A Guide to the Fresh Air Fund Records,
1949-1999 Fresh Air Fund, 1949-1999, Records of,
1949-1999
36407
A Collection in
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219-8000
USA
Phone: (804) 692-3888 (Archives Reference)
Fax: (804) 692-3556 (Archives Reference)
Email:
archdesk@lva.virginia.gov (Archives)
URL:
http://www.lva.virginia.gov/ © 2002 By the Library
of Virginia.
Funding:
Web version of the finding aid funded in part by a
grant from the National Endowment for the
Humanities.
Processed by:
Renee M. Savits
Repository Library of Virginia
Accession number 36407
Title Fresh Air Fund Records,
1949-1999
Physical Characteristics 18.7 cubic feet (41
boxes)
Physical Location Organization Records
Collection, Acc. 36407
Language
English
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Use Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Preferred Citation
Fresh Air Fund Records, 1949-1999. Accession 36407,
Organiation records collection, The Library of Virginia,
Richmond, Virginia.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Alice and D. Lloyd Trissel, 30 March 1999.
The Fresh Air Fund was established in 1877 by the Reverend
Willard Parsons, minister of a small rural Presbyterian parish
in Sherman, Pennsylvania. Parsons organized members of his
congregation to provide country vacations for children from
New York City tenements. Starting in 1882, the NEW YORK
TRIBUNE began sponsoring the Fresh Air Fund.
The Fund is made up of Fresh Air children and Friendly Town
host families. The children are from low-income families, with
the majority receiving some form of public assistance.
Friendly Town host families are volunteers who live in
suburban communities and small towns. The children stay for a
two-week period with the host families during the summer.
Since 1877, the Fresh Air Fund has sent more than 1.6 million
disadvantaged New York City children to visit with volunteer
host families in Friendly Towns in the 13 Northeastern seabord
states and Canada.
In Virginia, the Harrisonburg Kiwanis Club sponsored the
first Fresh Air Fund children in 1896. In the 1930's the
program was discontinued and not reinstated until 1954. In
1955 Alice Trissel became the Rockingham County (Va.)
chairperson and the fund representative for Virginia and West
Virginia in 1968. Trissel remained fund representative until
her retirement in 1995. As of 1999, the Fresh Air Fund was
still in existence.
The Fresh Air Fund records are housed in 39 archival boxes
and arranged alphabetically by folder title, with ephemera,
index cards, and oversized materials arranged to the rear. The
collection documents the history of the Fresh Air Fund in
Virginia and West Virginia. These materials were gathered by
Alice Trissel, Virginia fund representative from 1968 to
1995.
These records include annual reports, clippings,
correspondence, histories, memoranda, minutes, pamphlets,
photographs, scrapbooks, and other sundry materials. The
attendance records comprise the largest section of the
collection and contain information on the host families and
children from 1954-1993. The records are organized
chronologically, then alphabetically by committee. Virginia
and West Virginia were divided into eleven area regional
committees: Augusta, Broadway/Timberville, Charlottesville,
Dayton/Bridgewater, East Rockingham, Harrisonburg/Parkview,
Madison, Potomac Valley, Richmond, Shenandoah, and Winchester.
These records contain the most comprehensive information on
the children and host families, including name, address,
occupation, and racial preference. The index cards also
contain records of children and host families from 1954-1960
and 1976.
The administration of the Fund's New York office is well
documented in the administrative policies, correspondence,
manuals, and memoranda. Minutes and agendas for the Friendly
Town Conferences can be found in the annual meeting materials.
Also of note are the chronological files which contain a
variety of materials including correspondence, flyers, and
newsletters. These files were maintained in their original
order, although materials included in the files may be found
elsewhere. Therefore, cross-checking of materials may be
necessary to yield all the information on a particular
topic.
Also of note are the contest entries and correspondence of
the Fresh Air Fund children. The correspondence contains
numerous letters from children who stayed with the Trissel
family over the years. The collection also contains
photographs, posters, publications, and copies of the Fresh
Air Fund's newsletter, WHAT'S IN THE AIR. The publications
include annual reports, brochures, leaflets, and pamphlets
produced by the Fresh Air Fund.
