National League of American Pen Women, Sacramento Branch records MS0184
By Taliyah Shaver
Center for Sacramento History
2023
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
Center for Sacramento History
Title: National League of American Pen Women, Sacramento Branch records
Identifier/Call Number: MS0184
Physical Description:
9.35 Linear Feet
(9 boxes, photo archives, and 1 oversized folder)
Date (inclusive): ca. 1925-2017
Container: 1
Container: 2
Container: 3
Container: 4
Container: 5
Container: 6
Container: 7
Container: 8
Container: 9
Container: 4:G:1, Drawer A
Container: 10:07
Conditions Governing Use
All requests to publish or quote from private manuscripts held by the Center for Sacramento History (CSH) must be submitted
in writing to the archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of CSH 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 by the patron. No permission
is necessary to publish or quote from public records.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item, prepared according to standard citation style such as MLA, ALA, or Turabian], MS0184, National League
of American Pen Women, Sacramento Branch records, Center for Sacramento History.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Gloria Givens in 2003 and by the National League of American Pen Women in 2019 (accession #2003/051 and 2019/051).
Processing Information
Taliyah Shaver, 2023
Biographical / Historical
The National League of American Pen Women (NLAPW) was founded in 1897 in Washington, D.C. and is the oldest women's art organization
in the United States, with a history of over 120 years. After being excluded from male-only organizations in the 1800s, three
women decided to establish a club that promoted women writers, artists, and composers. Those women were the original founders
of the National League of American Pen Women, Marian Longfellow O'Donoghue, Margaret Sullivan Burke, and Anna Sanborn Hamilton,
who then grew their organization to seventeen founding members in total. Fellow creatives were ecstatic about the Pen Women
and their mission, and in one year membership had grown to over 50 members across the United States. In 1921, the National
League of American Pen Women was fully established as an organization and had 35 branches in various states. Now, the National
League of American Pen Women has more than 1,600 members across the United States and over 80 branches where they have supported
upwards of 55,000 women creatives.
The Sacramento Chapter of the National League of American Pen Women was established in 1925 with 28 founding members. The
Sacramento Chapter has an 88 year history in the region and is responsible for organizing several events, providing scholarships,
and promoting women in their artistic endeavors. The Sacramento Chapter has also sponsored a handful of activities in the
Northern California region, including exhibitions and competitions for members, writing workshops, poetry, essay, and music
contests, and award luncheons. Over the years, the members of the Sacramento Chapter of the NLAPW, including Emma Allebes,
Marion Tinling, Edna Mae Burnam, Frances Riemer Burt, and more, have become known for their contributions to the arts. Emma
Allebes was a textile artist and founding member of the California Pioneer Heritage Art Exhibit Committee. Marion Tinling
was a famed author of women's history. Edna Mae Burnam was a pianist, composer, and had published several piano learning materials,
named the Dozen a Day series, that have sold more than 25 million copies in multiple languages. Additionally, Frances Riemer
Burt organized art shows and displays, served on and chaired various committees, wrote and produced plays, and taught both
child and adult art classes that heavily influenced the Sacramento arts. The Sacramento Chapter hosted two regional conventions
for the National League of American Pen Women in 1967 and 1971. In 1978, the Sacramento Chapter was involved with hosting
the National Biennial Convention for the National League of American Pen Women, where Frances Riemer Burt was chair of the
convention.
Scope and Contents
The collection is composed of the NLAPW Sacramento Chapter's scrapbooks, photographs, musical works, publications, membership
invitations, member Christmas cards, correspondence, newspaper clippings, meeting minutes, programs, and reports, poems and
art, legal files, scholarship letters, sponsored events, member information, and business administrative records from several
positions within the NLAPW Sacramento Chapter, namely secretary, historian, and treasurer. The collection also consists of
materials from the NLAPW Headquarters in Washington, D.C., such as newsletters and one publication. Additionally included
in the collection are oversized materials and one artifact. The date range of the collection is 1925-2017, with the bulk of
materials dating from 1990-2010.
