Special Collections & University Archives
Search Special CollectionsHoursMonday - Friday: LocationThe Special Collections is located on the east side of the Library at the front of the 3rd floor. Contact InformationPatricia W. & J. Douglas Perry Library |
The Papers of the Norfolk Branch of the American Association of University WomenCollection Number: MG 74Series Descriptions - Access - Container Listing Historical SketchThe roots of the Norfolk branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) can be traced to December 10, 1902, when ten women met in Norfolk, Va. to form the College Club of Norfolk. The purpose of this group was to support higher education for women. The requirement for membership was a minimum of one year of college at any Association of Collegiate Alumnae (ACA) approved college. In 1918 the College Club of Norfolk united with the Southern Association of College Women (SACW) and became part of the AAUW as a result of the 1921 merge of the SACW and the ACA. In 1922 the first national convention of the AAUW was held in Kansas City and a representative from the Norfolk branch was in attendance. One of the branch's first projects was creating a scholarship for women to attend an approved college. In 1909 Miss Nettie Sterling of Gloucester, Va received the first scholarship. In 1922 Miss Cherry Nottingham, referred to as the "Branch's intellectual core," joined the AAUW and in later years this scholarship became known as the Cherry Nottingham scholarship. In the 1920s the Norfolk branch of the AAUW joined national AAUW efforts to purchase a gram of radium to present to Madame Curie as a gift of American women on the occasion of Curie's visit to the U.S. The Norfolk branch of the AAUW was among the first racially integrated women's organizations. Other major interests of the branch over the years have been pre-schools, nurseries, daycare centers, poverty, school integration, civil rights, and international relations. Men are also admitted to the Norfolk branch of the AAUW on the basis of their educational qualifications. Scope and ContentsThe Papers of the Norfolk branch of the American Association of University Women date from 1902 to 2000. The collection includes information about the history and organization of the group, meeting minutes, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, conference brochures, branch reports, and other publications by and about the group. The bulk of the collection is in the following categories: history, meeting minutes, reports, scrapbooks, and publications. Series Descriptions:The collection is comprised of the following twelve series: I. History; II. Organization; III. Minutes; IV. Reports; V. Issues/Activities; VI. Annual Conventions; VII. Handbooks; VIII. Yearbooks; Series I: History: This series is divided into two sub-series. Sub-series A: National; Sub-series B: Norfolk Branch. Sub-series A: National. This sub-series contains publications and a cassette recording about the creation and growth of the American Association of University Women from 1881 to 1981. Included is material from the 75th and centennial anniversaries. Sub-series B: Norfolk Branch. This sub-series contains publications, notes, photographs, and a cassette recording about the history of the Norfolk Branch of the AAUW from 1902 to 2000. Series II: Organization: This series is divided into three sub-series. Sub-series A: Members; Sub-series B: Bylaws & Policies; Sub-series C: Finances. Sub-series A: Members. This sub-series contains lists of chapter members and branch officers from various decades. Sub-series B: Bylaws & Policies. This sub-series describes responsibilities, duties, and policies involved with being an AAUW member or officer. Sub-series C: Finances. The bulk of the material in this series is from the 1980s. Treasurer's Reports from the 1940s may also be found interfiled with the Meeting Minutes from the 1940s. Series III: Minutes: This series is divided into two sub-series and contains minutes of the AAUW meetings dating back to the organization's beginning in1902. The minutes provide details of the meetings and daily activities of the organization. Minutes are handwritten, typed, and composed on a word processor. Some of the minutes folders, especially from the 1940s, have Treasurer's reports interfiled. Sub-series A: Minutes Books. This sub-series consists of four minutes books covering 1902-1939. Each book is fragile and must be handled with care. These minute books are in box 22. Sub-series B: Minutes Folders. This sub-series consists of minutes from 1939 to the 1990s. Series IV: Reports: The bulk of this series contains annual branch reports from the 1940s and 1980s. Also included are folders titled Committee Reports 1938-1939 and President's Report 1945. Series V: Issues/Activities: This series describes issues and activities focused upon by the AAUW such as education, daycare, and poverty. Information about some issues is located in other places throughout the collection such as in the minutes or miscellaneous folders. Particularly noteworthy issues throughout the AAUW are the Cherry Nottingham Scholarship and the Antiques Fair. Sub-series A: Scholarships. This sub-series provides information about the Cherry Nottingham Scholarship, one of the first activities of the Norfolk branch of the AAUW, and a