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Records of the University Guild

 Collection
Identifier: 0/4/1

  • Staff Only
  • No requestable containers

Scope and Contents

This series occupies 20 boxes (including one half-size) and seven oversized scrapbooks. It is arranged in nine major categories: correspondence; agendas and minutes; officer and committee reports; financial records; press releases; publications; records of the Women’s Building Association; materials pertaining to the Guild’s art collection and art seminar committee; and clippings and scrapbooks.

Five folders of general incoming correspondence, scattered over the period 1923-79; and one folder of outgoing correspondence dating between 1901 and 1979. Four additional folders contain incoming correspondence on specific topics, including the Carnegie Art Reference Collection (presented by the Guild to the University Library in 1931); the University's centennial (1951); and the centennial of the city of Evanston (1962).

Agendas and minutes occupy six boxes and include Executive Board agendas (1940-44, 1972-76) and minutes (1892, 1898-1980), and general meeting minutes (1892-1932). Reports of officers and committees, most of which date between 1934 and 1980, fill three and one-half boxes. All the foregoing records are arranged chronologically, except committee reports for the period ca. 1945 through ca. 1960, the majority of which are filed alphabetically by committee name.

Two and one-half boxes of financial records include dues payment record books (1948-63); treasurer's reports (1893-1910, 1957-62); check stubs (1928-34, 1959-62); cancelled checks (1959-62); paid bills (1892-1901, 1908, 1959-62); and a few scattered insurance records dating between 1941 and 1978. Press releases occupy about half a box and cover the period 1956-77. Guild publications fill approximately one and one-half boxes and include yearbooks (membership directories) for the period 1902-83; calendars of Guild events (1960-83); programs of events celebrating the Guild’s 75th anniversary (1967); and other programs (1930-80).

Records relating to the Women’s Building Association occupy three boxes and include program proposals for Association subcommittees (1937); correspondence (1906-46); clippings (1915-40); publications (1919-23, 1926-38); and receipt books (1917-39). The art collection and art seminar materials fill about one and one-half boxes and consist largely of financial records (including receipts for art objects purchased at the close of the 1893 Columbian Exposition). They also include an early, undated history of the collection by Mary Harris; a 1941 history of the collection by Anne George Millar; catalogs of the collection; exhibit catalogs; and a group of letters written in 1905 by various Chicago area artists to Guild president Martha Foote Crowe, in response to an inquiry about their willingness to receive Guild visitors in their studios.

Two folders of loose clippings (1901-82) and a small scrapbook of clippings (1924-28) are filed in the last box of the series. Seven additional scrapbooks (oversize) contain clippings covering Guild activities for the period 1933-49 and 1954-76.

Addition 1: Two pieces of correspondence, a letter dated June 9, 1905, from artist Lorado Taft, and a letter of November 11, 1940, from Anna M. Scott, have been added to the series. The Taft letter relates to a visit to Taft's studio by Guild members. The Scott letter concerns a portrait of Scott made by artist Anna Lynch. The correspondence has been added to the series as Folder 20a of Box 1. - KBL 3/11/86

One folder of material relating to the University Guild Student Relations Committee and four annual reports of the president of the University Guild have been added to the series. The folder of Student Relations Committee materials contains annual reports by the Committee chairman, correspondence, lists of scholarship recipients, lists of committee members, financial records, newspaper clippings and related items. This portion of the addition dates from 1967 to 1984. The annual reports by the president are from the years 1971, 1975, 1976 and 1981.

The folder containing the Student Relations Committee records has been added to the series as Folder 22a of Box 8. The four annual reports of the president have been added to an existing folder in the series, Folder 15 of Box 8. - TOW 7/17/89

Addition, Boxes 21-25 The addition to the University Guild records fills three and one-half archival boxes and one drop front box, dating from 1929 to 1986. The records are arranged in five categories: board of directors, officer, and committee reports; financial records; records pertaining to the art collection; general files; and oversized materials. Records in the first three categories contain similar materials found under these headings in the original part of the series. The general files category contains materials identified topically according to the file’s subject matter and are arranged alphabetically by topic. The oversized materials category contains files relating to the art collection, a membership list (1953-1955), and a ledger documenting cash receipts and disbursements (1953-1954). The oversized materials are housed in the drop front box (Box 25).

