Finding aid for the Cleveland Sorosis Records

History of the Cleveland Sorosis

The Cleveland Sorosis was founded in 1891 when the Western Reserve Club, a women's group in existence since 1882, decided to disband and reorganize under the new name. This occurred at the urging of a member who had just returned from a trip to New York where she had attended a meeting of a women's club called The New York Sorosis, founded in 1864. She was impressed that upon her return to Cleveland she convinced the other members of the Western Reserve Club to disband and form a singular organization called The Cleveland Sorosis.

In a little over a year The Cleveland Sorosis grew in membership from 17 to 145. The club's official history describes the founders as "a little group of earnest women seeking for the higher things in life, culture, responsibility and service." To accomplish their goals, departments appealing to a wide range of interests were established. The original twelve were Literature, Art, House and Home, Business Women, Philanthropy, Temperance, Drama, Science, Manual Training, Suffrage, Physical Culture and Dress Reform. Over the years some of these were dropped and others were added in keeping with the times. At all times, however, the club kept up an active interest in both personal and social improvement. The Cleveland Sorosis became affiliated with the General Foundation of Women's Clubs in 1892 and with the Ohio Federation in 1894.

In addition to the various departments within the club, a separate organization called Junior Sorosis was formed in 1899 for young women between 16 and 25 years of age. This group disbanded during the 1927-1928 season, but was revived in the early 1950's.

A second group within The Cleveland Sorosis was the Selover Club, founded for the study of parliamentary law and named after a past president.

The history of the Sorosis, is chronicled in more detail in The History of the Cleveland Sorosis, 1891-1966 which is included in the collection.

Click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for The Cleveland Sorosis

Scope and Content

The Cleveland Sorosis Records, 1891-1974, consist primarily of minutes of both the Executive Board and regular business meetings, year books, correspondence records books, membership registration and pledge books, guest books, annual report books, annual of 1894, a scrapbook, and club history book. Also included are minute books of the Junior Sorosis and Selover Club.

The records of the Cleveland Sorosis relate to all aspects of the Club's work. In particular, they detail philanthropic activity in Cleveland, Ohio in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century and provide valuable data concerning the role of women in such activities. The Club's interaction with both the city and state federations of women's clubs is also well documented. Those studying the history of women, charity, philanthropy, culture, and social service in Cleveland will find this collection useful. Those studying the history of literary clubs will also find this collection useful.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Access

None.

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 3616 Cleveland Sorosis Records, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Gift from Helen K. Sauber in 1975.

Processing Information

Processed by Susan Ellen Emser in 1975.

Detailed Description of The Collection