Title: Wisconsin Council of Catholic Women Records
Inclusive Dates: 1916-2004

Creator:

• Wisconsin Council of Catholic Women

Call Number: Mss 166; M97-245; M2004-101

Quantity: 4.2 c.f. (11 archives boxes); plus additions of 2.8 c.f., 77 photographs, and 3 negatives

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

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

Abstract:

Records of the Wisconsin Council of Catholic Women (WCCW), a federation of local clubs, including a constitution and bylaws, Executive Board minutes, annual conference minutes, and subject files of officers' correspondence, committee reports, and district records; concerning education, human rights, public welfare, youth, and legislative activities of the organization.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss00166

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This collection was received in multiple parts from the donor(s) and is organized into 3 major parts. These materials have not been physically interfiled and researchers might need to consult more than one part to locate similar materials.

• Part 1 (Mss 166): Original Collection, 1916-1970
• Part 2 (M97-245): Additions, circa 1923-1995
• Part 3 (M2004-101): Additions, 1933-2004

Acquisition Information

Presented by Mrs. William Shannon, Madison, Wisconsin, 1958 and 1959; Mrs. John R. McCarthy, Portage, Wisconsin, 1971; and by the Wisconsin Council of Catholic Women via Mrs. George Pfeifer, 1979. Accession Number: M58-153, M59-134, M71-130, M79-097, M97-245, M2004-101

Processing Information

Original Collection processed by Brother Gregory Isenhart and Karen Baumann, September 20, 1973.

