Center for Archival Collections

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

 Introduction

The records of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, Nu Chapter of Bowling Green, Ohio, were donated to the Center for Archival Collections by Amy Rahmel on June 23, 1998. The collection primarily consists of membership records, including directories, financial forms, and membership cards. Correspondence, minutes and financial records also dominate the collection.

No restrictions exist on the use of this collection. This register was prepared by Jessica Schmidt, graduate assistant, in March 2009, with an addition in 2010 and a revision for added material in 2012 by Marilyn Levinson, Curator of Manuscripts.

 Agency History

Nu, the Bowling Green, Ohio chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, is a professional honorary society of female educators from the area. It was organized on January 16, 1939 with an installation of 34 charter members at the Women’s Club in Bowling Green.

Delta Kappa Gamma was founded on May 11, 1929 at the University of Texas in Austin. In 1938, Ohio became a state sponsored branch of the organization. The main objectives and goals of Delta Kappa Gamma are to further the status of female educators and offer advanced opportunities of scholarship, fellowship, and professionalism. Membership is offered by invitation only to women who distinguish themselves both in the education profession and in their personal community.

The Nu Chapter is still in existence today, with occasional new donations.

 Scope and Content

The collection of the Delta Kappa Gamma, Nu Chapter consists of minutes, member directories, membership dues reports, individual financial records, transfer notices, membership cards, constitution, by-laws, handbook, correspondence, financial ledgers, annual and monthly reports of the treasurer, budget/audit forms, income tax material, various printed material and scrapbooks. The most comprehensive materials are membership records and also financial documents.

The minutes are scattered, covering the early years from 1939-1954 and then some after 1987. Membership records consist of directories, individual dues and financial reports, transfer notices, and membership cards. Most of these documents exist for the organization from 1939-1982. These records offer complete member lists, positions, addresses, financial status within the chapter, and whether they are current members (as opposed to being on leave, honorary, or transferred members).

The financial records also provide a comprehensive account of the chapter’s expenses from 1939-1982. The ledgers are all bound and handwritten and provide current account balances for various funds and scholarships within the chapter. Additionally, annual and monthly treasurer reports from 1979-1982 indicate where money was being spent and transferred throughout each fiscal year. Though incomplete, the scrapbooks also give a view of the chapter activities.

Other materials of particular interest include correspondence between chapter members and also the umbrella state and national organization, Delta Kappa Gamma.

Unlike the other local northwest Ohio chapter, Delta Rho, the Nu Chapter does not include social/special event descriptions, or newsletters. Researchers can develop an inclusive perspective of the introvert workings of the chapter, but not necessarily how the chapter functioned extrovertly.

 Series Description

PROCEEDINGS

MINUTES
1939-1954, 1987-1995
Minute books and loose sheets giving general meeting proceedings, attendance and planned activities; may include some program booklets

MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORIES
1939-1949, 1955-1965, 1969-1970, 1973-1976, 1986-1988
Arranged chronologically.
Includes annual membership directories (or, "yearbooks") for each year listed. Books contain biographical information, such as positions and addresses for each current member.

ATTENDANCE RECORD
1979-1991
Record book noting those present for meetings, with a few notations

MEMBERSHIP & DUES REPORTS
1939-1982
Arranged chronologically.
Includes complete member lists and whether or not each member paid chapter, national, and scholarship dues.

INDIVIDUAL MEMBER FINANCIAL RECORDS
1939, 1941-1953
Arranged chronologically.
Each member is listed on individual account form. Forms indicate address, chapter, date of initiation, and year dues records.

"BULLETIN" AND "NEWS" CARDS LISTS
1950-1963
Arranged chronologically
Complete annual lists of members and which type of membership they hold (i.e. life, honorary, regular, or retired). These lists were shared with the national headquarters.

OFFICIAL NOTICE OF TRANSFER.
Various 1970-1981
Arranged chronologically
Carbon copies of notices sent to the national headquarters indicating a member’s transfer from Nu Chapter to another chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma.

MEMBERSHIP CARDS
1949-1961
Arranged chronologically within 3 smaller index boxes
Tri-color membership cards indicating member status and issue date of each annual membership card. Pink cards indicate lifetime membership; blue indicate honorary membership; yellow indicate regular annual membership.
Box 1: 1949-1954
Box 2: 1954-1960
Box 3: 1961-1962

NEW INITIATES RECORD
1939-2005
Volume with “Constitution” on the cover listing the names of charter members and each new group of initiates

CONSTITUTION, BY-LAWS, & HANDBOOK
1937, 1938, 1956, 1962, 2006
Arranged chronologically
Include bound copies of constitution and by-laws (1937), handbook of policies, rulings, and customs (1938-1939), circular of information (1956-1957), revised constitution (1962), and a printed copy of the Constitution and International Committee Rules (2006).

CORRESPONDENCE

CHAPTER CORRESPONDENCE
1952-1954, 1960-1980
Arranged chronologically
Includes correspondence between members of the chapter to one another regarding specific organization business.

TREASURER CORRESPONDENCE
1948, 1951-1960
Arranged chronologically
Correspondence between the treasurer and other members of the chapter and various other recipients.

TREASURER CORRESPONDECE BETWEEN NATIONAL AND STATE HEADQUARTERS
1952-1964, 1974-1983
Arranged chronologically
Includes correspondence between the current chapter treasurer and the national and state headquarters. Most of this correspondence deals with membership.

