Historical Note:
Scope and Contents
Arrangement of Materials:
Related Materials:
Conditions Governing Access:
Conditions Governing Use:
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Accruals:
Preferred Citation:
Processing Information:
General
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives
Title: Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) of Los Angeles Collection
Creator:
Young Women's Christian Association of Los Angeles
Identifier/Call Number: URB.YWCA
Physical Description:
96.047 linear feet
Physical Description:
961 Megabytes
Date (inclusive): ca. 1890-1986
Abstract: The Young Women's Christian Association
(YWCA) of Los Angeles was established in 1893 to promote the physical, social, spiritual,
and educational well-being of young women. The collection documents the establishment,
evolution, and achievements of the YWCA of Los Angeles.
Language of Material:
English.
Historical Note:
The YWCA of Los Angeles was established in 1893 when Miss Emma Reeder came from San
Francisco expressly to organize a local branch. Incorporated the following year, the Los
Angeles chapter served to promote the physical, social, spiritual, and educational
well-being of young women. In its first year of operation, the YWCA increased its membership
from nine to over 360 members.
The YWCA of Los Angeles is a decentralized agency with many branches, boarding homes, club
houses, and camping retreats throughout LA County. In 1899, a Traveler's Aid Department was
established to care for new arrivals to the city. The first boarding home for women in Los
Angeles was founded by the YWCA in 1905. Three years later the YWCA's first permanent
residence opened, followed by the Hollywood Studio Club, a temporary residence for young
women training for careers in the entertainment industry.
For over eighty years the YWCA of Los Angeles has provided shelter and counseling services
for transient and needy women, sponsored camping trips, conducted educational, physical and
religious classes, and encouraged women to achieve leadership roles in society.
Scope and Contents
The
Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) of Los Angeles
Collection
documents the establishment, evolution, and achievements of Los Angeles'
YWCA branches. The bulk of the collection consists of publicity and memorabilia including
brochures, pamphlets, newspaper clippings, newsletters, and scrapbooks. Also contained in
the collection are extensive administrative records such as by-laws, constitutions,
correspondence, financial statements, historical profiles, minutes of various boards and
committees, position papers, studies, and reports. The collection is arranged in three major
series:
Young Women's Christian Association Administrative
Records
(ca. 1890-1984),
Mary Andrews Clark Residence
(1910-1986), and
Hollywood Studio Club (1915-ca. 1979).
Series I,
Young Women's Christian Association Administrative
Records,
is divided into seven subseries.
Administrative
Records
(ca. 1890-1974), contains the YWCA's organizational records including
annual reports, articles of incorporation, brochures and pamphlets, committee records,
constitutions, correspondence, financial statements, various YWCA histories, reports,
studies, and audio recordings. Audio recordings are available digitally. It is arranged
alphabetically by subject.
Board Records (1903-1966), documents
the meetings of several YWCA boards, committees, and various joint committee meetings. The
files are arranged by board and chronologically within.
Committee
Records
(1904-1971), includes materials from the many committees created to handle
the work of the ever-expanding organization. The bulk of the subseries contains minutes and
reports of the Executive Committee. The files are arranged in alphabetical order by name of
committee.
YWCA Branch Records (1908-1975), contains annual
reports, brochures, correspondence, fact sheets, histories, pamphlets, and related publicity
material on the many branches, campuses, clubs and residences maintained or supported by the
YWCA of Los Angeles. The records document the activities of the Mary Andrews Clark
Residence, Hollywood Studio Club, International Institute, Japanese Branch, and the San
Fernando YWCA Project.
YWCA Publicity Files (ca. 1890-1984),
includes brochures, handbooks, newsletters, and related reference items documenting the
activities of the YWCA of Los Angeles. Newspaper clippings constitute the bulk of the
subseries. The subseries is arranged by type of material and chronologically within each
category.
Scrapbooks (1893-1970),
includes completed and fragmented scrapbooks documenting the YWCA's activities
throughout the decades, including local and national events and conventions.
Photographs (ca. 1900-1964), includes photographic prints, negatives,
and albums documenting the people and events associated with the Los Angeles chapter of the
YWCA.
Series II,
Mary Andrews Clark Residence, is divided into eight
subseries.
