- Repository
-
ULS Archives & Special Collections
- Title
- Women's International Club Records
- Creator
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University of Pittsburgh. Women's International Club.
- Collection Number
- UA.40.01.01
- Date [bulk]
- Bulk, 1963-2011
- Date [inclusive]
- 1944-2011
- Extent
-
4.3 linear feet
(11 mss boxes)
-
- Abstract
- The Women’s International Club was founded on August 4, 1939 at the University of Pittsburgh within the Nationality Rooms Program. The purpose of the club was to establish communication between the various Nationality Rooms committees and to promote intercultural understanding and exchange within the university and city community.
Preferred Citation
Women's International Club Records, UA.40.01.01, University Archives, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
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History
Nationality Rooms Program Director Ruth Crawford Mitchell founded the Women’s International Luncheon Club on August 4, 1939, just one year after the completion of the first Nationality Classroom in the Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh. The Nationality Rooms Program itself originated from a wish to celebrate and explore Pittsburgh’s multinational and multicultural background as well as garner support from the Pittsburgh community for the construction of the Cathedral of Learning. The club’s foundation was an extension of this intercultural mission.
The original members were female representatives of the Nationality Room Committees who met to exchange progress reports on the developing rooms. The club accordingly became a communication hub for the classroom committees. Almost immediately after its founding, the club faced the disunity that came with the emerging conflict in Europe. Because of its purposeful exclusion of political affiliation or motive, the club met with enthusiastic interest from Pittsburgh women eager to forestall wartime disunion. Members assembled regularly at luncheons to discuss current events and view lectures by faculty speakers in Political Science, History and Languages. The organization assumed its current name, the Women’s International Club, on October 23, 1947 to better reflect its goals of global consciousness, outreach and learning.
In 1961 the club began awarding scholarships to University students interested in pursuing studies abroad. Permanent funding was secured by the 1975 publication of
The Nationality Rooms Recipe Book, the proceeds of which subsidized the endowment that funds the Women's International Club (WIC) summer abroad scholarship. Although the book was essentially a WIC project, it benefited from contributions by the Nationality Rooms committee members and the Nationality Rooms Office administrative staff. The Women’s International Club meets quarterly and remains a co-sponsor in the Summer Study Abroad scholarship program.
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Scope and Content Notes
The collections consists of the administrative files and records of the activities of the club. Included are corresponcence files, treasurer's reports, minutes (incomplete) and events. A prominent section of records is that of the development and sales of the Nationality Rooms Recipe Book.
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Administrative Information
Publication Information
ULS Archives & Special Collections, April 2013
University of Pittsburgh Library System
Archives & Special Collections
Website: library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
412-648-3232 (ASC) | 412-648-8190 (Hillman)
Contact Us: www.library.pitt.edu/ask-archivist
Access Restrictions
No restrictions.
Copyright
The University of Pittsburgh holds the property rights to the material in this collection, but the copyright may still be held by the original creator/author. Researchers are therefore advised to follow the regulations set forth in the U.S. Copyright Code when publishing, quoting, or reproducing material from this collection without the consent of the creator/author or that go beyond what is allowed by fair use.
Acquisition Information
Deposited by Christina Lagnese in March 2013.
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Carly Lough and Marianne Kasica in March 2013.
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Related Materials
Separated Material
The floppy disks that contain the electronic version of the Recipe Book are in Box 11. The file has been transferred to the Archives server.
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Controlled Access Headings
Corporate Name(s)
- Cathedral of Learning (Pittsburgh, Pa.).
- University of Pittsburgh. Nationality Rooms Program.
- University of Pittsburgh. Women's International Club. -- Records and correspondence
Genre(s)
- Bylaws (Administrative records)
- Correspondence
- Financial records
- Membership lists
- Minutes
Occupation(s)
- Cookbooks -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
Personal Name(s)
- Mitchell, Ruth Crawford, 1890-
Subject(s)
- University of Pittsburgh
- Women
- Women -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh -- Societies and clubs
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Previous Citation
Women's International Club Records, UA.40.01.01, University Archives, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
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Collection Inventory
Series I. Policy and Bylaws
Scope and Content Notes
This series contains a somewhat incomplete set of policies and by-laws that were filed in the Nationality Rooms office at the time of processing.
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| Box | Folder | | Policies, Rules of Procedure, draft Bylaws, 1975-2001 | 1 | 1 |
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| Folder | | Bylaws, 1966-1984 | 2 |
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Series II. Membership
Scope and Content Notes
This series contains some membership lists as well as the applications and nominations for membership in the Club.
