| Repository: | Western Reserve Historical Society |
| Creator: | Phillis Wheatley Association |
| Title: | Phillis Wheatley Association Records |
| Dates: | 1911-1960 |
| Extent: | 13.60 linear feet (36 containers) |
| Abstract: | The Phillis Wheatley Association is a Cleveland, Ohio, self-help organization designed to help young African American women adjust to city life. It was organized in 1911 by Jane Edna Hunter and originally called the Working Girls Home Association. Services included a boarding house, homemaking classes, and recreational, literary and social activities. The collection consists of financial and committee reports, minutes, financial statements, insurance policies, newspaper clippings, printed brochures, speeches, and correspondence. |
| MS Number | MS 3527 |
| Location: | closed stacks |
| Language: | The records are in English |
The Working Girls Home Association, later renamed The Phillis Wheatley Association, was organized by Jane Edna Hunter in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1911. In the first years the Association concentrated its efforts on housing and employment for young African American women. With a budget of $1,500, the Association maintained a boarding home for twenty-two girls. As the demand for housing expanded, by 1917 it was necessary to purchase a larger building to accommodate an increasing number of residents. The building was purchased for $37,000, raised by contributions.
In 1919, aided by the Welfare Federation of Cleveland, the Phillis Wheatley Association purchased an adjoining building for the development of an educational and social center and established the Stephen School of Music.
Residents of the Association lived in a wholesome atmosphere where cafeteria meals were cooked with a southern flare and attractively served at prices within the means of the residents. Cooking classes were established for the purpose of planning and preparing luncheons, dinners, and teas. Those employed who wished to become more skillful and more valuable to their employers and women who wished to improve their homemaking skills were encouraged to attend the training school that was established in 1931. Other programs successfully developed were sewing, dressmaking, sports such as swimming, basketball, baseball and tennis; dramatization, handicraft, discussion groups, and literary programs geared toward the development of friendship and cooperation.
The Phillis Wheatley Association is an example of an African American self-help organization designed to help young women adjust to city life. The intellectual achievements perpetuated and the vocational training offered in this institution aided young women in overcoming countless obstacles to advancement and thus became an important aspect of Cleveland's history.
click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History for the Phillis Wheatley Association
click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History for Jane Edna Hunter
The Phillis Wheatley Association Records, 1911-1960 and undated, consist of financial and committee reports, minutes of meetings, financial statements, insurance policies, newspaper clippings, printed brochures, photographs, speeches, and correspondence.
This collection will be useful to researchers studying the history of Cleveland, Ohio, and its African American community in the twentieth century. Those studying the history of African American women, employment and training issues, and the transition from rural, southern life to urban, northern life will find this collection particularly useful. These records reflect the internal administration of the Association and contain material relating to the many activities which it undertook. Of special interest is the correspondence relating to contributors who assisted in the financing of the Phillis Wheatley Association.
None.
Related MaterialThe researcher should also consult PG 74 Phillis Wheatley Association Photographs; MS 3544 Jane Edna Hunter Papers; and MS 4867 Jane Edna Hunter Papers, Series II.
Separated MaterialAll photographs have been removed to PG 74 Phillis Wheatley Association Photographs.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 3527 Phillis Wheatley Association Records, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio
Gift of the Phillis Wheatley Association in 1971.
