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Young Women's Christian Association of Philadelphia (Pa.), Southwest-Belmont Branch Records
Notifications
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
Perhaps the oldest Black Y.W.C.A. branch in the United States, the Southwest Branch, later the Southwest-Belmont Branch following a merger with the Belmont Y.W.C.A. in the 1930s, was founded in 1870 when a group of African American women formed the Colored Women's Christian Association. In 1912, this organization affiliated with the Philadelphia Y.W.C.A. as the Southwest Branch, otherwise known as the "Catherine Street 'Y.'" Its leadership in the Philadelphia African American community is evidenced by its hosting of such events as the National Negro Congress in the 1930s and the stature of its members in groups such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (N.A.A.C.P.), the Urban League, and the Pennsylvania Child Labor Association. The Southwest-Belmont Y.W.C.A. also provided assistance to African American women seeking jobs and, following a gift from John Wanamaker, the branch operated the Elizabeth Frye House to help African American women coming to Philadelphia find a place to stay.
This collection contains administrative records, correspondence, financial records, minutes, committee and project records, reports, and photographs related to the YWCA Southwest-Belmont Branch.
Series 2: Staff Papers, 1934-1967, undated
Series 3: Correspondence, 1929-1960
Series 4: City, Regional and National YWCA Files, 1927-1960, undated
Series 5: Community and Civic Activities, 1922-1960
Series 6: Membership and Finances, 1924-1960, undated
Series 7: Photographs, 1941-1955, undated
Deposited through Mrs. Mayme A. Sims, Executive Director, January 20, 1971 (Accession 77), and through Tamra March, Area Administrator, September 1978 (Accession 356).
Finding aid revised according to contemporary archival standards in June 2015.
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
- May 2024
- Access Restrictions
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Collection is open for research.
- Use Restrictions
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The Young Women's Christian Association of Philadelphia (Pa.), Southwest-Belmont Branch Records are in custody of the Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries. Intellectual property rights, including copyright, belong to the authors 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.