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SOUTH CAROLINIANA LIBRARY
MANUSCRIPTS

Young Women's Christian Association (Greenville, S.C.)

Records, 1917-1989

Volume: 5 linear feet
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Scope and Content

 The records of the Young Women's Christian Association (Greenville, S.C.) document the organization's activities from its inception in 1917. Consisting chiefly of newspaper clippings, photographs, and administrative papers, the collection records the YWCA's locations and building campaigns, its involvement with racial and other social issues confronting Greenville, and its operation of Camp Burgiss Glen.

The Building Fund Campaign of 1962 is a prominent feature of the collection, detailing not only the campaign but also the YWCA's history through its previous sites. This campaign resulted in the construction of two facilities--the Augusta Street and Birnie Street centers. The YWCA took an early interest in the matter of racial bias, going as far as serving interracial groups in its dining room despite municipal laws against such action in the 1950s. The organization also helped to underscore the need for community assistance to improve conditions in "slum" areas. As one of the founding members of the Community Chest in the 1920s, the YWCA exhibited and continued its concern for citizens living in poverty and need. The YWCA also provided for the "working girl" by establishing clubs in local textile mill villages and by operating the "residence" for working women in need of a home.

In addition to its sponsorship of the usual clubs and classes, the YWCA opened its own summer camp in the mountains of North Carolina in 1925. The history of Camp Burgiss Glen is represented through papers, clippings, and photographs and encompasses a significant portion of the collection. Located at Cedar Mountain, the camp became a retreat for city girls as well as families and continues so today. In the 1920s, the YWCA joined with the Kiwanis Club to offer a day camp for girls, known as Ki-Y, which continued for many years.

One cassette audio tape (T74) accompanies the collection. Recorded at the 1986 annual meeting during "A Program from the Archives," the speakers are Dorothy Welborn, former President, Peggy Davis, former Program Correlator and Executive Director, Marie Huggins, former Birnie Street Center Director, and Eula May Stockman, former Executive Director and Board Member.

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Description of series

Box 1 Administrative, 1926-1989, undated
Consists of annual reports, building fund campaigns, electors assembly, membership, public affairs committee, and general papers.
Box 1Camp Burgiss Glen, 1933-1988, undated
Includes camp committee minutes, general papers, fund raising, "Top O' the World", and two guest books.
Boxes 1-2Programs, 1940-1979, undated
Contains special programs such as Child Development, Greenville's Big Idea, International Leadership Training, and World Fellowship Celebration.
Box 2Publications, 1930-1075, undated Consists of flyers, single item mailings, and annotated class schedules.
Box 2Ethel Simpson (d. 1980), 1950-1966, undated
Contains information on Ethel Simpson who served as Industrial Secretary, 1925-1927, Executive Director, 1931-1966, Camp Burgiss Glen Director, 1926, 1933-1946, and was active with the YWCA in other capacities.
Boxes 2-3Scrapbooks and Newsclippings, 1917-1988, undated
Fourteen volumes, bound and unbound, of newspaper clippings 1917-1934 and 1957-1984, including scrapbooks on "Mill Village Work" and decentralized clubs like Donaldson Air Force Base Luncheon Club, and loose clippings, 1917-1988 and undated. Also includes a scrapbook of brochures and other publications, 1917-1926.
Box 4Photographs, 1922-1980s, undated
Most date from the 1950s and 1960s and are divided according to general YWCA activities and staff. Also includes photographs and four albums of Camp Burgiss Glen.

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Contents List
Box 1Folder Number
Administrative

Annual Reports, 1929, 1966, 1972-1975, 1977-1978, 1980, 1982-19851

Birnie Street Committee, 1969-1970, 1973-1974, 1980-1981, n.d.2

Building Fund Campaign


 1926, 19283


 1929, n.d.4


 19585


 19606


 19617


 1962-1965, n.d.8


1984-1985, 19879

Building Fund Campaign, Executive Director's Books


 1960-1964 10


1965-1966, n.d. 11

 Electors Assembly, 1950, 1953-1954, 196512

 Inventories, 1940s13

 Membership Committee


 General, 1957, 1959, 1964, 1974-1975, 1986, n.d.14


Minutes, 1962-1963, n.d.15

Papers, General


1920-1979 16


 1980-1983, 1987, n.d.17

Public Affairs Committee, 1953, 1960-196918


 Clippings, 1955, 1967-1975, n.d.19

 "Study the YWCA as a Christian Movement," 1964, 1966-1969, 1978, 1979, n.d.20
Camp Burgiss Glen

