The San Francisco PTA Records cover nearly 100 years of the activities of the Second District of the California State PTA, from its early days as the San Francisco Congress of Mothers in 1908. These extensive records were maintained by the district office. The collection contains board meeting minutes, bylaws, periodicals, directories known as yearbooks, and scrapbooks covering procedures, history, and publicity.

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 independent Mothers Clubs to discuss how they could collectively address the problems their 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.

48 boxes (31.44 cubic feet)

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.

The collection is open for research, with photographs available during Photo Desk hours. Please call the San Francisco History Center for hours and information at 415-557-4567.