Scope and Contents
Arrangement Note
Conditions Governing Access
Conditions Governing Use
Source of Acquisition
Accruals and Additions
Related Materials
Preferred Citation
Historical Note
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & University Archives
Title: Family Service Association of San Diego Records
Creator:
Family Service Association of San Diego
Identifier/Call Number: MS-0489
Physical Description:
11.26 Linear Feet
Date (inclusive): 1889-1980
Date (bulk): 1910-1976
Language of Material:
English
.
Scope and Contents
The
Family Service Association of San Diego Records document the organization's operations and activities as well as San Diego's general welfare needs, spanning from the organization's
inception through the 1970s. The collection includes correspondence, reports, budgets, agency program materials, news clippings,
committee files, meeting minutes, fundraising materials, statistics, by laws, and more. Although the material dates from
1889 to 1980, there is no documentation between 1890 and 1908. The collection is divided into five series:
Board of Directors Files,
Committee Files,
Office Files,
Funding and Endorsement Agencies, and
Affiliates.
The
Board of Directors Files (1889-1975) document the decisions of the Board, as well as agency administration and operations. The Board of Directors
served as the legal responsibility for FSA, and therefore determined agency policy and oversaw all agency activities. Filed
chronologically, the series includes a full run of meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports. Of particular interest are
the early Associated Charities minutes, which include statistics regarding the agency's cases. These statistics not only
indicated the volume of cases, but also the marital status and ethnicity of aide applicants.
The
Committee Files document the activities and tasks of various FSA committees. This series is organized into seventeen sub-series:
Advisory Committee,
Case Policy Committee,
Educational Committee,
Executive Committee,
Executive Search Committee,
Finance Committee,
Homemaker Committee,
Membership and Nominating Committee,
Neighborhood Legal Advisory Committee,
Personnel Committee,
Program and Planning Committee,
Public Relations Committee,
Research and Joint Committee,
Self-Study Committee,
Southwest Advisory Committee,
Special Funds Committee, and the
Visiting Nurses Bureau Committee. Each sub-series is arranged chronologically and documents the actions of a specific committee. These files include meeting
minutes, memorandums, correspondence, rosters, and reports. Highlights include the Advisory Committee meeting minutes.
Since the Advisory Committee investigated charity cases, its meeting minutes are composed of case specifics, as well as the
committee's recommendations for those cases. Case topics include out-of-wedlock pregnancy, tuberculosis patients, unemployment
due to disability, marital disputes, and more. In one instance of pregnancy, the Committee suggested that they "try to get
the boy to marry [Jennie] by scaring him with threat of arrest."
The
Office Files document FSA's programs, general activities, and operations. Arranged alphabetically, this series contains correspondence,
program files, reports, contracts, and subject files. The majority of materials date from the 1950s to the 1970s, but earlier
files from Associated Charities are also included. Of particular interest is a subject file on Tuberculosis, as well as material
on child and family placement during the Second World War.
The
Funding and Endorsement Files document the activities and operations of FSA's funding and endorsement agencies as well as FSA's yearly allocations. Of
particular interest are the Charities Endorsement files, which contain material on various charities around San Diego during
and just after the First World War, including material on the Girl Scouts of America, the Helping Hand Home, and the Society
for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis. This series consists of reports, budgets, memorandums, rosters, and correspondence,
and is divided into four sub-series:
Charities Endorsement Files,
Community Chest Files,
United Community Service Files, and
United Way Files. The
Charities Endorsement Files date from 1917 to 1920 document applicants to Charities Endorsement, as well as inquiries about certain charities made by
local residents. Charities Endorsement was set up and run by Associated Charities to assess and verify the legitimacy of
local charities. Applying organizations were required to fill out an application stating its purpose and structure. Once
the applying organization was approved, Charities Endorsement supplied it with a card identifying it as an approved charity.
The sub-series includes correspondence, brochures, pamphlets, endorsement applications, and membership cards for various local
social agencies and charitable organizations. The
Community Chest Files (1945-1966) document FSA funding allocations over a twenty-year period, as well as the actions of the Community Chest budget
committee. Filed chronologically, the sub-series consists of expense reports, correspondence, budget estimates, memorandums,
committee rosters, and agreements. The
United Community Service Files (1962-1974) document UCS Agency Relations Committee and Budget Committee operations and allocations, and includes memorandums,
reports, rosters, correspondence, meeting minutes, budget requests, and recommendations. This sub-series is arranged chronologically.
Lastly, the
United Way Files document FSA funding requests and United Way funding allocations between 1973 and 1976. Filed chronologically, the files
include correspondence, memorandums, reports, meeting minutes, and allocations.