Separated Materials
An artifact in the collection has been separated from the archival material. It includes the gavel of the NLAPW Sacramento
Branch President.
Series 1: Administrative and Organization Documents
1925-2017
Scope and Contents
This series is composed of the NLAPW Sacramento Branch's administrative and organization documents, including bylaws, newspaper
clippings, events and activities, meeting minutes, newsletters, programming, agendas, correspondence, membership rosters and
invitations, and member information. The date range of this series is 1925-2017.
box 1, folder 1
Administrative Documents, Sacramento Branch, Charters
1997
box 1, folder 2
Administrative, Sacramento Branch Events: Sacramento Branch
1992-2000
box 1, folder 3
Administrative, Sacramento Branch Events: State/Regional
1961; 1971; 1999; 2002
1961; 1971; 1999; 2002
1961; 1971; 1999; 2002
1961; 1971; 1999; 2002
box 1, folder 4
Administrative Documents, Sacramento Branch, Historian: Scrapbook
1925-1934
box 1, folder 5
Administrative, Sacramento Branch, Historian: Scrapbook
1962-1969
box 1, folder 6
Administrative, Sacramento Branch, Historian: Scrapbook
1967-1978
box 1, folder 7
Administrative, Sacramento Branch, Historian: Scrapbook
1978-1984
box 1, folder 8
Administrative, Sacramento Branch, Historian: Scrapbook
1984-1988
box 1, folder 9
Administrative, Sacramento Branch, Historian: Scrapbook
1989-1992
Physical Description: 1 of 2
box 1, folder 10
Administrative, Sacramento Branch, Historian: Scrapbook
1989-1992
Physical Description: 2 of 2
box 1, folder 11
Administrative, Sacramento Branch, Historian: Scrapbook
1993-1997
Physical Description: 1 of 2
box 1, folder 12
Administrative, Sacramento Branch, Historian: Scrapbook
1993-1997
Physical Description: 2 of 2
box 1, folder 13
Administrative, Sacramento Branch, Hospitality: Guestbook
1966-1988
box 1, folder 14
Administrative, Sacramento Branch, Newsletters: Penline
1989-09 - 1999-12
box 1, folder 15
Administrative, Sacramento Branch, Newsletters: Penline
2000-01 - 2003-06
box 1, folder 16
Administrative, Sacramento Branch, President: Reports and Correspondence
1990-1998 (bulk 1990-1992)
1990-1998 (bulk 1990-1992)
box 1, folder 17
Administrative, Sacramento Branch, Secretary: Correspondence
1986-2003
box 1, folder 18
Administrative, Sacramento Branch, Secretary: Minutes
1989-10 - 1999-11
box 1, folder 19
Administrative, Sacramento Branch, Secretary: Minutes
2000-02 - 2003-06
box 1, folder 20
Administrative, Sacramento Branch, Treasurer: Correspondence
1978-1989
box 1, folder 21
Administrative, Sacramento Branch, Treasurer: Membership Rosters
1991-1992; 1997
1991-1992; 1997
box 1, folder 22
Administrative, NorCal, Bylaws
1997-01-03
box 1, folder 23
Administrative, NorCal, Events
1960-2002
box 1, folder 24
Administrative, NorCal, Newsletters: NorCal News
2000
box 1, folder 25
Administrative, NorCal, Secretary
1996-2001 (bulk 2000-2001)
1996-2001 (bulk 2000-2001)
box 1, folder 26
Administrative, NorCal, Treasurer: Correspondence, Reports, Receipts, Audit
1992-2000 (bulk 1992)
1992-2000 (bulk 1992)
box 1, folder 27
Administrative, NorCal, Treasurer: Membership Rosters
1991-1998 (bulk 1992-1993)
1991-1998 (bulk 1992-1993)
box 1, folder 28
National Organization, Correspondence
1996-2001
box 1, folder 29
National Organization, Events
1960-2001
box 1, folder 30
National Organization, Handbook
1965; ca. 1992
1965; ca. 1992
box 1, folder 31
