THE WOMAN'S CLUB OF ALBANY RECORDS, (MSS-139), 1908, 1910-2010

Descriptive Summary

Organizational Sketch

Scope and Content Information

Arrangement of the Collection

Restrictions

Subject and Genre Headings

Administrative Information

Container List

Series 1: Administrative 1910-2010, Undated

Series 2: Financials 1911-2007, Undated

Series 3: Departments and Committees 1911-2009, Undated

Series 4: Membership 1917-2009, Undated

Series 6: Events and Programs 1912-ca. 2010, Undated

Series 7: Publications 1911-2007, Undated

Series 8: Subject Files 1908-2009, Undated

THE WOMAN'S CLUB OF ALBANY RECORDS, (MSS-139), 1908, 1910-2010


Descriptive Summary
Title:	The Woman's Club of Albany Records
Date:	1908, 1910-2010
Physical Characteristics:	15.02 cubic ft. processed to date
Abstract:	The Woman's Club of Albany Records document the day-to-day operations of the first 100 years of this community organization founded in 1910.
Storage:	The materials are located onsite in the department.
Language:	The materials in the collection are in English.
Repository:	M. E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, University at Albany, SUNY

Organizational Sketch

Mrs. Elmer Blair, an active member of the New York State Federation of Women's Clubs, and twenty two friends who saw an opportunity to make a difference in their community established the Woman's Club of Albany in 1910 based on the motto “Let us be such as help the life of the future.” The Woman’s Club of Albany dedicated itself to helping women and children as well as improving conditions in its surrounding area.

Membership within the Woman’s Club of Albany (WCA) grew quickly, reaching three hundred members by the end of its second year. In 1913 the WCA was incorporated and in 1919, it purchased its Clubhouse, located at 725 Madison Avenue. The members were divided into multiple departments, sections, and committees, focusing on various goals and issues. Within the first ten years of its existence, the WCA discussed timely issues such as “Medical inspection of the Public Schools,” began programs to help children stay off the streets, and even campaigned to have a woman member added to the City’s Board of Education. By the 1930s and the beginning of the 1940s the WCA flourished; sufficient funds, an array of events and programs, and a membership of six hundred women, including honorary members. Honorary members were often the current New York State Governor’s wife, such as future President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s wife, Eleanor Roosevelt. During this time period, the WCA also raised awareness of international conflict and often contributed to war efforts.

During the second half of the twentieth century, the WCA attempted to reinvent itself as membership dropped, the number of departments decreased, and the Club’s financial situation began a decline. In the 1970s the WCA tried to overhaul its image by shifting from activities with a civic emphasis to more social ones. By the 1980s the WCA once again tried to revitalize the organization by establishing itself as a center of cooperation among women in New York's Capital District for civic, literary, and philanthropic works.

Despite these attempts, the WCA continued to decline into the beginning years of the twenty first century. By the end of 2003 only three elderly members remained, the Clubhouse needed repairs, and the future of the WCA was in jeopardy. In 2004 five new women discovered the WCA while attending an event hosted in the rented Clubhouse. They joined the organization and were determined to revive it as a center of activity once again benefiting the surrounding community. Since 2004, the Woman’s Club of Albany has witnessed great improvement; membership is consistently increasing among women of all ages, the organization has undertaken restoration projects in the Clubhouse, and the WCA is once again involving itself in various philanthropic activities within the City of Albany and the surrounding Capital District.

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Scope and Content Information

The Woman’s Club of Albany Records include one hundred years' worth of information about all aspects of the Club. The collection is divided into eight series according to the organizational structure and activities of the WCA, flowing from the Board of Directors down to the members. It contains meeting minutes and annual reports for not only the Board of Directors, but for many of the different departments and committees. This will give researchers insight into what members discussed, the goals and focuses of groups within the WCA, and how all of these evolved throughout the years. The WCA’s financial history is organized chronologically from the WCA’s beginning in 1910 to its revitalization in recent years. This series contains a range of materials, from financial statements to general receipts to loan and mortgage paperwork. Most folders are ordered according to department or committee. As the financial papers were often kept in separate envelopes denoting a particular year and group within the WCA, the archivist retained this original order.

This collection also documents the membership of the WCA. Researchers should note that the Membership series is broken down into five separate subseries. There are both paper records and three sets of index cards; one set is comprised of early membership cards, another is a set of cards documenting individual resignations and dropped members ranging from the 1920s to the 1970s, and the last set is of cards recording the deaths of members. The use of multiple subseries reflects the original order of the content and preserves WCA's record keeping, which often changed over time.

Events and programs hosted by the WCA comprise their own series. The WCA hosted a range of events, such as rummage sales, plays, and an annual WCA anniversary dinner. Another series documents items published by the WCA. This includes event calendars sent to the members and copies of The Messenger, the WCA’s monthly events publication. A subject file series contains information on a variety of topics, from materials about the New York Federation of Women's Clubs to WCA histories to an engineering/structural report on the Clubhouse.

Please note that the scrapbook series provides a significant amount of information about not only the WCA itself, but also the ever-changing world around it. This series is currently unavailable to researchers and being evaluated for possible preservation treatment because of the delicate and fragile conditions of many of the scrapbooks.

It should be noted that the amount of content often coincides with the ebb and flow of the WCA's history. There is a generous amount of information available from the early decades when the WCA was prosperous, as well from the revitalization of the WCA in 2004 and beyond. There is much material missing from the late 1960s through the 1990s, which is when the WCA was not robust in terms of members or finances. This historical evolution is seen in The Messenger. The Messenger began as a glossy magazine in the 1940s, but the WCA continually shortened the publication, transitioning first to a newsletter on legal sized paper and then to a newsletter on letter sized paper by the early 1970s.

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Arrangement of the Collection

The collection is organized into the following series:

Series 1 - Administrative, 1910-2010, Undated

Series 2 - Financials, 1911-2009, Undated

Series 3 - Departments and Committees, 1911-2009, Undated

Series 4 - Membership, 1917-2009, Undated

Series 5 - Scrapbooks, currently unprocessed

Series 6 - Events and Programs, 1912-ca. 2010, Undated

Series 7 - Publications, 1911-2007, Undated

Series 8 - Subject Files, 1908-2009, Undated

All series are arranged chronologically with the exception of Series 4, subseries 2, which is arranged alphabetically.

