The YWCA of Chicago, Illinois begins with employment and housing services for the women and girls of Chicago, later expanding to war work efforts during World War I and joining as an affiliated association of the YWCA of the U.S.A. in 1918. The history of the association's affiliation, administration, governance and programs and services are documented in constitutions and bylaws, administrative records, correspondence and annual reports. As a large city association these documents also describe the relationships and functions of the many YWCA of Chicago departments and centers in Chicago. Reports of the Girl Reserve, Industrial and Business and Professional Women's Departments of the YWCA of Chicago describe and assess the work being done on behalf of those groups of women and girls with sometimes unique needs. Other documents include correspondence concerning association finance and historical notes and summaries of the association.
Illinois
circa 1877-1950
1209 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.
Illinois, Sophia Smith Collection of Women's History, MS 00324, Smith College Special Collections, Northampton, Massachusetts.
Box 2: Series 2; Series 3, Reel 171
smith_ssc_324_r171_m004