Guide to the Records of the South Hills College Club, 1923-1994
- Repository
- Heinz History Center
- Title
- Records of the South Hills College Club
- Creator
- South Hills College Club
- Collection Number
- MSS#123
- Extent
- 7 cubic feet (11 boxes and 8 shelf volumes)
- Date
- 1923-1994
- Abstract
- During the fall of 1923, Mrs. E. M. Grove and Mrs. C. G. Bigelow met with Mrs. Ross Taggart to discuss the needs of college alumnae women in the South Hills of Pittsburgh for a medium of expression for activities and interests that had been a part of their earlier lives. The result of that meeting was the formation of the South Hills College Club, a club for any woman possessing a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution. These records include club and executive minutes, annual reports, club group reports, committee materials, scholarship applications, financial materials, scrapbooks, yearbooks, and other sundry items.
- Language
- The material in this collection is in English.
- Sponsor
- This finding aid has been encoded as a part of the Historic Pittsburgh project a joint effort of the University of Pittsburgh and the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. Funding for this portion of the project has been donated by the Hillman Foundation.
- Publisher
- Heinz History Center
- Address
- 1212 Smallman St.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
library@heinzhistorycenter.org
URL: https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org
History of the South Hills College Club (1923-)
During the fall of 1923, Mrs. E. M. Grove and Mrs. C. G. Bigelow met with Mrs. Ross Taggart to discuss the needs of college alumnae women in the South Hills of Pittsburgh for a medium of expression for activities and interests that had been a part of their earlier lives. The result of that meeting was the formation of the South Hills College Club, a club for any woman possessing a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution. While it was not mandatory for members to have attended a Pittsburgh school, active members were required to live within 20 miles of the club's meeting place. The College Club's first meeting was held on December 13, 1923 and twelve members attended. The South Hills College Club was founded in the same year as the Pittsburgh College Club and the Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Association of University Women. Early discussions between these similar groups hinged around affiliation into a larger local group. Discussions centering on a combined organization were held periodically until the mid 1930s when these groups decided to remain independent.
The primary goals of the South Hills College Club were to cooperate with community interest, foster fellowship among college women and advance higher education. To these ends, the College Club established scholarships to assist young women in the community to attend colleges and universities. Within one year of the establishment of the club, the first scholarship of $200.00 was awarded from monies raised from member dues. Also in support of the education of people in the community, the College Club donated money to local libraries and other cultural organizations and played a critical role in the establishment of the Dormont Public Library and the support of the Mt. Lebanon Public Library. Over the years, the Club has involved itself in numerous activities - both social and philanthropic. It has heard speakers, presented plays, and organized activity and study groups for its members. Funds collected by the College Club have also been given to local hospitals and libraries, and as scholarships to girls graduating from area high schools. Members of the College Club made clothing and surgical dressings for the Red Cross, and some served as nurses' aides. During World War II, funds were also paid by the club to buy U.S. War Bonds.
Scope and Content Notes
These records include club and executive minutes, annual reports, club group reports, committee materials, scholarship applications, financial materials, scrapbooks, yearbooks, and other sundry items. These records provide strong documentation of a cultural and educational women's organization in suburban Pittsburgh. The great wealth of these records is the club and executive board minutes and the near comprehensive runs of annual reports and yearbooks. The club minutes provide detailed accounts of the activities, reporting, financial information, and events held at regular club meetings. The executive board minutes include lists of club officers, membership concerns, correspondence, budgets, and reports from club committees. While there are two separate series of minutes that cover the history of the club from its inception, the information found in both sets of minutes are very similar. Not included with these minutes is detailed information on the club programs or a description of any discussions associated with them. The annual reports are nearly comprehensive from the club's beginning until 1987, providing information about the major club activities of the club's officers and committees for each year. The yearbooks also document the entire history of the club and provide a list of members, officers and the scheduled programs for the upcoming year. During anniversary years, the yearbooks also provided historical information including officers, names of activity and study groups, and major events of the club.