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Restrictions

Access

Access to this record group is unrestricted with the exception of one folder, which is marked.

Copyright

The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of copyright. Whenever possible, the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives will provide information about copyright owners and other restrictions, but the legal determination ultimately rests with the researcher. Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be discussed with the Head of Special Collections and Archives.

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Subject Headings

Corporate Bodies

New York State Federation of Women’s Clubs

The Woman's Club of Albany

Subjects

Amateur plays

Fundraising--New York (State)--Albany (N.Y.)

Women in charitable work--New York (State)--Albany (N.Y.)

Women in nonprofit organizations--New York (State)--Albany (N.Y.)

Women--New York (State)--Albany (N.Y.)--Societies and clubs

Places

Albany (N.Y.)

Genres and Forms

Administrative records

Financial records

Membership cards

Minutes

Newsletters

Photographs

Programs (documents)

Scrapbooks

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Identification of specific item, series, box, folder, The Woman's Club of Albany Records, 1910-2010. M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University at Albany, State University of New York (hereafter referred to as The Woman's Club of Albany Records).

Acquisition Information

The Woman's Club of Albany donated all of the materials in this collection to the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives in April 2012.

Finding Aid Information

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Container List


Series 1: Administrative, 1910-2010, Undated 1.61 cubic feet
		Arranged chronologically.
		The Administrative series consists of Board and business meeting minutes, constitutions, proposed changes to the constitution, annual and executive meeting files, and rules and regulations.
		Please note that the Board and business meeting minutes are kept together to preserve original order. This series also contains multiple versions of the Women’s Club of Albany Constitution: ca. 1910, 1946, and 1981. It also includes proposed changes to the Constitution from 1912, 2006 and an unknown year.
Oversized
1		Minutes of the Board of Directors, 1910-1920
Oversized
7		Cash Book, 1910-1920
Box	Folder
1	1	Constitution, ca. 1910
	2	Proposed Changes to Constitution to Members from Board, 1912
	3	Incorporation Papers and Correspondence, 1912-1913 1915 1917
	4	Address of the President, 1914
	5	Resolution to Adapt National Constitution Prohibition, 1916
	6	Annual Meeting, 1916
	7	Board and Business Meeting Reports, 1920-1922
	8	Board and Business Meeting Minutes, 1924-1926
	9	Letters from the Board to Department Leaders and Members, 1924-1938 1945 Undated
	10	Board and Business Meeting Minutes, 1926-1928
	11	Board and Business Meeting Minutes, 1930-1932
	12	Board and Business Meeting Minutes, 1932-1934
	13-14	Board and Business Meeting Minutes, 1934-1938
	15-16	Board and Business Meeting Minutes, 1938-1943
	17-18	Board and Business Meeting Minutes, 1944-1946
	19	Club Constitution, 1946
	20-22	Board and Business Meeting Minutes, 1946-1952
	23-26	Board and Business Meeting Minutes, 1952-1958
	27	Executive Report, 1956-1957
	28	Annual Meeting, 1958
	29	Executive Reports and Annual Meetings, 1958-1959
	30	Executive Reports and Annual Meetings, 1959-1960
	31	Board and Business Meeting Minutes, 1959-1961
	32	Executive Reports and Annual Meetings, 1960-1961
	33	Executive Reports and Annual Meetings, 1961-1962
	34-35	Board and Business Meeting Minutes, 1964
	36	Board and Business Meeting Minutes w/ Treasurer Reports, 1964-1968
	37	Board and Business Meetings, 1973-1975
Box	Folder
2	1-4	Board and Business Meeting Minutes, 1976-1982
	5	Board Meeting Minutes, 1979
	6	Constitution, 1981
	7	Letters about Proposed Changes to Constitution sent to Members from Board, 1982
	8-10	Board and Business Meeting Minutes, 1982-1986
	11	Message to the Club from the Board, 1990
	12	Board Meeting Minutes, 2005 2006
	13	Meeting Agenda, 2006
	14	Proposed Changes to the Constitution, 2006
	15	Organization Bylaws of the Club, 2008
	16	Board Roster, 2008-2009
	17	Board and Business Meeting Minutes, 2009
	18	Certificate of Incorporation and Related Papers, 2009
	19	Board Roster, 2009-2010
	20	Proposed Changes to Constitution, Bylaws, Undated
	21	Proposed Changes to Constitution, Undated
	22	Rules and Regulations, Undated
	23	Resolutions Passed by Administration Based on Deceased Members, Undated
	24	President's Message, Undated


