In Boston Massuchessetts of November 1881, 17 women, all college graduates, gathered for the first time under the name of the Association of Collegiate Alumnae. By 1882 their ranks numbered 65 members and their goal was to unite alumnae of different institutions in "practical education work." Today's membership of 2008, numbering over 100,000 nationwide, are organized under the title of the American Association of University Women. As a group, they continue to lobby for educational opportunities for women and girls, as well as for equal pay. Their current slogan is: "Because Equity is Still an Issue".
In 1934 the Morristown branch of the American Association of University Women was organized by a group of 12 women who met at the Morristown YMCA. According to the Historian's report of 1983-1984 (the 50th year anniversary of the branch), an early goal of the group was to raise the standards of the local colleges in order for their graduates to be eligible for membership. Other issues in which the branch became involved over the years included the creation of a community college in the mid-1960's and bringing the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra to Morris County for performances in the early 1970's.
American Association of University Women: Online Museum.
American Association of University Women-Morristown branch Records, 1930-1999 [bulk 1960-1989]. Box 1, folder 1:
The bulk of this collection includes meeting minutes, bulletins, reports and newsletters. Other information available in this collection includes historical, presidential, and national organization program files. Two guest books, five scrap books and slides provide additional historic content to the collection.
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The record files of the American Association of University Women-Morristown Branch have been arranged into three series.
The files in this series include presidential files, a few correspondence files, and information on both national and local Morristown branch programs. Both the executive and program files are arranged in ascending year order. Local programs and activities in which the group was involved include: Morris Junior College, scholarship awards and science education programs, northern New Jersey's symphony, legislation and land use, and volunteer programs.
This series is restricted. It was common practice within this organization to keep minutes, for both regular and executive board meetings, in the same folder with bulletins, newsletters and yearbooks that contained personal information. In keeping with archival practice, these folders remain intact and have been restricted. The folders have been arranged chronologically. Bulletins highlight the chapter's monthly events for the years 1948-1957; 1970-1985 and reports document activities for the years 1959-1964; 1972-1975. By the 1980's the group issued monthly calendars in conjunction with both reports and bulletins, to be replaced in the 1990's by the newsletter,
Two guest books, four scrapbooks and a few slides provide visual evidence of the events and programs sponsored by the Morristown Branch of the American Association of University Women from 1939 until the end of the 20th century. The scrapbooks contain bulletins, yearbooks, newsletters, photographs, newspaper clippings, correspondence and newspaper clippings. Examples of the kinds of photographs include, member events and trips, programs and sports teams sponsored and informal member gatherings.
This material is open for research without restriction under the conditions of the North Jersey History Center archives access policy. Records may be copied for use in individual scholarly or personal research, however, as with all materials in the History Center, researchers are responsible for obtaining copyright permission to use material from the collection. Most of the material in the American Association of University Women-Morristown branch Records may be photocopied however, some of the material has been restricted until 2084. Exceptions to this date include the members of the Morristown branch, upon consultation with the archivist. This material is a permanent part of the History Center's collections and researchers are advised to photocopy with care, using only the edge copier for bound material.
Donated to the North Jersey History Center by members of the American Association of University Women-Morristown branch in February 2008.
American Association of University Women-Morristown branch Records, 1930-1999 [bulk 1960-1989]. North Jersey History Center, The Morristown and Morris Township Library.
Arranged, described and encoded by the archivist of the North Jersey History Center, 2008.