Series I: Board of Trustees and Committees 1912-1959 |
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| Box | Volume | ||||||||||
| 1 | 1-3 | Minutes of the Board of Trustees 1914-1942 | |||||||||
| 1 | 1-2 | Minutes of the Board of Trustees 1933-1937 1941-1942 1944-1951 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 1 | Minutes of the Board of Trustees 1949-1950 | |||||||||
| 2 | 2 | Correspondence relating to the Board of Trustees 1934-1958 | |||||||||
| 2 | 3 | List of Board of Trustees members 1931 1944-1946 | |||||||||
| 2 | 4 | Miscellaneous records of the Board of Trustees, including a constitution, photograph, and unidentified material 1912-1949 | |||||||||
| 2 | 1 | Income ledger 1943-1952 | |||||||||
| 2 | 2 | Minutes of the Education Department 1935-1945 | |||||||||
| 2 | 3 | Membership of various committees 1936-1939 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 3 | 1 | Annual meeting materials, including minutes, correspondence, and non-correspondence 1916-1917 1920-1921 1923 1942 | |||||||||
| 3 | 2-14 | Annual meeting materials, including minutes, correspondence, and non-correspondence 1946-1958 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 4 | 1-14 | Annual financial report 1920 1932-1935 1938-1939 1942-1948 1954-1957 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 5 | 1-2 | Annual financial report 1958-1959 | |||||||||
| 5 | 3 | Budget material for the Cafeteria Committee 1944-1945 | |||||||||
| 5 | 4 | Budget material for the Endowment Fund Committee 1942-1945 | |||||||||
| 5 | 5-6 | Budget material for the Group Work Council 1951 | |||||||||
| 5 | 7 | Budget material for the Group Work Council 1938 1940-1941 1954-1957 | |||||||||
| 5 | 8 | Budget material for the Phillis Wheatley Property Committee 1943-1944 | |||||||||
| 5 | 9 | Budget material for the United Negro College Fund Committee 1946-1951 | |||||||||
| 5 | 10 | Budget material for the Welfare Federation of Cleveland Committee 1943 | |||||||||
Series II: Subject File 1920-1959 undated |
|||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 6 | 1 | Accommodations 1956-1957 | |||||||||
| 6 | 2 | Adoption of children 1945 | |||||||||
| 6 | 3 | Adult Department 1954-1957 | |||||||||
| 6 | 4 | Akron Community Service Center 1945-1948 | |||||||||
| 6 | 5 | Appreciation dinner 1948 | |||||||||
| 6 | 6 | Juanita Baker 1948-1950 | |||||||||
| 6 | 7 | Dudley S. Blossom 1946 | |||||||||
| 6 | 8 | Bookkeeper applications 1940-1948 | |||||||||
| 6 | 9 | Bookkeeper vs. Stella B. Davidson 1948 | |||||||||
| 6 | 10 | Andrew Brown 1948-1955 | |||||||||
| 6 | 11 | Robert Brown 1948-1952 | |||||||||
| 6 | 12-16 | Cafeteria and housing 1953-1957 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 7 | 1-5 | Central Area Council 1945-1959 undated | |||||||||
| 7 | 6 | Committee reports, including Adult Activity Committee; Business and Industrial Committee; Citizens Committee; Educational Committee; Library Committee; Membership Committee; Music School Committee; Staff Committee; Standing Committee; and Youth Activities Committee 1941-1950 | |||||||||
| 7 | 7 | Josephine Kohler, nursery school 1955-1957 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 8 | 1 | Contracts 1946 | |||||||||
| 8 | 2 | Correspondence to tenants 1949-1950 | |||||||||
| 8 | 3 | Correspondence with members of the Board of Trustees 1942-1943 | |||||||||
| 8 | 4 | Estelle V. Davis 1950-1956 | |||||||||
| 8 | 5 | Nathaniel Dett 1934 | |||||||||
| 8 | 6 | Donors dinner 1955 | |||||||||
| 8 | 7 | Easter parade 1933-1934 | |||||||||
| 8 | 8-9 | Employment 1955-1957 | |||||||||
| 8 | 10 | Employment Committee 1949-1954 undated | |||||||||
| 8 | 11 | Equity Savings and Loan Company 1943 | |||||||||
| 8 | 12 | Endowments 1942-1943 | |||||||||
| 8 | 13 | Evaluation reports 1937-1938 undated | |||||||||
| 8 | 14 | Fall Charity Fair 1932 | |||||||||