Series 2: Financials , 1911-2007, Undated 4.60 cubic feet
		Arranged chronologically.
		Series two contains nearly one hundred years' worth of financial information pertaining to the WCA. A majority of the series consists of various departments’ and committees’ expenses, receipts, and annual reports. These were originally kept in envelopes according to department or committee and year. There are also Office and Treasurer Reports spanning from 1912 to 2009, providing information about the WCA’s treasury and daily spending. Financial statements provide an inside look into the WCA’s evolutionary financial health.
		The series also contains insurance policies and payments from 1919 to 2005. The WCA retained all mortgage and loan agreements, and payment information, allowing researchers to see when the WCA purchased its house and exactly how long it took to pay off the house and loan. The WCA donated multiple ledgers and accounting books, which are stored separately in oversized, flat boxes.
Card-File
5		Bank Passbooks, 1910-1993
Box	Folder
1	1	General Receipts, 1911-1913
	2	NYS Federation of Women's Club Convention and Membership Dues, 1911-1974
	3	Printing Committee Expenses, 1912
	4	Public Education Expenses, 1912
	5	Home Economics Department Expenses, 1912-1914
	6	Financial Correspondence of the Dramatic Department and Language Department, 1912-1914
	7	Hotel Hampton Bills and Various Receipts, 1912-1914
	8-11	Financial Correspondence, 1912-1996
	12-17	Office and Treasurer Reports, 1912-2009 Undated
	18	Notice of Membership Dues, 1913 1924 1934 Undated
	19	Handwritten Financial Statements, 1913-1914
	20	Civic Department Expenses, 1914
	21	Language Department Expenses, 1914-1915
	22	Office and Unclassified Expenses, 1914-1915
	23	Parliamentary Law Expenses and Rentals, 1914-1915
	24	French Department Expenses, 1914-1915
	25	Municipal Welfare Department, and Social and Industrial Department Expenses, 1914-1915
	26	Social Committee Expenses, 1914-1915
	27	General Receipts, 1914-1917
	28	Fine Arts Department Expenses, 1915
	29	Insurance Policies and Payments, 1915-1929
	30	Literature Department Expenses, 1916
	31	Supervised Dances, Gifts, Contributions, and Relief Committee Expenses, 1916
	32	Municipal Welfare Department Expenses, 1916-1917
	33	Printing, Stationary, and Yearbook Receipts, 1916-1917
	34	Parliamentary Law Department Expenses, 1916-1917
	35	Fine Arts Department Expenses, 1916-1917
	36	Gift Contributions and Supervised Dances Expenses, 1916-1917
	37	Language Department Expenses, 1916-1917
	38	Housing Committee and Literature Department Receipts, 1916-1917
	39	Domestic Arts and Sciences Department Expenses, 1916-1917
	40	Social Committee Receipts, 1916-1917
	41	Municipal Welfare Department Expenses, 1916-1917
	42	Bank Statements, 1917-1920 ca. 1910s
	43	Social Committee Expenses, 1917
	44	Fine Arts Department Expenses, 1917
Oversized	Folder
5	1	Bank Statements, 1917 Undated
	2	Handwritten Financial Statements, 1917-1926 Undated
Box	Folder
1	45	Culinary Science Section and House Arts and Crafts Section Expenses, 1917-1918
	46	General Receipts, 1917-1918
	47	Audit Information, 1917 1923-1927 1930 1977
	48	Supervised Dance Expenses and Various Receipts, 1918-1919
	49	Office Expenses, 1918-1919
	50	Parliamentary Law Expenses and Misc. Receipts, 1918-1919
	51	Legal Matters of Deceased Members' Estates - RESTRICTED, 1918 1953 1977-1979
	52	Municipal Welfare Department Expenses, 1919
	53	Art Department Expenses, 1919
Box	Folder
2	1	Housing Committee and Literature Department Expenses, 1919
	2	Arts and Crafts Section Expenses, 1919
	3	Loan Papers, 1919-1922 1930
	4	Literature Department Expenses, 1919-1920
	5	General Receipts, 1919-1924
	6	Mortgage Paperwork and Payments, 1919-1921 1925-1938
	7-8	City of Albany Taxes, 1919-1999
	9	Parliamentary Law Department Expenses, 1920
	10	Office Expenses and Language Department Expenses, 1920-1921
	11	Fine Art Department Expenses, 1920-1921
	12	Social Committee Expenses, 1920-1921
	13	Bank Statements, 1921-1922
	14	Music Section Expenses, 1921-1922
	15	Parliamentary Law Department Expenses, 1921-1922
	16	Receipts and Annual Reports of Various Committees, 1921-1927
	17	Fine Art Department Expenses, 1922
	18	Courtesy Committee and Emergency Committee Expenses, 1922
	19	Parliamentary Law Department Expenses, 1922-1923
	20	Entertainment Committee Expenses, 1923
	21	Parliamentary Law Department Expenses, 1923-1924
	22	Municipal Welfare Department Expenses, 1923-1924
	23	Unbound Accounting Ledger Pages, 1923-1924
	24	Bank Statements, 1923-1925
	25	Fine Arts Department Expenses, 1924
	26	Parliamentary Law Department Expenses, 1924-1925
	27	Municipal Welfare Department Expenses, 1924-1925
	28	Literature Department Expenses, 1924-1925
	29	Albany Chamber of Commerce Dues, 1924-1931
	30	Hospitality Committee and Misc. Expenses, 1925
	31	General Receipts, 1925-1929
Oversized
7		Cash Book, 1925-1938
Oversized
6		Ledger, 1926
Box	Folder
2	32	Social Committee Expenses, 1926
	33	Parliamentary Law Department Expenses, 1926-1927
	34	Social Department Expenses, 1926-1927
	35	Public Health and Public Education Committees Expenses, 1926-1927
	36	Art Department Expenses, 1927
	37	Social Committee Expenses, 1927-1928
	38	Municipal Welfare Department, Public Health and Public Education Committees Expenses, 1927-1928
	39	Deforestation Section Expenses, 1927-1928
	40	Garden Department Expenses, 1927-1928
Oversized
4		Rentals, 1927-1938
Box	Folder
2	41	Various Committees Expenses, 1928-1929
	42	Various Department Expenses, 1928-1929
	43	Conservation Department Expenses, 1930
	44	Business Meetings and Club Day Expenses and Various Receipts, 1930
	45	Garden Department Expenses, 1930-1931
	46	Bank Statements, 1930-1932 1934
	47	General Receipts, 1930-1939
	48	Insurance Policies and Payments, 1930-1939
	49	Hospitality Committee Expenses, 1931
	50	Business Meetings and Club Day Expenses, 1931-1932
	51	Conservation Department Expenses, 1931-1932
	52	Garden Department Expenses, 1931-1932
	53	Dramatic Department and Music Department Expenses, 1931-1932
	54	Social Committee Expenses, 1932-1933
	55	Garden Department Expenses, 1932-1933
	56	Art Department Expenses, 1933
	57	Garden Department Expenses, 1933-1934
	58	Social Committee Expenses and Receipts, 1933-1934
	59	Conservation Department Expenses, 1933-1934
	60	Dramatic Department Expenses, 1933-1934
	61	Music Department Expenses, 1933-1934
	62	Municipal Welfare Department Expenses, 1933-1936
	63	Hospitality Committee Expenses, 1934
	64	Bank Statements, 1935-1939
Oversized
4		Altruistic Committee Ledger, 1936-1946
Oversized
6		Ledger, 1936-1942
		Ledger, 1938-1947
Box	Folder
2	65	Language and Literature Department Expenses, 1939-1940
	66	Garden Department Expenses, 1939-1940
	67	Social Committee Expenses for Business Meetings, 1940
	68	General Receipts, 1940-1942 1949
	69	Bank Statements, 1940-1943
	70-71	Insurance Policies and Payments, 1940-1946
Oversized
6		Ledger, 1943-1950
Oversized
7		Ledger, 1946
Box	Folder
2	72	Bank Statements, 1946-1949
	73	Rentals, 1946-1949
Oversized
6		Cash Book, 1947
		Cash Book, 1947-1960
Box	Folder
2	74	Completed Forms on Behalf of Employees, 1948 1972
	75	Rentals, 1949-1950
	76	Bank Statements, 1950 1952-1955
	77	General Receipts, 1950-1958
	78	Youth Co-Operation Department Card Party Expenses, 1951
	79	Insurance Policies and Payments, 1951-1964
	80	Garden Department Flower Show Expenses, 1953
	81	Bazaar Card Party Expenses, 1953
Oversized
7		Ledger, 1954
Box	Folder
2	82	Report on Safety Deposit Box, 1955
Oversized
6		Ledger, 1956-1960
		Ledger, 1960-1962
Oversized
7		Cash Book, 1961-1975
Box	Folder
3	1	Federal Tax Returns and IRS Correspondence, 1961-1966 1972-1973 1994-2009
Oversized
4		Membership Dues Ledger, 1962-1998
Box	Folder
3	2	General Receipts, 1963-1969
	3	Messenger Expenses, 1959 1964 1972-1973 Undated
	4	NYS Women's Legislative Form Dues, 1964-1971 Undated
	5-6	Tax Exemption Forms, 1964-2008
	7	Bank Statements, 1965-1969
	8	Insurance Policies and Payments, 1965-1976
	9	Handwritten Deposit Notes, 1966-1968
	9	Budget, 1966-1976 1996 Undated
	10	Handwritten Deposit Notes, 1969-1971
	11	Lease on the Woman's Club Property, 1970-1971
	12	Bank Statements, 1970-1974
	13	General Receipts, 1970-1977
Oversized
4		Financial Ledger, 1973-1990
		Account Book, 1976-1982
Box	Folder
3	14	Bank Statements, 1975-1978
	15	Resolution by Board for Bank and Banking Responsibilities, 1978
	16	General Receipts, 1978-1979
	17	Bank Statements, 1978-1982
	18	Completed Grant Applications, 1980-1981 1991-1992
	19	General Receipts, 1980-1981
	20	Insurance Policies and Payments, 1980-1994
	21	General Receipts, 1983-1988
	22	Bank Statements, 1983-1989
Oversized
3		Treasurers Report, 1986-1990
Oversized
7		Cash Book, 1990-1996
Box	Folder
3	23	General Receipts, 1990-1994 1996-2000
	24	Bank Statements, 1990-1995
	25	Legal Advice, 1994-1996
	26	Insurance Policies and Payments, 1995-2005
	27	Bank Statements, 1996-1999
Oversized
6		Cash Book, 1996-2000
Box	Folder
3	28	Card Party Expenses, 1997
	29	Bank Statements, 1999-2000
	30	Bank Statements, 2000-2005
	31	Financial Statements, 2007
	32	General Receipts, Undated
	33	Music Section Expenses, Undated
	34	Social Committee Expenses, Undated
Oversized
7		Member Expenses Book, Undated
Oversized
4		Sales Book, Undated


