Young
Women's Christian Association of North Dakota State University (1906-1980),
Records, 1914-1984
UA Mss. 6
2.5 l.f.
HISTORY
The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) traces its origins on the
North Dakota State University (NDSU) campus back to 1988 when a girls club was
organized. In November 1900 a new girls organization was formed, the Edith Hill
Girl’s Club, named in memory of Miss Hill, a student who was active in
organizing the first club. In March 1906, the Edith Hill Y.W.C.A. was formally
organized by the North Dakota state secretary. By the end of the first year,
membership totaled thirty-five. It had as its purpose “The development
of the spiritual, physical, social and intellectual life of the girls in the
institution.” It met in Ceres Hall, the women’s dormitory, and later
at the Y.M.C.A. building. In 1923 they purchased two lots across from the university
hoping to build a permanent home. This never materialized, and the property
was sold in 1948.
The YWCA offered various activities for the women students on the campus such
as a Big Sister program, Blue Monday teas, Freshman Camp and a Thanksgiving
Evensong. After the destruction of the Y.M.C.A. building in 1957, they headquartered
in the library, and in 1965 they moved to the South Engineering Building. In
addition to membership dues and fundraising campaigns, the YWCA was supported
by the United Fund from 1928 to 1962 and again in 1966. The 1960s saw a decline
in membership to the point that the YWCA became inactive in June 1968. Thereafter
the Advisory Board continued to function until January 1980 when all remaining
assets were transferred to the NDSU Development Foundation.
SCOPRE AND CONTENTS
The YWCA records consist of articles of incorporation, constitutions, meeting
minutes, correspondence, reports, financial records, membership lists, and subject
files. The YWCA formally incorporated in North Dakota in 1921. Documents in
the file include the articles of incorporation (with clarifications) and legal
questions concerning the incorporation in later years.
The Constitution File contains numerous editions of their constitution and by-laws.
It appears they revised their constitution frequently and kept a copy of each
revision from 1929 to 1967.
The Meeting Minutes Series consists of two sub-series - The Advisory Board and
the Cabinet. The Advisory Board was composed of women elected from the college
and community to oversee the work of the Association as a whole. Their minutes
(1914 to 1980) are complete and quite detailed. The Cabinet meeting minutes
are not as complete, covering only the period of 1944 to 1957 and 1966. The
Correspondence file contains only miscellaneous letters originally found throughout
the collection. Primarily they deal with the YMCA building after the 1957 tornado
and with the national headquarters, in the 1960s, on the decline of activity
by the YWCA.
The Report Series consists of all annual and monthly reports compiled by the
YWCA. It includes miscellaneous annual reports of the Executive Director, Advisory
Board and Freshman Commission in the 1960s. There are also annual reports and
annual roll call reports which were sent to district headquarters. They are
basically statistical reports with short summaries of past activities. The monthly
reports are very detailed for the periods covered: 1938-1942, 1948-1953, 1958,
1961-1967, and they provide an excellent summary of the YWCA’s activities.
These reports were written by the Secretary and Executive Director.
The Financial Records Series consists of the basic income/disbursement ledger
for 1919-1928 and 1938-1955, checkbooks and savings passbooks, several miscellaneous
folders of reports, a Geneva loan fund ledger, and wage and tax statements for
the Executive Director’s position. The Membership Lists Series contains
numerous lists, which were evidently compiled in the 1950s from old records
and college yearbooks. Some lists have addresses and possibly were compiled
to aid in soliciting donations for the YWCA.
The Subject Files Series contains a wide variety of material documenting specific
YWCA activities, such as the Big Sister program, Blue Monday Teas, Freshmen
Camp, “Friend of the ‘Y’ Awards,” and the Thanksgiving
Evensongs. In addition, there are files on their funding from Community Chest/United
Fund, fund raising projects, newsletters and clippings, programs, histories,
the constitution, rubber stamps and scrapbooks (1930-1933, 1943-1953). The YWCA
property file contains all the documents in connection with the purchase, tax
abatements and sale of their property on University Drive.