| 8 | 15 | Ford House report 1944 | |||||||||
| 8 | 16 | General data and the camp staff 1938-1939 | |||||||||
| 8 | 17 | Curtis Guinn vs. Mrs. Nell Guinn 1947 | |||||||||
| 8 | 18 | Gym floor plans undated | |||||||||
| 8 | 19 | Health and Physical Education Committees 1938-1939 | |||||||||
| 8 | 20 | Home Economics and Employment Committees 1925-1939 | |||||||||
| 8 | 21 | Nenita Hom, head of the Youth Department 1955-1957 | |||||||||
| 8 | 22 | Ernestine C. Hooker 1954-1959 | |||||||||
| 8 | 23 | Hospital Council 1944-1945 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 9 | 1-2 | Housing 1930-1952 | |||||||||
| 9 | 3 | Jane Edna Hunter 1934-1952 undated | |||||||||
| 9 | 4 | Individual social service report blanks for children undated | |||||||||
| 9 | 5 | Institutions, miscellaneous dates vary | |||||||||
| 9 | 6-7 | Interoffice correspondence 1949-1950 | |||||||||
| 9 | 8 | Interview 1950 | |||||||||
| 9 | 9 | Junior Board 1939 | |||||||||
| 9 | 10 | Kingsley-Arter Center 1932-1939 undated | |||||||||
| 9 | 11 | Josephine Kohler, nursery school 1938 1955 | |||||||||
| 9 | 12 | Letters of recommendation made by Jane Edna Hunter 1932-1938 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 10 | 1 | Helen Marshall 1950-1951 | |||||||||
| 10 | 2 | Membership campaign 1944 | |||||||||
| 10 | 3 | The May Company 1947-1948 | |||||||||
| 10 | 4 | Miscellaneous papers, including reports 1923-1938 undated | |||||||||
| 10 | 5 | Mortgage reports 1923-1930 | |||||||||
| 10 | 6 | Music programs undated | |||||||||
| 10 | 7 | National Consumer Education League 1946 | |||||||||
| 10 | 8 | Night reports 1923-1939 | |||||||||
| 10 | 9 | Nominating Committee 1939 | |||||||||
| 10 | 10-11 | Nursery school 1938 1957 | |||||||||
| 10 | 12 | Nursing and day care 1946 | |||||||||
| 10 | 13 | Office of Price Administration 1953-1945 | |||||||||
| 10 | 14 | Outside information on resources 1940-1942 | |||||||||
| 10 | 15 | Personnel Committee 1934-1939 | |||||||||
| 10 | 16 | Phillis Wheatley Association activity announcements 1950 undated | |||||||||
| 10 | 17 | Phillis Wheatley Association girls 1937-1940 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 11 | 1 | Prayer schedule 1939 undated | |||||||||
| 11 | 2 | Preschool and elementary girls 1941 undated | |||||||||
| 11 | 3 | Preschool Department 1940-1941 | |||||||||
| 11 | 4 | Referrals of unmarried mothers 1948 | |||||||||
| 11 | 5 | Rent control (Office of Price Administration) 1943-1944 | |||||||||
| 11 | 6 | Rent report 1943 | |||||||||
| 11 | 7 | Resource material including speeches, songs, and various publicity material 1940-1942 | |||||||||
| 11 | 8 | Dora Richardson 1940-1941 | |||||||||
| 11 | 9 | E. H. Ringler 1945-1946 | |||||||||
| 11 | 10 | Schedules of janitor and cafeteria help undated | |||||||||
| 11 | 11 | Schools project (music) 1941 | |||||||||
| 11 | 12 | Service report to the Welfare Federation of Cleveland 1920-1931 undated | |||||||||
| 11 | 13 | Katherine O. Simpson 1955 | |||||||||
| 11 | 14 | Social service report 1938 | |||||||||
| 11 | 15 | Special events 1940 | |||||||||
| 11 | 16 | State legislature material 1945 | |||||||||
| 11 | 17 | Tally sheets 1949 | |||||||||
| 11 | 18 | Minerva Taylor 1942 | |||||||||
| 11 | 19 | Rose Bush Taylor 1952 | |||||||||
| 11 | 20 | Thrift Shop I 1952-1955 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 12 | 1 | Thrift Shop II 1956 | |||||||||
| 12 | 2 | Karen Tilford 1953 | |||||||||
| 12 | 3 | Training school 1942-1943 | |||||||||
| 12 | 4 | Volunteers 1939-1941 | |||||||||
| 12 | 5 | Forrester B. Washington vs. Educational Director 1947 | |||||||||
| 12 | 6-8 | Welfare Federation of Cleveland 1935-1955 undated | |||||||||
| 12 | 9 | Welfare Federation of Cleveland, monthly service reports 1939-1941 undated | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 13 | 1 | James Williams 1951-1952 | |||||||||
