Gerlough Family Papers, 1900-1968

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Gerlough Family
Title
Gerlough Family Papers
Dates
1900-1968 (inclusive)
Quantity
14 cubic feet
Collection Number
MG403 (collection)
Summary
Correspondence, financial records, other papers, and photographs of a Moscow, Idaho school teacher and an Idaho Rhodes scholar at Oxford University, and other family members.
Repository
University of Idaho Library, Special Collections and Archives
Special Collections and Archives
University of Idaho Library
875 Perimeter Drive
MS 2350
Moscow, ID
83844-2350
Telephone: 2088850845
libspec@uidaho.edu
Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Margaret E. Lauder Gerlough, the only child of William C. and Emma Briggs Lauder, began her life in Colfax, Washington, on June 10, 1883 (her obituary lists her birth in 1884). The family relocated to Moscow in 1889, where William Lauder established his building supply business. Margaret Lauder attended Moscow public schools and the University of Idaho, where she earned her B.A. degree in music in 1906, and a second bachelor's degree in English the following year. She taught English and coached debate at Goldendale and Palouse, Washington, and Lewiston, Idaho public schools, and at Moscow High School from 1909 to 1912. There she met her colleague and future husband, Ludwig Sherman Gerlough. Lauder and Gerlough married on October 16, 1914 in San Diego, and resided in California until 1971. Margaret Gerlough participated in the Methodist Church, the Women's Society of Christian Service, the American Association of University Women, and the California Historical Society. She enjoyed teaching, traveling, writing, and sewing. She died on June 23, 1971, shortly after the couple returned to Moscow.

Ludwig Sherman Gerlough was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming, on January 16, 1887, the eldest of six children born to a miner and housewife. The Gerlough family relocated to Boise, where Ludwig Gerlough graduated from high school in 1905. Gerlough completed his bachelor's degree at the University of Idaho in 1909, and then taught math and history, and coached football at Moscow High School from 1909 to 1911. After proposing marriage to fellow teacher Margaret Lauder in 1911, Gerlough matriculated at Oxford University, England, as one of the first Rhodes Scholars from the state of Idaho. After Gerlough earned his second bachelor's degree at Oxford in 1914, he returned to the U.S. and married Margaret Lauder. The nuptials took place in San Diego, where the groom had secured a teaching position at San Diego High School. The couple had two children, Daniel Lauder Gerlough (1916-1977), a professor of Transportation Engineering, and Eleanor Gerlough Elmendorf (1920-), a science librarian.

Ludwig Gerlough received his master's degree from Oxford in 1918. He taught at San Diego High School and Lowell High School, a college preparatory school in San Francisco, until his retirement. He participated in the Y.M.C.A., the Beta Theta Phi fraternity, and the American Historical Association. Gerlough enjoyed traveling, theater, and sports. Upon his wife's death, he moved to Minneapolis to live with his son Daniel, who preceded him in death. Ludwig Gerlough died on March 15, 1978.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Gerlough Family Papers span the years 1900 to 1968. Most of the papers are letters dating from 1911 to 1914. Also included are financial records from the same period, other papers, and photographs.

The letters—many still in their envelopes—were written between Margaret Lauder and Ludwig Gerlough while Gerlough was a student at Oxford University and Lauder taught school at Moscow High School and elsewhere. The letters are about family matters; some also contain discussions of local and national politics, teaching at secondary schools in Idaho and Washington, Gerlough's work at Oxford, his extensive travels in Europe, letters of recommendation written for Lauder, and Gerlough's fraternity correspondence. Other correspondence includes letters written to Lauder and Gerlough from family members and friends.

The financial records consist of Gerlough's checkbook registers from an Oxford bank and bills from various Oxford businesses, dated between 1911 and 1914.

Other papers include unsigned postcards, cards, announcements, maps, and newspaper clippings. Two yearbooks were retained in the collection: Margaret Lauder's 1906 University of Idaho Gem of the Mountains and Eleanor Gerlough's 1935 Madrono yearbook from Palo Alto High School.

Included in the papers were two photograph albums, primarily of Gerlough's days at Oxford, but also many photographs of family and friends. There were also several loose photographs that were stored in acid-free envelopes, and three oversize photographs stored separately.

Special Collections also has an unpublished manuscript written by Ludwig Gerlough about his life at Oxford (MG 5096). Lauder's uncle Wylie Andrew Gifford Lauder (1857-1936) donated his financial records to the University of Idaho Library (MG 210), and her cousin Alma Taylor-Lauder Keeling wrote a family history called The Un-Covered Wagon, A Glimpse of Pioneer Days in Moscow (Day NW F754 M6 K44) also housed in Special Collections.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Since there was no apparent order to the Gerlough Family Papers when received, an order was imposed. The papers were divided by type: correspondence, financial records, photographs, and other papers. The correspondence and financial records were arranged chronologically, with other papers and photographs filed separately.

