Guide to the Congress of Clubs and Clubwomen of Western Pennsylvania Records, 1890-1963 AIS.1964.10
Arrangement
Repository
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Title
Congress of Clubs and Clubwomen of Western Pennsylvania Records
Creator
Congress of Clubs and Club Women of Western Pennsylvania
Collection Number
AIS.1964.10
Extent
50 Linear Feet(39 boxes)
Date
1890-1963
Abstract
Originating in 1890, the Congress of Clubs and Clubwomen of Western Pennsylvania was a women's organization that existed through 1963. The collection contains material about their departments, committees, divisions and schools that were in place to create a well rounded individual able to assimilate well in society. Included in the collection are the constitution and by-laws, membership lists, reports of departments and committees, minute books, correspondence, event programs, publications, and scrapbooks.
Language
English
.
Author
Archives Service Center staff and Holly Mengel. Revisions occurred to the finding aid as a part of the encoding process in 2002-2004.
Publisher
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Address
University of Pittsburgh Library System Archives & Special Collections Website: library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections Business Number: 412-648-3232 (Thomas) | 412-648-8190 (Hillman) Contact Us: www.library.pitt.edu/ask-archivist URL: http://library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
History
Originating in 1890, the Congress of Clubs and Clubwomen of Western Pennsylvania was a women's organization that existed through 1963. The object of the organization was to "foster a spirit of fraternalism among women and women's clubs; to compare methods of study and work; to create a higher public spirit; to promote a better social order; and to maintain an organized center for women's work". The Congress had two classes of membership: club and individual (adult and junior). A clubhouse was built in 1923 at 408 Penn Avenue. At this time, the organization represented 121 clubs and had a membership of over 12,000 women. This number grew to a membership of 47,000 women from 622 clubs in 1940.
The Congress of Clubs was divided into four different sections, namely: departments, committees, divisions and schools. Within these four sections were subcategories of, drama, education, evening, legislative and music. These sections and their subcategories existed throughout the entire life of the organization and were created for the betterment of the club, to provide entertainment for the club, to educate women of the community and make them more well rounded, or to provide charity for groups outside of the club.
The Drama Department provided the opportunity for women to participate in dramatic productions and also hired professional actors to perform for the club. The Education Department worked to provide educational programs for club members, but also funded several scholarships. The Evening Department was designed for working women who were not able to attend meetings during the work weekday. The Legislation Department dealt with national, state, and local legislation. The fact that the Congress of Clubs, especially in its infancy, regarded women's rights in politics as very important is reflected in this department. The Music Department provided the opportunity for women to participate in the Congress Choral, and the Musicale.
Scope and Content Notes
Each series is further described in a scope note following the beginning of the series in the contents list. The notes give date spans and explain the arrangement of materials within the series.
The collection is well rounded and includes historical items, meeting minutes, reports of departments and committees, financial records, publications, correspondence, event programs, and membership lists. However, the majority of the materials are in Series IV: Departments, Committees, Divisions, and Schools and Series IX: Correspondence.
Arrangement
This collection spans the years 1890 through 1963 and has been arranged according to ten series. Each series is further described in a scope note following the beginning of the series in the contents list. The notes give date spans and explain the arrangement of materials within the series.
Series I. Constitution and By-Laws
Series II. Annual and Quarterly Meetings
Series III. Board Meetings
Series IV. Departments, Committees, Divisions, and Schools
Series V. Affiliated Clubs
Series VI. Congress Juniors Division
Series VII. Clubhouse Business
Series VIII. Publications
Series IX. Correspondence
Series X. Scrapbooks
Access Restrictions
No restrictions.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Mrs. Alice Phillips, February 3, 1964.
Previous Citation
Congress of Clubs and Clubwomen of Western Pennsylvania Records, 1890-1963, AIS.1964.10, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
Preferred Citation
Congress of Clubs and Clubwomen of Western Pennsylvania Records, 1890-1963, AIS.1964.10, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Archives Service Center Staff in 1964, and was reprocessed by Holly Mengel in October 2002.
