Title: American Association of University Women, La Crosse Branch Records
Inclusive Dates: 1922-1996

Creator:

• American Association of University Women, La Crosse Branch (Wis.)

Call Number: La Crosse Mss BY

Quantity: 4.2 cubic feet (9 archives boxes and 2 flat boxes)

Repository:

Housed at the Special Collections & Area Research Center, Murphy Library, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

UW-La Crosse Murphy Library / La Crosse Area Research Ctr. (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Records of the La Crosse, Wisconsin, Branch of the American Association of University Women consisting of organizational records, publications, files on programs/activities, and scrapbooks. The organizational records include board meeting minutes, correspondence, reports, and a history of the branch. The publications include a nearly complete run of the branch newsletter, Current, and of the annual yearbooks. The bulk of the collection documents their two annual fund-raising programs: the Children's Theater productions (1959-1996) and the Home Tours (1960-1994). These files consist of correspondence, news clippings, publicity materials, and financial information. The scrapbooks (1938-1978) contain newspaper articles related to the general business of the branch, scholarship awards, AAUW community activities, and members' accomplishments (1938-1978).

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-lx00by

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Documentation for the La Crosse branch begins in 1938 with a scrapbook, detailing the various meetings and social events of the branch. These were events such as teas, the annual holiday Christmas ball, and other entertainment-related fund-raisers. Over the years, the focus of the group shifted from social gatherings to a community-service orientation. The later years show a strong emphasis on fundraisers for academic scholarships and healthy community involvement.

The Art Fair on the Green and Children's Film Festival are two such projects. Art Fair on the Green is typically held in July and the proceeds go to benefit an arts scholarship. This has grown into a large event over the course of the years. The Children's Film Festival is dedicated to providing quality movies for children at an affordable rate and is usually held in cooperation with a local movie theater.

One of the largest areas of community involvement has been the Children's Theater annual production. This project began in 1959 as a way to introduce area children to live theater, and in the early years, the AAUW planned and executed the entire production. In 1976, collaboration began with UW-La Crosse Theater Department, and the AAUW's roll shifted to business, publicity, and financial concerns. The UW-La Crosse Theater Department took control of the acting, directing, script-modifications and other production issues. Over the course of the years, the production moved from targeting families to focusing on school field trips, offering the majority of the plays during the school day. Unfortunately, in 1996 the long affiliation with the UW-La Crosse Theater Department ended and the AAUW had to abandon the project. The involvement of the AAUW in this project is well documented.

Another fund-raiser was the Home Tour which began in 1960 and continued through 1994. Throughout the years, the focus has been primarily on unique and historically valuable homes, often including a great deal of research regarding the past history of the home, furnishings, and architectural information. The logistics of the event take a great deal of planning and are carefully detailed. These include communication with the homeowners, preparations for the houses, purchasing insurance for the day, and other details. The research component of this project is worthy of note in its detail and extensiveness.

A visible presence and active community involvement have made the La Crosse Branch of the American Association of University Women an important part of the city of La Crosse.

The records of the AAUW-La Crosse are divided into four series: Organizational Records, Publications, Programs/Activities, and Scrapbooks.

The ORGANIZATIONAL RECORDS include constitution and by-laws, correspondence, directories, handbooks, historical background, legislative activity files, and meeting minutes.

The PUBLICATIONS include the organization's newsletter, Current (1967-1999) and yearbooks (1926-2003).

The PROGRAMS/ACTIVITIES series forms the bulk of the collection and documents the two main programs of the branch: the Children's Theater productions and the annual Home tour. The records on Children's Theater consist of budgets, contracts, correspondence, news clippings, publicity, reports, resource packets, and scripts. Similarly detailed records concern the Home Tours.

The SCRAPBOOKS (1938-1978) document various meetings and social events held by the branch such as teas, the annual holiday Christmas ball, and other entertainment-related fundraisers. The scrapbooks consist almost entirely of news clippings and programs.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Ed Hill, La Crosse, Wisconsin, 1988 and Marilyn Hempstead, La Crosse, Wisconsin, 2004.

