Senior Citizens

For reference queries contact Grenander Department Reference staff or (518) 437-3931

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF RETIRED PERSONS SCHENECTADY COUNTY CHAPTER #490
Records, 1972-2004, 3.2 cubic ft. (APAP–181)
The records of AARP Schenectady County Chapter #490 include meeting minutes, subject files, proclamations, and related administrative records.

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF ALBANY COUNTY
Records, 1938-2001, 31.47 cubic ft. (APAP-128)
The records of the League of Women Voters of Albany County (LWVAC), include material produced by the LWVAC as well as material that was produced by the League of Women Voters of New York State and the League of Women Voters of the United States. The most comprehensive series in the collection is the Administrative Files. There are meeting minutes, annual reports, and Board of Directors lists from 1940-2001. A large portion of the LWVAC collection relates to the two main purposes of the organization: voter service and "study and action." Records relating to voter service include pamphlets with information about candidates and citizen voting rights published by the LWVAC and material used to increase voter participation. Records related to "study and action" include material used by the LWVAC to inform citizens about public policy issues locally, statewide, and nationally. A strength of the LWVAC collection is the amount of material related to various public policy issues and how they affected the local community.

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY
Records, 1914, 1925, 1939-2000, 11.2 cubic ft. (APAP-103)
The Rensselaer County League of Women Voters was founded by thrity-eight women in October 1939. The first president of the County League was Beulah Bailey Thull (1891-1975), one of Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt's speechwriters at the time. The collection holds information about the history and activities of the LWVRC from 1939 through 2000. The collection includes board and general meeting minutes and agendas, treasurers' reports, the results of various studies conducted by the organization, photographs, videos of workshops and debates and audio tapes of oral histories of former members' participation in the League. The local studies conducted by the League covered such topics as city planning, land use, and other environmental issues in Rensselaer County.

MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION IN NEW YORK STATE
Records, 1879-2001 (APAP-131)
The Mental Health Association in New York State, Inc. (MHANYS) was formed in 1960 (under the initial name New York State Association for Mental Health, Inc.) as a statewide network of community based Mental Health Associations. MHANYS is an affiliate of the National Mental Health Association. The purposes of MHANYS are to promote mental health, to improve care and treatment of persons with mental disabilities, and to help prevent mental illness. MHANYS seeks to fulfill these goals through public education and citizen advocacy. The collection includes records of MHANYS's predecessor organizations, board files, administrative files, publications, project files, and related material.

NEW YORK PUBLIC WELFARE ASSOCIATION
Records, 1928-2000, 10 cubic ft. (APAP-126)
The New York Public Welfare Association, founded in 1870, is a non-profit organization acting as an agency of the public welfare districts of the state in order to establish ways for obtaining the most economical and efficient administration of public assistance. To achieve this goal, the New York Public Welfare Association studies issues of public welfare administration, provides its members with an opportunity to exchange ideas and to benefit by the advice of experts in the field and suggests and develops better ways of providing for those individuals who need public welfare services. From the 1930s through the 1990s, committee meetings were always a focal point and numerous correspondence, minutes of meetings and meeting agendas are maintained which clearly illustrate the evolving nature of public welfare in New York State. The annual conference was crucial to the success of the organization for it allowed public welfare officials the opportunity to meet, share ideas, and collaborate collectively on important issues. As the 1960s and 1970s progressed, issues such as Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security were often discussed in correspondence, meetings, and agendas. In the 1980s and 1990s, correspondence, meetings, and agendas often reflected such topics as welfare fraud, managed care, child support, and related issues.

NEW YORK STATEWIDE SENIOR ACTION COUNCIL
Records, 1974-2001, 14.05 cubic ft. (APAP-111)
The New York StateWide Senior Action Council records document the issues faced by senior citizens in New York State over the course of almost three decades. The bulk of the records consist of subject files in the areas of health care, Medicare, and social security issues. In addition to topical material, these records document the fundraising activities of the organization and its various sub-groups. Notably included are publications issued by the organization, including the Sentinel newsletter (1992-1996) and the Senior Action newspaper (1977-1991). The bulk of the material, found in the subject files, is useful for documenting issues about which NYSSAC was active. NYSSAC's work with New York state legislators, as well as government and private agencies in advocating for seniors and social justice issues, and their outreach efforts in education and advocacy, are well documented throughout the collection. Records of the activities of Executive Directors Michael Burgess and Bonnie Ray are the most prominent in the collection.

QUIRINI, HELEN
Papers, 1941-2001, 27.25 cubic ft. (APAP-102)
Helen Quirini worked at General Electric (GE) in Schenectady, New York and was active in the UE and IUE Local 301, the union at the GE plant. The collection documents her activism in labor and coummunity activities including the rights of senior citizens, the need for affordable health care, day care, human rights, the United Way, and other organizations.

RINGEL INSTITUTE FOR GERONTOLOGY
Records, 1977–95, 3.50 ft. (UA–690.015)
Includes Institute of Gerontology records, 1977–81; grants and grant applications, 1978–79; newsletters, 1977–81; conference and seminar materials; training materials, 1973, 1978–95; memos, 1977–82; day files; and workshop videotapes, 1979. Founded in 1968 as the Institute on Aging, part of the College of General Studies. It was renamed the Institute of Gerontology, part of the School of Social Welfare, in 1972. The Ringel Institute of Gerontology was founded in 1982 as a division of the School of Social Welfare that expands knowledge about the process of aging and services for the elderly, facilitates the development of social policies to benefit the elderly, and helps create and improve social institutions to serve the elderly and their families. The Institute is also involved in evaluation of service programs offered by both public and private organizations. Other Institute activities include providing technical assistance about service provision to local communities, co-sponsoring conferences, and facilitating the development of academic curricula on aging.

SOCIAL WELFARE, SCHOOL OF
Records, 1965–86, 6 ft. (UA–690)
Includes bulletins, 1965–81; annual reports, 1973–74; evaluations of accreditation; publications; proposals, reports, and publications of the Ringel Institute of Gerontology, 1968–86.

WAMC/NORTHEAST PUBLIC RADIO
Records, 1981-2000, 6,795 audio recordings (APAP–138)
WAMC/Northeast Public Radio is a regional public radio network serving parts of seven northeastern states and is a member of National Public Radio and an affiliate of Public Radio International. The station's programs cover a number of issues including education, politics and government, the environment, health and medical issues, women's issues, and others. Some of the programs in the collection include: 51 Percent, The Best of Our Knowledge, Capitol Connection, Dancing on the Air, The Environment Show, The Health Show, The Law Show, Legislative Gazette, Media Project, Vox Pop, and other regular and special broadcasts.