Finding aid for the Brandeis University National Women's Committee, Cleveland Chapter Records

History of the Brandeis University National Women's Committee, Cleveland Chapter

Brandeis University National Women's Committee, Cleveland Chapter (f. ca. 1948) was established shortly after the founding of the university. Brandeis University is a Jewish-sponsored nonsectarian institution located in Waltham, Massachusetts. The university's Women's Committee, comprised of over one hundred local chapters, assumed full responsibility for the stocking, staffing, and maintenance of all of the university's libraries. Collectively, the various chapters of the committee continue to fulfill this role. During the 1960s and 1970s the Cleveland, Ohio, chapter raised funds through a variety of events, including an annual book sale and an annual ball, as well as through membership fees and book fund contributions. Strong emphasis was also placed on members' education through ongoing study groups and regular meetings with visiting Brandeis professors (University on Wheels). During the 1950s the group's membership ranged from between 2,500 to 3,000. In recent years, the membership of the Cleveland Chapter has become smaller, and its scope of activity has diminished. The group's current membership is approximately 650.

Scope and Content

The Brandeis University National Women's Committee, Cleveland Chapter, Records, 1960-1992, consist primarily of scrapbooks, bulletins, programs, membership rosters, news clippings and photographs. Most of the news clippings and photographs were removed from scrapbooks to ensure their preservation.

This collection is of value to researchers interested in Jewish-sponsored institutions of higher education in American and in Jewish organizational life in Cleveland, Ohio, in the latter half of the twentieth century.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Access

None.

The researcher should also consult MS 4767 Brandeis University National Women's Committee, Cleveland Chapter Records, Series II.

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 4716 Brandeis University National Women's Committee, Cleveland Chapter Records, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Brandeis University National Women's Committee, Cleveland Chapter, 1995

Processing Information

Processed by Marjorie R. Stern in 1995

Detailed Description of The Collection