New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse League Records
When Charles Marsters founded the Boston Lacrosse Club in 1913, the club was the only one in New England to play teams from outside of the region. Under Marsters’s leadership, however, participation in the sport rose steadily at both the high school and collegiate level, helping establish New England as one of the centers of the American game. In 1935, he and Tom Dent founded the New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse League (NEILL) to continue to build the sport.
The NEILL records document the growth of lacrosse from informal club team play to a more regulated, interscholastic and intercollegiate varsity sport. The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence, minutes, and agendas kept by co-founder Charles Marsters and a handful of other NEILL officers, but with material documenting the growth of the sport at UMass Amherst from the 1950s onward and the addition of women’s lacrosse as a collegiate sport. The collection also includes some printed material (including rulebooks), news clippings, and photographs.
One of the major figures in the growth of scholastic and collegiate lacrosse in New England, Charles E. Marsters first grew attached to the sport while an undergraduate at Harvard (BS, 1907), but his commitment never waned thereafter. Spurred by his energy and initiative, participation in the sport rose steadily at both the high school and collegiate level, establishing New England as one of the centers of the American game. An officer of the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA), serving as vice president (1907-1908) and president (1909-1910 and 1917-1918), Marsters worked tirelessly as player, coach, and manager to promote the sport. With Paul Gustafson, he founded the Boston Lacrosse Club in 1913, playing point for sixteen years and managing the team, which became the first in New England to play teams from outside the region. He also laid the foundation for teams at Yale in 1915, and at Brown, MIT, the University of New Hampshire, and Tufts in the later 1920s.
In 1935, Marsters and his colleague Tom Dent founded the New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse League (NEILL), which became a major vehicle for promoting the sport. He was recognized for his labors on behalf of the sport with an award from USILA in 1951 and with induction into the U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame as a player in 1957.
The files of the New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse League (NEILL) document the growth of lacrosse in New England from an informal club activity to a regulated, interscholastic and intercollegiate varsity sport. The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence, minutes, and agendas kept by co-founder Charles E. Marsters and a handful of other NEILL officers. Reflective of his enthusiasm for lacrosse, Marsters’s correspondents ranged from coaches to regional and national lacrosse associations, as well as college and prep school officials, including Frank Boyden, Headmaster of the Deerfield Academy and trustee of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Some later correspondence reflects interest in the sport at UMass Amherst, beginning in the 1950s, and the beginnings of women’s lacrosse as a collegiate sport.
The NEILL collection is equally valuable in documenting the founding of the Boston Lacrosse Club (1913-1962) through member lists and rosters, reports from the managers and treasurers, and promotional materials. The printed material in the collection includes rule books and news clippings, and materials and correspondence relating to publication of The Lacrosse Guide, as well as copies of the guide itself (1907-1962), and photographs.
The collection is open for research.
Cite as: New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse League Records (MS 331). Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Acquired from Richard Garber, 1973, 1977-1978.
Processed by Ruth Owen Jones, 1985.
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1935-1973
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Includes minutes, 1935-73; account books, bank books and financial reports; copies of the constitutions of 1935, 1957, and 1966; reports; information on players and teams; newsletters; meeting agenda; and the correspondence of the following officers: E.W. Christensen, Earle Littleton, Robert Maddux, Ben R. Martin, Lincoln Redshaw, Timothy Ring, J. Bruce Munro, A. Barr Snively, and William A.R. Harkness. |
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1913-1962
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Marsters was the co-founder NEILL. Includes his correspondence with lacrosse enthusiasts around the country between 1913 and 1962; his correspondence with coaches of NEILL member colleges and affiliated prep schools; materials reflecting his association with the USILA and its activities: Development Committee, 1946-53; All America/All New England selection; North/South Game, 1949-62; newsletters, publicity releases and souvenirs; materials dating from the founding of the Boston Lacrosse Club, 1913-62: lists of members, constitution, letterheads, schedules, manager and treasurer’s reports; correspondence, rosters, agreements, photographs and clippings; materials pertaining to the writing of the New H Book of Harvard Athletics: correspondence and other material reflecting Marsters’ affiliations with the Lacrosse Hall of Fame, the US Lacrosse Coaches Association, the New England Lacrosse Officials Association, the US Women’s Lacrosse Association, and the California Lacrosse Association. |
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1893-1962; n.d.
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Contains material such as questionnaires, notes, and correspondence used to compile aspects of the guide, 1954-62, n.d., and copies of the guides the |
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1903-1962
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Contains newspaper clippings from a variety of newspapers collected by Harsters between 1903 and 1962. Related material: Additional clippings are included among materials in other series. |
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1948-1952; n.d.
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Includes a bound volume on lacrosse, a clipped passage about lacrosse history, and a copy of an 1884 print by H.W. Hall. |
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n.d.
