Correspondence and reports concerning YWCA activities in the West Indies including Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. As an active and well established organization with interest in international work, the YWCA of the U.S.A. is often approached for support in starting YWCA activities abroad. In Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands a strong desire for a women's organization leads them to appeal to the United States. The Jamaican YWCA is started in a similar manner under the guidance of the British YWCA. Prior to giving financial or staff support the YWCA of the U.S.A. surveys the needs of the women and girls, assesses the probably sustainability of a YWCA and inquires as to the political, social and economic status of the country in need. Once YWCA activities are started support is continued by sharing resources, exchanging staff and special fundraising. Correspondence, reports and pamphlets describe the YWCA work in the West Indies, request further financing and support and make requests for travel arrangements.
West Indies
circa 1919-1950
Leadership in women
Women
Christian stewardship
Nonprofit organizations
Finance
Nonprofit organizations
Management
Women
Societies and clubs
Jews
Christianity
Race discrimination
Women
Social conditions
Young Women's Christian associations
Economic conditions
Fund raising
Women
International cooperation
786 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.
West Indies, Sophia Smith Collection of Women's History, MS 00324, Smith College Special Collections, Northampton, Massachusetts.
Box 1: Series 1; Series 2, Reel 71
smith_ssc_324_r071_m006