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Women’s Twentieth Century Club of Eagle Rock Records 201511-001
201511-001  
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  • Processing Information
  • Biographical / Historical

  • Language of Material: English
    Contributing Institution: Occidental College Library
    Title: Women's Twentieth Century Club of Eagle Rock records
    creator: Women's Twentieth Century Club of Eagle Rock
    Identifier/Call Number: 201511-001
    Physical Description: 15 Linear Feet 8 bankers boxes 18 archival boxes 3 plastic bins
    Date (inclusive): 1903-2014
    Date (bulk): 1960-1990
    Abstract: The records document the activities of the Women’s Twentieth Century Club of Eagle Rock from its founding in 1903 to the present. Included are meeting minutes, event programs, yearbooks, club histories, financial records, scrapbooks, photographs, and other records documenting the club’s social and community service functions.

    Processing Information

    Records were primarily found aggregated and organized by function or topic and date range. This existing arrangement was largely maintained and files titled as found. Some like materials were grouped together during processing, notably the Yearbooks and Meeting Minutes. A detailed inventory is available for each box.

    Biographical / Historical

    The Women’s Twentieth Century Club of Eagle Rock was founded in February of 1903 when a small group of women in the Eagle Rock Valley met at the home of Mrs. Phillip W. Parker. Like other turn-of-the-century women’s clubs, they were organized around the aims of self-improvement and public service and locally sought “to promote the social and literary welfare of the valley.”
    Programs between 1907 and 1912 focused on civic responsibility and women’s education and suffrage. In 1908, the Club joined the California State Federation of Women’s Clubs (CSFW). In 1910 two members of the club were delegates to the CSFW convention at Long Beach where they were the first to sign a petition to the State Legislature on behalf of women’s suffrage. In 1912 the club adopted a resolution protesting against Occidental College’s proposal to exclude women students and later in 1922 would establish a women’s scholarship fund. In 1913 members secured a grant of $7,500 from the Carnegie Corporation for a public library which opened in Eagle Rock in 1915. The club has been actively involved in various philanthropic efforts and charitable commitments throughout its history such as organizing a Red Cross Auxiliary, holding Liberty Bond drives, donating to disaster relief funds, conservation efforts and local families in need.
    The operations of the WTCC are guided by a constitution and by-laws with officers elected every two years. In past, various sections, each with a chairman and committee, historically focused on such topics as California history, spiritual values, literature, art, music, conservation, crime prevention, and veterans affairs. Club activities, rosters, directories, reports, meeting dates, federation information, articles of incorporation, bylaws, standing rules and club histories were recorded in annual yearbooks (and more recently scrapbooks) beginning in 1905. In 1924 the WTCC became an affiliate of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs.
    Planning for a clubhouse had begun in 1904 and through donations and fundraising the land for the Women’s Twentieth Century Club of Eagle Rock was purchased in 1912. The Craftsman style building was constructed at 5105 Hermosa Ave. (at Colorado Blvd.) in 1914 and had its formal dedication ceremony February 25, 1915. The first meeting at the clubhouse was held one month later. The clubhouse, with its lounge, assembly hall with stage and dining area, continues to provide a home for meetings and community events such as lectures, cultural events, exhibits and fundraising projects. Building rental revenues help to finance the club’s operations and philanthropic activities. In 1991 the clubhouse was declared a Los Angeles Cultural Monument and in 2013 it joined the National Register of Historic Places.
    The collection is made up of materials collected by the appointed club historian and members of the Women's Twentieth Century Club of Eagle Rock. Occidental College Special Collections took temporary possession of a few boxes in October 2015 and then the rest of the collection in January 2016. After processing, the materials were returned to the WTCC to be stored at their Clubhouse.
    Sources: “WTCC from 1970 to the present,” Karen Warren “The Eagle Rock Women’s Twentieth Century Clubhouse” application to the National Register of Historic Places “WTCC History” posted on club website: http://www.wtcc-er.org/history/

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    California Federation of Womens Clubs
    Women -- Societies and Clubs -- History
    Womens Clubs
    Eagle Rock
    Los Angeles (Calif.) -- Buildings, structures, etc.
    Women's Twentieth Century Club of Eagle Rock