Finding Aid to the Baby Hygiene Committee Records,
1909-1964
MS 0051
Finding aid prepared by California Historical Society staff.
California Historical Society
678 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA, 94105
415-357-1848
reference@calhist.org
© 1998, revised 2010
Title: Baby Hygiene Committee records
Date (inclusive): 1909-1964
Date (bulk): 1909-1958
Collection Number: MS 0051
Creator:
Association of American University Women. San Francisco branch. Baby Hygiene Committee.
Physical Description:
11 boxes
(5.5 Linear feet)
Repository:
California Historical Society
678 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA, 94105
415-357-1848
reference@calhist.org
URL: http://www.californiahistoricalsociety.org/
Physical Location: Collection is stored onsite.
Language of Materials: Collection materials are in English.
Abstract: Consists of administrative records, including constitution and bylaws, minutes (1909-1950), correspondence (1909-1955), annual
and monthly reports (1910-1958), financial records (1923-1949), case histories, and membership lists. With these are newspaper
clippings and printed materials pertaining to the organization’s activities and scope of interests, particularly child and
infant health care and welfare, related health and education of mothers, and public health. Includes records of Community
Chest of San Francisco, of which the Baby Hygiene Committee was a member from 1922 to 1943; Children’s Committee of Associated
Charities (1919-1922); Certified Milk Fund (1910-1912); Mother’s Milk Bank; and Association of American University Women (1949-1964),
San Francisco branch.
Information for Researchers
Access
Publication Rights
Copyright has not been assigned to The North Baker Research Library. All requests for permission to publish or quote from
manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Library Director. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The North
Baker Research Library 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 reader.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Baby Hygiene Committee Records, MS 51, California Historical Society.
Separated Materials
Photographs have been transferred to the Photography Collection, shelved as MSP 51.
Related Collections
Mothers’ Milk Bank, Inc. Records, 1945-1978, MS 3532
Scope and Contents
Consists of administrative records, including constitution and bylaws, minutes (1909-1950), correspondence (1909-1955), annual
and monthly reports (1910-1958), financial records (1923-1949), case histories, and membership lists. With these are newspaper
clippings and printed materials pertaining to the organization’s activities and scope of interests, particularly child and
infant health care and welfare, related health and education of mothers, and public health. Includes records of Community
Chest of San Francisco, of which the Baby Hygiene Committee was a member from 1922 to 1943; Children’s Committee of Associated
Charities (1919-1922); Certified Milk Fund (1910-1912); Mother’s Milk Bank; and Association of American University Women (1949-1964),
San Francisco branch.
Included in the papers is the history of the committee, as well as communications with doctors and hospitals concerning the
various projects. Of particular interest are the case histories and a 1927 survey of mothers and children who attended the
health center. There are several articles about child raising, spanning the years 1909 to 1959, as well as photographs of
the members and clients.
History
In May of 1909, a group of concerned women formed the Certified Milk Fund Committee of the Association of Collegiate Alumnae
in order Francisco's poor." Aided by local dairies, the committee successfully reduced infant mortality through their city-wide
drive for uncontaminated milk. In addition to supplying milk, the Milk Fund Committee offered instruction in the care and
feeding of foster babies.
They expanded their program in 1917 with the founding of the Childrens' Health Center. Functioning as "an educational center
for all mothers," the center provided care for infants, foster children and the "older run about" stage. In the spirit of
"initiating projects in the interest of child health," the Committee then developed programs for prenatal and postnatal care
for mothers; classes and conferences; and examinations and vaccination clinics. Concerned about family planning, they established
the Maternal Health Committee in-1929 to offer instructions in birth control.
In 1918, the committee changed its-name to the Baby Hygiene Committee. From 1922 to 1943, the Baby Hygiene Committee operated
as a member of the Community Chest. The committee defined their interest as the "studying, operating and getting projects
ready for acceptance by a public or private agency for city-wide application." Among their programs later adopted by the San
Francisco Department of Public Health were the Well Baby Centers; Supervision of Private Boarding Homes for Infants and Children;
Cardiac Diagnostic Center for Children; and, Hospital-Based Postnatal Care for Mothers.