National Organization, National Journal: The Pen Women
1995-10 - 2003-12
box 1, folder 32
National Organization, Treasurer
1995-2002 (bulk 1997)
1995-2002 (bulk 1997)
box 1, folder 33
Organization Activities, Arts: Exhibits
1981-1987
box 1, folder 34
Organization Activities, Arts: Reviews
1987-02
box 1, folder 35
Organization Activities, Letters: Literary Compositions
ca. 1989
box 1, folder 36
Organization Activities, Letters: Reviews
1986-05 - 1989
box 1, folder 37
Organization Activities, Music: Musical Compositions
1956-2002
box 1, folder 38
Organization Activities, Music: Announcements, Articles, Reviews
1976; 2000; 2002
1976; 2000; 2002
1976; 2000; 2002
box 1, folder 39
Bylaws, Newsletters, Minutes
2002-2009
box 1, folder 40
Clippings, Event Flyers, Newsletters, and Correspondence
1984-2005
box 1, folder 41
Penline and Sacramento Women's Council Event Booklet
2003-2004
box 6, folder 1
Administrative, Agendas
2007-2011
box 6, folder 2
Administrative, Correspondence
2007-2013
box 6, folder 3
Administrative, Minutes
2007-2013
box 6, folder 4
Administrative, Treasurer's Report, Correspondence with IRS, Rosters Dues Paid
2007-2012
box 6, folder 5
Rosters: Branch Members
1984-2014
box 6, folder 6
Bylaws of Sacramento Branch
2009
box 6, folder 7
Awards: Proclamations, Certificates
1988-2010
box 6, folder 8
Northern California Association of NLAPW: Newsletters, Bylaws, Brochures
ca. 1992-2013
box 6, folder 9
Newsletters: Penline
1997-2008
box 6, folder 10
Newsletters: Penline
2009-2013
box 6, folder 11
Programming: Arts, Letters, Music, Related Events
ca. 1995-2013
box 7, folder 1
Business Administrative Records
1999-2004; 2014
1999-2004; 2014
box 7, folder 3
Clippings
1983-2017 (bulk 2000-2017)
1983-2017 (bulk 2000-2017)
box 7, folder 5
Legal Files and Bylaws
2000-2015
box 7, folder 6
Meeting Minutes, Programs, and Reports
2010-2017 (bulk 2014-2017)
2010-2017 (bulk 2014-2017)
box 7, folder 7
Member Information
2000-2014
box 7, folder 8
Membership Materials
undated
box 7, folder 9
Postcards, Event Flyers, and Envelopes
2000-2014
box 8, folder 4
Scholarship Letters
2009-2011
box 8, folder 5
Scholarship Letters
2011-2017
box 8, folder 6
Sponsored Events
2014-2017
Mapcase 10:07, folder 2003/051/039-041
Signs, Charter, and Bicentennial Calendar
1975-1978
Series 2: Sacramento Branch Members' Personal Correspondence and Art
1980-2013
Scope and Contents
This series is composed of the NLAPW's Sacramento Branch members' personal correspondence and art. Included are Christmas
cards, musical works, poems, and art. The date range of this series is 1980-2013.
box 7, folder 2
Christmas Cards
1980-2003
box 7, folder 11
Musical Works
ca. 2010-2013
Series 3: Photographs
1962-2015
Scope and Contents
This series is composed of the NLAPW Sacramento Branch's photographs from Pen Women events. The date range of this series
is 1962-2015.
Cabinet 4:G:1, Drawer A, folder 2003/051/042-082
Cabinet 4:G:1, Drawer A, folder 2003/051/083-117
Photographs
1984; 1989
1989
Cabinet 4:G:1, Drawer A, folder 2003/051/118-146
Photographs
1962; 1982-1995
1962; 1982-1995
Cabinet 4:G:1, Drawer A, folder 2003/051/147-190
Cabinet 4:G:1, Drawer A, folder 2003/051/191-214
Series 4: Scrapbooks
1925-2008
Scope and Contents
This series is composed of the NLAPW's scrapbooks, which largely contain newspaper clippings regarding the organization and
its members. The date range of this series is 1925-2008.