Presented by the advisory Board, YWCA of NDSU - 12 April 1972 (Acc. 1874) &
2 December 1981
BOX 1
1 Historical Material & Inventory
2 Articles of Incorporation, 1921-1954
3 Constitution and By-laws, 1929-1967
Meeting Minutes
4 Advisory Board - 1914-1928
5 Advisory Board - 1929-1941
6 Advisory Board - 1941-1956
7 Advisory Board - 1956-1958
8 Advisory Board - 1959-1963
9 Advisory Board - 1964-1968
10 Advisory Board - 1969-1980
11 Board of Directors - 1983-1984
12 Executive Committee - 1983 - 1984
BOX 2
1 Cabinet - 1944-1952
2 Cabinet - 1952-1955
3 Cabinet - 1956-1957, 1966
Correspondence
4 Correspondence - 1920, 1942, 1950-1969
5 Correspondence - 1977 - 1979
Reports
6 Annual Reports (Executive director, Advisory Board, Freshman Commission),
1962-1967
7 Annual Reports to National Headquarters, 1944/1945 - 1966/1967
8 Annual Roll Call Reports - 1954/1955 - 1967/1968
9 Monthly Reports - November 1938 - 1939
10 Monthly Reports - 1940 - March 1942
11 Monthly Reports - March - December 1948
12 Monthly Reports - 1949
13 Monthly Reports - 1950-1951
14 Monthly Reports - 1952-1953
15 Monthly Reports - 1958, 1961-1964
16 Monthly Reports - 1965 - March 1967
Financial
17 Ledger, 1919-1928
BOX 3
1 Ledger, 1938-1955
2 Ledger, 1939 - 1944, 1956 - 1969, 1972 - 1980 incomplete years
3 Checkbooks, 1967 - 1977, 1977 - 1980
4 Savings Passbooks, 1957 - 1963, 1957 - 1965, 1961 - 1969
5 Financial Reports and miscellaneous papers, 1940-1967
6 Financial Reports, 1968 - 1980
7 Geneva loan fund ledger, 1924-1947
8 Wage and tax statements, 1951-1968
9 Transfer of Funds, 1960s
Membership Lists
10 Advisory Board, 1938-1970
11 Cabinet, 1906-1967
12 Former members, 1907-1966
13 Former members by sorority/non-sorority affiliation
14 Standing Committees, 1965 - 1966
BOX 4 ( Subject Files)
1 Big Sister program, 1952-1964
2 Blue Monday Tea guest book, 1943-1947
3 Certificate, 1957
4 Campus Coffee, 1960s
5 Community Chest/United Fund, 1928, 1939-1941, 1954-1968
6 Freshman Camp, 1960-1967
7 “Friends of the ‘Y’ Award,” 1963-1967
8 Fund Raising Drives, 1920, 1962-1967
9 Fund Raising Projects, 1963-1965
10 Informational brochures, letters, 1960s
11 Membership Agreements, 1945/1946 - 1966/1967
12 “N.D.A.C. in China” Fund, 1921
13 News releases, 1958, 1961
14 Newsletters (The Live Y’er, YM-YW Newsletter, The Y’s Bison),
1960s
15 Newspaper clippings, 1920-1961, 1979
16 Newspaper clippings, 1962-1974
17 Programs - Activities, 1921-1966
BOX 5
1 Program booklets, 1944/1945, 1959/1960
2 Scrapbooks - 1930-1931
3 Scrapbooks - 1931-1932
4 Scrapbooks - 1932-1933
5 Scrapbooks - 1943-1953
6 Thanksgiving Evensong, 1950-1965
7 YWCA property, 1922-1946
8 Grant Summary, 1970 - 1971
9 Membership Application, 1967
10 Advisory Board and Cabinet Responsibilities, 1960s
11 YWCA Purpose (N.D.)
12 YWCA Program Analysis (N.D.)
13 History 1960s
14 Constitution, 1965
15 United Fund Handbook, 1968
16 Annual Agendas, 1943 - 1945
17 "This is My Father's World" program, 1944
18 promotional brochure and membership cards (N.D.)
19 YWCA rubber stamp - Advisory Board (N.D.)
20 YWCA rubber stamp - address (N.D.)
JEB - 10 February 1984
JMK - update 3/05
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