California Federation of Women's Clubs records, 1900-2022

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Summary

Abstract:
Convention, board minutes and reports, club histories, yearbooks, journals, and articles recording the general history and activities of the California Federation of Women's Club and the individual clubs within the region.
Extent:
60.6 Linear Feet 102 boxes; 1 oversize folder
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

California Federation of Women's Clubs records. MS 11. Special Collections and Archives, University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz.

Background

Scope and content:

The material documents the California Federation of Women's Clubs general history and administrative activity, as well as the individual club histories.

Biographical / historical:

The California Federation of Women's Clubs (CFWC) is part of an international community service organization that focuses on projects that "promote education, eliminate illiteracy, encourage productive citizenship, preserve nations natural resources, encourage healthy lifestyles, fight to prevent crime, support the Arts, and contribute to international understanding". The State Federation was founded in January 17, 1900 with forty clubs, representing six thousand women. Clara Burdette (Mrs. Robert J. Burdette), Los Angeles, became the first president. In May 1900 the California Federation joined a General Federation of Women's Clubs, the oldest women's volunteer organization in the United States. The Federation endorsed and supported the Child Labor Law, which was enacted in 1906. In that same year, the Federation urged its affiliates to give financial assistance to women seeking a higher education or industrial training and employment, giving birth to the scholarship idea. The organization also campaigned for equal suffrage, which was achieved in a state constitutional amendment election in October 1911. Today this non-profit organization is divided into twenty-six districts that are governed by a president and an executive board. It's volunteer based membership covers the cities and towns across the California.

Acquisition information:
Boxes 1-33, 35-39 received in October 1983; Boxes 34, 40-61, 98-101 received in June 2004; Boxes 61-69 received September 2009; Box 102 received August 2022.
Processing information:

This finding aid was revised in the Reparative Archival Redescription Project in 2021-2022. Previous versions of this finding aid are available upon request.

Arrangement:

The archive is divided into eight series; CFWC History & Information (1900-2000), CFWC Convention and Board Minutes, Reports and Projects (1921-2004), Club Histories (1988-2004), Publications (1900-2004), Misc. Newspapers & Magazines (1906-1955), Objects (ca. 1925-1940), Photographs (1919-2000) and Microfilm (1916-2004). The publications series contains both bound and unbound periodicals and yearbooks; The Clubwoman, later retitled The Federation News, The California Federation News, currently known as The California Clubwoman.

The general arrangement follows chronological order, whereas the Club Histories are divided into Districts and then alphabetically by club name.

Physical location:
Stored offsite at NRLF: Advance notice is required for access to the papers.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research

Terms of access:

Copyright for the items in this collection is owned by the creators and their heirs. Reproduction or distribution of any work protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the copyright owner. It is the responsibility of the user to determine whether a use is fair use, and to obtain any necessary permissions. For more information see UCSC Special Collections and Archives policy on Reproduction and Use.

Preferred citation:

California Federation of Women's Clubs records. MS 11. Special Collections and Archives, University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz.

Location of this collection:
Special Collections and Archives, University Library
1156 High Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95064, US
Contact:
(831) 459-2547
speccoll@library.ucsc.edu
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