Series 3: Departments and Committees, 1911-2009, Undated 1.14 cubic feet
		Arranged chronologically.
		This series contains the annual reports of different departments and committees. The reports give news about each department or committee from the year, and their respective future plans. Most reports are typed, but some of the original handwritten reports sent to the Board secretary are included as well.
Box	Folder
1	1	Dramatic Department, 1911-1915 Undated
	2	Department and Committees Directory, In Memoriam, Exs, Committee Rules, 1911-1944 Undated
	3	Parliamentary Law Department Minutes, 1912-1918
Oversized
2		Municipal Welfare Department Book, 1913-1918
Box	Folder
1	4	Meeting Minutes, 1919
	5	Annual Reports of the Departments, 1920-1921
	6	Annual Reports of the Departments, 1921-1922
	7	Annual Reports of the Departments, 1922-1923
Oversized
2		Travelers' Aid Committee Binder, 1923
Box	Folder
1	8	Original Annual Committee Reports, 1923-1924
	9	Typewritten Annual Committee Reports, 1923-1924
	10-11	Annual Reports of the Departments, 1924-1925
	12-13	Annual Reports of the Departments, 1925-1928
	14	Garden Section Yearbook, 1927-1928
	15-16	Annual Committee Reports, 1928-1934
	17	Secretary Report and Garden Section Reports, 1931-1942
	18-19	Annual Committee Reports, 1934-1938
	20	Committee Directories, 1935-1941
	21-22	Annual Committee Reports, 1938-1943
	23	Annual Committee Reports, 1944-1951
	24	Garden Department, 1950s
	25	Annual Committee Reports, 1952
	26	Annual Reports of the Departments, 1956-1957
	27	Annual Reports of the Departments, 1957-1958
	28	Annual Department Meetings, 1957-1958
	29	Annual Reports of the Departments, 1958-1959
	30	Annual Reports of the Departments, 1959-1960
	31	Annual Reports of the Departments, 1960-1961
	32	Annual Reports of the Departments, 1961-1962
	33	Annual Reports, 1964-1965
	34	Annual Reports, 1965-1966
	35	Annual Reports, 1966-1967
	35	Annual Reports, 1968-1969
	36	Annual Reports, 1968-1969
	37	Annual Reports, 1969-1970
	38	Annual Reports, 1970-1971
	39	Department Reports, 1971
	40	Committee Lists, 2006
	41	Annual Reports, 2009
	42	Building Committee Meeting Agenda, 2009
	43	Building Committee Report, 2009
	44	Communications Committee Report, 2009
	45	Housing Committee Rules, Undated
	46	Annual Department Reports, Undated
	47	Garden Section Annual Report, Undated
	48	International Affairs Annual Report, Undated