Administrative Records (1910-1982), contains
correspondence and monthly reports by Esther May Carter, as well as financial reports and
ephemera.
Board and Committee Records (1915-1969), contains
reports from the William Andrews Clark Memorial, Clark Residence Committee, Study Committee,
Committee of Management and the Ellen Groshon Loan Fund Committee.
Publicity Files (1943-1965), contains newspaper clippings from 1948 as well as
postcards.
Scrapbooks (1912-1986), contains brochures,
invitations, letters, newsletters, newspaper clippings, photographs and programs.
Resident Files (1913-1976), consists primarily of correspondence.
Resident Committee Files (1947-1967), contains a variety of
minutes and activities for the local and the national YWCA. Personnel policies, night
hostess manual, notices and room rates are included.
National
Publications
(1927-1970), contains copies of the journal,
The
Women's Press.
Photographs (1911-1976), includes photographic prints, negatives,
and slides documenting the people and events associated with the Mary Andrews Clark
Residence.
Series III,
Hollywood Studio Club, documents the YWCA's
philanthropic work with young women who came to Los Angeles to seek fame and fortune in the
movie industry. The material contained in this series includes resident files, newspaper
clippings, magazine clippings, announcements, magazines, guest books, photographs,
invitations, and ephemera. It is divided into six subseries.
Administrative Records(1919-ca.1979), contains the Hollywood Studio Club account
books, annual reports, broadsides, by-laws, correspondence, architectural drawings, history,
resident lists, and materials concerning the operations of the Board of Directors and the
Executive Committee.
Committee Records (1917-1970), includes
notes, minutes, and records of the Study Committee as well as the Advisory, Management, and
Administrative Committees.
Publicity Files (ca. 1915-ca. 1979),
contains articles, artwork, newspaper clippings, press releases, and the report to the
national YWCA. Many items central to Hollywood publicity are also contained in the
subseries.
Scrapbooks (1915-ca. 1970), contains oversized
materials including photographs, newspaper clippings, invitations and other ephemera.
Non-YWCA Materials (1921-1968) includes the book,
The History of Hollywood.
Photographs
(ca. 1920-1974), includes photographic prints, negatives, slides, and albums documenting the
people and events associated with Hollywood Studio Club.
Arrangement of Materials:
Series I: Young Women's Christian Association Administrative Records, ca. 1890-1976
Subseries A: Administrative Records, ca. 1890-1974
Subseries B: Board Records, 1903-1966
Subseries C: Committee Records, 1904-1971
Subseries D: YWCA Branch Records, 1908-1975
Subseries E: YWCA Publicity Files, ca. 1890-1984
Subseries F: Scrapbooks, 1893-1970
Subseries G: Photographs, ca. 1900-1964
Series II: Mary Andrews Clark Residence, 1910-1986
Subseries A: Administrative Records, 1910-1982
Subseries B: Board and Committee Records, 1915-1969
Subseries C: Publicity Files, 1943-1965
Subseries D: Scrapbooks, 1912-1986
Subseries E: Resident Files, 1913-1976
Subseries F: Residence Committee Files, 1947-1967
Subseries G: National Publications,1927-1970
Subseries H: Photographs, 1911-ca. 1976
Series III: Hollywood Studio Club, 1915-ca. 1979
Subseries A: Administrative Records, 1919-ca. 1979
Subseries B: Committee Records, 1917-1970
Subseries C: Publicity Files, ca. 1915-ca. 1979
Subseries D: Scrapbooks,1915-ca. 1970
Subseries E: Non-YWCA Materials, 1921-1968
Subseries F: Photographs, ca. 1920-1974
Related Materials:
Conditions Governing Access:
The collection is open for research use.
Conditions Governing Use:
Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of
this collection has been dedicated to the public. Copyright status for other materials is
unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title
17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright
owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission
of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Young Women's Christian Association of Los Angeles, 06/1981
Accruals:
1991, 1995
Preferred Citation:
For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual,
or see the
Citing Archival Materials
guide.
Processing Information:
Robert G. Marshall, Claire La Fia
General
Other Information:
Initial processing of this collection was made possible in part through a grant from the
National Endowment of the Humanities.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Ephemera
Documents
Photographs
Scrapbooks