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Arlington Public Library, Center for Local History
Arlington Public Library, Center for Local History© 2017 Arlington Public Library, Center for Local History
Heather Crocetto
The collection is open for research.
There are no restrictions.
Records of the American Association of University Women, Arlington Branch, Collection # RG 33, Arlington Public Library, Center for Local History
Donated by the Arlington Branch of the American Association of University Women in 1996, 2004, and 2005.
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) unites the graduates of regionally accredited institutions of higher education in order to promote education and equity for all women and girls. It is composed of three corporations: the Association with more than 1600 branches which lobby for education and equity, the AAUW Educational Foundation which funds research on girls and education and grants fellowships for women, and the AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund which provides funds for women seeking judicial redress for sex discrimination in higher education.
The AAUW's Arlington Branch was founded in November 1943 with 20 charter members, and received official recognition in 1944. Currently, general membership meetings are held nine times a year, and there are seven interest or study groups. The Branch, currently with over 200 members, contributes to the Educational Foundation and Legal Advocacy Fund, promotes study and action in community and cultural interests, education and international relations, and cooperates in the Association's Virginia State and South Atlantic regional work. Through the years, study groups included as their focus: international affairs, art, literature, music, antiques, social policy, education and legislation.
The Arlington Branch received the Five Star Award each year, 1994-2001, and the new Twenty-first Century Recognition Award in 2002. These awards honor branches that apply and demonstrate meeting at least five of seven criteria including: (1) a net 5% growth in membership; (2)-(3)high donations to the Educational Foundation and Legal Advocacy Fund; (4) community action projects relating to education and equity for women and girls; (5)sustained public advocacy; (6) proven local visibility through public action; and (7) branch member attendance at AAUW state, regional, and national meetings.
Record Group 33 houses the official records of the Arlington, Virginia Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), 1943-2005. The record group measures approximately 11.5 linear feet. This record group documents the changing emphasis of the AAUW's Arlington Branch over more than 50 years on issues such as the environment, integration in education and employment, and especially equity for girls and women in all levels of education and in other aspects of life such as employment. Records concern not only the Arlington Branch's activities, but its relationship with the national organization, and contains some general AAUW materials. Most notable of these relate to the AAUW National Conference.
Types of material documenting the Branch's activities include: executive board and general meeting minutes, bylaws, financial records, correspondence, yearbooks and bulletins, reports to the regional and national AAUW, photographs, scrapbooks, clippings and other memorabilia. There are three binders containing scrapbooks, and a Cards Box holding cards containing information on individual members. There is also documentation on special projects for the Arlington Branch, which include several youth education initiatives and the branch's 25th and 50th anniversary celebrations.
Record Group 33 is arranged into ten series by type of material. Series 6, Publications , has three subseries: branch yearbooks, branch bulletins, and other publications. Within series the arrangement is chiefly chronological. An exception is Series 10, Special Projects , which is chiefly alphabetical in separate alphabets reflecting donations made in different years. Accretions over time have been folded into the original structure of the files.
Researchers interested in Arlington-wide women's organizations may also wish to see RG 16, Arlington Federation of Women's Clubs , RG 17, Organized Women Voters of Arlington County , RG 44, Arlington League of Women Voters , RG 131, Zonta Club of Arlington County , RG 156, Records of Soroptimists International of Arlington County , RG 171, Arlington Women's Democratic Club , and RG 322, Records of the Arlington Women's Club .