Introduction | Agency History | Scope and Content | Series Description | Inventory

Introduction

The records of the Senior Literary and Lyric Society date form 1898 to 1980. The history of this organization is reflected in the collection which consists of 2.5 linear feet of material. Included within the collection are minutes, membership lists, literary productions, programs, and speeches.

The records were donated to the Center for Archival Collections in 1982 through the cooperation of Margaret Foltz, Senior Literary and Lyric Society, and Jill Gates Smith, Field Specialist with the Women's Studies Archives Project. No restrictions exist on the use of this collection and duplication is permitted for the purpose of preservation and scholarly research. The register was prepared by Sandra Davies, graduate assistant in history, in June 1982.

Agency History

The Senior Literary and Lyric Society officially was formed in 1898 in the North Baltimore area when a group of friends joined together to discuss their favorite authors and to perform music. During the first year the women jointly wrote a novel and staged public programs to benefit the poorer residents of the community.

The name of the organization was chosen to reflect the women's combined interest in literature and music. For many years the number of members was limited to twenty-five. However, with the formation of a Junior Literary and Lyric Society for younger women, the number of members was increased to thirty-five.

The activities of the organization have not changed to any great extent from 1898 to the present, as evidenced by the records in the collection. Thus the collection can be used to illustrate the ways in which women in a rural area have sought to entertain and enlighten themselves outside of the family.

Scope and Content

The records of the Senior Literary and Lyric Society illustrate aspects of the social development of women in northwest Ohio from 1898 to 1980. The collection includes minutes, club histories, Circle Study papers, programs, and yearbooks.

The minutes, which are complete from 1922 to 1960 (scattered prior to 1922), provide the researcher with information on organizational activities. In addition, they reveal the concerns of the women in northwest Ohio which are expressed through club entertainment and the topics presented in study groups. This also is evident in the club histories written between 1898 and 1948. The collection includes several examples of the Circle Study papers which were presented during the meetings.

Printed material in the collection consists of programs for scattered dates from 1922 to 1958, which contain information on club meetings and social events, and yearbooks, complete form 1900 to 1980, except for one small gap from 1904 to 1906, which include agendas of each meeting as well as titles of speeches and a list of the speakers.

Series Description

PROCEEDINGS

MINUTES
1922-1960, scattered minutes from 1899 to 1922.
Arranged chronologically
Contains minutes of meetings as recorded by the club secretary, membership lists, newspaper clippings, programs.

MEMBERSHIP ROSTERS.
1948, 1965.
Arranged chronologically
Includes lists of members.

INSTALLATION SERVICE, AWARDS GUIDELINES.
n.d.
Includes note cards with the installation service ceremony script, requirements for the presentation of awards.

SUBJECT FILES

OHIO FEDERATION OF WOMEN'S CLUBS
1927-1953.
Arranged chronologically
Contains organizational resolutions, conference programs, correspondence.

LITERARY PRODUCTIONS

CLUB HISTORIES
1898-1948.
Arranged chronologically
A description of club activities over time.

CIRCLE STUDY PAPERS
n.d.
Includes essays on Josiah Wedgwood, Costa Rica, a television quiz.

FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS

ACCOUNT BOOK
1914-1944.
Arranged chronologically
A record of club dues, expenditures, with short summaries of the years' budgets.

PRINTED MATERIAL

PROGRAMS
1922-1958, n.d. (scattered)
Arranged chronologically
Programs from local club meetings and community social events.

YEARBOOKS
1900-1904, 1906-1980.
Arranged chronologically
Contains an agenda for each meeting, titles of speeches, lists of speakers.

Inventory

Box 1

Folders

1. Minutes/membership roll, 1899-1902
2. Minutes/mostly history of club, 1904-1936
3. Minutes, 1922-1929
4. Minutes, 1929-1933
5. Minutes (scattered copies), 1933-1940
6. Minutes, 1933-1940
7. Minutes, 1940-1945

Box 2

Folders

1. Minutes (scrapbook format), 1949-1953
2. Minutes (scrapbook format), 1953-1958
3. Minutes, 1958-1960
4. Membership rosters, 1948, 1965
5. Installation service, awards guidelines, n.d.
6. Ohio Federation of Women's Clubs, 1927-1953
7. Club Histories, 1898-1923, 1935, 1945-1948
8. Circle study papers, n.d.
9. Account book, 1914-1944
10. Programs, 1922-1924, 1958, n.d.

Box 3

Folders

1. Yearbooks, 1900-1904, 1906-1910
2. Yearbooks, 1910-1915
3. Yearbooks, 1915-1920
4. Yearbooks, 1920-1925
5. Yearbooks, 1925-1930
6. Yearbooks, 1930-1935
7. Yearbooks, 1935-1940

Box 4

Folders

1. Yearbooks, 1940-1945
2. Yearbooks, 1945-1950
3. Yearbooks, 1950-1955
4. Yearbooks, 1955-1960
5. Yearbooks, 1960-1965
6. Yearbooks, 1965-1970
7. Yearbooks, 1970-1975
8. Yearbooks, 1975-1980

Manuscripts by Subject | Women's Studies Collections