Mss 166	Part 1 (Mss 166): Original Collection, 1916-1970 Physical Description: 4.2 c.f. (11 archives boxes)  Biography/History The Wisconsin Council of Catholic Women, established in 1916, was the first such statewide organization in the United States. Mary Connor, then president of the Madison Catholic Women's Club, invited the presidents of ten other Catholic women's organizations in Wisconsin to set up a federation. August 1, 1916, was the date of this initial “Conference” at which the name “Wisconsin State Council of Catholic Women's Organizations” was adopted. Gradually other Catholic women's clubs and organizations in Wisconsin joined the Council, increasing its membership, prestige, range of interests, and activities. Public welfare, human rights, education, youth, better films and television, state and national legislation, and general Catholic interests received not only study but also active attention. Scholarships were established; contributions made to welfare causes; legislators contacted; and the Catholic woman's viewpoint was presented to film makers, educational bodies, and other agencies in Wisconsin and throughout the United States. At this writing (1973) the organization consists of ten districts encompassing the entire state, each directed by a chairman. Overall direction is in the hands of a Board of Directors which, in addition to the state officers, includes the district chairmen and the chairmen of various committees and departments. New interests and altered emphasis are reflected in the activities of the committees over the years. The Council, through its 60 affiliate organizations and individual memberships, represents nearly 75,000 Wisconsin women. Scope and Content Note The records of the Wisconsin Council of Catholic Women, 1916-1970, consist of the official records of annual conferences, minutes of board meetings, presidential correspondence, and subject files. Arrangement is chronological within each of the following general categories: Historical data Constitution and bylaws Executive Board minutes, 1923-1970 Annual Conference materials, 1919-1970 Presidents' general correspondence, 1916-1963 Subject file, A-Z Clippings Board and conference minutes follow the usual format. Included in the annual conference materials, however, are the “calls to Conference,” announcing the date, place, and theme of each; and frequently the program for the meetings and the social events entailed. The general correspondence consists of letters, formal and informal, to and from the various presidents regarding many aspects of the Council's activities. Although the subject file does contain a variety of reports and proposals, it is also largely correspondence exchanged by successive presidents and their fellow board members. There are gaps in the records, notably the absence of minutes for the annual conferences of 1916-1918, 1930, 1934, 1937-1938, 1945, and 1948. Internal problems arose in 1961, resulting in the resignation of the recently-elected president. Other than letters referring to the controversy itself, there is virtually no correspondence for that period. The records include no correspondence beyond 1963. The subject file contains material reflecting the various interests of the Council and its affiliates, as well as ordinary operational activities. There are records for each of the ten districts consisting of the minutes and reports of district meetings as well as the reports and correspondence of district officers with the state presidents. The subject file also contains abundant material concerning such topics as education, public welfare, human rights, youth, etc. These subjects are detailed in the contents list. Overall, the records reflect the human and financial resources of the Council, the economic and political conditions of the times, the attitude of Catholic women and the Catholic hierarchy toward a variety of issues, and the problems encountered in sustaining a “super-organization” composed of many independent local affiliates.
Box   1 Folder   1	Historical Data
Box   1 Folder   2	Constitution and bylaws
	Executive Board Minutes
Box   1 Folder   3-5	1923-1951
Box   2 Folder   1-4	1952-1970
	Annual Conference Materials
Box   2 Folder   5	1919-1927
Box   2 Folder   6	1928-1929, 1931-1933, 1935-1936
Box   3 Folder   1	1939-1944, 1946-1947
Box   3 Folder   2	1949-1955 Note: “Call to Conference” only for 1951.
Box   3 Folder   3	1956-1958
Box   3 Folder   4	1959-1963
Box   3 Folder   5	1964-1970 Note: Program only for 1965; Call and program only for 1969 and 1970.
	Presidents' General Correspondence
Box   4 Folder   1-6	1923-1953
Box   5 Folder   1-4	1954-1963
	Subject File
Box   6 Folder   1	Catholic Daughters of America, 1942-1952
	Committees
Box   6 Folder   2	Better Radio, TV and Movies, 1937-1938, 1950-1963
Box   6 Folder   3	Publicity, 1950-1956, 1962
Box   6 Folder   4	Various
	Conference Planning
Box   6 Folder   5	1947, 1951-1954
Box   6 Folder   6	1955
Box   6 Folder   7	1962-1963
Box   6 Folder   8	Districts, general, 1939-1959
	District I
Box   6 Folder   9	1943-1954
Box   7 Folder   1	1955-1962
Box   7 Folder   2	District II, 1949-1962
Box   7 Folder   3	District III, 1949-1962
Box   7 Folder   4	District IV and V, 1942, 1949-1961
Box   7 Folder   5	District VI, 1949-1956
Box   7 Folder   6	District VII, 1949-1955, 1961-1962
Box   8 Folder   1-2	District VIII, 1950-1953
Box   8 Folder   3	District IX, 1949-1956, 1961-1962
Box   8 Folder   4	District X, 1941, 1949-1955, 1961-1962
Box   8 Folder   5	Education, 1929-1963 Note: Includes “Mary Connor Student Loan Fund.”
Box   9 Folder   1	Human Rights, 1951-1963
Box   9 Folder   2	Junior League, 1942-1959, 1962, 1968 Note: See also Youth.
Box   9 Folder   3	Legislation, 1929-1963
Box   11 Folder   5	Miscellaneous Note: Includes some Informant correspondence.
