President’s File (Joan Meyer), 1990

The collection offers insight into Montgomery County women’s involvement in political activity at the local, state and national levels in support of the Republican platform in the 20th and 21st centuries. The records within the Harrison Township Women’s Republican Club collection fall into four series: (1) Administrative Records; (2) Activities; (3) Membership Information; and (4) Northridge Women’s Republican Club of Montgomery County Scrapbooks.

Series 1, Administrative Records, contains by-laws and some correspondence in the form of thank you notes, but it also contains the heart of the collection in the form of meeting minutes. The minutes include both regular and Executive Board meetings and date from the organization’s beginning in 1944 through 2001. Gaps exist for the years 1957-1965 and 1977-1979. Summaries of officer, committee and Treasurer’s reports are recorded in the minutes. This is valuable since separate reports from the officers, committees and treasurer are rarely found in the collection, but are filed with the minutes of the meeting at which they were reported if they exist. The names of the incoming elected officers and committee chairs are recorded in the meeting minutes as well. The minutes provide the most insight into the organization, activities, membership, and values of the Harrison Township Women’s Republican Club. Please note that the minutes for 1955 and 1956 have some water damage and portions of them are difficult to read. The Presidents’ Files in this series primarily contain the president’s notes used in conducting the meetings, which complement the meeting minutes. The President’s Files are only available for the years 1966-1969, 1976, 1983-1984, and 1987-1991. For financial in to the Treasurer’s reports recorded in the minutes, a Treasure’s Book dating 1955-1966 is included.

Series 2, Activities, is small, but offers a glimpse into the Club’s activities at various points in its history. Included is the McKinley Day Dinner program from 1949; materials relating to the Northern Montgomery County Republican Rally of October 1968; records from card parties for the years 1979 and 1982-1986; Christmas party reservation lists from the 1980s; and information of local interest, such as material received from local governmental units or the County Republican Party.

Series 3, Membership Information, contains Membership Lists for 1968-2001. Registration cards for memberships not renewed in 1973-1975, 1977, 1981, and 1983 are included. The Series also contains registration cards for 1984 active members; associate members; honorary members; and membership cards for the National Federation of Republican Women.

Series 4, Northridge Women’s Republican Club of Montgomery County, contains two scrapbooks. Both scrapbooks are fragile and require care in viewing. Scrapbook #1 spanning 1963-1978, arrived in the archives disassembled. The pages were kept in their original order and are housed in 16 acid free folders holding 1-3 pages each. As many heavy, multi-paged items are glued to the acidic pages, please turn the pages with care. This earlier scrapbook dates to the charter of the Northridge Women’s Republican Club of Montgomery County in 1963, and contains programs and conference materials from the delegates and alternates who represented the club at the Ohio Federation of Republican Women’s Organizations conferences in the spring and fall of 1968-1972, as well as the Republican State Conventions. Materials relevant to Republican politics at a local, state and national level are also represented in the scrapbook, including the election and administration of President Nixon. Of note, the constitution for the Northridge organization is in file 6 of this scrapbook. President Nixon’s inaugural program is in File 8. containing information on the Ford and Reagan administrations.

The second scrapbook in this series dates from 1978-1988, and contains programs from the Ohio Federation of Republican Women fall conferences of 1978 and 1979, newsclippings of historic issues and events, certificates of appreciation, thank you notes, and commemorative invitation to President Reagan’s inauguration. While this scrapbook is assembled, it is also fragile and requires care when viewing.