Several Gem of the Mountains yearbooks were transferred from the collection to Special Collections' yearbook holdings in the stacks. Empty and unattached envelopes were discarded.

Acquisition Information

The Gerlough Family Papers were donated to the University of Idaho Library by Eleanor Elmendorf in October 2000.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series I. Correspondence , 1900-1968Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/1
30 items
 Undated
1/2
7 items
 Undated
1/3
14 items
 1900-1910
1/4
8 items
 January - June, 1911
1/5
12 items
 July 1 - July 20, 1911
1/6
18 items
 July 21 - July 31, 1911
1/7
20 items
 August 1 - August 9, 1911
1/8
17 items
 August 10 - August 20, 1911
1/9
27 items
 August 20 - August 31, 1911
2/10
22 items
 September 1 - September 19, 1911
2/11
15 items
 September 20 - September 30, 1911
2/12
12 items
 October 1 - October 9, 1911
2/13
19 items
 October 10 - October 20, 1911
2/14
22 items
 October 21 - October 31, 1911
3/15
24 items
 November 1 - November 10, 1911
3/16
23 items
 November 12 - November 20, 1911
3/17
23 items
 November 21 - November 30, 1911
3/18
30 items
 December 1 - December 12, 1911
3/19
40 items
 December 13 - December 31, 1911
4/20
25 items
 January 1 - January 15, 1912
4/21
18 items
 January 16 - January 23, 1912
4/22
16 items
 January 24 - January 31, 1912
4/23
23 items
 February 1 - February 14, 1912
5/24
17 items
 February 15 - February 20, 1912
5/25
13 items
 February 21 - February 29, 1912
5/26
22 items
 March 1 - March 9, 1912
5/27
25 items
 March 10 - March 21, 1912
5/28
21 items
 March 22 - March 31, 1912
6/29
21 items
 April 1 - April 11, 1912
6/30
18 items
 April 12 - April 20, 1912
6/31
25 items
 April 20 - April 30, 1912
6/32
17 items
 May 1 - May 6, 1912
6/33
12 items
 May 7 - May 13, 1912
7/34
14 items
 May 14 - May 20, 1912
7/35
21 items
 May 21 - May 31, 1912
7/36
24 items
 June 1 - June 9, 1912
7/37
23 items
 June 10 - June 20, 1912
7/38
17 items
 June 21 - June 27, 1912
7/39
8 items
 June 28 - June 30, 1912
8/40
22 items
 July 1 - July 10, 1912
8/41
18 items
 July 11 - July 19, 1912
8/42
12 items
 July 20 - July 25, 1912
8/43
15 items
 July 26 - July 31, 1912
9/44
19 items
 August 1 - August 10, 1912
9/45
13 items
 August 11 - August 15, 1912
9/46
10 items
 August 16 - August 21, 1912
9/47
13 items
 August 22 - August 31, 1912
9/48
18 items
 September 1 - September 5, 1912
10/49
11 items
 September 6 - September 8, 1912
10/50
20 items
 September 9 - September 16, 1912
10/51
24 items
 September 17 - September 30, 1912
10/52
23 items
 October 1 - October 12, 1912
10/53
16 items
 October 13 - October 21, 1912
10/54
20 items
 October 22 - October 31, 1912
11/55
17 items
 November 1 - November 7, 1912
11/56
17 items
 November 8 - November 16, 1912
11/57
15 items
 November 17 - November 24, 1912
11/58
15 items
 November 25 - November 30, 1912
11/59
26 items
 December 1 - December 10, 1912
12/60
25 items
 December 11 - December 20, 1912
12/61
19 items
 December 21 - December 27, 1912
12/62
11 items
 December 28 - December 31, 1912
12/63
22 items
 January 1 - January 12, 1913
12/64
12 items
 January 13 - January 19, 1913
12/65
22 items
 January 20 - January 31, 1913
13/66
16 items
 February 1 - February 8, 1913
13/67
20 items
 February 9 - February 16, 1913
13/68
21 items
 February 17 - February 28, 1913
13/69
20 items
 March 1 - March 10, 1913
14/70
19 items
 March 11 - March 20, 1913
14/71
15 items
 March 21 - March 31, 1913
14/72
25 items
 April 1 - April 10, 1913
14/73
26 items
 April 11 - April 22, 1913
14/74
15 items
 April 23 - April 30, 1913
14/75
20 items
 May 1 - May 9, 1913
15/76
13 items
 May 10 - May 14, 1913
15/77
18 items
 May 15 - May 22, 1913
15/78
11 items
 May 23 - May 25, 1913
15/79
13 items
 May 26 - May 31, 1913
15/80
11 items
