Title: Aroline Schmitt Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1939-1971

Creator:

• Schmitt, Aroline, 1904-1995

Call Number: Milwaukee Mss BX; M85-156; M86-191; M87-226

Quantity: 2.2 cubic feet (6 archives boxes); plus additions of 1.8 cubic feet (1 records center carton and 2 archives boxes)

Repository:

Housed at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries' Archives Department / Milwaukee Area Research Center and the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives and Museum Collections; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

UW-Milwaukee Libraries, Archives / Milwaukee Area Research Ctr. (Map)

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION STORED, IN-PART, AT ARC: Collection may be available for transfer through the Area Research Center (ARC) Network, consult Reading Room Staff. See catalog entry for additional information.

Abstract:

Papers of Aroline Schmitt concerning her activities in various Wisconsin conservation organizations. The records are fragmentary and include correspondence, reports, minutes, writings, and reference materials concerning groups, government agencies, and issues in which she was interested. During the 1950s, she was particularly involved with the movement to preserve the Flambeau wilderness area of Wisconsin (now Flambeau River State Forest), and in conserving the forests belonging to the Menominee Indians. The collection includes correspondence with conservation leaders Aldo Leopold and Gifford Pinchot, Ernest Swift of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and Louis Radke of the Wisconsin Conservation League; and correspondence and newsletters of "Forests," a short-lived national organization headed by Schmitt and Charles H. Stoddard.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mil000bx

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Aroline Hiles Schmitt, a leader of Wisconsin conservation efforts, was born in Jamestown, New York on August 4, 1904. After she earned her L.B. in Nurses Training from Hamont Hospital, Erie, Pennsylvania, in 1925, she married Max Schmitt, a Milwaukee businessman. The couple had two children, Maxine and John.

During the 1930s, while her children were still young, Aroline Schmitt became active in Junior Garden Clubs and acted as a nature study guide in local schools. Her volunteer conservation work soon became a full-time career, as she served the following organizations: Citizens' Natural Resource Association, president; "Forests," executive director; Friends of the Land, charter member, director, and third vice-president; Milwaukee County Conservation Alliance, charter member, forestry chairman; and Wisconsin Garden Club Federation, state conservation chairman, as well as a number of other groups. Schmitt, starting during World War II, she began working for the United States Forest Service, retireing in 1961

Schmitt continued her conservation efforts by telephone and by mail after a serious illness in 1948 left her an invalid, and during the 1950s she became vice-president of the Citizens' Committee for the Menominees. She received awards for her volunteer services from the following organizations: the Izaak Walton League in 1950; Quota Club of Milwaukee in 1952; a citation from Lane Bryant around 1955; and the Wisconsin Garden Club, which established the annual Aroline Schmitt conservation scholarship.

Aroline Hiles Schmitt died on March 28, 1995 in Moscow, Idaho. In 2019 Schmitt was inducted into The Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Aroline Schmitt, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, 1961, 1973 and 1987; and by Walter E. Scott, Madison, Wisconsin, 1985 and 1986. Accession Number: M61-106, M73-278, M85-156, M86-191, M27-226

Processing Information

Processed by Lynn Aber and Menzi Behrnd, March 23, 1979.

Arrangement

This collection was received in multiple parts from the donor(s) and is organized into 4 major parts. These materials have not been physically interfiled and researchers might need to consult more than one part to locate similar materials.

1. Part 1 (Milwaukee Mss BX): Original Collection, 1939-1971
2. Part 2 (M85-156): Additions, circa 1941-circa 1959
3. Part 3 (M86-191): Additions, 1944-1964
4. Part 4 (M87-226): Additions, 1941-1964

Conservation of natural resources -- Law and legislation -- Wisconsin.Conservation of natural resources -- Wisconsin -- Citizen participation.Forest conservation -- Wisconsin.Natural resources -- Law and legislation -- WisconsinWomen conservationists -- WisconsinMenominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin.Flambeau River State Forest (Wis.)Flambeau River Watershed (Wis.)Manuscript collection.Photographs.Speeches.Leopold, Aldo, 1886-1948; Pinchot, Gifford, 1865-1946; Radke, Louis, 1884-1947; Stoddard, Charles H. (Charles Hatch), 1912-1997; Swift, Ernest, 1897-1968; Citizens Natural Resources Association of Wisconsin; Forests (Organization); Izaak Walton League of America; Milwaukee County Conservation Alliance; Wisconsin. Department of Natural Resources