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Includes posters, questionnaires, clippings, referee whistles (3), and photographs of teams. |
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Series 1. Official Records
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1935-1973
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Minutes of Meetings
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1935-1949
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Box 1:1
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Meeting Agendae, Minutes
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1954-1961
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Box 1:2
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Minutes
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1962-1973
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Box 1:3
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Account Book
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1940-1950
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Box 1:4
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Bank Books (3)
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1936-1942
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Box 1:5
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Constitution and related correspondence, Christensen
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1935
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Box 1:6
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Correspondence, general , Christensen
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1935-1936
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Box 1:7
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Correspondence Earle Littleton (Secretary-Treasurer 1937-1940)
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1937-1938
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Box 1:8
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Correspondence Earle Littleton
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1939-1940
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Box 1:9
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Corres. Robert Maddux (Sec-Treas, 1940-1942,1949)
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1936-1940
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Box 1:10
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Corres. Robert Maddux
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1941
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Box 1:11
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Corres. Robert Maddux
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1942, 1949
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Box 1:12
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Corres. Ben Martin (Sec-Treas 1942-1944)
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1942-1944
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Box 1:13
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Corres. Lincoln Redshaw(Sec-Treas 1944-1948)
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1944
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Box 1:14
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Corres. Lincoln Redshaw
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1945
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Box 1:15
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Corres. Lincoln Redshaw
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1946
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Box 1:16
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Corres. Lincoln Redshaw
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1947
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Box 1:17
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Corres. Lincoln Redshaw
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1948
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Box 2:18
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Corres. Timothy Ring (Sec-Treas 1948-1950)
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1948
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Box 2:19
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Corres. Timothy Ring
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1949
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Box 2:20
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Corres. Timothy Ring
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1950
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Box 2:21
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Corres. J. Bruce Munroe
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1950-1952
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Box 2:22
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Corres. A. Barr Snively, Jr.
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1954-1956
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Box 2:23
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Corres. William R. Harkness
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1954
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Box 2:24
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Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Correspondence and Records
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1940-1959
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Box 2:25
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Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Correspondence and Records
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1960-1967
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Box 2:26
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Season Reviews
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1969-1973
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Box 2:27
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Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Newsletters
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1960-1962
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Box 2:28
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Series 2. Charles E. Marsters Files
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1913-1962
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Corres. Charles E. Marsters
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1913-1914
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Box 2:29
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Corres. Charles E. Marsters
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1915-1916
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Box 2:30
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Corres. Charles E. Marsters
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1947-1960
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Box 2:31
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Corres. Charles E. Marsters
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1961-1962
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Box 2:32
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Mailing Addresses kept by Charles E. Marsters
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n.d.
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Box 2:33
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NEILL-Amherst College
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1936-1953
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Box 3:34
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NEILL-Bates College
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1930-1945
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Box 3:35
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NEILL-Boston University
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1931-1934
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Box 3:36
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NEILL-Bowdoin College
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1940-1955
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Box 3:37
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NEILL-Brown University
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1930-1952
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Box 3:38
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NEILL-Colby
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1944-1953
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Box 3:39
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NEILL-University of Connecticut
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1946-1953
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Box 3:40
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NEILL-Dartmouth
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1928-1949
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Box 3:41
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NEILL-Hartford Club
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1947
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Box 3:42
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NEILL-Harvard University
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1910-1959
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Box 3:43
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NEILL-Kenyon College
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1947-1951
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Box 3:44
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NEILL-Lowell Textile Institute
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1940-1953
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Box 3:45
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NEILL-University of Maine
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1950-1953
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Box 3:46
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NEILL-M.I.T.
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1929-1952
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Box 3:47
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NEILL-Univ. of Mass.(orig. Mass. State)
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1940-1954
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Box 3:48
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NEILL-Middlebury
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1948-1956
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Box 3:49
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NEILL-New England College
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1949-1951
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Box 3:50
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NEILL-University of New Hampshire
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1930-1952
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Box 3:51
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NEILL-Nichols Junior College
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1949-1953
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Box 3:52
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NEILL-Rhode Island State (now URI)
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1935-1951
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Box 3:53
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NEILL-Springfield College
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1930-1953
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Box 3:54
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NEILL-Trinity College-Hartford
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1946-1953
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Box 3:55
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NEILL-Tufts
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1930-1952
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Box 3:56
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NEILL-Coast Guard Academy
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1946-1947
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Box 3:57
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NEILL-Wesleyan
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1943-1952
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Box 3:58
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NEILL-Williams
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1934-1953
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Box 3:59
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NEILL-Worcester Polytechnic and Clark Univ.
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1941-1953
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Box 3:60
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NEILL-Yale
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1935-1952
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Box 3:61
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NEILL-Other Colleges outside New England
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1951-1952
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Box 3:62
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NEILL-Prep. School Affiliates of NEILL
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1961-1962
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Box 3:63
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NEILL-Andover-Phillips Academy
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1931-1952
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Box 3:64
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NEILL-Clark School.-Hanover, New Hampshire
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1950-1952
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Box 3:65
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NEILL-Choate
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1946-1952
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Box 3:66
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NEILL-Deerfield Academy
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1939-1942
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Box 3:67
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NEILL-Deering High, Portland, Maine
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1939-1940
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Box 3:68
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NEILL-Governor Dummer
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1937-1952
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Box 3:69
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NEILL-Hebron, Hotchkiss
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1948
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Box 3:70
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NEILL-Kimball Union.