book on the history of the Fellowship Program of the AAUW titled "Investment in Creative Scholarship" by Ruth W. Tryon. Sub-series B: 7th Annual Antiques Fair 1956. This sub-series contains materials removed from a scrapbook about the 7th annual Antiques Fair. The Antiques Fair was one of the branch's biggest fundraisers. Funds raised were used for the Cherry Nottingham Scholarship. Other materials related to the Antiques Fair can be found in Series XII: Scrapbooks. Sub-series C: Other Issues/Activities. This sub-series contains information about issues considered important to the branch. Such issues are daycare, fundraising, ERA, and the development of Norfolk. Materials related to this sub-series can be found in Series III: Minutes and Series X: Miscellaneous. Series VI: Annual Conventions: This series contains brochures from the annual conventions. The bulk of the material is from the 1980s and 1990s. Series VII: Handbooks: The Handbooks contain information about branch members, a calendar of events, and updates regarding scholarship recipients. This series contains Handbooks from the 1970s-2000. The handbooks may be successors of the Yearbooks. Series VIII: Yearbooks: The Yearbooks are similar in format and content to the Handbooks and may be predecessors of the Handbooks. The Yearbooks contain information about branch members, a calendar of events, and updates regarding membership dues. This series contains Yearbooks from the 1950s and 1960s. Series IX: Publications: This series contains monographs and serial publications by and about the AAUW, both nationally and locally. "AAUW News" is the first newsletter of the Norfolk Branch dating back to the 1950s. This publication undergoes several design, frequency, and numbering changes; however, this publication offers a close look into the activities of the Norfolk branch of the AAUW. Both the Fall 1981 and the Winter 1981 issues of "Leader in Action" are labeled v.1 no.1; however, the Fall 1981 issue states that it is the premiere issue. "Outlook" is published by the AAUW and distributed free of charge to all AAUW members. Series X: Miscellaneous: This series contains materials from the 1950s through the 1990s. Materials include newspaper clippings, photographs, and research materials related to topics in Series V Sub-series C: Other Issues/Activities. Series XI: Promotional Materials: This series consists of AAUW stationery, letterhead, and merchandise catalogs. Series XII: Scrapbooks: This series is divided into two sub-series. Sub-series A: General Scrapbooks; Sub-series B: Antiques Fair Scrapbooks. Sub-series A: General Scrapbooks. This bulk of this sub-series consists of scrapbooks from the 1950s. Sub-series B: Antiques Fair Scrapbooks. This sub-series consists of two scrapbooks devoted to the Antiques Fair. Materials from a third Antiques Fair scrapbook were removed from the scrapbook and are housed in Box 5 Sub-series B: 7th Annual Antiques Fair. The scrapbook in sub-series A: General Scrapbooks dated 1949-1950 contains some Antiques Fair information. Provenance:Gift of Mary Wright Thrasher, March 2000. AccessOpen to researchers without restrictions. Questions on literary property rights should be directed to the Special Collections Librarian. Preferred Citation[Identification of item], the Papers of the Norfolk Branch of the American Association of University Women , [Box number], [folder number], Special Collections, Perry Library, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia Size11 linear feet, 13 document cases and 9 oversized boxes. Container ListingBox 1Series I: History:Sub-series A: National Folder 1 "AAUW 1881-1949" by Ruth W. Tryon Sub-series B: Norfolk Branch Folder 6 Decade of the Virginia Division 1960-1970 Series II: Organization: Sub-series A: Members Sub-series B: Bylaws & Policies Folder 21 Bylaws & Policies 1970s Box 2 Folder 1 Duties of Officers Sub-series C: Finances Folder 6 Donations Box 3Series III: Minutes Folder 1 Minutes October 1939-September 1945 Box 4Series IV: Branch Reports Folder 1 Branch Reports 1940/1941 Box 5Series V: Issues/ActivitiesSub-series A: Scholarships Folder 1 Cherry Nottingham Scholarship Sub-series B: 7th Annual Antiques Fair 1956 Folder 3 Address Lists Box 6Sub-series C: Other Issues/Activities Folder 1 Contributions Box 7Series VI: Annual Conventions Folder 1 Virginia Division 23rd Annual Convention April 16-17, 1948 Box 8Series VII: Handbooks Folder 1 Handbooks 1970/1971-1979/1980 Series VIII: Yearbooks Folder 4 Yearbooks 1951/1952-1959/1960 Box 9Series IX: Publications Folder 1 "AAUW Assignment in Human Freedom" 1949 Box 10 Folder 1"Graduate Women" July/August 1983-November/December 1983 (v.77 no.4-v.77 no. 7) Box 11 Folder 1 "Outlook" 1993-1996 Box 12Series X: Miscellaneous Folder 1 1950s Miscellaneous Box 13 Folder 1 1982-1983 Miscellaneous Series XI: Promotional Materials Folder 6 Available Materials Series XII: ScrapbooksSub-series A: General Scrapbooks Box 141949-1950 Box 151951-1952 Box 161954-1955 There are two scapbooks from 1954-1955. Box 17 1955-1956 Box 181957-1958 Box 191969-1970 Sub-series B: Antiques Fair Scrapbooks Box 20 1953 Box 21The contents of the scrapbook in this box are housed in box 5 Sub-series B: 7th Annual Antiques Fair 1956. Box 22The contents of this box are the four minutes books from Sub-series A: Minutes Books. |