Berkeley Day Nursery records, 1909-1970

Summary

Creators:

Berkeley Day Nursery

Abstract:

Berkeley Day Nursery records relate to the management and daily operation of the nursery school which served working mothers in Berkeley, Albany, and Kensington, Calif. Records include correspondence, reports, articles of incorporation, by-laws, minutes, enrollment statistics, financial materials, printed brochures, and clippings concerning the nursery.

Extent:

Number of containers: 5 cartons, 2 boxes Linear feet: 7.05

Language:

English

Background

Scope and content:

The Berkeley Day Nursery Records, 1909-1970, relate to the management and daily operation of the nursery school, founded in 1908 and dedicated to the care of children of working mothers of Berkeley, Albany, and Kensington, Calif. The records include articles of incorporation, by-laws, minutes of board meetings, correspondence, executive director's and superintendent's reports, which include enrollment statistics, reports of committees, financial and legal records, printed brochures, and clippings.

The collection will provide detailed insight into past practices in early childhood education, as well as examples of social and economic conditions of family life in the Berkeley area, community involvement in charitable work, and the status and employment of women, particularly those who worked as teachers in the nursery school. Descriptive titles of records used by the Berkeley Day Nursery have been retained throughout.

Biographical / historical:

The Berkeley Day Nursery, a non-profit corporation founded in 1908 by a group of Berkeley women, was a pioneer in nursery care for the children of working class mothers. Subsidized by the city of Berkeley, the Berkeley Community Chest, and later, the United Crusade, its operating funds were also derived from income on a small endowment, from gifts and bequests, and from fees determined on a sliding scale by the parents' ablility to contribute. The nursery was managed by a Board of Directors consisting of 24 women who were unpaid volunteers interested in community service. An executive director appointed by the directors and small staff of employees were responsible for daily operation. The Berkeley Day Nursery functioned for many years until increasingly strict state requirements for personnel and programs resulted in its closing in November 1965; the corporation was dissolved on December 11, 1969.

Acquisition information:

The Berkeley Day Nursery Records were given to The Bancroft Library by Mrs. E. O. Lawrence, a former President, on December 4, 1973.

Physical location:

For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.

Location of this collection:

UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library

University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft Library

Berkeley, CA 94720-6000, US

Contact:

510-642-6481

bancref-library@berkeley.edu

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