Series 4: Membership, 1917-2009, Undated 3.47 cubic feet
		Arranged alphabetically within subseries 1, 2, 4 and 5.
		Arranged chronologically within subseries 3.
		This series is comprised of five subseries and documents various aspects of Women’s Club of Albany membership. There are applications for new members which range from 1938-2004. At first the applications were kept by themselves in stacks by year. Then, starting in 1968, the WCA began attaching a copy the Club’s acceptance letter to the new member application. The last few sets of dates (1994, 1996, 2001, and 2004) revert back to the original filing format; without an acceptance letter attached. These membership applications and acceptance letters are filed chronologically.
		The WCA also kept resignation records. It did this in various ways, including index cards and resignation letters. The index cards begin as handwritten cards and transition to typed cards. Amongst the resignations are index cards of members dropped because of unpaid dues. These index cards are grouped into three different categories to maintain original order. Beginning in the 1960s, the WCA started keeping track of resignation letters and letters from the WCA acknowledging the member's resignation. The WCA also kept records of member deaths.
		As with Series 7, Publications, the Women’s Club of Albany often changed the layout of the information it published. Every year, the Club produced a new membership list. From 1917-1929, the WCA published membership lists as booklets. In 1933 the WCA switched and began publishing membership lists as pamphlets. As the WCA also switched to monthly news pamphlets around this time, it suggests the WCA mailed out a new membership list, with the monthly news, and the Officers, Departments, and Committees Directory pamphlet once every year. From 1968-1971 the Club published a combination of the Officers Directory and membership in a small booklet.
		Please note that from 1911-1942 the Women’s Club of Albany would typically make the Governor of New York’s wife an honorary member. This included Eleanor Roosevelt during Franklin Delano Roosevelt's tenure as governor. It is unknown when and why this tradition stopped.
	Subseries 1: Early Member Index Cards, 1910-1931,
Card-File
1			Index cards, A-Y, 1910-1931, Undated
	Subseries 2: Early Membership Applications and Resignations, 1917-1927, Undated
Box	Folder
3	1		Early Membership Applications A, 1917-1925
	2		Early Membership Applications B, 1917-1924
	3		Early Membership Applications C, 1917-1925
	4		Early Membership Applications D, 1917-1925
	5		Early Membership Applications E, 1917-1923
	6		Early Membership Applications F, 1917-1923
	7		Early Membership Applications G, 1917-1923
	8		Early Membership Applications H, I, & J, 1917-1923
	9		Early Membership Applications K & L, 1917-1923
	10		Early Membership Applications M, 1917-1925
	11		Early Membership Applications N & O, 1917-1923
	12		Early Membership Applications P & Q, 1917-1923
	13		Early Membership Applications R, 1917-1925
	14		Early Membership Applications S, 1917-1923
	15		Early Membership Applications T, U, & V, 1917-1925
	16		Early Membership Applications W, 1917-1925
	17		Early Membership Applications Z, 1917-1923
	18		Early Resignations, A, 1911-1923 Undated
	19		Early Resignations, B, 1915-1923 Undated
	20		Early Resignations, C, 1915-1923 Undated
	21		Early Resignations, D, 1912-1921 Undated
	22		Early Resignations, E & F, 1911-1924 Undated
	23		Early Resignations, G, 1912-1922 Undated
	24		Early Resignations, H, I, & J, 1911-1923 Undated
	25		Early Resignations, K & L, 1912-1924 Undated
	26		Early Resignations, M, 1911-1924 Undated
	27		Early Resignations, N & O, 1916-1922 Undated
	28		Early Resignations, P, 1915-1922 Undated
	29		Early Resignations, R, 1911-1923 Undated
	30		Early Resignations, S, 1911-1920 Undated
	31		Early Resignations, T, U, & V, 1915-1922 Undated
	32		Early Resignations, W & Y, 1911-1923 Undated
	33		Early Resignations, A, 1924-1927
	34		Early Resignations, B, 1924-1927
	35		Early Resignations, C, 1924-1927
	36		Early Resignations, D, 1924-1927
	37		Early Resignations, E & F, 1924-1927
	38		Early Resignations, G, 1924-1927
	39		Early Resignations, H, I, & J, 1924-1927
	40		Early Resignations, K & L, 1924-1927
	41		Early Resignations, M, 1924-1927
	42		Early Resignations, P & Q, 1924-1927
	43		Early Resignations, R, 1924-1927
	44		Early Resignations, S, 1924-1927
	45		Early Resignations, T, U, & V, 1924-1927
	46		Early Resignations, W, 1924-1927
	Subseries 3: Membership Files, 1917-2009, Undated
Box	Folder
1	1		New Membership Nominations, 1910
	2		Membership List Book, 1917-1918
	3-4		Membership List Book, 1919-1920
	5		Resignations, ca.1920s
	6-7		Membership List Book, 1922
	8		Registration Cards, 1923
	9		List of Applications and Resignation, 1923
	10		List of Resignations, 1923
	11		New Member Lists, 1923-1924
	12		Invitation to vote and Election Ballot, 1923-1924
	13		New Members, 1924
	14-15		Membership List Book, 1924
	16		Paid Membership List, 1924-1925
	17		Typewritten Membership List, 1925
	18-19		Membership List Book, 1925-1926
	20-22		Membership List Book, 1926-1927
	23		Membership List Book, 1927-1928
	24		Membership List Book, 1928-1929
	25		Membership List Pamphlet, 1933 1936-1938
	26		Blank Election Ballots, 1938
	27		Membership Applications, 1938
	28		Membership Applications, 1939
	29		Membership Applications, 1940
	30		Membership Applications, 1941
	31		Membership Applications, 1942
	32		Membership Applications, 1943
Oversized
3			Membership Binder, 1943
Box	Folder
1	33		Membership Applications, 1944
	34		Membership Applications, 1945
	35		Membership Applications, 1946
	36		Membership Applications, 1947
	37		Membership Applications, 1948
	38		Blank Election Ballots, 1948 1950
Box	Folder
2	1		Membership Applications, 1949
	2		Membership Applications, 1950
	3		Membership Applications, 1951
	4		Membership Applications, 1952
	5		Membership Applications, 1953
	6		Blank Election Ballots, 1953-1954
	7		Membership Applications and Resignations, 1954
	8		Membership List, 1954-1955
	9		Special Meeting of the Membership, 1955
	10		List of "Exes", 1955
	11		Membership Applications, 1955
	12		Membership Applications, 1956
	13		Membership List, 1956-1957
	14		Membership Applications, 1957
	15		Membership List, 1957-1958
	16		Membership Applications, 1958
	17		Blank Election Ballots, 1958
	18		New Member List, 1958-1959
	19		Membership List Pamphlets, 1958-1960
	20		Membership Applications, 1959
	21		Membership Totals, 1959-1960
	22		Membership Applications, 1960
	23		Blank Election Ballot and Tally of Votes, 1960
	24		Membership List Pamphlets, 1960-1962
	25		Election Ballot and Tally of Votes, 1961
	26		Membership Applications, 1961
	27		Resignations, 1961
	28		Blank Election Ballot, 1962
	29		Membership Applications, 1962
	30		Membership Applications, 1963
	31		Membership Applications, 1964
	32		Membership Applications, 1965
	33		Resignations, 1965-1971
	34		Membership Applications, 1966
	35		Membership Applications, 1967
	36		Membership Applications, 1968
	37		Election Results, 1968
	38		Membership Applications and Acceptance Letters, 1968-1970
	39		Membership List Pamphlets, 1968-1971
	40		Election Ballot and Tally, 1970
	41		Membership Applications and Acceptance Letters, 1970-1971
	42		Resignations, 1970-1971
	43		New Members and Resigned Members Lists, 1971
	44		Membership Applications and Acceptance Letters, 1972-1976
	45		Resignations, 1972-1975
	46		Resignations, 1976 1979 1980
	47		Club Inquiry and Survey, 1977
	48		Membership Applications, 1977-1979
	49		Club Inquiry and Survey, 1979-1980
	50		List of Club Members, 1981
	51		List of Resignations and Deceased, 1982-1983
	52		Membership List, 1983-1984
	53		Resignations, 1984-1989 Undated
	54		Membership List, 1985-1986
	55		Membership List, 1986-1987
	56		Blank Election Ballots, 1987
	57		Blank Election Ballots, 1989
	58		Blank Election Ballots, 1990
	59		Resignations, 1990-1996 1998 2002 2004
	60		Club Member Incentives, ca. 1995
	61		Membership Applications, 1995
	62		Membership Roster, 1995-1996
	63		Membership Applications, 1996
	64		Membership Applications, 2001
	65		Membership Applications, 2004
	66		Membership Roster, 2006
	67		Membership Roster, 2008-2009
	68		Membership Renewal Applications, 2009
	69		Returning Members, 2009
	70-71		Blank Membership Applications, 2010 Undated
	72		Membership Applications, 2010 Undated
	73		Membership List, Undated
	74		Resignations, Undated
	Subseries 4: Resignations and Dropped Members Index Cards, 1914-1954, Undated
Card-File
2-4			Index cards, A-Z, 1914-1954
	Subseries 5: Deceased Members Index Cards, 1914-1985, Undated
Box	Folder
2	75		Deceased Members Index Cards, A-B, 1914-1952
	76		Deceased Members Index Cards, C-E, 1914-1962
	77		Deceased Members Index Cards, F-H, 1912-1963
	78		Deceased Members Index Cards, J-L, 1911-1985
	79		Deceased Members Index Cards, M-O, 1914-1961
	80		Deceased Members Index Cards, P-R, 1919-1957
	81		Deceased Members Index Cards, S-T, 1911-1953
	82		Deceased Members Index Cards, V-Y, 1913-1953