Club group reports are only available from 1974 through 1991, but provide extensive information about these groups formed for education and socializing among the club members and lists of group members. Social Committee and Get Acquainted Committee material provide detailed information about the planning, expenditures, and organization of major club social events. Publicity Committee material contain examples of news releases, newspaper articles written by club members, and correspondence between the club and the media. Reciprocity Committee material contains lists of and information about other Mount Lebanon civic and cultural organizations that the College Club assisted. Scholarship Committee material consists mainly of scholarship applications the committee received from area high school girls in the 1980s. Other material includes letters sent to parents, certificates used when presenting awards, letters of thanks from high school officials, and correspondence from scholarship recipients through their college careers. Program Committee material contains general material about the planning of events and programs hosted by the Club. These records also include planning files for the Club's 40th anniversary in 1963.
Other material includes financial material, historical material, scrapbooks and yearbooks. Financial material for the club includes ledgers detailing cash receipts and disbursements, a full run of treasurer's reports, and other materials. The ledgers provide detailed accounts of all money in and out of the club from 1957 through 1985, with a gap in the late 1960s. Included are records of all dues paid, extra contributions into select funds (scholarship, etc.), and all disbursements for that time period. The strongest financial material is found in the nearly comprehensive treasurer's reports from March 1924 through May 1988. Other financial material is primarily from the Financial Committee and includes reports, correspondence, orders to print shops for forms, and forms sent to members to notify them of late dues. Historical material primarily includes historical sketches written for the anniversaries held by the club. Some of these items have been labeled historical, but more resemble the information that might be found in the annual reports and only document the previous year. Scrapbooks contain newspaper clippings, photographs, programs, correspondence and other items that document the activities at the club meetings and programs from the 1950s to 1982. Membership reports contain additions and deletions from the club's membership list from 1969 until 1988, as well as notices of resignations. Membership cards were kept for all inactive members of the Club and include name, address, alma mater, year entered the club, year resigned from the club and the reason of resignation. The yearbooks are printed and provide detailed information on the club and its members from its inception through 1994. Included are a list of officers, the calendar of events and programs, the names, addresses and alma mater of all members, and other information.
Arrangement
The Records of the South Hills College Club are housed in eleven archival boxes and 8 shelf volumes and are arranged alphabetically by folder title with membership cards arranged to the rear.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
These materials came from the South Hills College Club in multiple accessions since 1981.
Acc# 1981.67 Deposited by the South Hills College Club.
Preferred Citation
Records of the South Hills College Club, 1923-1994, MSS# 123, Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Historical Society Staff in 1981. Papers rearranged and inventory rewritten by Diane Asseln on July 1, 1994.
Revision and rearrangement for the encoded version of the finding aid provided by Doug MacGregor on July 19, 2001.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights reside with the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or publish, please contact the curator of the Archives.
Subjects
- South Hills College Club (Mt. Lebanon, Pa.)
- American Red Cross
- Dormont Public Library (Dormont, Pa.)
- Mt. Lebanon Public Library (Mt. Lebanon, Pa.)
- Dormont (Pa.) -- Education
- Dormont (Pa.) -- Societies and Clubs
- Dormont (Pa.) -- Women
- Mt. Lebanon (Pa.) -- Education
- Mt. Lebanon (Pa.) -- Societies and Clubs
- Mt. Lebanon (Pa.) -- Women
- Charities - Pennsylvania -- Allegheny County
- Clubs -- Pennsylvania -- Allegheny County
- Education -- Pennsylvania -- Allegheny County
- Education, Higher -- Pennsylvania -- Allegheny County
- Hospitals -- Pennsylvania -- Allegheny County
- Libraries -- Pennsylvania -- Allegheny County
- Public Libraries -- Pennsylvania -- Allegheny County
- Women -- Education -- Pennsylvania -- Allegheny County
- Women -- Pennsylvania -- Dormont
- Women -- Pennsylvania -- Mt. Lebanon
- Women -- Societies and Clubs
- Women in Charitable Work -- Pennsylvania -- Allegheny County
- Women in Education - Pennsylvania -- Allegheny County
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Civilian Relief -- Pennsylvania -- Allegheny County