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| Folder | | Members, 1941-1956 | 3 |
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| Folder | | Members, 1963-1966 | 4 |
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| Folder | | Members, 1967-1975 | 5 |
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| Folder | | Members, 1980-1985 | 6 |
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| Folder | | Members, 1987-1990 | 7 |
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| Folder | | Member Nominations, 1965, 1984 | 8-9 |
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Series III. Treasurers Accounts and Reports, 1961-1988
Scope and Content Notes
This series contains the records of the treasurer as well as supporting documentaion. Since dues were often collected at the time of the annual luncheon, the luncheon sheets document dues payment as well as luncheon attendance. There is also the finances for the production and sale of the Recipe Book. Other activities around the book are in Series VII.
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| Box | Folder | | Ledger Cards, 1961-1973 | 2 | 1 |
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| Folder | | Dues and Reports Ledgers, 1967-1988 | 2-4 |
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| Folder | | Luncheon Sheets and Dues, 1984-1985 | 5-6 |
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| Folder | | Hoechstetter Printing Co. Invoices and Correspondence, 1973-1978 | 7 |
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| Folder | | Nationality Rooms Recipe Book Sales and Invoices, 1974-1985 | 8-11 |
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| Box | Folder | | Nationality Rooms Books Sales and Invoices, 1976-1998 | 3 | 1-9 |
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Series IV. Minutes
Scope and Content Notes
This series comprises the minutes of the meetings as well as any business transacted at other gatherings. There are some missing.
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| Folder | | Executive Committee, 1963-1965 | 3 |
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Series V. Correspondence Files
Scope and Content Notes
This series contains correspondence as well as many other day-to-day transactions of the club. The postcards and letters pertain mainly to scholarship recipients but occasionally other greetings.
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| Box | Folder | | 1950-1963 | 4 | 4-12 |
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| Box | Folder | | 1973-1985 | 6 | 1-12 |
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| Box | Folder | | 1986-1996 | 7 | 1-10 |
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| Box | Folder | | 1997-2012 | 8 | 1-14 |
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| Folder | | Postcards and Letters, 1984-1985 | 15 |
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Series VI. Events and Publicity
Scope and Content Notes
This series contains all of the preparations and details of the various functions listed below. There are minutes mixed in with some of these files as they pertain to the event.
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| Box | Folder | | Nationality Rooms Council Dinner for Ruth C. Mitchell, 1956 | 9 | 1 |
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| Folder | | Ruth C. Mitchell Lecture, 1962 | 3 |
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| Folder | | Folk Dance Workshop, 1963 | 4 |
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| Folder | | Publicity, 1963, 1965 | 5-6 |
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| Folder | | Ruth Crawford Mitchell 90th Birthday Celebration, 1975-1980 | 7-10 |
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| Folder | | 50th Anniversary Celebration, 1989 | 11-12 |
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| Folder | | Buffet Meetings, 1976-1993 | 13 |
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| Folder | | Luncheon Invitations, 1981-1993 | 14 |
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| Folder | | Publicity, 1982 | 15 |
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| Folder | | Costume Show, 1990 | 16 |
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| Folder | | President's Luncheon, 1980-1999 | 17 |
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| Folder | | Luncheons, 2004 | 18 |
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| Folder | | International Buffets, 1989-2002 | 19 |
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| Folder | | 25th Anniversary, 1964 | 20 |
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| Box | Folder | | Photographs, 1952-1999 | 10 | 1 |
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Series VII. Nationality Rooms Recipe Book
Scope and Content Notes
The Nationality Rooms Recipe Book is a compilation of recipes used in Women's International Club (WIC) events as well as some donated by various members of the Nationality Room Committees. The proceeds of the sales of this book established the endowment for the WIC Study Abroad Scholarship Program.
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| Folder | | Manuscript, 1953 | 2-4 |
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| Folder | | Planning, 1953-1956 | 5 |
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| Folder | | Publicity, 1975-1988 | 6 |
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| Folder | | Promotion Events, 1975-1979 | 7 |
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| Folder | | Gimbels Promotion, 1976 | 8 |
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| Folder | | Book Events, 1976-1978 | 9 |
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| Folder | | TNN Broadcast, 1991 | 10 |
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| Folder | | Electronic Format Agreement, 1991 | 11 |
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| Box | Folder | | Quail Ridge Press, 1993 | 11 | 1 |
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| Folder | | WQED Nutrition Council | 2 |
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| Folder | | Correspondence, 1991 | 3 |
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