 June 1 - June 7, 1913
16/81
21 items
 June 8 - June 25, 1913
16/82
14 items
 July 1913
16/83
25 items
 August 1 - August 31, 1913
16/84
16 items
 September 1 - September 9, 1913
16/85
21 items
 September 10 - September 20, 1913
17/86
14 items
 September 23 - September 30, 1913
17/87
17 items
 October 1 - October 7, 1913
17/88
16 items
 October 8 - October 15, 1913
17/89
22 items
 October 16 - October 25, 1913
17/90
16 items
 October 26 - October 31, 1913
18/91
19 items
 November 1 - November 9, 1913
18/92
19 items
 November 10 - November 20, 1913
18/93
25 items
 November 21 - November 30, 1913
18/94
20 items
 December 1 - December 10, 1913
18/95
16 items
 December 11 - December 18, 1913
18/96
31 items
 December 19 - December 31, 1913
18/97
23 items
 January 1 - January 10, 1914
19/98
14 items
 January 11 - January 16, 1914
19/99
12 items
 January 17 - January 25, 1914
19/100
19 items
 January 26 - January 31, 1914
19/101
26 items
 February 1 - February 13, 1914
19/102
25 items
 February 14 - February 24, 1914
19/103
7 items
 February 25 - February 28, 1914
19/104
23 items
 March 1 - March 10, 1914
20/105
18 items
 March 11 - March 20, 1914
20/106
17 items
 March 21 - March 31, 1914
20/107
30 items
 April 1 - April 18, 1914
20/108
20 items
 April 19 - April 30, 1914
20/109
19 items
 May 1 - May 11, 1914
20/110
11 items
 May 12 - May 19, 1914
21/111
20 items
 May 20 - May 31, 1914
21/112
20 items
 June 1 - June 15, 1914
21/113
29 items
 June 16 - June 30, 1914
21/114
30 items
 July 1 - July 20, 1914
21/115
10 items
 July 21 - July 31, 1914
21/116
29 items
 August - September, 1914
22/117
32 items
 October - December, 1914
22/118
20 items
 January - April, 1915
22/119
22 items
 May - December, 1915
22/120
14 items
 January - May, 1916
22/121
24 items
 June 1 - June 19, 1916
22/122
10 items
 June 20 - June 29, 1916
23/123
18 items
 July - August, 1916
23/124
21 items
 September - December, 1916
23/125
15 items
 January - February, 1917
23/126
21 items
 March - November, 1917
23/127
18 items
 January - July, 1918
23/128
17 items
 August - December 1918, 1919
23/129
22 items
 1920-1921
23/130
55 items
 1922-1924
24/131
52 items
 1925-1929
24/132
29 items
 1931 - October 1933
24/133
17 items
 November 1933 - December 1933
24/134
21 items
 January - April, 1934
24/135
25 items
 May 1934 - July 1937
24/136
32 items
 August 1937 - 1939
25/137
21 items
 1940
25/138
16 items
 January - April, 1941
25/139
19 items
 May - December, 1941
25/140
8 items
 1942-1943
25/141
40 items
 1944 - June 1947
25/142
19 items
 July - August, 1947
25/143
14 items
 January 1948 - December 1949
25/144
42 items
 1950 - March 1953
26/145
33 items
 April - July, 1953
26/146
27 items
 August - December, 1953
26/147
20 items
 1954-1956
26/148
19 items
 1957-1968

Series II. Financial records , 1911-1914Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
27/149
Financial records
30 items
 1911-1914

Series III. Other papers Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
27/150
Announcements, cards, invitations
20 items
27/151
Maps, newspapers, booklets
12 items
27/152
Postcards
40 items
27/153
Newspaper clippings
18 items
27/154
Gem of the Mountain yearbook
1 item
 1906
27/155
Madrono yearbook, 1935; University of Idaho diploma, 1906; University of Idaho diploma, 1909
3 items

Series IV. Photographs Return to Top

Container(s) Description
Box/Folder
27/156
Photo albums
2 items
27/157
Photographs
16 items

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Teachers -- Idaho -- Moscow

Personal Names

  • Gerlough, Ludwig S.
  • Gerlough, Margaret E. Lauder

Corporate Names

  • University of Oxford -- Students -- History -- Sources

Other Creators

  • Family Names
    • Gerlough Family

Finding aid prepared by Erika Kuhlman
2001

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