American Association of University Women, Xenia, Ohio, Records (MS-518)

The Xenia branch of the American Association of University Women operated for over fifty years to expand the opportunities of women in their community. This collection contains a range of materials including administrative meeting minutes, newsletters, annual treasurer reports, fundraising papers, event flyers, photographs, several scrapbooks, and newspaper clippings. This collection contains topics largely centered around the lives and advancement of women. The collection is arranged into four series.

Series I, Administrative Files, 1948-2012, contains the administrative records for the organization. These included membership directories, newsletters, meeting minutes, correspondence, and other committee papers. The bulk of the administrative series is from 1990-2009. The earlier administrative material is contained in scrapbooks and can be found in Series IV, Scrapbooks and Clippings. Of note in this series is the Xenia branch’s organizational history and bylaws.

Series, II, Financial and Fundraising, 1959-2018, includes any financial records and fundraising papers generated by the branch. The bulk of the series are treasurer reports dating from 1999 to 2010. Researchers will not find any financial reports prior to 1999 in this collection. The bulk of the fundraising materials is from the branch’s annual Christmas Postcard fundraiser. The postcards feature a picture of a local historical structure. Postcard fundraiser materials include postcards, correspondence, event invitations, and newspaper clippings regarding the annual sale. Some materials pertaining to the postcard fundraiser are available in electronic formats. This series also includes papers related to the yearly scholarship awarded to a student entering college.

Series III, Events, 1979-2011, includes flyers, invitations, tickets, and photographs from events held by the association. Major events highlighted in the collection include an international students’ night and various political events surrounding local candidates. Notable items in this series includes certificates awarded to the branch on their fiftieth and sixtieth anniversaries.

Series IV, Scrapbooks and Clippings, 1948-2017, consists of six scrapbooks and miscellaneous newspaper clippings collected by the branch. The scrapbooks are comprised of newspaper clippings, correspondence, membership directories, and newsletters. Of importance in this series are scrapbooks that contain the only records for the first several decades of the organization (1948-1980). The newspaper clippings concern the branch, women and community issues, and clippings regarding branch members.