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Marion Scott Arnold Harding was born in Rockport, Massachusetts, on January 1, 1936, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Keppler Arnold of Rockport. She graduated from Gloucester High School in 1954 and Wheaton College in 1958. She was married on June 18, 1960, to Lawrence Bruce Harding of Gloucester. The couple moved to Philadelphia while Lawrence finished college, after which they moved to Rockport, where they remained permanently and where their three children, Tamsen, Elizabeth, and David Bruce, were born.

Before her marriage Marion was a staff member of the Education Department of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. After her marriage and in the early years of parenting and as a result of her art historical background, she volunteered at the Cape Ann Museum, shortly before becoming a paid curatorial assistant. Among her achievements was the completion of a catalogue of the Museum’s furniture collection. In addition to working at the Museum, she was involved in a number of community activities centering on the Rockport schools, the Addison Gilbert Hospital, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church and the Red Cross. She also enjoyed cooking, gardening, skiing, and sailing.

Lawrence Bruce “Larry” Harding was born in Gloucester on April 25, 1939, to Richard E. and Anne E. (Scott) Harding. He was a graduate of Gloucester High School, Class of 1957, where he was a member of the celebrated 1956-1957 football team that played in the Orange Bowl in Florida. He also played varsity baseball and basketball, was a second lieutenant in the GHS R.O.T.C., and was inducted into the Gloucester High School Hall of Fame.

He graduated from the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania in 1962, where he was a member of the football team and Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.

He began his career in business with EG&G, Inc. in Boston, after which he was employed for many years at Instrumentation Laboratories, Inc., in Lexington. As an independent consultant, he worked with the Raytheon Career Center. When he retired, he was vice-president of human resources at Visualization Technology, Inc., of Wilmington.

He was a congregant of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Rockport and served as an usher and past member of the vestry. In addition, he served on the Rockport School Committee from 1973 to 1976 and was a corporator of the Granite Savings Bank of Rockport.

He was also a member of the Rockport Golf Club and the Sandy Bay Yacht Club. He especially enjoyed skiing with his family and became an avid golfer in his later years. He died on December 2, 2000, after a battle with colon cancer, leaving his wife, three children and five grandchildren.

Brief description: Family memorabilia from high school on. Includes items on the Ernestina and Walker Hancock.

This collection brings together documents reflecting the lives of Marion and Lawrence Harding from their high school days through their marriage, including high school diplomas, dance and sports programs, news clippings of athletic events, athletic awards, wedding announcements, social functions, family photographs, and photographs of Lawrence’s participation in sports events, award dinners, and reunions.

The collection includes copies of the Gloucester High School Yearbook, The Flicker, 1952-1957, class reunion booklets, dance cards and R.O.T.C. dance programs, and Cadet Anniversary celebrations.

The collection also includes brochures, photographs and news articles relating to the schooner Ernestina (formerly Effie M. Morrisey), Gloucester’s 350th Anniversary booklet, a videotape “Legacy—Shipbuilders, Fisherman & the Age of Gloucester Schooners,” photographs of Rockport’s streets and houses, postcards of paintings of local subjects, including those by Rockport artist Anthony Thieme, and greeting cards from friends and family.

Of special importance in this collection is a folder containing news articles, announcements, and correspondence from and about noted sculptor Walker Hancock (1901-1998), including a list of local models, a photograph of a Hancock sculpture inscribed by the artist to Larry Harding, and a letter from the sculptor’s daughter Deanie Hancock to the Hardings, 12/14/99.