Copyright
Permission for publication is given on behalf of the University of Pittsburgh as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Subjects
Corporate Names
American Red Cross. Pittsburgh Area Chapter. Allegheny County Auxiliary No.1
Congress of Clubs and Club Women of Western Pennsylvania
Other Subjects
Women -- Pennsylvania -- Societies and clubs
Societies
Associations
Women
Container List
Scope and Content Notes
The minute books, titled Quarterly Meeting Records, include the minutes from both the Annual and Quarterly Meetings as well as any special meetings that were called. The series also contains information on planning the meetings and includes correspondence, programs, invitations, election information, and reports relating to these Annual and Quarterly Meetings. The dates on these documents range from 1921-1962.
Containers
box 1, folder 9-15
Containers
box 1, folder 16-26
Containers
box 2, folder 1-30
Containers
box 3, folder 1-37
Scope and Content Notes
Box 4 and the first 4 folders of Box 5 contain the minutes of the Board of Directors of the Congress of Clubs and Clubwomen of Western Pennsylvania. The remainder of Box 5 and the first 27 folders in Box 6 contain correspondence regarding the Board Meetings. The last five folders in Box 6 include minutes and correspondence of the Ex-Board, a group consisting of women who formerly served on the Board.
Containers
box 4, folder 1-9
Containers
box 5, folder 1-4
Containers
box 5, folder 5-18
Containers
box 6, folder 1-27
Containers
box 6, folder 28-32
Scope and Content Notes
Boxes 7-14 contain material about departments, committees, divisions and schools. The folders for most of the departments, committees, divisions, and schools contain membership lists, minute books, correspondence, and notes. Departments of particular interest include Drama, Education, Evening, Legislation, and Music. The Drama Department includes records pertaining to drama productions as well as the hiring and promoting of professional actors to perform for the club. The Education Department contains records on educational programs and scholarships. Information is available on memorial scholarships, scholarships based on need, and their most long standing scholarship, which provided tuition for a female medical student. The Legislation Department regarded women's rights in politics as very important, which is reflected in these records. The Music Department includes records on the Congress Choral, and the Musicale. It also contains two folders of musical scores, circa 1925-1926. In addition to the typical records held by the many departments and committees, the Membership Committee records include New Member Lists, information on Membership Drives, Courtesy Members, Delinquent Members, and Life Members. The records of this committee also consist of correspondence regarding dues and resignations from the clubs, most significantly during the Depression. These resignations quite often include the reasons the members resigned from the club.
Containers
box 7, folder 1-3
Containers
box 7, folder 4-10
Containers
box 7, folder 11-31
Containers
box 7, folder 32-36
Containers
box 8, folder 1
Containers
box 8, folder 2-7
Containers
box 8, folder 8-15
Containers
box 8, folder 16-20
Containers
box 8, folder 21-31
Containers
box 8, folder 32
Containers
box 8, folder 33-36
Containers
box 8, folder 37-38
Containers
box 8, folder 39-41
Containers
box 9, folder 1
Containers
box 9, folder 2-4
Containers
box 9, folder 5
Containers
box 9, folder 6-11
Containers
box 9, folder 12
Containers
box 9, folder 13
Containers
box 9, folder 14
Containers
box 9, folder 15
Containers
box 9, folder 16
Containers
box 9, folder 17-36
Containers
box 10, folder 1-4
Containers
box 10, folder 5-12
Containers
box 10, folder 13
Containers
box 10, folder 14
Containers
box 10, folder 15-16
Containers
box 10, folder 17-45
Containers
box 11, folder 1-43
Containers
box 12, folder 1-34
Containers
box 13, folder 1-24
Containers
box 13, folder 25-36
Containers
box 13, folder 37
Containers
box 13, folder 38-39
Containers
box 13, folder 40-47
Containers
box 13, folder 48
Containers
box 14, folder 1
Containers
box 14, folder 2
Containers
box 14, folder 3-4
Containers
box 14, folder 5-6
Containers
box 14, folder 7-11
Containers
box 14, folder 12-16
Containers
box 14, folder 17-20
Containers
box 14, folder 21-24
Containers
box 14, folder 25
Containers
box 14, folder 26-31
Containers
box 14, folder 32-33
Containers
box 14, folder 34
Containers
box 14, folder 35-39
Containers
box 14, folder 40-41
Containers
box 14, folder 42-51
Scope and Content Notes
Makes up boxes 15-17 and box 18, folders 1-8 and supplies information on affiliated clubs. These records contain club applications, surveys, and correspondence for the years 1925 to 1962.
