RIT Women's Club records

Collection — Box: 1

Identifier: RITArc-0005

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The RIT Women's Club records contain a variety of documents related to the organization and its activities including administrative documents, financial records, correspondence, publications, and miscellaneous photographs. Administrative documents consist of the group's constitution, meeting minutes, committee reports, and member directories, as well as several other miscellaneous items. The correspondence in the collection includes business correspondence, and event invitations. Finally, the publications consist mostly of pamphlets, organization newsletters, and loose clippings.

Dates

Creation: 1937-1994
Creation: Majority of material found within 1969 - 1994

Creator

Rochester Institute of Technology. Women's Club (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open to researchers.

Historical Note

The Women's Club was founded in 1937 as a social club for women. Female employees of the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), as well as the wives of faculty and staff, became automatic members of the club upon starting at the university. Women that chose to pay membership dues were allowed to vote at club meetings, were notified of upcoming activities, received a copy of the club's newsletter, and were allowed to join any of several special interest groups the club organized. These special interest groups included book club, square dancing, ice skating, bowling, card groups, foreign student hospitality, and community service among others.

In addition to these social activities, the Women's Club participated in several charitable projects. The club offered two need-based scholarships and maintained an emergency student loan fund. In 1955, the organization sponsored a Korean child as part of the Save the Children Federation. Worried that women would be unable to attend RIT or that faculty would be unable to remain on staff due to the lack of affordable child care options, the club helped create the Horton Day Care Center in 1972. This center was one of the first child care facilities provided by a college or university.

The Women's Club continued to exist well into the 1990s.

Extent

1.3 Linear Feet (1 file boxes)

Language

English

Additional Description

Overview

Records of the Women's Club of the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). The collection includes administrative documents such as the group's constitution, meeting minutes, and committee reports; financial records; correspondence; published material; and photographs.

Arrangement

This collection is organized alphabetically then chronologically.

Related Materials

RIT Student Wives' Association

Processing Information

Finding aid created by Lara Nicosia in November 2010. Finding aid updated by Amanda Packard in November 2015. ArchivesSpace record updated by Julia Novakovic in 2023.