape 1: Recordings 1-12
AA0275 Tape 2: Recordings 12b-24b
AA0276 Tape 3: Recordings 25a-37a
AA0277 Tape 4: Recordings 37b-48a
AA0278 Tape 5: Recordings 48b-60a (note: recording# 57 appears after 48b) AA0279 Tape 6: Recordings 60b-71b
Compact disc 1: Recordings 1a-9b; 18 tracks Compact disc 2: Recordings 10a-20b; 22 tracks Compact disc 3: Recordings 21a-29b; 18 tracks Compact disc 4: Recordings 30a-39b; 20 tracks Compact disc 5: Recordings 40a-48b; 18 tracks
Compact disc 6: Recordings 49a-58b [Note:57 and 58 are reversed]; 20 tracks
Real 1 Real 2 Real 3 Real 4 Real 5 Real 6 Real 7 Real 8 Box 5 Box 6
Compact disc 7: Recordings 59a-67b; 18 tracks Compact disc 6: Recordings 68a-71b 8 tracks
Recordings 1-8 Recordings 9-19a Recordings 19b-27a Recordings 27b-35b Recordings 36a-44a Recordings 44b-51b Recordings 52a-60b Recordings 61a-71b
Records 1 – 36 Records 37-71MCC: 96-00143
D. Wilfid Soucy Collection Appendix A
SOUCY SCRAPBOOK INVENTORY, 1938-82, N.D.
Compiled by D. Durkin – fall 1993
Contents: This scrapbook consists primarily of newspaper and magazine clippings and personal correspondence collected by Fr. Soucy in the 1930s and early 1940s. The majority of the material concerns various cooperative business ventures pursued in the St. John Valley during that time.
Physical description: the front and back covers of the scrapbook are black. The front cover bears a recessed emblem of a lion and eagle and the word “Scrapbook” printed across the center in gold. The book is 10 1/8”Wx11 9/16”L and 3” deep, and it is fastened at the left side with two aluminum posts. The 202 pages are highly acidic, yellowed, and embrittled; some are falling apart.
Processing: The original scrapbook was photocopied on a page by page basis. Most pages held more than one item. Each item was given a citation in the inventory.
Occasionally a single item covered many pages of the scrapbook. The first page of the item was given a citation and subsequent pages were noted as being a continuation of the first.
In some cases a multi-page item was attached to the scrapbook page in such a way that the first page obscured pages beneath. The scrapbook page was photocopied; the items were detached, photocopied in the order presented, and reattached.
In the case of envelops, it appeared as though envelops had been glued or taped to the original scrapbook page. An additional pile of envelopes had been stapled to these which obscured the envelopes beneath. The pile of envelopes was removed, a photocopy was taken of the scrapbook page with the first entries, the pile of envelops was photocopied from top to bottom in the order presented, and reattached.
Inventory: This inventory is a page by page description of the photocopied scrapbook. Individual items on each page were given a citation.
Personal letters are identified by name of recipient; writer; and (when known) city, state and date.
Clippings, whether magazine or newspaper articles, are identified by the title in quotations, a photo description(if the clipping included a photo) and (when known) publication information.
Envelope fronts are identified by name of recipient, writer, and (when known) town, state and date. The inventory begins with a list of all magazine and newspaper publications that appeared in the scrapbook and their abbreviated form. The abbreviation is used in the item citation.
The photocopied pages were numbered on the back to correspond with the numbering in the original scrapbook. Multiple page attachments were given an alphabetical suffix to the page number (i.e. 21, 21A, 21B, etc)
Newspaper and magazine publications with corresponding abbreviation
Bangor Daily News – BDN
Portland Press herald – PPH
The Church World – TCW
Boston Sunday Post – BSP
Houlton Pioneer Times – HPT Catholic Rural Life Bulletin – CRLB The Maritime Cooperator – TMC Express – E
New York Times – NYT
Le Devor – LD
The Leader – TL
American Agriculturist – AA The Register – TR
L’Avenir National – LAN
The Catholic Mirror – TCM
The Prairie Messenger – TPM American Magazine – AM
Maine Sunday Telegram – MST The Commonweal – TC
L’Action Catholique – LAC Richmond Times-Dispatch – RTD St. John Valley Times –SJVT Associated Press – AP
The Co-operative Builder – TCB August Tele – AT
Maine Cooperative – MC
The De Laval Monthly – TDLM Reader’s Digest - RD
pp.
1. three clippings
Inventory Description
1.“Home Handicraft Practiced in Northern Maine Communities”: BDN, March 29, 1939.
2.“Famous Parish Priest At Farm-Home Week”: BDN, March 23, 1939.