Processing Information

Processed by Jeanette Ensminger, April 2004.

La Crosse Mss BY	Series: Organizational Records
Box   1 Folder   1	Application for A.A.U.P. membership eligibility, 1961
Box   1 Folder   2	Constitution and by-laws, 1949, 1957, 1963, undated
Box   1 Folder   3	Directory, by-laws handbook, 1965-1976
Box   1 Folder   4	Correspondence, 1952-1995, undated
Box   1 Folder   5	Directories, 1957-1993
Box   1 Folder   6	Financial reports, 1925-1995
Box   1 Folder   7	Handbook for Branch Leaders, 1952, 1977-1985
Box   1 Folder   8-9	President's Resource Book (compiled by Lou Smith), 1988-1990
Box   2 Folder   1	Secretary materials, 1989-1992
Box   2 Folder   2	Treasurer's book, July 1962-February 1973
Box   2 Folder   3	History, 1921-1971
Box   2 Folder   4-6	Minutes, Board meetings, 1940 July 10-1967 May 13
Box   3 Folder   1-6	Minutes, Board meetings, 1967 September 11-1995 August 14
Box   3 Folder   7	Miscellany, 1962-1977
Box   3 Folder   8	Policy sheets
Box   3 Folder   9	Publicity survey
Box   4 Folder   1	Scholarships, 1955-1979
	Series: Publications	⇧
Box   4 Folder   2-5	Newsletter -- Current, 1967-1999
Box   4 Folder   6-7	Yearbooks, 1926-1991
Box   5 Folder   1	Yearbooks, 1992-2003
	Series: Programs/Activities	⇧
Box   5 Folder   2	Art Fair on the Green
Box   5 Folder   3	Children's Film Festival
Box   5 Folder   4	Clippings, Children's Film Festival
	Children's Theater
Box   5 Folder   5-6	Correspondence, 1959-1996, undated
Box   5 Folder   7	Children's Theater productions, 1959-1995
Box   5 Folder   8	AAUW Drama Group, 1968-1970
Box   5 Folder	Community Impact Award for "Hmong Folktales," 1994
Box   5 Folder   10	Auditions
Box   5 Folder   11	Budgets, 1972-1996
Box   5 Folder   12	Business manager's report, 1960-1980
Box   5 Folder   13	Cast and crew, 1960-1982
Box   5 Folder   14	Clippings, 1930-1994
Box   5 Folder   15	Contracts for facilities
Box   6 Folder   1	Press releases
	Productions
Box   6 Folder   2	“Pinocchio and Other Tales to Grow On,” 1996
Box   6 Folder   3	“Hansel & Gretel,” 1995
Box   6 Folder   4	“Ali Baba,” 1966
Box   6 Folder   5	“Emperor's New Clothes” - costuming, 1967
	Publicity
Box   6 Folder   6	Letters to schools
Box   6 Folder   7-8	General Children's Theater
Box   6 Folder   9	Publicity posters, programs, and fliers, 1961-1996
Box   6 Folder   10	Public service announcements
	Reports
Box   6 Folder   11	Ticket chairman, 1960-1984
Box   6 Folder   12	Producer's report and committee information, 1975-1982
Box   6 Folder   13	House manager, 1965-1995
	Resource packets
Box   6 Folder   14	“Hansel & Gretel,” 1995
Box   6 Folder   15	“Hmong Folktales,” 1994
Box   7 Folder   1	“Tales of the Native People,” 1993
Box   7 Folder   2-3	Scripts
Box   7 Folder   4	Equal Rights Amendment
	Home tours
Box   7 Folder   5	Miscellany, undated
Box   7 Folder   6-24	1960-1984
Box   8 Folder   1-16	1985-1994
Box   8 Folder   17	Clippings, undated
Box   9 Folder   1-3	Clippings, 1960-1994
Box   9 Folder   4	International Conference on the Status of Women, clippings, 1975
Box   9 Folder   5	Women's issues
	Series: Scrapbooks	⇧
Box   10 Volume   1-7	1938-1956 June
Box   11 Volume   1-3	1956 September-1978 June