The
Affiliate Files (1958-1980) document the administration and actions of other Family Service Association agencies in San Diego County. The
Family Service Association of San Diego maintained affiliates in Carlsbad and Oceanside, Foothills, Imperial Beach, Palomar,
and San Dieguito. Arranged alphabetically by affiliate name, the series includes reports, meeting minutes, correspondence,
rosters, master plans, fact-sheets, and volunteer guides. Highlights include five-year master plans that document the changes
in services to meet changing community needs.
Arrangement Note
I. Board of Directors Files, 1889-1975
II. Committee Files, 1909-1976
1. Advisory Committee, 1909-1961
2. Case Policy Committee, 1915, 1958-1967
3. Educational Committee, 1946-1964
4. Executive Committee, 1945-1976
5. Executive Search Committee, 1975
6. Finance Committee, 1958-1976
7. Homemaker Committee, 1951-1967
8. Membership and Nominating Committee, 1947-1976
9. Neighborhood Legal Advisory Committee, 1973-1974
10. Personnel Committee, 1948, 1950-1975
11. Program and Planning Committee, 1966-1973
12. Public Relations Committee, 1949-1976
13. Research and Joint Committee, 1958-1966
14. Self-Study Committee, 1966
15. Southwest Advisory Committee, 1970
16. Special Funds Committee, 1969-1976
17. Visiting Nurses Bureau Committee, 1931-1934
III. Office Files, 1908-1977
IV. Endorsement and Funding Agenices, 1917-1976
1. Charities Endorsement Files, 1917-1920
2. Community Chest Files, 1945-1966
3. United Community Services Files, 1962-1974
4. United Way Files, 1973-1976
V. Affiliates, 1958-1980
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The copyright interests in these materials have not been transferred to San Diego State University. Copyright resides with
the creators of materials contained in the collection or their heirs. The nature of historical archival and manuscript collections
is such that copyright status may be difficult or even impossible to determine. Requests for permission to publish must be
submitted to the Head of Special Collections, San Diego State University, Library and Information Access. When granted, permission
is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical item and is not intended to include or imply permission
of the copyright holder(s), which must also be obtained in order to publish. Materials from our collections are made available
for use in research, teaching, and private study. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including
but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials.
Source of Acquisition
Family Service Association
Accruals and Additions
1979-011, 1980-003
Related Materials
Travelers Aid Society of San Diego Records
Community Congress of San Diego Records
San Diego County Medical Society Records
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, folder title, box number,
Family Service Association of San Diego Records, Special Collections and University Archives, San Diego State University Library.
Historical Note
The Family Service Association, originally named Associated Charities, formed in 1889 as a family welfare organization but
was unable to sustain itself. In 1910, after community discussion, the Associated Charities was formally incorporated and
given non-profit status. The organization served as a clearing house for social welfare agencies. The Associated Charities
registrar investigated charity cases to ensure their legitimacy, and then sent deserving cases to the appropriate local social
agency or charity for aid. During the First World War, Associated Charities provided refugee relief and child placement services
as well.
The organization consisted of a board of directors; a central council with delegates from various local charities, churches,
and agencies; as well as an advisory board that helped to investigate charity cases. Member subscriptions and local government
subsidies initially funded the agency. Later, Associated Charities received funding through the San Diego Community Chest,
a fundraising body for local social agencies. In addition, the Associated Charities also oversaw the Charities Endorsement,
which verified the legitimacy of local charities during and after the First World War.
In 1938, the charity changed its name to the Family Service Association (FSA) of San Diego to better reflect its changing
activities and mission. It remained a private, non-sectarian agency, and mediated domestic difficulties (such as alcoholism
and marital disputes), taught families how to budget incomes, developed work skills, and provided material aid. FSA remained
a Community Chest agency. Later, United Community Services and United Way became the organization's main source of funding.
In addition, as the association grew, it increased its staff and utilized various committees to help coordinate operations.
FSA of San Diego also maintained membership with the national Family Service Association of America (FSAA). Starting in the
late 1950s, affiliate agencies were formed in the greater San Diego area. These agencies were started by community members
who saw a need for a social agency in their neighborhoods. As such, these satellite branches offered services and programs
specific to their community's needs. By the 1970s, Carlsbad and Oceanside, Palomar, San Dieguito, the Foothills area, and
Imperial Beach maintained affiliate agencies.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
San Diego County (Calif.)--Social conditions--Sources
Social service--Research--California--San Diego--History--20th century--Sources
Volunteer workers in social service--California--San Diego County--History--20th century