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1938-1952
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Box 3:71
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NEILL-Kingswood School
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1939-1952
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Box 3:72
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NEILL-Lawrence Academy
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1939-1952
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Box 3:73
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NEILL-Loomis
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1942-1950
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Box 3:74
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NEILL-Middlesex School
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1948-1952
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Box 3:75
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NEILL-Mt. Hermon
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1938-1952
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Box 3:76
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NEILL-Phillips, Exeter
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1933-1952
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Box 3:77
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NEILL-St. Paul’s-Concord, New Hampshire
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1945-1952
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Box 3:78
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-St. Paul’s-Bult, Maryland
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Box 3
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NEILL-Suffield Academy
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1941-1946
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Box 3:79
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NEILL-Tabor Academy
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1948-1952
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Box 3:80
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NEILL-Thornton Academy
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1938
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Box 3:81
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NEILL-Tilton School
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1942-1946
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Box 3:82
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NEILL-U.S. Naval School
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1949-1950
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Box 3:83
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NEILL-Worcester Academy
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1935-1953
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Box 3:84
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NEILL-Other Preps.
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1935-1952
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Box 3:85
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U.S. Intercollegiate Association (USILA)
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1947-1952
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Box 4:86
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Records and Correspondence
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Box 4
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USILA Correspondence
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1952
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Box 4:87
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USILA Records and Correspondence
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1955-1960
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Box 4:88
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USILA Records and Correspondence
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1961-1962
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Box 4:89
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USILA Development Committee
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1946-1953
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Box 4:90
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All American/All New England Teams
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1930,1952
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Box 4:91
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All American Selection Committee, Records,
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1958-1962
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Box 4:92
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Correspondence, Clippings
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Box 4
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USILA North-South Lacrosse Games
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1949-1959
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Box 4:93
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USILA North-South Lacrosse Games-Records,
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1960,1961
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Box 4:94
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Clippings and Correspondence
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Box 4
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USILA North South Game
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1962
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Box 4:95
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“The Lacrosse Newsletter”(s)
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1958-1962
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Box 4:96
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Publicity Releases
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1952-1961
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Box 4:97
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Programs, Schedules, Tickets, Posters
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1907+
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Box 4:98
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Association of N.E. Colleges for Conferences on Athletics, Correspondence, Minutes
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1931-1939
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Box 5:99
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Boston Lacrosse Club Constitution, Records
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1913-1915
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Box 5:100
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Clippings
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Box 5
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Boston Lacrosse Club
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1954-1962
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Box 5:101
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Harvard University Varsity Club.”The H. Book”
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1961-1962
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Box 5:102
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Correspondence
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Box 5
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The H Book of Harvard Athletics(bound volume)
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1852-1922
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Box 5:103
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Lacrosse Hall of Fame, Correspondence, Notes,
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1958-1961
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Box 5:104
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U.S. Lacrosse Coaches Association, Corres.,
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1956-1961
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Box 5:105
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Printed Material, Reports
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Box 5
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Lacrosse Coaches Assoc. Newsletter
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1951-1952
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Box 5:106
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N.E. Lacrosse Officials Association, U.S.
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1938-1962
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Box 5:107
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Lacrosse Officials Association
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Box 5
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U.S. Women’s Lacrosse Association, Clippings
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1952
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Box 5:108
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Correspondence, Printed Material
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Box 5
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California Lacrosse Association
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1961
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Box 5:109
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Series 3. The Lacrosse Guide
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1893-1962; n.d.
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Lacrosse Guide Info., Questionnaires,
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1952-62, n.d.
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Box 6:110
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Correspondence, Notes
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Box 6
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Lacrosse Guides- Rules and Regulations
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1907-1928
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Box 6:111
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Lacrosse Guides
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1929-1941
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Box 6:112
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Lacrosse Guides
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1942-1944, 1946-1955
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Box 6:113
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Lacrosse Guides
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1956-1962
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Box 6:114
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Outdoor Sports 1893 and Lacrosse Handbooks
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1893-1930, n.d.
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Box 6:115
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Lacrosse Equipment, Catalogs, Orders,
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1935-1952
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Box 6:116
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Correspondence
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Box 6
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Lacrosse Equipment Catalogs
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1960-1963
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Box 6:117
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Series 4. News Clippings
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1903-1962
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Clippings
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1903-1911
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Box 7:118
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Clippings
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1929-1935
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Box 7:119
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Clippings
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1936, 1937, 1940
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Box 7:120
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Clippings
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1961-1962
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Box 7:121
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Clippings, Canada
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1929-1930
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Box 7:122
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Series 5. Printed Material
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1948-1952; n.d.
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Lacrosse, by W. Kelso Morrill, 1952;
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1952, n.d.
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Box 7:123
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“Other Indian Games”, n.d.
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Box 7
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Copy of 1884 Print, “Game of Lacrosse”, H.W. Hall
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1948
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Box 7:124
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Series 6. Oversized Material
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n.d.
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Posters, Clippings,
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n.d.
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Box 8
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Questionnaires, (3) whistles, (1) badge, etc.
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Box 8
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Photographs – Teams
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n.d.
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Box 9
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