Helen Hunt Club Records
Scope and Content
The records within the Helen Hunt Club Collection fall into five series: (1) Constitution and By-laws (2) Programs 1898-1950 (3) Meeting Minutes (4) Manuscript for the Helen Hunt Club Novel; and (5) Miscellaneous papers.
Series 1 contains the constitution and by-laws for the Helen Hunt Club from its beginnings in 1891. The constitution was rewritten in 1926.
Series 2 has a nearly complete set of club programs from 1898-1950. The following years are missing from the collection; 1906-1907, 1913-1914, 1920-1921, 1930-1931, 1937-1938, 1938-1939, 1939-1940, 1944-1945, 1945-1946, 1946-1947, and 1947-1948. The programs contain suggested reading lists for club members. There is also a schedule of literary presentations for each meeting.
Series 3 consists of the meeting minutes from March of 1927 to February of 1947. The minutes are a record of the meeting activities and give insight into issues concerning the particular time period in the scientific, literary and cultural spheres. The club wrote papers on the classics and special topics that they felt were important to scholarship and women.
Series 4 has the original manuscript for the Helen Hunt Club novel (untitled). Sixteen members of the club contributed a chapter for this romantic novel set in the 1910's.
Series 5 contains miscellaneous correspondence, membership cards and papers.
Dates
- Creation: 1891-1950
Creator
- Helen Hunt Club (Dayton, Ohio) (Organization)
Restrictions on Access
There are no restrictions on accessing materials in this collection.
Restrictions on Use
Copyright restrictions may apply. Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.
History of Helen Hunt Club
The Helen Hunt Club was founded in February of 1891 by a group of teachers, and federated in February of 1892. Named for the poetess and writer, Helen Hunt Jackson, the club served as a literary organization for women. The primary purpose of the club was the "study and reading of papers on literary subjects". The H.H. Club, as it was commonly referred to, was Dayton's second literary club for women.
Along the way, the teachers devoted some of their club activities toward the production of an annual play. It was felt that there was few opportunities for drama in the Dayton area at this time, and a play was produced in the Spring of each year.
The Club also had a philanthropic aspect. They donated a painting by one of their own member artists to the Dayton Art Institute and donated funds to various organizations that were concerned with education, women, and children.
Extent
1 linear feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Helen Hunt Club was a women's literary organization founded in 1891 by a group of Dayton school teachers. The group studied and read papers on literary subjects and produced a play each year. Records consist of a constitution and by-laws, meeting minutes, club programs, correspondence, and the manuscript of a novel written by several club members ca. 1910.
Statement of Arrangement
The collection is arranged into five series.
- Series 1: Constitution and By-laws
- Series 2: Programs 1898-1950
- Series 3: Meeting Minutes
- Series 4: Manuscript for the Helen Hunt Club novel
- Series 5: Miscellaneous
Acquisition Information
The papers of the Helen Hunt Club were accessioned into the Wright State University Department of Archives and Special Collections in December of 1991 from the Montgomery County Historical Society.
- Title
- Guide to the Helen Hunt Club Records (MS-228)
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Kristina Sullivan, 1992
- Date
- 2015
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections Repository
Wright State University Libraries
Special Collections and Archives
3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy
Dayton OH 45435-0001 USA
937-775-2092
library-archives@wright.edu
