The National Association of Social Workers Wisconsin Chapter records reflect the professional activities of the Wisconsin Chapter. The entire collection spans the years 1925-1985, with the bulk of the documents dating from 1960-1979. Documents are administrative in nature and correspondence, meeting minutes, financial reports, committee reports, annual reports, newsletters, and social action records. These records reflect the interaction of the Wisconsin Chapter with the national organization as well as local branches. The collection is divided into three series, PREDECESSOR ASSOCIATIONS, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, and WISCONSIN CHAPTER. The PREDECESSOR ASSOCIATIONS series contains two sub-series, American Association of Social Workers and American Association of Psychiatric Social Workers. The WISCONSIN CHAPTER series also consists of two sub-series, Chronological Files and Subject Files. Although the Chronological Files contain similar topics found in the Subject Files, these two sub-series represent two separate filing schemes. The Chronological Files reflect the original order in which the materials were kept within the organization from 1954-1979. In contrast, the Subject Files consist of materials spanning 1963-1985 and represent items consolidated from various miscellaneous files and boxes.
The PREDECESSOR ASSOCIATIONS series consist of two main sub-series corresponding to two of the seven predecessor organizations to the National Association of Social Workers active in Wisconsin: The American Association of Social Workers, 1925-1955 and the American Association of Psychiatric Social Workers, 1949-1954. These sub-series include correspondence, meeting minutes, pamphlets, newsletters, directories, committee reports, and financial statements. The information reflected in these documents pertains to the development of professional social work organizations in Wisconsin. A portion of the information reflects the activities of Anne Miller, Chief Social Worker who was involved in both the AASW and the AAPSW in Wisconsin. The series disproportionately contains more documents on the AASW due to its longer period of existence in Wisconsin. Organized chronologically within each sub-series, the documents provide insight into these organization's activities in Wisconsin from 1925-1954 such as providing housing to low income individuals, investigations into the mental hygiene problems of adolescents, and involvement in the Fair Employment Practice Committee to prevent discrimination in employment.
The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION series contains information concerning the relationship of the Wisconsin Chapter with the NASW National Organization from 1965-1978. Included in this series are form letters, pamphlets, newsletters, membership statistics, bylaws, executive committee meeting minutes, directories, legislative material, committee reports, chapter action guides, code of ethics, list of chapter services, and chapter standards. Although little of the information relates specifically to the Wisconsin Chapter, the documents are important in order to understand the national context in which the state chapter functioned such as the Educational Legislation Action Network Alert (ELAN). The various functions, such as social work legislation, that the national organization was involved in are carried out on the state level. Other records of the national organization are found in the Wisconsin Chapter Subject Files sub-series under National Organization 1969-1972, 1984. This series is organized chronologically.
The WISCONSIN CHAPTER Chronological Files sub-series include correspondence, financial, minutes, newsletters and newspaper clippings from 1954-1979. Arranged chronologically, this sub-series portrays the routine activities of the organization at the state and local level. These activities involve meetings, election of chapter leaders, and development of various committees focused on specific subjects such as social work legislation and the development of professional standards. Included in the General File, 1970 is a four-track tape of a meeting held on February 21, 1970. The creation of the National Association of Social Workers and the conglomeration of local chapters to form a state chapter and local branches in 1973 are also documented. The documents relating to the initial years of the Wisconsin Chapter's existence are fragmentary until 1963. From 1963-1979 the growth of the state chapter is evident through the amount of records generated. Items after 1976 heavily reflect the activities of Geraldine Wolter, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Chapter, in relation to her involvement in social legislation. The records are also heavily focused on the activities of the Southeastern Branch and lack documentation of the other branches in Wisconsin due to the location of the state chapter office in the Southeastern Branches jurisdiction. Further information concerning the Southeastern Branch can be found in the National Association of Social Workers, Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter Records at the Wisconsin Historical Society. For more documents pertaining to the contents of the Wisconsin Chapter Clerical Files, consult the Wisconsin Chapter Subject Files.
The WISCONSIN CHAPTER Subject Files sub-series contains documents involving the activities of the chapter from 1963-1985. Many of the subjects in this sub-series contain similar information to the Chronological Files but are more detailed and inclusive. A large portion of the documents represent the Wisconsin Chapter's involvement in social legislation under the direction of Geraldine Wolter, executive director in the 1970's. She impacted the effectiveness of the NASW Wisconsin Chapter, especially in the area of social legislation in relation to mental health services specifically the support of an increase in insurance mandate under S. 632.89 for the treatment of alcoholism, drug abuse and mental and nervous disorders. Wolter's support of women's issues specifically the Women's Conference on Cancer and Social Work Practice in Sexist Society is also evident in the collection. In addition, documents produced at the national level such as member studies and policy statements specifically pertaining to the Wisconsin Chapter are included. Also in this series are financial records, meeting minutes and newsletters from the state chapter and various other branches. The South Central Branch along with the Southeastern Branch is represented more than the other local branches in these files. This series is arranged alphabetically.