3.“Farm and Home Week Speakers”. With photo of Ralph W. Haskell and Fr. Soucy
BDN: March 29, 1939 2. Three clippings
1.“Hundreds Engage in Handicraft Along St. John”: PPH, March 29,1939.
2.“Priest Helps Maine Families Earn More”, includes photo of Fr. Soucy: BP, May
11, 1939.
3.“State Will Aid Cooperative Plan”: Dec. 9
3.Seven clippings
1.“ Father Soucy Addresses Farm-House Week Audience”, includes photo of Fr.
Soucy: TCW
2. “ Fr. Soucy Speaks On Cooperatives”: BDN, April 18.
3. “From Cooperative In Aroostook”: May 11
4. “Fr. Soucy Speaks To Caribou Group”: BDN, Sept, 18
5. “St. John Valley Ayershire [sic] Owners Formulate Plans”: BDN, Aug 22 6.“Sheep Experts To Give Talks , St. John Valley”: BDN, Aug 22
7.“St. John Valley Ayershire [sic] Owners Formulate Plans”: April 24
4.One clipping (special feature)
1.“No Relief or Unemployment Problems in Priest’s Town”: BSP, July 2, 1939.
5.Continuation of article from page 4, includes photo of Fr. Soucy and Mrs. Leo Ouellette with spinning wheel and garments.
6. Continuation of article from page 5, includes photo of “Mrs. Alex Ouellette and her baby” wearing crocheted outfit. [ Corrected by hand: “Mrs. Leo Ouellette”]
7.Continuation of article from page 6, includes one photo of four women knitting and crocheting and one photo of “Geraldine Ouellette spinning wool”. [Corrected by hand: “Angeline Ouellette”]
8. Two clippings
1.End of special feature article from page 6.
2.“Relief And Unemployment Unknown In Priest’s [sic] Town”, includes photo of Fr.
Soucy: TCW, July 14, 1939. 9.Two clippings
1.“Plan Home-craft Cooperative” includes photo of Fr. Soucy, Ralph W. Haskell and Stephen E. Patrick: BDN, May 3, 1939
2.“Ralph W. Haskell, Craft Industries Head, Addresses Social Workers Here”: HPT, July 27, 1939.
3.“Social Welfare Conference To Be Held At Bangor”: Oct. 10 10. One clipping
1. “St. John Valley Creamery Salvation of Farmers On Both Sides Of Boundary” includes photo of Alfred Tracy, Manager of St. John Creamery: BDN, July 1, 1939.
See also: Fotofolio photo album, #336 11. Four clippings
1. Continuation of article from page 10.
2. “In Promotion Of Cooperatives in the St. John Valley”, includes photo of Fr.
Soucy: BDN, Oct. 12, 1939.
3. “Aroostook Takes On New Life As 1940 Decade Is Under Way” Jan. 1 4. “Women Crocheters To Get $100,000 In Back Wages”
12. One Clipping
1. “Bangor Daily News Camera Picks Out Interesting Scenes Related to the
Cooperatives”, includes three photos of cooperative creamery: BDN, July 18, 1939 13. Continuation of page 12 with two photos of cooperative creamery, one photo of Fr. Soucy and captions for all photos.
14. One Clipping
1. A Great Movement Based On Cooperation In St. John Valley”: 1939.
15. Four Clippings
1. Continuation of article from page 14
2. “Brewster Praises Rev. D. W. Soucy”: BDN, Nov 22
3. “Craft Cooperative In St. John Valley Getting Under Way”, includes photo of Fr
Soucy: BDN, Nov. 26
4.” Presque Isle Club Holds Hobby Show”: BDN, Jan 8
16. One clipping
1. “Days of Evangelie Live Again In Quaint And Beautiful Village of Sinclair”
includes one photo of canoes on the “Througfare” and one photo of Sinclair church
BDN: July 19, 1939.
17. Continuation of page 16 including one photo of three women crocheting, one photo of
woman with spinning wheel and dévidoir, captions for all photos (Note – caption no. 3 typed “Elex Ouellette”, corrected by hand: “Alex Ouellette”.)
18. One clipping
1. “Thousands Join Women’s Cooperative in St. John Valley”: BDN, July 18, 1939.
Includes list of “Directresses” of the St. John Valley Handicraft Cooperative.
19. One clipping (in French)
1. L’oeuvre admirable de l’abbé Wilf. Soucy: Inspire d’un article d’un article du BSP,
Oct. 19, 1939. 20. One clipping
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Recommended Citation
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D. Wilfrid Soucy collection, MCC-00143, Acadian Archives/Archives acadiennes, University of Maine at Fort Kent
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