Milwaukee Mss BX	Part 1 (Milwaukee Mss BX): Original Collection, 1939-1971 Physical Description: 2.2 cubic feet (6 archives boxes)   Scope and Contents The collection consists primarily of Schmitt's files dealing with conservation in Wisconsin, many of which are routine or social in nature. The papers concerning organizations contain fragmentary material, not complete records. There is almost no personal material. Because many individuals were involved in more than one conservation organization, there is some overlap in the files. The papers are arranged chronologically and alphabetically into two series: Correspondence, and Subject Files. The CORRESPONDENCE and RELATED MATERIAL series contains letters and enclosures referred to by the correspondents, such as writings and mailing lists. Included in the Organizations and Government Agencies section is the correspondence of "Forests"; this short lived national organization was headed by Schmitt and Charles H. Stoddard. Also included are copies of the "Forests" newsletters. Much of her correspondence with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (known as the Conservation Department prior to 1967) is with Ernest Swift, who was later affiliated with the National Wildlife Federation. The records of the Wisconsin Conservation League include letters from Louis Radke, president of that group. Also present is some correspondence with other noteworthy individuals active in conservation work, including Aldo Leopold and Gifford Pinchot. The SUBJECT FILES includes material regarding the preservation of the Flambeau wilderness area, a key conservation issue in Wisconsin for many years. Schmitt's papers concerning the Menominee Indians show that she was primarily interested in the conservation of the tribe's extensive forest resources, rather than in the termination issue. There is also a file of newspaper clippings containing articles about Aroline Schmitt and some of the issues which interested her.
	Series: Correspondence and Related Material
Box   1   Folder   1	Family and Personal, 1943-1954, undated
Box   1   Folder   2-7	General, 1940-1969, undated
	Organizations and Government Agencies
Box   2   Folder   1-4	Citizens' Natural Resources Association, 1948-1970, undated
	"Forests"
Box   2   Folder   5-6	General, 1942-1957, undated
Box   2   Folder   7	Stoddard, Charles H., correspondence, 1944-1959, undated
Box   3   Folder   1	Stoddard, Charles H., writings
Box   3   Folder   2	Mailing list, "Forest Letter," and related materials
Box   3   Folder   3	Friends of the Land general correspondence, mailing list and related materials, 1943-1950, undated
	Garden Clubs
Box   3   Folder   4	National, State and Local, 1939-1953, undated
Box   3   Folder   5	Scrapbook material
	Milwaukee County Conservation Alliance
Box   3   Folder   6	General, 1941-1950
Box   3   Folder   7	Constitution and by-laws, minutes, and related materials, 1945-1956, undated
Box   3   Folder   8	Regarding Trees for Tomorrow Citizens Conservation Camp, 1945-1951, undated
	State of Wisconsin - Department of Natural Resources
Box   4   Folder   1-3	1940-1961, undated
Box   4   Folder   4	Correspondence and contracts regarding timber sales, 1942-1944
	United States Department of Agriculture - Forest Service
Box   4   Folder   5	1941-1961, 1971, undated
Box   4   Folder   6	Scott, Calvin, Regional Forester 1941-1961, 1969, undated
Box   4   Folder   7	Wisconsin Conservation League, 1940-1958, undated
Box   4   Folder   8	Women's Civilian Conservation Corps, 1942
	Individuals
Box   5   Folder   1-2	Allen, Shirley W., Professor, School of Forestry, University of Michigan, 1946-1966, undated
Box   5   Folder   3	Leopold, Aldo 1943-1948, undated
Box   5   Folder   4	Pinchot, Gifford, and Pinchot, Cornelia Bryce, 1943-1953
	Series: Subject File	⇧
	Conservation legislation
Box   5   Folder   5	Correspondence, press releases, proposals, and related materials, 1943-1953
	Printed bills and drafts
Box   5   Folder   6	Federal, 1941-1946
Box   5   Folder   7	Wisconsin, 1939, 1941-1958
Box   5   Folder   8	Other States, 1941-1946
Box   5   Folder   9	Flambeau Wilderness, 1943, 1951-1955, undated
	Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin
Box   5   Folder   10	Legislation Files correspondence, bills, and drafts, 1954, 1956-1959
Box   5   Folder   11	Deer, Constance, correspondence, 1956-1957
Box   6   Folder   1	Lookaround, Phebe J.N.; Mott, Mayhew; and Schmitt, Aroline, correspondence and related materials of, 1941, 1956-1959
Box   6   Folder   2	Citizens' Committee for the Menominees records and related materials, 1953-circa 1962
Box   6   Folder   3	Newspaper clippings
Box   6   Folder   4	Schmitt, Aroline and others writings
Box   6   Folder   5	Miscellaneous
M85-156	Part 2 (M85-156): Additions, circa 1941-circa 1959 Physical Description: 1.0 cubic foot (1 records center carton)   Scope and Contents Conservation materials and personal files.	⇧
Box   1	Correspondence
Box   1	Reports
Box   1	Programs
Box   1	Articles and clippings
M86-191	Part 3 (M86-191): Additions, 1944-1964 Physical Description: 0.4 cubic feet (1 archives box)	⇧
Box   1	Correspondence
Box   1	Ballots
Box   1	Membership lists
Box   1	Bulletins
Box   1	Reports
Box   1	Articles
Box   1	Speeches
Box   1	Notes
Box   1	Lake States Trip, 1944 July 10-19 Scope and Contents Includes photographs.
M87-226	Part 4 (M87-226): Additions, 1941-1964 Physical Description: 0.4 cubic feet (1 archives box)	⇧
Box   1	Correspondence
Box   1	Clippings
Box   1	Citizen's Natural Resources Association, relating to
Box   1	Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, relating to
Box   1	Summary of Legislative Proceedings