Harrison Township Women's Republican Club Records
Scope and Contents
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.
Dates
- Creation: 1944-2009
Creator
- Harrison Township Women's Republican Club (Dayton, Ohio) (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
There are no restrictions on accessing material in this collection.
Conditions Governing 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.
Biographical / Historical
The Harrison Township Women’s Republican Club was organized February 22, 1944, with 30 charter members. Katherine Kennedy Brown (see MS-146) spoke at the group’s first meeting. The Club is part of the Ohio Federation of Republican Women and the National Federation of Republican Woman. The Club holds regular monthly meetings of the entire membership. The Executive Board (the Club’s officers) appoints standing committees and their chairmen.
The Club seeks to educate its membership and the public on governmental organization and issues facing the electorate. Programs at regular meetings dealt with such issues as legislative redistricting, economic development, and international concerns. The Club presents the Republican Party’s stand on public affairs and supports Republican candidates in elections.
The Club occasionally recruited poll workers to serve on election day. It organized annual card parties to raise money; some of the early card parties were county-wide affairs. The Club held annual Christmas luncheons and has sent representatives to state and national conventions of Republican women.
The Harrison Township Women’s Republican Club organized Dayton’s 35th Annual McKinley Day Dinner, held January 31, 1949. It arranged the Northern Montgomery County Republican Rally, which took place on October 28, 1968.
A sister club in its efforts to raise awareness of the Republican platform and support its candidates and legislation, the Northridge Women’s Republican Club of Montgomery County, eventually merged with the Harrison Township Women’s Republican Club. The history of the Northridge club is also preserved in this collection. The charter of the Northridge Women’s Republican Club of Montgomery County was signed by 13 members on May 15, 1963. It was a member in good standing with the Ohio Federation of Republican Women’s Organizations and the National Federation of Republican Women’s Organizations. The club was recognized for its outstanding activity by the National Federation of Republican Women. Delegates and alternates represented the club at the Ohio Federation of Republican Women’s Organizations conferences in the spring and fall, as well as the Republican State Conventions.
Extent
2.0 linear feet (3 letter size document cases and a flat box)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Organized in 1944, the Harrison Township Women's Republican Club is part of the Ohio and National Federation of Republican Women's Clubs. Records consist of minutes, financial records, correspondence, membership rolls, and information about the club's activities. The Northridge Women’s Republican Club of Montgomery County later merged with the Harrison Township club. Two scrapbooks in the collection document the activities of the Northridge Women’s Republican Club from its charter in 1963 to 1988.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into three series, as follows:
- Series 1: Administrative Records
- Series 2: Activities
- Series 3: Membership Information
- Series 4: Northridge Women’s Republican Club of Montgomery County
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The records of the Harrison Township Women’s Republican Club were accessioned into the Wright State University Department of Archives and Special Collections in Spring 1992. Lucille Dedrick served as liaison between the University and the Club in this transaction. The records were donated by the Club’s officers, headed by Mrs. James (Joan) Meyer, President.
Accruals
Additions to the collection may be received in the future.
- Title
- Guide to the Harrison Township Women’s Republican Club Records (MS-245)
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Revision Statements
- 2010: The finding aid was revised in July 2010 to reflect the addition of one linear foot of records to the collection.
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