Finding aid for the Italian American Cultural Foundation Records

History of the Italian American Cultural Foundation

The Italian American Cultural Foundation (IACF) was founded in 1972 in the Cleveland, Ohio, area by a small number of Italian American men to foster and promote Italian and Italian American culture and heritage in the communities of northern Ohio. Within a few short years, their membership grew to about 2,000. The foundation initially filed for non-profit status as the "Italian American Cultural Center" since its main goal was to open a cultural center in Cleveland's Little Italy neighborhood. The members attempted to purchase the building that previously housed the Murray Hill Elementary School for this purpose; however, the project ended due to unsuccessful attempts at securing the funds to support it.

The IACF then shifted its focus to the education of the community's youth. Since 1992, the organization has held an annual essay contest in which students from various schools read a novel based on Italian or Italian American history and write an essay explaining how the book helped to connect them to their Italian heritage. The group also donates books on the experience of Italian immigrants to libraries at local schools and provides awards to students studying the Italian language. To raise funds for these programs as well as to promote the Italian culture and heritage, the IACF has sponsored many fundraising events, including the Taste of Little Italy, golf outings, and wine tastings. Most of the financial support comes from Italian American social clubs which each sponsor awards at a local school.

Scope and Content

The Italian American Cultural Foundation Records, 1972-2011 and undated, consist primarily of essay contest entries, membership information, and business records.

This collection is of value to researchers studying Italian American organizations, especially those in Cleveland and northern Ohio, during the late twentieth and early twenty-firstcenturies. Those interested in the history of the Italian immigrant community, Italian American culture, and Italian heritage preservation efforts in Cleveland and northern Ohio will find this collection particularly useful.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Access

Access to Folders 31-39 and the entire contents of Series II is closed until January 1, 2023.

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 5170 Italian American Cultural Foundation Records, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Gifts of the Italian American Cultural Foundation in 2009, 2010, and 2013.

Processing Information

Processed by Pamela Dorazio Dean and Tessa Lawson in 2013.

Detailed Description of The Collection