Containers
box 15, folder 1
Containers
box 15, folder 2-19
Containers
box 15, folder 20-39
Containers
box 16, folder 1-30
Containers
box 16, folder 31-32
Containers
box 17, folder 1-7
Containers
box 17, folder 8-9
Containers
box 17, folder 10-18
Containers
box 17, folder 19-20
Containers
box 17, folder 21
Containers
box 17, folder 22-29
Containers
box 17, folder 30-36
Containers
box 18, folder 1-8
Scope and Content Notes
Folders 9-32 of box 18 consist of the by-laws, minutes and correspondence relating to the Congress Juniors Division during the years 1934-1961.
Containers
box 18, folder 9
Containers
box 18, folder 10-11
Containers
box 18, folder 12-32
Scope and Content Notes
Boxes 19 and 20 contain mainly financial papers regarding the building and maintenance of the Clubhouse. The majority of these records are from 1921 to 1937. Clubhouse photographs from 1921 can be found in box 19, folders 3-4.
Containers
box 19, folder 1-2
Containers
box 19, folder 3-4
Containers
box 19, folder 5-14
Containers
box 19, folder 15-16
Containers
box 19, folder 17-25
Containers
box 19, folder 26-31
Containers
box 20, folder 1-2
Containers
box 20, folder 3-6
Containers
box 20, folder 7-9
Containers
box 20, folder 10
Containers
box 20, folder 11
Containers
box 20, folder 12
Containers
box 20, folder 13-14
Containers
box 20, folder 15
Containers
box 20, folder 16-19
Containers
box 20, folder 20
Containers
box 20, folder 21
Containers
box 20, folder 22
Containers
box 20, folder 23
Containers
box 20, folder 24
Containers
box 20, folder 25
Containers
box 20, folder 26
Containers
box 20, folder 27
Containers
box 20, folder 28-29
Containers
box 20, folder 30-33
Containers
box 20, folder 34
Scope and Content Notes
Boxes 21-24 and the first 27 folders of box 25 consist of publications that span the dates of the collection. These include the Congress Annual, Congress Outlet, Congress Lantern, Congress Chatter, Monthly Calenders, Official Directories, Publicity Programs, and Radio Programs. This series also includes materials about the publications in each folder. The Congress Outlet was published monthly, the Congress Lantern weekly, while various newsletters were distributed in between.
Containers
box 20, folder 35-43
Containers
box 21, folder 44-51
Containers
box 21, folder 52-62
Containers
box 21, folder 63-67
Containers
box 21, folder 68
Containers
box 21, folder 69-71
Containers
box 22, folder 1-10
Containers
box 22, folder 11-17
Containers
box 22, folder 18
Containers
box 22, folder 19-26
Containers
box 23, folder 1-5
Containers
box 23, folder 6-7
Containers
box 23, folder 8-15
Containers
box 23, folder 16-20
Containers
box 23, folder 21-23
Containers
box 23, folder 24-34
Containers
box 24, folder 1-14
Containers
box 24, folder 15-22
Containers
box 24, folder 23-27
Scope and Content Notes
The remainder of box 24 through box 36 consists of correspondence that has been divided into three subseries according to organizations, events, and miscellaneous. The correspondence of the first two subseries is arranged alphabetically by organization, subject or event and can include reports, programs, announcements, and financial material. The miscellaneous correspondence subseries is arranged chronologically from 1920 to 1963 and then further organized alphabetically by correspondent within the year span. Circular letters and notes from the recording secretary can be found in this group of correspondence. Membership cards for the years 1923-1938 are also located at the end of the miscellaneous subseries in box 36.