Box 1

File 1

Marion Arnold, GHS graduation diploma and Graduation Exercises Program (6/1/54), with news clipping from GDT re graduation ceremony, 6/14/54; Lawrence Bruce Harding, GHS graduation diploma, 16/15/57; GHS Flash interview with Marion’s brother David Arnold, n/d; guide book, “The Bride’s Secretary;” Wheaton College Founder’ Day program, 5/4/57; John H. Arnold (Marion’s father) Banquet Program, Rockport Auxiliary Police, 5/13/42

File 2

News clippings, incl. engagement-wedding announcement, 6/18/60; social functions; CAM participation, including newsletter note on Marion’s tenure at the Museum, n/d

File 3

Photographs, (A) Scouts; (B) Family and friends (C) Rockport streets and houses; Essex shipyard

File 4

Postcards, (A) oversize Anthony Thieme paintings; (B) oversize historic paintings and scenes; (C) local subjects, art works (local and elsewhere)

File 5

Greeting cards to/from friends and family; invitation from Antony Thieme and wife, 7/24/39; AGH Auxiliary notice of meeting, 5/15/58

File 6

(A) Schooner Ernestina—Ex-Effie M. Morrissey, brochures, and news article; (B) Gloucester’s 350th Anniversary booklet

File 7

Place Card, 5/12/44, John Henry Davis-John E. Sullivan “Faithful Keepers of Law and Order” (miniature gavel and police club attached)

File 8

News articles, announcements, correspondence from and about Walker Hancock (1901-1998) and his works, incl. list of local models, photograph of Hancock frieze, “Bell Founders Memorial, 1955-1960,” for which Harding was the principal model, inscribed by Hancock to Larry Harding; letter from Deanie Hancock to Hardings, 12/14/99

File 9

The Flicker (Gloucester High School Yearbook); bound volumes, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1957

Box 2

File 10

Reunion booklets and programs, GHS class reunions; 8/9/69; 7/12/74; 20th reunion n/d, 1977; 7/31/82; 8/11/84

File 11

GHS dance programs, incl. Sergeants Party, 6/4/54; Exhibition Drill and Dance, 1/21/55; Sergeants Party, 6/1/56; Presentation Party and Prize Drill, 4/12/57 (3 copies)

File 12

GHS Athletic Hall of Fame banquet programs, 10/3/93; 11/1/2000; 9/20/2015 (Lawrence Harding inducted in 1993)

File 13

GHS Football Programs, 9/23/55-12/14/56

File 14

GHS Football Follies programs, 1953-1956

File 15

GHS Anniversary Programs for ROTC/Cadets unit; 50th, 5/30/35; 75th, 6/10/60; 100th, 6/1/85

File 16

Lawrence Harding scrapbook, GHS football news clippings from GDT, Fall 1956; photocopies and original scrapbook

File 17

News clippings relating to Lawrence Harding’s athletic career in basketball, swimming and football at GHS, 1955-1957; incl. menu for Mass. Class B Football Championship Dinner at Mama Leone’s Restaurant, New York City, 2/56, with three-part report on the team’s celebratory trip to New York City by team member Ray Welch, GDT, 2/23/56--

File 18

Photographs documenting Lawrence Harding’s athletic career at GHS, 1952-1957 and Harding’s R.O.T.C. activities at GHS, 1956-1957; incl. CYO basketball, 1950 and three GHS sports reunion color photos showing Marion Hardy, 10/14/2006

File 19

Two Masonite plaques with photos 1.) GHS football team, 10/26/56, and 2.) Football Stars, Greater Boston High Schools, incl. Lawrence Harding, LHB and Paul Niemi, LG, n/d

File 20

News clippings related to Lawrence Harding’s GHS football team reunions, award ceremonies, 12/17/76-8/31/13, incl. GDT Special Supplement re Division II Super Bowl game, 12/4/87, and program for dedication ceremony of New Balance Track and Field at Newell Stadium, 9/6/2013

File 21

Lawrence Harding, Rockport School Committee, 1973-1976; candidate advertisement, 3/7/74; election news story, Rockport Eagle, 3/14/74

File 22

Letter to LH from Dale Hall, Assistant Football Coach, US Military Academy at West Point, NY, 1/4/57, w. LH Athletic History, 1954-1959

File 23

Obituary for Lawrence B. Harding, d. 12/2/2000, Sandy Bay Yacht Club bulletin, copied from GDT; w. LTE from GDT, by Harding friend and fellow high school athlete, Peter Hickey, 1/9/2001