With the closing of the Childrens' Health Center, the Baby Hygiene Committee embarked on a new project in 1945. They organized
the Mother's Milk Bank, whose purFose was to provide milk for sick or premature babies. Included in this program was the promotion
of natural child birth, breast feeding and rooming-in, in which the infant stayed with the mother in the hospital. From its
inception in 1909, the Baby Hygiene Committee played a major part in the civic reform of San Francisco.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
American Association of University Women. San Francisco Branch.
Children's Certified Milk Fund (San Francisco, Calif.)
Children's Committee of Associated Charities.
Community Chest of San Francisco.
Mothers' Milk Bank, Inc. (San Francisco, Calif.).
Child health services--California--San Francisco.
Child welfare--California--San Francisco.
Children--Health and hygiene--California--San Francisco.
Infants--Care--California--San Francisco.
Maternal and infant welfare--California--San Francisco.
Maternal health services--California--San Francisco.
Membership lists.
Milk hygiene--California--San Francisco.
Minutes.
Parenting--Study and teaching--California--San Francisco.
Public health--California--San Francisco.
Women in charitable work--California--San Francisco.
Box 1, Folder 1
History of the Baby Hygiene Committee (BHC)
Box 1, Folder 2
Constitution, by-laws
1911-1947
Box 1, Folder 7
Executive Committee minutes
1933-1935
Box 1, Folder 9
AAUW minutes about BHC
1942-1947
Box 2, Folder 14
Correspondence with the American Association for the Prevention of Infant Mortality
1910-1911
Box 4, Folder 34
Annual Reports of the BHC
1910-1948
Box 4, Folder 35-38
Monthly Reports
1911-1952
Box 4, Folder 39
Miscellaneous Reports
1921-1958
Box 4, Folder 40
Committee Talks
1922-1941
Box 5, Folder 41
Treasurer's Reports
1923-1926
Box 5, Folder 43
Treasurer's Reports
1933-1935
Box 5, Folder 45-46
Treasurer's Reports
1939-1949
Box 5, Folder 47
Treasurer's Miscellaneous
Box 6
Treasurer's Reports of the BHC. [Includes checkbooks, receipts and bank accounts]
1940's
Case Histories of the BHC
Box 7, Folder 51
Committee Statistics on Infant Mortality
1910-1919
Box 7, Folder 52
Certified Milk Fund Records
1910-1912
Box 7, Folder 53
Publications by BHC members
1916-1926
Box 7, Folder 54
Children's Committee of Associated Charities
1919-1922
Box 8, Folder 55-56
Insurance Policies
1922-1944
Box 8, Folder 57
Regulations Concerning Clinic Licenses
1933
Folder 8, Folder 58-59
Directories of Members and Donors
1909-1948, undated
Box 8, Folder 60
Survey of Childrens' Health Center
1927
Box 8, Folder 61
Immunization Records
1940-1944
Box 8, Folder 62
Program Announcements
1943-1956
Box 8, Folder 63
Appeals for Financial Aid
1942
Box 8, Folder 64
Forms and Instruction Sheets
undated
Box 9, Folder 71
Financial Reports
1925-1933
Box 9, Folder 72
Remittance Statements
1928-1938
Box 9, Folder 73
Financial Reports
1934-1942
Box 9, Folder 74
Report to Audit Bureau
1927-1941
Box 9, Folder 76
Monthly Newsletter
1924-1935
Box 10, Folder 78
Mothers' Milk Bank Minutes
1944-1948
Box 10, Folder 80
AAWU Reports on Ads
1942-1947
Box 10, Folder 81
MMB Correspondence
1945-1953
Box 10, Folder 82
MMB Membership Lists
1948-1949
Box 10, Folder 83
MMB Bank Statements
1946-1947
Box 10, Folder 84
Treasurer's Reports
1946-1949
Box 10, Folder 86
Newspaper Clippings of MMB
1948-1950
Box 10, Folder 88
Certified Milk Fund clippings
1909-1911
Box 10, Folder 89-90
Clippings of the BHC
1920-1959
Box 11, Folder 94
Association of American University Women, Bulletins
1949-1964
Box 11, Folder 95
Association of American University Women, Miscellaneous
Box 11, Folder 98
Children's Health Centers, Nurseries, etc.
Box 11, Folder 99
Children's Private School Surveys
1938-1942
Box 11, Folder 102
Social Work and Education
Box 11, Folder 103
State Board of Health Publications
1914-1926
Box 11, Folder 104
U.S. Department of Labor Publications
1922-1930
