Description
The Mrs. Joseph (Elizabeth) Morcombe San Francisco, Second District, California Congress of Parents and Teachers (PTA) Records
contain documents pertaining to the activities of the San Francisco PTA in the years 1895 to 1937. The records were maintained
by Elizabeth Morcombe (Mrs. Joseph E., née Sohm) who served as publicity director and president. The collection contains publicity
scrapbooks, correspondence, minutes, and official PTA history. The meticulously kept scrapbooks and histories reveal the San
Francisco group's early activities and political platforms as it grew from a conglomerate of Mothers Clubs to a shareholder
in the national PTA organization.
Background
America's kindergarten movement gained momentum in the first three decades of the twentieth century when public school systems
gradually began to adopt kindergarten education. As the movement swept through America, groups of local women formed private,
independent Mothers Clubs to meet and discuss how they could collectively address the problems their school children faced
in the home and in society. These clubs were the genesis of today's Parent Teachers Association, or PTA, as it is commonly
known.
Extent
3 boxes
(2.3 cubic feet)
Restrictions
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the City Archivist. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of the San Francisco Public Library as the owner of the physical items.
Availability
The collection is open for research and stored offsite. A minimum of two working days' notice is required for use. Please
call the San Francisco History Center for hours and information at 415-557-4567.