The Letters



Gladys Eileen Davis Leavitt



My grandmother, Gladys Eileen Davis Leavitt, never mentioned the Davis sisters to any of her children. It therefore was stunning to discover a box of letters that revealed an interesting correspondence between Gladys and Corinthia Davis. Gladys asked Corinthia, her great aunt, for a college loan in March of 1929.

The letter Gladys Davis wrote indicated that she wanted to devote full time to her studies. She had taught school and worked while attending college. Gladys wanted to pursue an A.B. degree to get a better teaching position, and requested to loan to allow her to attend school without working simultaneously. Although they never had met-nor would they ever meet, Corinthia agreed to loan Gladys the money. Official loan documents, complete with interest dates and payback dates, were drawn up. Corinthia also wrote a personal letter to Gladys enclosing the above photo of Ellen and Corinthia Davis. Corinthia wrote:

“ I see the need for better schooling than I had so I am trying to help you. You can count this from our work and care of things…..I don’t want you to disappoint us we have great confidence in you.”

In August of 1929, Corinthia sent a four volume dictionary set to Gladys. Letters were exchanged, money was sent, and interest was paid until May of 1930 when Corinthia received a letter from Gladys saying that Gladys had gotten married. The loan was structured quarterly -$100 a quarter -and $400 of the $900 had yet to be loaned to Gladys. Gladys asked Corinthia for the remaining $400, because she and John were “badly in need of money.” Corinthia declined, and wrote back the following:

“…glad to hear from you but surprised at what you had done. You seemed to changed your mind suddenly so have I. I started out to help one. My lawyer advised me to stop payment on the last check I sent so I am done .” Kin

This letter ended the loan payments and also the correspondence between the two women.

Gladys continued to make interest payments on the borrowed money. In March of 1931, in response to an interest check, the bank sent Gladys a receipt and reported that Corinthia Davis had passed away March 7, 1931. Additional interest payment receipts also were in the box in which the correspondence between Gladys and Corinthia was found. Whether the loan principal eventually was repaid is unclear.

The correspondence suggests that the relationship between Gladys and Corinthia ended in disappointment for both of them. Without the financial support from Corinthia, however, Gladys likely would not have been able to devote a year to her schoolwork during the Great Depression.

Gladys dropped out of school after marrying her husband , John Adams Leavitt, but she eventually finished her degree in 1955 along with one of her daughters. She became a teacher and taught for many years in the Montezuma County, Colorado school district.