Series 6: Events and Programs, 1912-ca. 2010, Undated 1.05 cubic feet
		Arranged chronologically.
		Materials from events and programs hosted by the WCA are included in this series. The majority of the flyers and advertisements for WCA events are from the twenty first century, with one or two from the 1970s and 1990s. This series also contains event calendars from the 1940s, which were most likely sent out to WCA members monthly. The only evidence of earlier events is from playbooks, dramatic journals, and songbooks retained by the Club. These plays were likely purchased by the WCA for a fee to the playwright, and the women performed these one act plays every few months at an event hosted by the Dramatic Department. Event calendars can also be seen in the Monthly News, found in the Publications series.
Box	Folder
1	1	Ticket to Club Performance of Mice and Men, 1912
	2	The Dramatist Journal Retained by WCA, 1915-1916
	3	Plays Retained by the Club, 1916 1932 1937-1938
	4	Report on Club Activities, 1921-1925
Oversized	Folder
5	3	Formation Day Celebration Program, ca. 1926
Box	Folder
1	5	Resume of Club Activities, 1926-1930
	6	Event Calendars, 1926
	7	Art Exhibit, 1927
	8	Event Calendars, 1927
	9	Songbooks Retained by the Club, 1927
	10	Event Calendars, 1928
	11	Resume of Club Activities, 1931-1935
	12	Event Calendars, 1934
	13	25th Anniversary Celebration Program, 1935
	14	Event Calendars, 1935
	15	Event Calendars, 1936
	16	Event Calendars, 1937
	17	Event Calendars, 1938
Box	Folder
2	1	Engagement Calendars, 1939-1942
	2	Plays Retained by the Club, 1940
	3	Plays Retained by the Club, 1942
	4	Dramatic Department Performance Programs, 1942
	5	Event Calendars, 1942
	6	Event Calendars, 1943
	7	Event Calendars, 1944
	8	Plays Retained by the Club, 1944
	9	Christmas Program, 1948
	10	Event Calendars, 1948-1949
	11	Invitation to Club's 45th Anniversary Celebration, 1955
	12	Planning for Founder's Day Celebration, 1955
	13	Hospitality Tea Invitation Tally, 1959
	14	50th Anniversary Celebration Program, 1960
	15	Art Department Exhibit List, 1962
	16	Guest Logbook for an Event, 1966
	17	Woman's Club Art Show at Colonie Center Mall Correspondence and Paperwork, 1972-1973
	18	Informational Packet about the CTM School of Singing and Speech Hosted at Woman's Club, 1978
	19	President's Message with Event Calendar, 1978
	20	Dinner Party Program, 1979
	21	Calendar of Events, 1985
	22	Calendar of Events, 1986
	23	Calendar of Events, 1987
	24	Tickets to Various Events Hosted by the Club, 1988 1993-1994 Undated
	25	List of Card Party Door Prizes Contributors and Generic Letter Sent to Businesses Asking for Gifts, 1990
	26	Event Agenda, 1992-1993
	27	Preview of the Importance of Being Earnest, 1996
	28	Dinner at the Culinary Institute of America, 1996
	29	Summer Hat Show and Luncheon, 1997
	30	Luncheon and Fashion Show, 1992-1993
	31	Open House Flyers, 1997
	32	A Summer Celebration, 1997
	33	Program Schedule, 1997-1998
	34	Third Annual Antique Appraisal, 2001
	35	Semi-Annual Garage Sale, 2001
	36	Annual Open House, 2004
	37	Good Book and Good Food for Good Works, 2005
	38	Rummage Sale, ca. 2005
Box	Folder
3	1	Good Book and Good Food for Good Works, 2006
	2	Through a Woman's Eyes, 2006
	3	3rd Annual Foster Children's Holiday Party, 2006
	4	Program Ideas, 2006-2007
	5	Antiques Show and Sale, 2007
	6	Masquerade Extravaganza, ca. 2007
	7	Festival of Trees Financials, Planning, and Programs, 2008
	8	Springtime Arts and Crafts Show, 2008
	9	Children's Book Drive, 2009
	10	5th Anniversary of Renaissance Celebration, 2009
	11	6th Annual Holiday House Tour, 2009
	12	Program Ideas, ca. 2009
	13	Teas and Trees Event Proposal, 2009
	14	WCA Sponsored Drives, 2009
	15	A Moveable Feast Sponsored by WCA, 2010
	16	BBQ at the Barn, 2010
	17	Centennial Celebration-Teas to Tastings, 2010
	18	3rd Annual Springtime Craft Show, ca. 2010
	19	Antique Road Show, Undated
	20	Play Scripts Performed by the Club, Undated
	21	Victorian Scavenger Hunt, Undated
	22	Member Involvement Event Log, Undated
	23	Program for A Midsummer Night's Dream Performance, Undated
	24	Events Hosted by the Club, Undated
Card-File
5		World's Greatest Event Planner Medal, Undated


