FOUR LETTERS

FROM THE

CURIE-MELONEY CORRESPONDENCE

Late in 19;6, Mr. William Browit Meloney, Jr. (A.B., 1921)
presented an unparalleled series of letters representing an exten¬
sive correspondence between his mother, the late Marie Mattingly
Meloney, and Madame Marie Curie. This correspondetice, which
had begun in 1920, continued until Madame Curie's death in
11134. It illustrates in remarkable detail the depth of friendship
between these two women, a frietidship which originated during
Mrs. Meloney's successful campaign to obtain financial contribu¬
tions from America?! women sufficient to provide Madame Curie
with a gram of radium for use in her scientific experiments in
radiotherapy.

Mr. Meloney subsequently presented additional related ma¬
terials: three magnificent items comprising the original draft in
French of Madame Curie's address of acceptance of the radium,
a draft in English of the address as delivered, and an eleven-page
article in her autograph, giving her impressions of America on
the occasion of the 1921 visit to receive the radium.

In "Our Growing Collections" in this issue of Library Columns,
we celebrate Mr. Meloney's further very recent gifts of still other
Curie manuscripts. As we go to press, a display of these dis¬
tinguished papers is being installed in the main exhibition area
of the third fioor of Butler Library.

—Editor.