Documents concerning YWCA of the U.S.A. National Conventions and programs and reports of the First National Convention of the Young Women's Christian Associations of the United States of America. National Conventions are held to discuss matters of national importance, conduct business requiring votes and consensus and to unite under a common cause. Conventions are held every two or three years with a gap during World War II. Materials begin with lists of delegates for conventions through 1964. Following this list are programs, and reports from the first convention. The 1906 National Convention is the first convention of the newly formed YWCA of the U.S.A. from the merger of the American Committee and the International Board. The convention business includes resolutions regarding the formation of the combined organization, nominating officers and board members, passing the constitutions and other matters of administering the newly formed organization. The addresses and themes of the convention revolve around the Christian role in service to the community and to the world, the role and purpose in the organization and work the YWCA has done and will continue to do. A list of charter member associations of the YWCA of the U.S.A. follows the convention materials.
Conventions, first
1906-1964
125 frames (1 partial reel)
This collection is open for use without restriction beyond the standard terms and conditions of Smith College Special Collections. However, by agreement with the YWCA of the U.S.A., microdexes known to contain financial records or personal health information (usually on job applications) were not digitized and/or not published in our online repository as part of the CLIR Digitizing Hidden Collections grant. These microdexes may still be accessed on the original microfilm, and digital files may be made available to individual researchers upon request.
To the extent that it owns copyright, YWCA of the USA has retained copyright in its works donated to Smith College, but has has authorized Smith College Special Collections to grant permission to publish reproductions or quotations from the records on its behalf. Copyright in other items in this collection may be held by their respective creators. For reproductions of materials that are governed by fair use as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission to cite or publish is required. For those few instances beyond fair use, or which may regard materials in the collection not created by YWCA of the USA, researchers are responsible for determining who may hold materials' copyrights and obtaining approval from them. Researchers do not need anything further from Smith College Special Collections to move forward with their use.
Conventions, first, Sophia Smith Collection of Women's History, MS 00324, Smith College Special Collections, Northampton, Massachusetts.
Box 1: Series 1; Series 2, Reel 26
smith_ssc_324_r026_m002