Series 7: Publications, 1911-2007, Undated 2.0 cubic feet
		Arranged chronologically.
		The Publications series includes all materials the Women’s Club of Albany published throughout its history. Publication of WCA news transitions in the following pattern:
		Annual Announcements, 1911-1930
		Monthly News, Oct. 1930-1942
		The Messenger, monthly magazine, 1944-May 1951
		The Messenger, monthly newsletter on legal size paper, Oct. 1951-1953
		The Messenger, monthly newsletter on letter size paper, 1970-1972
		Although the publication format changed, the information disseminated to members remained unchanged. There is always a message from the President and a calendar of events, followed by reports from all the departments. The constitution and directory of officers and committees are often included as well. In the October 1930 Monthly News, there is a message from the WCA President that talks about the transition from yearly news to monthly. She states that the Board of Directors decided to give monthly announcements a year-long trial, because it believe that this would be a more convenient and accurate method of keeping members informed. At the end of the message from the President, member input is solicited, favorable or otherwise. It is assumed that the new news layout received positive feedback, as the WCA published news monthly for the next twelve years, until 1942. There are no monthly news pamphlets from 1943 found in this collection, so it is unknown whether there were any published during that year. In 1944 the WCA began publishing The Messenger. The Messenger was a magazine the WCA published every month except for June, July, and August. The first editorial explains that the magazine is a WCA project that was started by Mrs. William Arnstein, who was the advertising manager. The WCA published its news in The Messenger for the next three decades, but the layout changed. In October 1951 The Messenger transitioned from a magazine to a newsletter printed on legal size paper. The farewell issue of the magazine informs members about the upcoming changes, but gives no direct reason for it. From 1970-1972 the WCA printed Monthly News on letter-sized paper. It is unknown how the WCA published news after 1972.
		Also included in the Publications series are house rental pamphlets, WCA informational pamphlets, and programs. The house rental pamphlets give a brief history of the Clubhouse as well as pricing information and payment policies. An information pamphlet published in 2007 was aimed at attracting new members. It gives information pertaining to the WCA as well as the costs and benefits of being a member.
Box	Folder
1	1	Annual Announcement Booklets, 1911-1912 1912-1913
	2	Annual Announcement Booklets, 1913-1914 1914-1915
	3	Annual Announcement Booklets, 1914-1915 1915-1916
	4	Annual Announcement Booklets, 1916-1917
	5	Annual Announcement Booklets, 1917-1918 1918-1919
	6	Annual Announcement Booklets, 1918-1919 1919-1920
	7	Annual Announcement Booklets, 1919-1920
	8	Annual Announcement Booklets, 1920-1921
	9	Annual Announcement Booklets, 1921-1922
	10	Annual Announcement Booklets, 1922-1923
	11	Annual Announcement Booklets, 1922-1923 1923-1924
	12	Annual Announcement Booklets, 1923-1924
	13	Annual Announcement Booklets, 1923-1924 1924-1925
	14	Annual Announcement Booklets, 1924-1925 1925-1926
	15	Annual Announcement Booklets, 1925-1926 1926-1927
	16	Annual Announcement Booklets, 1926-1927
Box	Folder
2	1	Annual Announcement Booklets, 1927-1928
	2	Annual Announcement Booklets, 1928-1929
	3	Annual Announcement Booklets, 1929-1930
	4	Monthly News, 1930-1931
	5	Monthly News, 1932-1933
	6	Monthly News, 1934-1935
	7	Monthly News, 1936-1937
	8	Monthly News, 1938-1939
	9	Monthly News, 1940-1942
	10	The Messenger, 1944
Box	Folder
3	1	The Messenger, 1946
	2	The Messenger, 1947
	3	The Messenger, 1948
	4	Draft Copy and Background Material for The Messenger, 1948-1950, Undated
	5	The Messenger, 1949
	6	The Messenger, 1950
	7	The Messenger, 1951
	8	The Messenger, 1951
	9	The Messenger, 1952
	10	The Messenger, 1953
	11	The Messenger, 1958
	12	The Messenger, 1959
	13	The Messenger, 1960
	14	The Messenger, 1961
	15	The Messenger, 1962
	16	The Messenger, 1965
	17	The Messenger, ca. 1965
	18	The Messenger, 1966
	19	The Messenger, 1967
	20	The Messenger, 1968
	21	The Messenger, 1970
Box	Folder
4	1	The Messenger, 1971
	2	The Messenger, 1972
	3	The Messenger, 1973
	4	The Messenger, 1979
	5	The Messenger, ca. 1980
	6	Club and House Rental Information, ca. 1995
	7	Club Program, 1997-1998
	8	Club Program, 1998-1999
	9	Club Informational Packet, 2007
	10-12	House Rental Informational Pamphlets, Undated


