The records of the REC have been arranged into five major series, which primarily reflect the internal organizational structure and programs of the Committee. These are: General Records, Committees and Programs of REC, Reference and Subject Files, Urban Coalition Records, and Tape Recordings. The major portion of the collection dates prior to 1977, and student files of any date for individuals still enrolled, have been retained by the Committee. Note the restrictions on use of many of the files.
Within the GENERAL RECORDS may be found material pertaining to the organization, operation, and activities of the REC and its committees. A folder of organizational and general papers, including histories, contains the articles of incorporation and by-laws of the Committee, and other papers related primarily to REC's inception. Files of minutes of the REC board of directors and executive committee reveal the groups' planning and decision-making processes. Included with the minutes are agenda and explanations of the agenda, notes from meetings (usually kept by a secretary); material presented at each meeting, such as treasurer's and committee reports; and in some cases, correspondence pertaining directly to meeting arrangements or topics under consideration. Similar materials from the annual membership meeting are also present; these meetings generally had less direct influence on the administration of the REC.
The correspondence and internal memoranda of the executive director are also included in this series; directors have been Joseph B. Nelson, Duane P. Johnson, Brazilian Thurman, and currently, Mary Day. Printed annual reports were produced each year for distribution to the membership and to contributors; a copy of each is included, with drafts of articles and layout sketches. Financial records consist of an extensive file of financial and operating statements, supplemented by partial runs of other financial documents, for example, budgets, contributions, income tax material, insurance policies, and payroll records. The financial records of individual committees and projects are filed with the records of the specific project, except where committee and general financial records are closely related. Membership and mailing lists contain the names of actual and prospective members, and officers and directors of REC. The personnel files are incomplete, and pertain only to those individuals who worked for the Committee, excluding those hired elsewhere under the auspices of REC employment programs. The RECord was the organization's newsletter, which appeared at irregular intervals.
Among the major COMMITTEES AND PROGRAMS OF REC represented in the collection are the Business Opportunities Committee and Corporation, Educational Assistance Program, General and Summer Employment Programs, and the REC Non-Profit Housing Corporation. For all REC committees, many of the same types of papers are present: correspondence and memos of the head of the program or committee, financial records, reports (usually intended for the executive director or board of directors) summarizing the work and accomplishments of the committee or its head, and files documenting the planning and implementation of various aspects of the committee's work.
Records of the Business Opportunities Committee and Corporation include fragmentary minutes, correspondence, organizational and financial papers, and other general items, as well as records of loans requested by businessmen. In 1972 the Corporation revised and updated the minority Business and Community Services Directory, originally compiled by the Racine NAACP. Researchers may not identify or reveal in any way the names of borrowers.
The records of the Educational Assistance Program are the most extensive and complete of any in this series. Several boxes of student case files contain originals or copies of student application forms, transcripts, grade reports, and correspondence. Vouchers for disbursement of financial aid funds are also included. Other data regarding grants and financial aid, enrollment figures and students in general may be found in the folders entitled “records of students and grants.” Use of all student records is restricted under the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974.
Among the documents of the General and Summer Employment Programs are applications; lists of contributors, and participating employers and employees; payrolls, minutes, correspondence, and reports. Most of the files are incomplete. Also fragmentary are the records of the REC Non-Profit Housing Corporation, most of which are financial in nature. Xerox copies of photos of corporation properties and rehabilitation projects are included in the folder of follow-up reports.
The Revenue Sharing Monitoring Project studied the impact of and problems associated with this type of federal program, as viewed from the township and county level. REC administered the funding and work of the Project, whose records include the initial proposals for the study, the survey handbook, interviewer's notes and drafts, completed questionnaires, reference and personnel material, and the final report.
The REC maintained REFERENCE AND SUBJECT FILES regarding a number of local community groups and organizations, many of which worked with the REC toward similar goals. Other folders contain general information about the city and on subjects likely to be of interest to REC staff members and clients. Items within the files primarily consist of printed and near-print material, although newsclippings, notes, minutes of meetings, and pertinent correspondence are also included.
The URBAN COALITION RECORDS mainly date from 1968, when REC affiliated with the Coalition, to 1970, and apparently were collected as reference files by then-Executive Director Joseph B. Nelson, who attended several Urban Coalition meetings and conferences, and corresponded with UC officials. Much of this series consists of printed or mass-produced material, concerning Urban Coalition conferences, programs, reports, and topics of interest. Several folders contain correspondence, annual reports, and newsclippings regarding individual coalitions in which Nelson had a particular interest.
TAPE RECORDINGS of Racine Environment Committee meetings, speeches, and talks are also included in the collection. Eight tapes record an October 14, 1970 meeting of the REC Executive Committee, an unidentified meeting held October 30, 1969 concerning REC's efforts to provide educational opportunities for minority students, 1967 and 1970 Board of Education budget and general meetings, and an undated talk by Dr. Michael M. Danielson regarding the city of Racine and taxation for school needs. An additional tape of a presentation on Negro history, December 1968, is accompanied by a transcript in Box 7, Folder 5.