Box   9 Folder   4	National Council of Catholic Women, 1942-1963
Box   9 Folder   4	Organization, 1937, 1948-1963
	Public Welfare
Box   10 Folder   1	1948-1954
Box   10 Folder   2	1958-1963
Box   10 Folder   3	Recording Secretary, 1950-1963
	Resolutions
Box   10 Folder   4	1925-1952
Box   10 Folder   5	1953-1970
Box   11 Folder   1	Revisions, 1936, 1948-1955
	Treasurer Note: Includes some auditor papers.
Box   11 Folder   2	1935, 1949-1954
Box   11 Folder   3	1955-1956, 1958, 1961-1963
Box   11 Folder   4	Youth, 1942-1955 Note: See also Junior League.
Box   11 Folder   6	Clippings, unorganized
M97-245	Part 2 (M97-245): Additions, circa 1923-1995 Physical Description: 1.4 c.f. (1 record center carton and 1 flat box) and 46 photographs  Scope and Content Note: Additions, circa 1923-1995, including the constitution and revisions; membership flyers; records of committees; conference programs; newsletters; clippings; treasurers' reports; presidents' messages; minutes of meetings (1939-1994); scrapbooks; subject files; and photographs (mainly of groups of members at conferences).	⇧
Box   1 Folder   1	Constitutions and revisions
Box   1 Folder   2	Board members and officers list
Box   1 Folder   3	WCCW stationery listing officers and committees, 1930-1990
Box   1 Folder   4	Honorary board members, 1957-1979
Box   1 Folder   5	Pre-conference board meeting minutes, 1939-1979
Box   1 Folder   6	Board and conference minutes, 1971-1978
Box   1 Folder   7	Meeting minutes, 1979-1980, 1983-1994
Box   1 Folder   8	Corresponding secretary's record, 1923-1932
Box   1 Folder   9	Treasurers' reports, 1925-1995
	Conferences
Box   1 Folder   10	Planning, 1956-1967
Box   1 Folder   11-12	Annual conferences, 1971-1995
	President's correspondence
Box   1 Folder   13	Special and important correspondence, 1963-1970
Box   1 Folder   14	Christmas messages, 1955-1994, undated
Box   1 Folder   15	Personal handwritten messages
Box   1 Folder   16	Affiliates lists, 1961-1995
	Committees
Box   1 Folder   17	Christian charities, formerly public welfare, 1959-1957
Box   1 Folder   18	Education
Box   1 Folder   19	Human rights, 1954, 1965-1966
Box   1 Folder   20	Legislation
Box   1 Folder   21	Organization, 1963-1964
Box   1 Folder   22	Public relations, 1963-1965
Box   1 Folder   23	Public welfare, 1925-1931
Box   1 Folder   24	Youth and junior league
	Districts
Box   1 Folder   25	I, 1963-1965
Box   1 Folder   26	II, 1965
Box   1 Folder   27	III, 1963-1965
Box   1 Folder   28	IV-V, 1963-1964
Box   1 Folder   29	VI, 1963-1965
Box   1 Folder   30	VII, 1963-1965
Box   1 Folder   31	VIII, 1963-1964
Box   1 Folder   32	IX, 1963-1964
Box   1 Folder   33	X, 1963-1965
Box   1 Folder   34	Mary Connor student loan fund
Box   1 Folder   35	WCCW organizational structure
Box   1 Folder   36-37	National Council of Catholic Women, 1956-1965
Box   1 Folder   38-39	Newsletters and publications, 1963-1967, 1985-1995
Box   1 Folder   40	“Why Join WCCW?”
	Clippings
Box   1 Folder   41	Past presidents and officers
Box   1 Folder   42	WCCW, 1938-1995
Box   1 Folder   43	Scrapbook pages, 1958-1961
Box   2	Scrapbook, compiled by Mrs. B.J. Haley, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, circa 1942-1950
PH Box   13	Photographs Scope and Content Note: Photographs are mainly of groups of members at meetings. A portion are from the 1958-1961 scrapbook in folder 43; the rest date circa 1976-1993 or are undated.
M2004-101	Part 3 (M2004-101): Additions, 1933-2004 Physical Description: 1.4 c.f. (1 record center carton and 1 archives box), 31 photographs, and 3 negatives  Scope and Content Note: Additions, 1933-2004, consisting of meeting minutes, annual reports, brochures and other publications, financial records, loan and scholarship records, and resolutions. Also included are conference photographs from the 1990s, the bulk of which are unidentified.	⇧
Box   1 Folder   1-2	Affiliate and officer lists, 1965-1966, 1993-2003
Box   1 Folder   3	Affiliate reports, 1998-2001
Box   1 Folder   4	Annual conference costs, 1979-2002
Box   1 Folder   5	Agendas for board meetings, 1993-2003
Box   1 Folder   6	Annual board meeting brochures, 1955-1980
Box   1 Folder   7	Annual reports, 1955-1959
Box   1 Folder   8	Board meeting schedules, 1995-2004
Box   1 Folder   9-20	Board meeting minutes, 1961-2003
Box   1 Folder   21	By-laws and constitution
Box   1 Folder   22	Call to board meetings, 1999-2003
Box   1 Folder   23	Call to conference, 1966-1994
Box   1 Folder   24	Christian charities fund, 1997
Box   1 Folder   25	Christmas messages, 1979-2000
Box   1 Folder   26	Committee materials, various, 1960s
Box   1 Folder   27	Conference materials, 1993-2003
Box   1 Folder   28	Conference flyers, annual conferences, 1981-2003
Box   1 Folder   29	History file, 1938-1993
Box   1 Folder   30	Informant flyer, 1950-1963
Box   1 Folder   31	Is Your's a Wide World, publication, 1980s
Box   1 Folder   32	Miscellaneous newsletters, 1965-1983
Box   1 Folder   33	Newsletters, 1999-2003
Box   1 Folder   34	Miscellaneous, 1960s, 1992-2003
Box   1 Folder   35	Mary Connor loan fund, 1930s-1960s
Box   1 Folder   36	Legislative activities, 1993-2003
Box   1 Folder   37	Golden Jubilee Conference, Kenosha, 1965
Box   1 Folder   38	National Council of Catholic Women, Stevens Point, 2001
Box   1 Folder   39	Newspaper clippings, 1964-1985
Box   1 Folder   40	President's reports, 1957-1962
Box   1 Folder   41	Reading lists, literature, 1996-2003
Box   2 Folder   1-3	Resolutions, 1972-2003
Box   2 Folder   4	Scholarship fund
Box   2 Folder   5	Stationery samples, 1950s-1960s
Box   2 Folder   6	Treasurers' reports, 1965-2003
Box   2 Folder   7	Wisconsin Catholic Club Woman magazine, 1933-1939
PH Box   6	Photographs of members, events, conventions, and board meetings, 1999-2002