| 13 | 2 | Mildred B. Williams 1954 | |||||||||
| 13 | 3 | J. Roy Williams 1954-1955 | |||||||||
| 13 | 4 | Women's Civic League 1947-1956 undated | |||||||||
| 13 | 5 | Mary Wright 1947 | |||||||||
| 13 | 6 | Young Girl's Department 1939-1942 undated | |||||||||
| 13 | 7-8 | Youth Department 1956-1957 undated | |||||||||
Series III: Correspondence 1922-1956 undated |
|||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 14 | 1-5 | Correspondence 1922-1947 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 15 | 1-5 | Correspondence 1947-1948 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 16 | 1-4 | Correspondence 1948-1949 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 17 | 1-4 | Correspondence 1949-1950 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 18 | 1-4 | Correspondence 1950-1951 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 19 | 1-4 | Correspondence 1951-1952 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 20 | 1-4 | Correspondence 1952-1953 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 21 | 1-5 | Correspondence 1953-1954 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 22 | 1-4 | Correspondence 1955-1956 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 23 | 1-3 | Correspondence 1956 undated | |||||||||
Series IV: Rubie J. McCullough Files 1943-1955 undated |
|||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 24 | 1 | Community Chest 1953-1955 | |||||||||
| 24 | 2-4 | Group Work Council 1945-1952 | |||||||||
| 24 | 5-6 | Josephine Kohler Nursery School 1944-1951 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 25 | 1-3 | Josephine Kohler Nursery School 1952-1954 | |||||||||
| 25 | 4 | Membership drive 1950 undated | |||||||||
| 25 | 5 | C. W. Middleton, Welfare Federation of Cleveland 1943-1946 | |||||||||
| 25 | 6 | Miscellaneous papers and reports 1954-1955 | |||||||||
| 25 | 7 | Miscellaneous papers and memoranda 1960 undated | |||||||||
| 25 | 8 | Welfare Federation of Cleveland 1948-1950 | |||||||||
Series V: Friendship Hunt Records 1945-1958 undated |
|||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 26 | 1-9 | Friendship Hunt records 1945-1954 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 27 | 1-5 | Friendship Hunt records 1955-1957 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 28 | 1-3 | Friendship Hunt records 1958 undated | |||||||||
Series VI: Camp Mueller Records 1911-1957 undated |
|||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 29 | 1-8 | Camp Mueller records, including minutes, lists, correspondence, publications, and newspaper clippings 1911 1932 1936-1938 1940-1954 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 30 | 1-6 | Camp Mueller records, including minutes, lists, correspondence, publications, and newspaper clippings 1955-1957 undated | |||||||||
Series VII: Folk Festival Records 1948-1955 undated |
|||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 31 | 1-10 | Folk Festival records, including correspondence, news releases, printed material, and newspaper clippings 1948-1955 undated | |||||||||
Series VIII: Miscellaneous Records 1923-1960 undated |
|||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 32 | 1-5 | Residence applications 1946-1951 1960 undated | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 33 | 1-2 | Employment applications 1924-1959 | |||||||||
| 33 | 3-4 | Employment correspondence 1942-1945 | |||||||||
| 33 | 5 | Daily time sheets 1957 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 34 | 1-5 | Daily time sheets 1957 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 35 | 1-3 | Expired insurance policies 1943-1955 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 36 | 1-3 | Miscellaneous material, including photographs 1923-1951 undated | |||||||||