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Young Women's Christian Association of Philadelphia (Pa.), Germantown Branch Records
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Held at: Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Like the other local YWCA groups, the YWCA of Germantown is a membership organization organizing the Women's Christian Association to provide training and assistance "for the temporal, moral and religious welfare of women, especially young women, who are dependent upon their own exertions for support."
In the fall of 1917, the plan of organizing a branch of the Germantown YWCA for African American women and girls was first formulated in midst of World War I. A group of white women interested in African studies became concerned about the needs of the black community in Germantown. They formed a committee, raising enough money to pay a secretary who, in turn, gathered over 1,000 memberships to start the Branch. An office building in central Germantown (6128 Germantown Avenue) was bought (the central building was at 5820 Germantown Ave.) and in 1918 the "Branch for Colored Girls and Women" opened.
The Germantown YWCA had its own Committee of Management and its own paid director, although the branch was to submit monthly reports to the Board of Directors of the central YWCA. The director was from the beginning an African American woman, as was the chairperson of the Committee of Management after the first 5 years. As the chairperson of this committee, she became a member of the Board of Directors of the main YWCA and also the first African American woman on the Board. As the Germantown YWCA grew in membership, its staff and program grew as well.
Although the programs at the Germantown YWCA were based chiefly on the needs of the African American community, the organization worked enthusiastically in furthering race relations. During the 1920s and 1930s there was a committee on race relations which sponsored many special events. These included the celebration of "Negro Achievement Week" in March 1928, an art display of painting and prints by African American artists in 1935, and a number of interracial tea parties throughout the 1930s. They also helped form a community committee, the "Interracial Committee of Germantown," which consisted of business people, interested community leaders, and other branch organizations of YWCA.
By the 1940s the integration in the YWCA was undertaken, so that "the purpose of the YWCA be recognized as involving the inclusion of Negroes in the mainstream of Association life and that such inclusion be adopted as a conscious goal." The goal of the integration was decided on that spring and the first step, after discussion by the membership and a vote by the board, was the opening of all programs to all women regardless of color, as "the community patterns do not require such separation." All offices of the program and staff from the 6128 building were moved to the 5820 building in 1947. The staff from both buildings were unified and the program was streamlined; the 6128 and the 5820 committees worked jointly on programs to serve the entire community.
The materials in this collection include records documenting the history of the YWCA of Germantown, including activities, administration, financial records, photographs, and special events.
This collection is arranged into 5 series:
- Series 1: Accession 280, 1903-1971
- Subseries 1.1: Board of Directors, 1914-1968
- Subseries 1.2: Administration, 1918-1971
- Subseries 1.3: Membership, 1917-1970
- Subseries 1.4: Correspondence, 1920-1970
- Subseries 1.5: Personnel, 1903-1970
- Subseries 1.6: Finances, 1913-1968
- Subseries 1.7: Building Use and Maintenance, 1911-1968
- Subseries 1.8: Labor Relations, 1939-1971
- Subseries 1.9: Statistical Reports, 1919-1968
- Subseries 1.10: Public Relations, 1920-1971
- Subseries 1.11: Department, 1916-1970
- Subseries 1.12: Branches, 1917-1960, undated
- Subseries 1.13: Camp Tinicum, 1927-1948, undated
- Subseries 1.14: National Board of YWCA, 1922-1969
- Subseries 1.15: Coordinating Agencies, 1919-1968
- Subseries 1.16: Outside Agencies, 1917-1967
- Subseries 1.17: Scrapbooks, 1918-1960
- Subseries 1.18: Paper Clippings, 1944-1965, undated
- Series 2: Accession 877, 1783-1991
- Subseries 2.1: Administration, 1785-1973
- Subseries 2.2: Correspondence, 1962-1972
- Subseries 2.3: Financial, 1919-1991
- Subseries 2.4: Activities 1945-1968
- Subseries 2.5: Colored Branch, 1869, 1932-1944
- Subseries 2.6: Other Branches, 1913-1916, 1935
- Subseries 2.7: Books, 1916-1947, undated
- Subseries 2.8: Oversize Materials, 1873-1974
- Series 3: PC-46, 1914-1966, undated
- Series 4: PC-89, circa 1913-1960s
- Series 5: Accession 918, 1846-1926
Accession 280 was deposited by Claire Herbert, Executive Director, in November 1976. Accession 877 was donated by Claire Herbert, Interim Executive Director, in February 1998. Photographs from PC-46 were originally received as part of the Young Men's Christian Association (Philadelphia, Pa.), Germantown Branch Records (Acc. 260). Accession 918 was donated by Claire Herbert, Executive Director, in 1998.
Original audiovisual materials, as well as preservation and duplicating masters, may not be played. Researchers must consult use copies, or if none exist must pay for a use copy. Please contact the Special Collections Research Center for more information.
Funds to process these records were provided by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Photographs were previously removed and processed as two separate photograph collections; finding aids were combined and revised according to contemporary archival standards in 2013 by Katy Rawdon, Coordinator of Technical Services. Finding aid was revised according to contemporary archival standards in July 2015 by Patrick Stalter, student worker.