SUBJECT/CASE FILES

RESEARCH COMMITTEE REPORTS AND MEMBERSHIP SURVEYS
1975-1979, 1982-1983
The first part of this survey is the actual results circulated amongst the members of the chapter, state, and national headquarters. It was conducted by Delta Kappa Gamma to establish the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. The second part is a collection of actual survey forms mailed out to chapter members.

LITERARY PRODUCTIONS

HISTORY OF NU CHAPTER
1964, 1979, 1990?
Brief written personal history of a former member/president of Nu Chapter written in 1979 at the 40th celebration of the chapter’s organization and loose notes on chapter history.

FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS

GUIDEBOOK FOR TREASURER
1974
Describes the duties, responsibilities, and procedures for the current chapter treasurer.

FINANCIAL LEDGERS
1939-2005
Arranged chronologically
Four bound volumes which include dues, expenses, and standing balances of the chapter’s bank account.

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TREASURER
1949-1982
Arranged chronologically
Includes annual budget information, how chapter financially faired, fiscal year statements, expenses, membership dues and financial statuses, and bank account balances.

MONTHLY REPORT OF THE TREASURER
1961, 1964-1976, 1980-1982
Arranged chronologically
Includes monthly financial reports by the treasurer regarding balances, expenses, deposits, and member dues.

CHAPTER BUDGET/AUDIT
1951-1952, 1963-1964
Arranged chronologically
Annual chapter budget and where expenses were approved.

INCOME TAX MATERIAL
1965-1969
Arranged chronologically
Income tax information and forms for non-profit organization status.

SCRAPBOOKS AND SCRAPBOOK MATERIAL

SCRAPBOOKS
1939-1964, 1966-1979
Scrapbooks with programs, notes, photos and ephemeral material. Oversize/wrapped

PRINTED MATERIAL

ANNUAL PROGRAM BOOKLETS
1944-1949, 1954-1959, 1960-1964, 1998-2000
Small pocket-sized booklets with chapter information such as officers and committees and also the program schedule for the year

HANDBOOKS/GUIDELINES
1984, 2006-2008
Ceremonies handbook, program manual, and guidelines for chapter presidents

WOMEN EDUCATORS: ARCHITECTS OF THE FUTURE – DEVELOPING GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES, PROGRAM MANUAL
1982-1986
Multi-year program sponsored by the national Delta Kappa Gamma organization. This program was implemented in all chapters.

INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL REPORT
1965-1969
Pamphlet describing current organization financial situation throughout all chapters around the world.

HISTORIES AND MISCELLANEOUS
1979, n.d.
History from Golden Anniversary and songbooks of various dates

PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL

MISCELLANEOUS PHOTOGRAPHS.
1979
Photographs from the 1979 40th anniversary celebration depicting charter members attending the banquet.

 Inventory

Box 1

Folders

1. Minutes, 1939-1945
2. Minutes, 1945-1954
3. Minutes, 1987-1991
4. Minutes, 1991-1995
5. Member directories, 1939-1945
6. Member directories, 1945-1949
7. Member directories, 1955-1962
8. Member directories, 1962-1965, 1969-1970
9. Member directories, 1973-1976, 1986-1988
10. Attendance record, 1979-1991
11. Membership and Dues Report, 1939-1949
12. Membership and Dues Report, 1950-1960
13. Membership and Dues Report, 1961-1969
14. Membership and Dues Report, 1970-1982

Box 2

1. Member Individual Financial Records, 1939
2. Member Individual Financial Records, 1941-1953
3. Bulletin and News Cards Lists, 1950-1963
4. Official Notice of Transfer, 1970-1981 (various)
5. Membership cards (Treasurer’s Record), 1949-1962
   Box 1: 1949-1954
   Box 2: 1954-1960
   Box 3: 1961-1962

Box 3

Folders

1. New initiates list, 1939-2005
2. Constitution, By-Laws, Handbook, 1937, 1938, 1956, 1962
3. Constitution and International Standing Rules, 2006
4. Correspondence, 1952-1954
5. Correspondence, 1960-1972
6. Correspondence, 1973-1980
7. Treasurer Correspondence, 1948, 1951-1960
8. Treasurer Correspondence between National & State, 1952-1960
9. Treasurer Correspondence between National & State, 1960-1964
10. Treasurer Correspondence between National & State, 1974-1977
11. Treasurer Correspondence between National & State, 1977-1983
12. Research Committee reports and self-appraisal inventory, 1975-1979
13. Research Chair/Membership Survey Results, 1982-1983
14. Research Chair/Membership Survey Forms, 1982-1983

Box 4

Folders

1. Delta Kappa Gamma Nu Chapter historical notes, 1964, 1990?
2. History of Nu Chapter, 1979
3. Guidebook for Treasurer, 1974
4. Financial Ledger, 1939-1954
5. Financial Ledger, 1954-1961
6. Financial Ledger, 1962-1974
7. Financial Ledger, 1974-1981
8. Financial Ledger, 1985-1993
9. Financial Ledger, 1993-2005
10. Annual Report of the Chapter Treasurer, 1949-1960
11. Annual Report of the Chapter Treasurer, 1960-1969
12. Annual Report of the Chapter Treasurer, 1970-1982
13. Monthly Report of the Chapter Treasurer, 1961, 1964-1970
14. Monthly Report of the Chapter Treasurer, 1970-1976, 1980-1982
15. Chapter Budget/Audit, 1951-1952, 1963-1964
16. Income Tax Material, 1965-1969
17. International Financial Report, 1957-1967

Manuscripts by Subject | Education Collections | Women's Studies Collections