Dayton Women's Center Records

The Dayton Women's Center records have been divided into three series. The first series is made up of organizational and administrative papers that explain how the center was formed and what it tried to do as an agency for women in the Dayton area. The second series contains printed material about a variety of topics that reveal Dayton women's interests as well as local Feminists' activities. The third series also contains printed material, from other women's groups.

The first series contains organizational files which include papers dealing with the organization's framework: the articles of incorporation and its constitution, its goals and proposals, the contracts made with other agencies, and its general administrative structure. This series also contains correspondence and financial records, including files of funding requests and information from funding agencies. There are minutes of the Women's Center meetings, membership lists, and attendance reports. Also included are job descriptions and contracts with workshop leaders.

In addition to copies of the Women's Center Service Directory, their project status reports, service projects, and a calendar of events, there is a large file of the Women's Center’s newsletters, which informed members of the center's activities. There are also news releases from the Women's Center in this series.

The second series, which is the largest part of the collection, consists of pamphlets, bulletins, guidelines, and articles dealing with the many topics of interest and importance to women in Dayton and to women involved in the women's movement generally. It includes information about women's health problems, especially birth control, childbirth, pregnancy, abortion, breast cancer. It also deals with domestic violence, child abuse, and rape. There are files on discrimination, including discrimination in education politics, insurance, credit, and religion. Also found in this series are materials concerning the women's liberation movement, the National Organization for Women, and the Equal Rights Amendment, but the largest amount of material in this series is related to the many aspects of women working away from the home, their problems and their opportunities. It contains manuals and guidelines designed to assist the working woman.

Series III contains printed materials that include catalogues of films, most of the material is feminist in interest and attitude. Also found in this third series are a few newspapers and newsletters from Ohio based feminist organizations.