Organization
Subject
- African American women -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia
- Associations, institutions, etc. -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia
- Women -- Services for -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia
- Young Women's Christian Associations
Place
- Publisher
- Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center
- Finding Aid Author
- Machine-readable finding aid created by: Rajkumar Natarajan, Sky Global Services India (P) Ltd.
- Finding Aid Date
- September 2024
- Sponsor
- Funds to process these records were provided by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
- Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research.
- Use Restrictions
-
The Young Women's Christian Association of Philadelphia (Pa.), Germantown Branch Records are the physical property of the Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries. The creator/donor [has/has not] assigned their rights to Temple University Libraries. Other creators' intellectual property rights, including copyright, belong to them or their legal heirs and assigns. Researchers are responsible for determining the identity of rights holders and obtaining their permission for publication and for other purposes where stated.
Collection Inventory
Reflects the ongoing activities of the YWCA of Germantown as recorded in the personal files of its board of directors. It includes secretary's monthly reports, meeting agendas and minutes, annual reports, board meeting minutes, reports of executive directors, and lists of board of directors.
Shows the regular administrative functions of the Germantown YWCA. It includes all the administration committee minutes, reports, agreements, nominating committee ballots, worksheets, teller's reports, statistics, and program records.
Contains the membership information of the Germantown colored branch. We find in the series membership annual meeting minutes, cards and job descriptions, committee minutes, agenda, correspondence and reports/survey. The dates cross from 1917 to 1970, membership history of over half a century.
Keeps the personal correspondence of the branch officials. These are, mostly, administrators of the YWCA of Germantown, from the first secretary to the last chairman of the organization. Some correspondence are personal letters, official communication forms, or business connections. They recorded the relationship between YWCA and coordinating agencies, or other outside agencies. This series has been arranged in the alphabetical order by last names.
Contains the YWCA of Germantown personnel records, such as the information of employment applications, letters, job descriptions, salary scales, schedules and guides, staff training (education) programs, and the like. It also contains the health and welfare council survey and insurance plans. Staff conference, meeting minutes are also included in this series. Personnel record file is one of the largest among all series.
Contains budget anticipated explanation and reports. This is a broad range of the budget reporting, covering the financial documents of the organization through years -- from 1913 cash disbursement records, cafeteria financial reports (1917-1925), to yearly budget reports in late 60s (1919-1968). Some very detailed reports of expenses or specific purchasing have been kept in the files.
Keeps the files of how the buildings of YWCA Germantown had been used and maintained. It covers verities of concepts relating to the building, such as accident reports, administration house reports, contracts and policies for rental, dance license, legal suit and repair costs for use and maintenance.
Covers YWCA staff members' benefits and labor protection by law through the union. It seems that the union was not formed until early 40s. Thus the record covers a comparatively shorter period between the years of 1939 and 1971. The series reflects how the union worked with agreement, contracts, dues records, grievance files and negotiation committee minutes.
Contains the YWCA of Germantown official statistical records, mainly of the staff health and welfare, social audit and statistical reports. It also includes the Branch's statistical report to the National Board of YWCA.
Generally describes the relationship between YWCA Germantown Branch and other social organizations. It clearly indicates that none of these organizations was isolated in the society. None could have existed without mutual support. It also shows how YWCA Germantown Branch made themselves well known through their publicity and regular news release.
Contains the records for various departments, programs and clubs of the Germantown YWCA, as well as that of the activities and special events sponsored by YWCA Germantown. They reflect the ongoing efforts the Germantown YWCA made to the colored women in the neighborhood in those well-organized activities. Through most of the activities, the clubs and departments not only provided recreations but also served to provide better quality of life for the minority communities. The series consists of business documents and reports of industrial, professional conferences, of high professional education and recreation departments, and program reports around the neighborhood.
Shows the Falls branch and colored branch's ongoing activities, and agenda or events. It focuses on the integration of white women with girls/ women organizations of other races.
Gives an overview of the camp in Tinicum area. This series covers all inventories, from purchasing camp building, mortgage lease to the camp staff applications.
Records the relationship between the Germantown YWCA and other YWCA branches. The main conferences of east regional organizations take a larger part of the series.
Refer to the local coordinating agencies. In this series, the materials document the united campaign of fund raising and health and welfare counseling activities. A specific study of these campaigns describes how the YWCA Germantown shifted its focus to addressing the usage of the united fund.
Reflects how local organizational activities informed outside agencies of their discussions and decisions, so as to seek for moral or economical support or help from others. Participants got from their national and regional parent organizations specific tasks -- form analysis of their own constituency and services to discussion among staff and members on policy issues. The series made it clear that the YWCA Germantown Branch scattered their integrate connections with other organizations, both around the neighborhood or nationwide.
Early record of the YWCA. It could be considered verity of the history or inventory of the branch.
A new series pulled from all inventories. It has collected every clipping and represents different series.
Series 5 includes annual reports, publications, scrapbooks, minutes, and property deeds.