Modern Idea Club of Thurman Iowa records

Collection

Identifier: IWA0535

Staff Only
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Scope and Contents

The Modern Idea Club of Thurman, Iowa records date from 1902 to 1998 and measure 12.25 linear inches. The records consist of yearbooks, two scrapbooks, minute books and recognition certificates received by the club from the Iowa Federation of Women's Clubs. The yearbooks are small booklets that list club members and topics to be discussed at meetings during the coming year. Yearbooks are lacking for some years. The scrapbooks contain newspaper clippings on club activities, memorabilia, and a few photos, as well as materials relating to the Iowa Federation of Women's Clubs. All minutes are handwritten and meeting topics included subjects like "The Model Husband" and "The Negro of Today," both given at 1903 meetings.

Dates

Creation: 1902-1998

Creator

Modern Idea Club of Thurman, Iowa (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

The records are open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright held by the donor has been transferred to the University of Iowa.

However, copyright status for some collection materials may be unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owner. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility and potential liability based on copyright infringement for any use rests exclusively and solely with the user. Users must properly acknowledge the Iowa Women’s Archives, The University of Iowa Libraries, as the source of the material. For further information, visit https://www.lib.uiowa.edu/sc/services/rights/

Biographical / Historical

The Modern Idea Club of Thurman, Iowa, which is located in Fremont County in southwest Iowa, was organized on September 23, 1899 with twelve charter members. Its purpose was to bring women together to socialize and promote self-improvement. The records of the first three years were lost in a fire in 1902. Club programs were temporarily dropped in 1917-1918 so that members could give more time to the Red Cross during World War I. In 1922, the group was federated into the General Federation of Women's Clubs. In 1936, the Modern Idea Club opened a library in Thurman, a town of four hundred people. It was housed in several places around town before eventually settling in 1951 into a former laundry about seven feet wide and twelve feet long, making it perhaps the smallest library in Iowa. Operating costs were met by the club. The club ceased to exist around 1998.