Camp Committee Minutes, 1951-1954, n.d.21

Fundraising, 1933-1938, 1941, 1949-1950, n.d.22

Garden Tours Clippings, 1935, 1937, 1941, 1949-1950, n.d.23

General, 1926, 1937-1938, 1986-198824

"Top O' the World", 1931, 1934, 1935, 1939, n.d.25

Clippings, 1927, 1929, 1939, 1956, 1968-1970, 197426

Guest Registers


1926-1928, 1931-1934, 1936, 1940


 1941-1949, 1954, 1959, 1961
Programs

Child Development, 1972-197827

Greenville's Big Idea, 1950-195328

50th Anniversary, 196729

General, 1940-1979, n.d.30
Box 2

 International Leadership Training Project, 1952-1955, 1965, n.d.31

World Fellowship Celebrations, 1964, 1969, n.d.32

YWCA of USA Centennial Celebration, 1954-1955, n.d.33
Publications

1930-1932, 1940, 1949, 1960-61, 1972-1973, 197534

1876, 1978, 1980-1983, n.d.35
Simpson, Ethel (d. 1980), 1950-1966, n.d.36
Newsclippings

1920, 1926-1929, n.d.37

1930s, 1940-194138

1950-195939

1960-196940

1970-197341

1974-197542

1976-197743

1978-197944

1980-198845

 n.d.46
Scrapbooks

1917-1929 (brochures/publications)

 1917-Oct. 1918

Oct. 1918-Jan. 1923

Sept. 1919-Dec. 1920 (mill village work)

 May 1926-Mar. 1929
Box 3

 1929-1934

Jan. 1957-20 Nov. 1959

1958, 29 Mar. 1961-21 Feb. 1962

 19 Jan. 1961-17 Feb. 1962

1961-1962 (Donaldson Air Force Base Club)

15 Feb.-14 Dec. 1962

 Building Campaign of 1962

Jan. 1964-Dec. 1965

Jan. 1966-June 1967

1979, 1982-1984
Box 4
Photographs

Building Campaign, 1961-19621

Buildings, 1939-1940, 1958-1959, 1961, 1964-1965, n.d.2

Camp Burgiss Glen


1930s, 1945-19493


 1950s4


 1960s5


 1970s, 1980s, n.d.6

Classes


1958-1959, n.d.7


 1950s8


1961-1969, n.d.9


1960s10

Clubs


General



A-L11



M-Z12


Y-Teen



1950s13



 1960s, n.d.14

Events


 Anniversaries, 1942 & 196715


Dances



 1947 & 1950s16



1950 & 196717


 Dedications, 1951, 1964-1965, 197018


 Fashions, 1958-1959, n.d.19


General



1918, 1944, 1947, 1952, 1954, 195920



 1950s, 1960s, n.d.21


 World Fellowship Celebrations



1950s22



1960, 1964 23

 General, 1939, 1959, 1962-1963, n.d.24

Leadership


 1940, 1948-1950, 1955, 1959, n.d.25


 1950s, 1960s, n.d.26

Membership, 1959, n.d.27

 Presidents, 1946-1947, 1950s, 1960s, n.d.28

Residence (North Street), 1950s, 1960s, n.d.29

Staff


1940, 1946-1947, 1951, 1958-1959, n.d.30


 1960s, n.d.31

 Staff, National, 1958-1960, n.d.32
Photograph Albums

Camp Ki-Y, 1922-1925

Camp Burgiss Glen


1926-1927, 1937-1938


1947


1948
Oversize folders:
 "Top O' the World" (Camp Burgiss Glen), 1926, 1928, 1930, 1933 6 photographs, 1926, n.d.

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