American Association of University Women, Vermillion Chapter records
Content Description
These records are from the American Association of University Women, which was an organization of female college graduates working to expand educational and vocational opportunities for women.
The papers are organized into ten series: Club Minutes/Summaries, Correspondence, Ephemera, Financial Documents, Manuscript, Miscellaneous, Printed Material, Scrapbooks, Subject Files, and Typescript.
The Club Minutes/Summaries series contains the discussion and events of the organization’s meetings from 1931 to 1981. There are only a few minutes from 1931 to 1962, but the collection is almost complete from October 1962 to October 1981. The series is organized chronologically.
The Correspondence series is divided into incoming and outgoing letters and then are sorted by date. The correspondence, in both incoming and outgoing, are related to actions and activities of the group.
The Ephemera series includes name badges from AAUW programs and posters.
The Financial Documents series is divided into four sub-series: Budgets, Fellowship Financial Reports, Miscellaneous, and Treasurer’s Reports. They are organized chronologically.
The Manuscript series contains only one article in the folders. It is a fellowship speech written circa 1970.
The Miscellaneous series contains registration forms, agendas, participation sheets, and a drawing.
The Printed Material series can be found in boxes 1, 2 and 3, although the bulk of the series is found within box 1. The printed materials in this collection range from handbooks, directories, books, newspaper articles, newsletters, pamphlets and programs. This series is sorted in chronological order.
The Scrapbooks series contains five scrapbooks. The first scrapbook is in Box 2 and contains Vermillion AAUW information from 1932-1933. Box 4 and 5 contain the other four scrapbooks, which span the years of 1948 to 1979. The scrapbooks were photocopied for preservation purposes.
The Subject Files series, which is contained in Box 3, is divided into three sub-series: AAUW Study Groups, AAUW Fellowship Skits, and Branch Reports. AAUW Study Groups contain information on the issues that the groups discussed and are organized chronologically. The AAUW Fellowship Skits includes copies of the skits performed by AAUW members and are sorted alphabetically by title. The AAUW Branch Reports cover 1945-1981. However, the collection is not complete and is missing the late 1940s, all of the 1950s, and intermittent years of the 1970s. This sub-series is also sorted chronologically.
The Typescript series is separated into three sub-series: the History of South Dakota State Division of AAUW, the History of Vermillion Branch of AAUW and the Officer and Member Lists for the Vermillion Branch of AAUW. All of the information in the typescript series is organized by date.
Dates
- Creation: 1926 - 1990
Creator
- American Association of University Women. Vermillion Chapter (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research without restrictions. Researchers are advised to contact the Archives and Special Collections prior to visiting. Advance notice may be needed to retrieve items for research use.
Conditions Governing Use
Researchers must obtain a signed Permission to Publish Form if they wish to reproduce, broadcast, or otherwise disseminate information from published and unpublished works held by ASC. Permission to reproduce, broadcast, or otherwise disseminate information materials from ASC does not constitute permission from the holder of copyright or literary rights. The researcher is responsible for securing permission from the copyright holder to publish or reproduce content from materials found in the collections.
Biographical / Historical
The American Association of University Women, originally known as the Association of Collegiate Alumnae, was founded in 1881. In the early 1900s, the group promoted legislation to advance women’s opportunities in education, and were active advocates of equal pay, suffrage, compulsory education, and funding for public schools and libraries. Later, they supported the ERA, the passage of Title IX, and the passage of Family and Medical Leave Act. Today, along with an extensive fellowship and grant program, AAUW also supports issues such as protecting Title IX and promoting women and girl’s participation in science and technology. The organization is also active in educating voters and advancing equality in education and in the workplace.
The Association of Collegiate Alumnae at the University of South Dakota at Vermillion was founded on April 26, 1917. The first meeting was called together by Eva Robinson and Genevieve Blair. There were fourteen charter members and officers were elected. Jessamine Lee Fox was elected President; Margaret Wellington was Vice-President and Sylvanna Elliott was the Secretary and Treasurer. The group’s early work was varied. They labored with the Red Cross, performed war work, completed civic improvements and worked to get USD on a list of accredited colleges and universities. The group raised money for national causes and issues, as well as, for foreign student scholarships at USD, and for girls who needed financial aid to attend the University.
On October 23, 1924, the club was reorganized into the Vermillion Branch of the American Association of University Women of the University of South Dakota. The club raised money by selling maps, cards, and calendars, by hosting bazaars and silent auctions, and by generous member gifts. Along with their fellowship and grant programs, the club used their money to support worthy causes and fund educational presentations. They helped install a new chapter in Yankton and started several letter campaigns for many causes including, but not limited to, the Children’s Bureau, local school curriculums, and a permanent school fund.
At the time of this writing there is an active South Dakota Division of AAUW, but there is no longer an active branch at Vermillion.
Extent
3.0 Linear Feet (3 document boxes and 2 oversize boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
These records are from the American Association of University Women, which was an organization of female college graduates working to expand educational and vocational opportunities for women.
Arrangement
The American Association of University Women, Vermillion Chapter records are organized into ten series: Club Minutes/Summaries, Correspondence, Ephemera, Financial Documents, Manuscript, Miscellaneous, Printed Material, Scrapbooks, Subject Files, and Typescript.
- Title
- American Association of University Women, Vermillion Chapter records
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Trista L. Vogt-Stone
- Date
- 2006 June
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the USD Archives and Special Collections Repository
