Finding aid for the Proceedings of the Polish National Alliance of the United States of North America, 47th Convention

History of the Polish National Alliance of the United States

The Polish National Alliance of the United States is a major, national, ethnic fraternal-insurance organization. The Alliance was established in 1880 through the efforts of Henry Kalusowski of New York. Branches of this organization soon began in many Polish settlements throughout the United States. The first Ohio group began in 1880, and the first Cleveland lodge was established in 1886.

Though the Alliance's main purpose was the provision of affordable insurance for Polish immigrants, it also strongly worked for the preservation of Polish culture in the United States and, before World War I, lobbied for the reestablishment of a free Polish state in Europe.

The Alliance's primary purpose remains the provision of insurance. Its clientele is still largely composed of individuals of Polish extraction. The organization does, however, continue its efforts to promote Polish culture through its support of language schools, singing societies, and similar artistic organizations.

Scope and Content

The Proceedings of the Polish National Alliance of the United States of North America, 47th Convention, September 15-21, 1935, consist of one bound volume containing a carbon typescript copy of the proceedings of the Alliance's forty-seventh convention in Baltimore, Maryland.

This record contains all of the decisions made concerning operations of the Alliance as well as summations of its financial situation at the time of the convention.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Access

None.

The researcher should also consult MS 3961 Polish National Alliance of the United States of North America, Group 1938 Records; and MS 4138 Polish National Alliance of the United States of North America, Group 229 Records; and MS 5308 Polish National Alliance of the United States of North America Records.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 3931 Proceedings of the Polish National Alliance of the United States of North America, 47th Convention, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Gift of the Alliance of Poles in America in 1972.

Processing Information

Processed by John J. Grabowski in 1983.