Guide to the San José Woman's Club Records
MSS.2013.06.14
Grace Song and Rita Wang
SJSU Special Collections & Archives
2016
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
San José State University
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0028
special.collections@sjsu.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
SJSU Special Collections & Archives
Title: San José Woman's Club Records
creator:
San José Woman’s Club (Calif.)
Identifier/Call Number: MSS.2013.06.14
Physical Description:
10 boxes
(8.33 linear feet)
Date (inclusive): 1922-1993
Abstract: The San José Woman's Club Records consists of administrative records and pressbooks documenting the club's activities from
1922 to 1993. The collection materials include ledgers, meeting minutes, a receipt book, scrapbooks, photographs, and correspondence.
Biographical / Historical
The San José Woman's Club was formed on December 3, 1894, when a group of nine women gathered to discuss the possibility of
forming a club devoted to women's issues. Membership grew steadily to 81 members by 1902, leading the Club to purchase and
renovate their first club house in 1906. The club was incorporated as a non-profit in 1909, with meetings held every Saturday
afternoon at 2:30 P.M.
The Club was open to all women without discriminating in regards to religion, economic level, ethnic background or education.
To accomplish their goals of civic improvement, cultural enhancement and charitable betterment, the San José Woman's Club
was organized into smaller groups, or sections. Each section focused on a single aspect of club work. Members were encouraged
to join one or more sections to get to know other women in the community. Each section kept a membership roster, financial
records and minutes of their meetings and could limit their membership in order to keep the group from getting too large.
The Club organized itself around a social season that began in September of each year and ended in June. Meetings were not
held in summer. Highlights of these social seasons included a trip by the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, Countess Alexandra
Tolstoy and Lotte Golsar in 1939, as well as various fashion shows and luncheons.
In addition to providing a social base for groups of women to join together for civic and community improvement, the Club
also provided a venue for women who had training in the arts but lacked an appropriate forum for their talents. Musicians,
singers, poets, dramatists, writers, painters and other artists were invited to share their talents with appreciative friends.
Preferred Citation
San José Woman's Club Records, MSS-2013-06-14, San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into three series: Series I: Administrative Materials, 1936-1993, Series II: Scrapbooks and Photographs,
1922-1993, and Series III: Printed Matter and Correspondence, 1963-1985.
Scope and Contents
The San José Woman's Club Records consists of administrative records, press scrapbooks, and some printed matter documenting
the club's activities from 1922 to 1993. The collection materials include ledgers of meeting minutes, a receipt book, correspondence,
and scrapbooks containing newspaper clippings and some photographs. These scrapbooks and other administrative materials are
divided by different sections, such as Septima, Handicraft, Antiques, Literature and Drama, Bridge, and more. There are also
some excerpts written by various club historians found in some of the scrapbooks.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright has not been assigned to the San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives. All requests for
permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Special Collections. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of the SJSU Special Collections & Archives 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. Copyright restrictions
also apply to digital reproductions of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational
purposes.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research.
Processing Information
Collection processing began in 2013, and was completed by Grace Song in February 2016. Additional accrual rehousing completed,
MSS-2015-01-12 merged with this collection, and finding aid updated by Rita Wang, February 2017.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Women -- Societies and clubs
Women -- California -- San Jose -- Societies and clubs
San José Woman’s Club (Calif.)
Series I. Administrative Materials
1936-1993
Scope and Contents
This series contains the meeting minutes and membership ledgers of the various sections of the San José Woman’s Club including
Septima, Handicraft, Gayla, Literature and Drama, Fiesta, and Antiques.
Members of the San José Woman's Club were encouraged to join one or more sections in order to get to know other women of the
community. Within each section, women would devote themselves to philanthropic endeveavors, raising money through house tours,
fashion shows, dances, bazaars, and similar activities. The sections were allowed to limit their membership in order to keep
the group from growing to large.
Arrangement
This series is arranged chronologically.
