Inventory of the Records of the California Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs

Processed by Kim Mitchell

California State Archives

1020 "O" Street

Sacramento, California 95814

Phone: (916) 653-2246

Fax: (916) 653-7363

Email: ArchivesWeb@sos.ca.gov

URL: http://www.sos.ca.gov/archives/

Inventory of the Records of the California Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs

Collection number: C139

California State Archives

Office of the Secretary of State

Sacramento, California

Processed by:: Kim Mitchell
Date Completed:: January 2012
Encoded by:: Brenda Newman

Descriptive Summary

Title: California Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs

Dates: 1927-1990

Collection number: C139

Creator: California Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs

Collection Size: 1 cubic foot of textual records

Repository: California State Archives

Sacramento, California

Abstract: The records of the California Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs (CFBPW) document the organizational and legislative business of this state chapter of the national organization of the same name. This record group contains one cubic foot of textual records. The records contain one series, Publications, and cover the period from 1927 to 1990.

Physical location: California State Archives

Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English

Administrative Information

Access

While the majority of the records are open for research, any access restrictions are noted in the record series descriptions.

Publication Rights

For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives collections.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of Item], [Collection Name], [ID #], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, CA.

Administrative History

The National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs was founded on July 15, 1919. The establishment of a Business and Professional Women's Club in California began the same year in Bakersfield. Later, the name would be shortened to Business and Professional Women. Their current mission is to promote and support equity for women in all aspects of their lives and to promote personal empowerment and professional development through advocacy, education, and information.

By and large, the state chapter supported the national body's legislative agenda which focused on elimination of sex discrimination in employment, the principle of equal pay, and the need for a comprehensive equal rights amendment.

Scope and Content

The records of the California Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs (CFBPW) document the organizational and legislative business of this state chapter of the national organization of the same name. This record group contains one cubic foot of textual records. The records contain one series, Publications, and cover the period from 1927 to 1990.

The Publications series contains issues of The California Woman, the official publication of CFBPW. Over time, the publication would take many structural changes. At different times it was published monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly. In earlier years, it was called a newsletter; later, a magazine; and, currently, the organ of CFBPW. The place of publication and distribution changed as well, from Los Angeles to San Francisco to Sacramento.

The content of The California Woman changed little over time, though the depth and frequency varied. Issues feature administrative news affecting the California chapter such as officer elections, committee reports, and convention information. It also highlighted district events and news. Finally, it provided opinions and updates on legislation, both federal and state, affecting working women. Typically, CFBPW would advocate the state version of the national platform of Business and Professional Women. Significant legislation of concern to both the state and national bodies include redistricting, sex discrimination, comparable worth, Equal Opportunity Employment, and the Equal Rights Amendment. The CFBPW worked closely with the California Commission on the Status of Women, and succeeded in getting some members elected to the Commission.

Accruals

No further accruals are expected.

Related Collections at the California State Archives

California Commission on the Status of Women

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Business and Professional Women/USA

Women

Business

C139.001, Box 1, Folders 1-19

Series 1 Publications 1927-1990

Physical Description: 19 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by publication date range.

Scope and Content Note

"The official organ of the California Federation of Business and Professional Women('s Clubs)" is titled The California Woman. This publication has elements of both a newsletter and a magazine: events of local BPW chapters and regional districts; a President's message; information on BPW elections, conferences, conventions, and board meetings; news from the organization's national level; committee reports; popular writings; and, threaded through all, the updates and opinions regarding state and federal legislation affecting working women. In addition to gaps in the records, there are also chronological overlaps between the bound volumes.