Addition, Boxes 26-30 This addition to the University Guild records fills five archival boxes, dating from 1949 to 1990. The records are arranged in four categories: board of directors, officer, and committee reports; financial records; records pertaining to the art collection; and general files. Records in the first three categories contain similar materials found under these headings in the original part of the series. The general files category contains materials identified topically according to the files subject matter and are arranged alphabetically by topic.

Addition, Box 31-34 This addition to the Records of the University Guild fills three archival boxes and one drop front box and spans the years 1893 to 1994, with the bulk of the records dating between 1984 and 1994. The records are arranged in 11 categories: historical materials; correspondence; executive board; general meetings; officer and committee reports; financial records; publicity (press releases and clippings); publications; the art collection; and a ledger. The folder dates reflect the span dates of materials and do not necessarily indicate a complete set. The categories and arrangement closely follow the record headings and arrangement of the original series and contain similar items. Materials are arranged in chronological order. The ledger in Box 34 documents cash receipts and disbursements (1978-1991). Of particular interest is the material regarding the Doulton Vase (Box 33, folder 9). The six foot, three inch Doulton Vase was purchased by the University Guild in 1893 at the Columbian Exposition. The vase is housed in the University Guild room in Scott Hall. The folder includes correspondence, reports, articles, and news clippings about the vase.

Addition, Boxes 35-38 The addition fills one archival box and one card file box and spans the dates 1969-2004, with the bulk of the material dating from 1994-2002. The addition is arranged in five subseries: general files, Board of Directors, officer and committee reports, financial records and membership cards.

General files include annual reports, annual meeting programs, and a few newspaper clippings. Board of Directors files consist of meeting minutes and board rosters. Officer and committee reports are arranged alphabetically and are mostly annual reports of the various committees and officers. Financial records are alphabetically by subject and chronologically within each folder.

Membership cards, housed in two card file boxes, span the dates from 1998 to 2000, and include cards for new members, resigned members, deceased members and members dropped for non-payment of dues.

Dates

  • 1892-2004

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on use of the materials in the department for research; all patrons must comply with federal copyright regulations. This collection is stored off-site and requires two business days advance notice for retrieval. Please contact the McCormick Library at specialcollections@northwestern.edu or 847-491-3635 for more information or to schedule an appointment to view the collection.

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is stored at a remote campus location and requires two business days advance notice for retrieval. Please contact the McCormick Library at specialcollections@northwestern.edu or 847-491-3635 for more information or to schedule an appointment to view the collection.

Extent

38.00 Boxes

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The University Guild was founded on June 3, 1892, at a meeting of 11 women in the home of Emma W. Rogers, wife of Northwestern University President Henry Wade Rogers (1890-1900). The Guild’s purposes, as stated in its Constitution, were: “To bring to the membership the intellectual resources of the University. To promote the interests of the University. To work for the collection and exhibition of objects of art. To advance the development and appreciation of the fine arts in the University and in Evanston.”

This series occupies 20 boxes (including one half-size) and seven oversized scrapbooks. It is arranged in nine major categories: correspondence; agendas and minutes; officer and committee reports; financial records; press releases; publications; records of the Women’s Building Association; materials pertaining to the Guild’s art collection and art seminar committee; and clippings and scrapbooks.

Arrangement Note

All records in the original series are arranged chronologically, except committee reports for the period ca. 1945 through ca. 1960, the majority of which are filed alphabetically by committee name.

Method of Acquisition

The University Guild Records were donated to the Archives by Mrs. Spencer S. Willison, on behalf of the Guild, in two installments: the first received on September 1, 1984 (Acccession #85-7), the second received January 28, 1985 (Accession #85-8).

Addition 1 includes accession number 89-109.

Separated Materials

About three linear inches of photographs were separated to Archives photo files (University Guild and University Guild--Presidents). About one inch of duplicates were discarded. The records also contained a mounted copper printing plate, apparently used to produce bookplates for the Carnegie Art Reference Collection, presented by the Guild to the University Library in 1931. The plate has been removed to the Archives artifact collection.

Box 5 was eliminated through weeding of duplicates on July 10, 1986.

Processing Information

Processor: James G. Carson; February 1, 1985

Title
Guide to the Records of the University Guild
Author
James G. Carson
Date
01/02/1985
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
eng

Library Details

Part of the Northwestern University Archives Repository

Contact:
Deering Library, Level 3
1970 Campus Dr.
Evanston IL 60208-2300 US
847-491-3635