YWCA of Muscatine records

Collection

Identifier: IWA1340

Staff Only
Please navigate to collection organization to place requests.

Scope and Contents

The YWCA of Muscatine records date from 1949 to 1996 and measure 2.5 linear feet in 6 boxes. The records are arranged in five series: Administration, Programs, Publications & Newspaper, YMCA, and Artifacts & Photographs.

The Administration series is composed of formal organizational records and association meeting minutes from accreditation processes, Annual Reports, Annual Meetings, and Board of Directors meetings. The series also consists of correspondence and facilities and financial reports.

The Programs series contains material about the Muscatine branch building and its community-based programming.

The Publications & Newspaper and YMCA series include a variety of newspaper clippings about the local branch, national publications about the YWCA, and a history of the Youth Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in Muscatine, Iowa.

The Artifacts & Photographs series consists of a scrapbook, scroll, banner, stamps, and photographs of staff and events at the YWCA of Muscatine.

Dates

Creation: 1949 - 1996

Creator

Weis, Kris (Person)

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 Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) of Muscatine was founded in 1905 by Ella L. Jayne. Jayne and the other officers of the newly formed organization were affiliated with the Association of Women’s Clubs in Muscatine, Iowa. The aim of the YWCA in the early days of its existence were to support young women in the realization of higher Christian womanhood.

As the century progressed, the YWCA began offering community-oriented programs. They altered their mission to “draw together into responsible membership women and girls of diverse experiences and faiths, that their lives may be open to new understanding and deeper relationships and that together they may join in the struggles for peace and justice, freedom and dignity for all people.” The YWCA’s “one imperative” was reformed in 1970: “To thrust our collective power toward the elimination of racism wherever it exists and by any means necessary.” The YWCA of Muscatine worked toward that goal alongside the national organization.