Containers
box 24, folder 28
Containers
box 24, folder 29
Containers
box 24, folder 30
Containers
box 24, folder 31
Containers
box 24, folder 32-34
Containers
box 24, folder 35
Containers
box 24, folder 36-38
Containers
box 24, folder 39
Containers
box 25, folder 1
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box 25, folder 2
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box 25, folder 3
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box 25, folder 4
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box 25, folder 5
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box 25, folder 6
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box 25, folder 7
Containers
box 25, folder 8
Containers
box 25, folder 9-11
Containers
box 25, folder 12-19
Containers
box 25, folder 20
Containers
box 25, folder 21
Containers
box 25, folder 22
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box 25, folder 23
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box 25, folder 24
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box 25, folder 25
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box 25, folder 26
Containers
box 25, folder 27
Containers
box 25, folder 28
Containers
box 25, folder 29
Containers
box 25, folder 30-32
Containers
box 25, folder 33-34
Containers
box 25, folder 35
Containers
box 25, folder 36
Containers
box 25, folder 37
Containers
box 25, folder 38
Containers
box 25, folder 39
Containers
box 25, folder 40
Containers
box 25, folder 41
Containers
box 25, folder 42-43
Containers
box 25, folder 44
Containers
box 25, folder 45-52
Containers
box 25, folder 53
Containers
box 25, folder 54
Containers
box 25, folder 55-56
Containers
box 25, folder 57
Containers
box 25, folder 58
Containers
box 25, folder 59-63
Containers
box 25, folder 64
Containers
box 26, folder 1
Containers
box 26, folder 2-6
Containers
box 26, folder 7
Containers
box 26, folder 8
Containers
box 26, folder 9-10
Containers
box 26, folder 11-12
Containers
box 26, folder 13-15
Containers
box 26, folder 16-35
Containers
box 27, folder 1-3
Containers
box 27, folder 4-5
Containers
box 27, folder 6
Containers
box 27, folder 7-10
Containers
box 27, folder 11
Containers
box 27, folder 12
Containers
box 27, folder 13
Containers
box 27, folder 14
Containers
box 27, folder 15-16
Containers
box 27, folder 17-18
Containers
box 27, folder 19-20
Containers
box 27, folder 21-22
Containers
box 27, folder 23
Containers
box 27, folder 24
Containers
box 27, folder 25
Containers
box 27, folder 26-28
Containers
box 27, folder 29-30
Containers
box 27, folder 31-32
Containers
box 27, folder 33-34
Containers
box 27, folder 35-42
Containers
box 27, folder 46
Containers
box 27, folder 47-49
Containers
box 28, folder 1-6
Containers
box 28, folder 7-11
Containers
box 28, folder 12
Containers
box 28, folder 13
Containers
box 28, folder 14-16
Containers
box 28, folder 17-20
Containers
box 28, folder 21-43
Containers
box 28, folder 44-47
Containers
box 29, folder 1
Containers
box 29, folder 2-23
Containers
box 29, folder 24-26
Containers
box 29, folder 27-52
Containers
box 30, folder 1-25
Containers
box 30, folder 26-50
Containers
box 31, folder 1-7
Containers
box 31, folder 8-15
Containers
box 31, folder 16-40
Containers
box 31, folder 41-49
Containers
box 32, folder 1-20
Containers
box 32, folder 21-35
Containers
box 32, folder 36-48
Containers
box 32, folder 49-51
Containers
box 32, folder 52-54
Containers
box 33, folder 1-11
Containers
box 33, folder 12-20
Containers
box 33, folder 21-28
Containers
box 33, folder 29-34
Containers
box 33, folder 35-38
Containers
box 33, folder 39-43
Containers
box 33, folder 44-46
Containers
box 34, folder 1-9
Containers
box 34, folder 10-13
Containers
box 34, folder 14
Containers
box 34, folder 15-16
Containers
box 34, folder 17-22
Containers
box 34, folder 23-26
Containers
box 34, folder 27-29
Containers
box 34, folder 28
Containers
box 34, folder 29-39
Containers
box 34, folder 40-41
Containers
box 34, folder 42-51
Containers
box 35, folder 1-4
Containers
box 35, folder 5-17
Containers
box 35, folder 18-21
Containers
box 35, folder 22-30
Containers
box 35, folder 31
Containers
box 35, folder 32
Containers
box 36, folder 1
Scope and Content Notes
Boxes 37-39 consist of scrapbooks for the majority of the years between 1921 and 1960. The scrapbooks primarily contain newspaper clippings with some event programs.