Scope and Contents From the Collection: The Laura H. Davis papers date from 1869 to 1993 and measure 8.75 linear feet. The papers are arranged in five series: Social Work; Clubs, Church and Civic groups; Education; Personal; and Financial records. This collection provides a glimpse of one woman's role in social welfare from Roosevelt's New Deal of the 1930s to the period following Johnson's war on poverty of the 1960s. The Social Work series (1942-1985 and undated) illumnated Davis's professional life. The series documents her role in various positions, from paid caseworker to her voluntary membership on community boards and task forces. Davis worked to start a Family Service Agency in Cedar Rapids and this effort is documented by a report in 1956 and through her involvement with the committee that hired the first director of the agency. The topical speeches and notes provide insight into Davis's views on child welfare, the elderly and the community's role in the life of all individuals. The series also...