Box 1, Folder 1
Meeting Minutes
1936-1941
Box 1, Folder 2
Literature and Drama Section Minutes
1941-1946
Box 1, Folder 3
Literature and Drama Section Minutes
1946-1955
Box 1, Folder 4
Minutes of Past Presidents
1946-1954
Box 1, Folder 5
Septima Section Minutes
1947-1953
Box 1, Folder 6
Handicraft Section Minutes
1950-1967
Box 6
San José Woman's Club Rental Information Ledger
1951-1952
Box 1, Folder 7-8
Literature and Home Arts Section Minutes
1955-1968
Box 1, Folder 9
Minutes of Past Presidents
1958-1970
Box 1, Folder 10
San José Woman's Club Minutes
1963-1981
Box 1, Folder 11
Bridge Section Minutes and Records
1966-1978
Box 1, Folder 12
Antique Section Minutes
1967-1974
Box 1, Folder 13
Antique Section Membership Ledger
1967-1975
Box 1, Folder 14
Antique Section Minutes
1967-1982
Box 1, Folder 15
Handicraft Section Minutes
1969-1980
Box 1, Folder 16
Antique Section Directories
1972-1985
Box 1, Folder 17
Board of Directors Minutes
1974-1978
Box 2, Folder 1
Antique Section Membership Ledger
1975-1985
Box 2, Folder 2
Antique Section Minutes
1976-1982
Box 2, Folder 3
General Club and Tea Meeting Minutes
1976-1984
Box 2, Folder 5
Antique Section Bazaar Reports
1977-1988
Box 2, Folder 6
Board of Directors Minutes
1978-1984
Box 2, Folder 7
Antique Section Minutes
1982-1990
Box 2, Folder 8
Board of Directors Minutes
1984-1992
Box 2, Folder 9
General Club and Tea Minutes
1984-1993
Box 2, Folder 10
Soroptimist International of San Jose Records
1992-1993
Series II. Scrapbooks and Photographs
1922-1993
Scope and Contents
This series contains scrapbooks and photographs of the San José Woman's Club and its various sections from 1894-1993. Some
key events of note within the scrapbooks and photographs are various trips made by international figures that include Eleanor
Roosevelt, Countess Alexandra Tolstoy (daughter of Leo Tolstoy), and Lotte Golsar, a famous dancer and mime, as well as various
luncheons and tea socials with local celebrities and personalities. The scrapbooks feature primarily press notices about group
activies, events, and announcements. Also included are scrapbooks that detail the history of the Club.
Arrangement
This series is arranged chronologically.
Box 3, Folder 1
San José Woman's Club History
1922-1923
Box 3, Folder 2
San José Woman's Club Book
1923-1924
Box 3, Folder 3
San José Woman's Club
1935-1936
Box 3, Folder 4
San José Woman's Club History (1894-1929)
1936
Box 3, Folder 5
San José Woman's Club History
1936-1938
Box 3, Folder 6
San José Woman's Club General Photographs
1936-1978
Box 3, Folder 7
San José Woman's Club Digital Photographs
1936-1978
Box 3, Folder 8
San José Woman's Club History
1938-1939
Box 3, Folder 9
Santa Clara Co. Federation Scrapbook
1939-1940
Box 3, Folder 10
Loose Material from Santa Clara Co. Federation Scrapbook
1939-1940
Box 6
Junior Woman's Club Scrapbook
1940-1943
Box 3, Folder 11
San José Woman's Club
1941-1942
Box 8
San José Woman's Club
1942-1943
Box 3, Folder 12
San José Woman's Club Press Notices
1946-1947
Box 3, Folder 13
Coordinating Council of Woman's Clubs
1947-1971
Box 4, Folder 2
Special Interest Section
1952-1964
Box 4, Folder 4
Septima Section
1955-1966
Box 4, Folder 5
San José Woman's Club
1958-1959
Box 7
San José Woman's Club Scrapbook
1961-1963
Box 4, Folder 6
Coordinating Council of Woman's Club History and Press Book
1963-1966
Box 5, Folder 2
Septima Section
1967-1968
Box 5, Folder 3
Handicraft Section
1968-1971
Box 9
San José Woman's Club
1969-1970
Box 5, Folder 4
Handicraft Section
1970-1983
Box 5, Folder 6
San José Woman's Club
1991-1992
Box 5, Folder 7
San José Woman's Club
1992-1993
Box 5, Folder 8
Soroptimist International of San Jose Photographs
1993
Series III. Printed Matter and Correspondence
1963-1985
Scope and Contents
This series includes the various printed materials of the club such as clippings and newletters relating to the San José Woman's
Club, "Tips for Publicity Chairman", and the correspondence among the members relating primarily to membership withdrawls
or member absence.
Arrangement
This series is arranged chronologically.
Box 10, Folder 1
Clippings and Newsletters
1956-1984
Box 10, Folder 3
Tips for Publicity Chairman
1966