Series 8: Subject Files, 1908-2009, Undated 1.05 cubic feet
		Arranged chronologically.
		The Subject Files series contains folders featuring a variety of topics, ranging from photographs of the Clubhouse and members to Presidential files. This series houses materials on the New York State General Federation of Women's Clubs. It also contains newspaper clippings about the WCA and its members. Many clippings from the early twentieth century mention Mrs. Edward Cameron, who was very involved in the Albany community.
		There is an item in the general correspondence, pre-dating the WCA. A letter to Mrs. Blair about joining the Club is dated 1908, two years before the Woman's Club of Albany was founded. It is unclear whether the date is correct.
Box	Folder
1	1	General Correspondence, 1908-2004
	2-4	NYS Federation of Women's Clubs Convention Programs and Reports, 1912-1973
	5	Newspaper Clippings, 1912-2007
	6	Civic and Social Interests, 1913 1916-1917 1924 1934
	7-8	NYS Federation of Women's Clubs Yearbook, 1913 1924
	9	The Clubhouse, 1914-1987 Undated
	10	History of the Club, 1915 1919 1940 1970 1985
	11	Homemaking, 1917
	12	World War I, 1917
	13	Period Advertisements Retained by the Club, 1917 Undated
Flat-File
1		Newspaper Clippings about the Woman's Club of Albany and its Members, 1917 1925 1951 1969 2007
Box	Folder
1	14	Letters Pertaining to Stolen Check, 1918-1919
	15-16	Books Retained by Parliamentary Law Committee, 1920
	17	NYS Federation of Women's Club Correspondence and Miscellaneous Papers, 1917-1969
Oversized
3		The General Federation of Women's Clubs 70th Convention Program Book, 1924
Box	Folder
1	18-19	Songs and Poems Retained by the Club, 1933-1935 1963-1966 Undated
	20	NYS Women's Joint Legislative Forum, 1935-1948 1960-1965 1972 Undated
	21	Mortgage Burning Occasion, 1938
	22	Photographs from the Club, 1939-1941
Oversized
3		List of "Exes", 1943
Box	Folder
1	23	New York State Federation of Women's Club Newsletters and Annual Reports, 1943-1944 1968-1972 1988
	24	Pictures of the Clubhouse, 1944 Undated
	25	"Clubwoman" and "Clubwomen's Life" Magazines, 1947 1948
	26	Unknown Member File from Annual Convention, 1950 Undated
Box	Folder
2	1	NYS Federation of Women's Clubs Directory, 1950 1972
	2	Troy Women's Club Yearbook and Booklet, 1952-1953 1968-1969
	3-4	The "Exes" File, 1953 1955 Undated
	5	Pictures of Clubmembers, 1955
	6	General Federation of Women's Clubs Administration Program, 1958-1960 1960-1962
	7	Third District Meetings, 1959-1970 Undated
	8	Tri-County Meeting Reports, 1960 1962 1969 1971 Undated
	9	Awards Given to the Club, 1960
	10	NYS Committee for the Aging Report, 1961
	11	Presidential File, 1967-1968 Undated
	12	Historic Albany Foundation, 1968 2006
	13	File of the Corresponding Secretary [1 of 2], 1968-1971
Box	Folder
3	1	File of the Corresponding Secretary [2 of 2], 1968-1971
	2	Philanthropic Works, 1970-1971
	3	Pictures of Clubmembers, 1971-1972 1995 Undated
	4	File of the Corresponding Secretary, 1971-1976
	5	Agreement with Residents of the Clubhouse, 1979
	6	Communications with Caretaker Robyn Hodges, 1979-2003
	7	Presidential File, Stella Porter, 1987-1991
	8	Applications for Grants, 1994 2003 2004
	9	Photo Negatives of the Clubhouse, 1996
	10	Presidential File, Eunice Hunter, 1996-2004 Undated
Oversized	Folder
5	4	Newspaper Articles, 2008
Box	Folder
3	11	Clubhouse Restoration, 2008-2009
	12	Glove Pattern Retained by Club, Undated
	13	Inventory of Items in Small Drawer, Undated
	14	Photos Presented to WCA by NYS Federation of Women's Clubs, Undated
	15	Pictures of First Three Presidents and the Clubhouse, Undated
	16	Postcard of the Albany Institute and Historical and Art Society, Undated
	17	Rules and Regulations for Use of Rooms, Undated

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