Arranged alphabetically by folder title.
Box 1 Folder 1
Administrative forms,
1966-1990
Box 1 Folder 2
Administrative policies,
c.
1970-1993
Box 1 Folder 3
Annual meetings: Friendly Town Conferences,
1958-1961
Box 1 Folder 4
Annual meetings: Friendly Town Conferences,
1962-1964
Box 1 Folder 5
Annual meetings: Friendly Town Conferences,
1965-1970
Box 1 Folder 6
Annual meetings: Friendly Town Conferences,
1972-1979
Box 1 Folder 7
Annual meetings: Friendly Town Conferences,
1980-1983
Box 2 Folder 1
Annual meetings: Friendly Town Conferences,
1984-1986
Box 2 Folder 2
Annual meetings: Friendly Town Conferences,
1987
Box 2 Folder 3
Annual meetings: Friendly Town Conferences,
1988
Box 2 Folder 4
Annual meetings: Friendly Town Conferences,
1989
Box 2 Folder 5
Annual meetings: Friendly Town Conferences,
1990
Box 2 Folder 6
Annual meetings: Friendly Town Conferences,
1991
Box 2 Folder 7
Annual meetings: Friendly Town Conferences,
1992
Box 2 Folder 8
Annual meetings: Friendly Town Conferences,
1993
Box 2 Folder 9
Annual meetings: Friendly Town Conferences,
1995
Box 3 Folder 1
Attendance records,
1954-1959
Box 3 Folder 2
Attendance records,
1960
Box 3 Folder 3
Attendance records,
1961
Box 3 Folder 4
Attendance records,
1962
Box 3 Folder 5
Attendance records,
1963
Box 3 Folder 6
Attendance records,
1964
Box 3 Folder 7
Attendance records,
1965
Box 3 Folder 8
Attendance records,
1966
Box 4 Folder 1
Attendance records,
1967
Box 4 Folder 2
Attendance records,
1968
Box 4 Folder 3
Attendance records,
1969
Box 4 Folder 4
Attendance records,
1970
Box 4 Folder 5
Attendance records,
1971
Box 4 Folder 6
Attendance records,
1972
Box 4 Folder 7
Attendance records,
1973
Box 5 Folder 1
Attendance records,
1974
Box 5 Folder 2
Attendance records,
1975
Box 5 Folder 3
Attendance records,
1976
Box 5 Folder 4
Attendance records,
1977
Box 5 Folder 5
Attendance records,
1978
Box 6 Folder 1
Attendance records,
1979
Box 6 Folder 2
Attendance records,
1980
Box 6 Folder 3
Attendance records,
1981, Augusta-East
Rockingham
Box 6 Folder 4
Attendance records,
1981,
Harrisonburg-Winchester
Box 7 Folder 1
Attendance records,
1982, Augusta-East
Rockingham
Box 7 Folder 2
Attendance records,
1982,
Harrisonburg-Winchester
Box 7 Folder 3
Attendance records,
1983, Augusta-East
Rockingham
Box 7 Folder 4
Attendance records,
1983,
Harrisonburg-Winchester
Box 8 Folder 1
Attendance records,
1984,
Augusta-Harrisonburg
Box 8 Folder 2
Attendance records,
1984,
Madison-Winchester
Box 8 Folder 3
Attendance records,
1985,
Augusta-Harrisonburg
Box 8 Folder 4
Attendance records,
1985,
Madison-Winchester
Box 9 Folder 1
Attendance records,
1986, Augusta-Dayton
Box 9 Folder 2
Attendance records,
1986, East
Rockingham-Harrisonburg
Box 9 Folder 3
Attendance records,
1986,
Madison-Winchester
Box 10 Folder 1
Attendance records,
1987,
Augusta-Harrisonburg
Box 10 Folder 2
Attendance records,
1987,
Madison-Winchester
Box 10 Folder 3
Attendance records,
1988,
Augusta-Charlottesville
Box 11 Folder 1
Attendance records,
1988, Dayton-Madison
Box 11 Folder 2
Attendance records,
1988, Potomac
Valley-Winchester
Box 11 Folder 3
Attendance records,
1989, Augusta-Dayton
Box 11 Folder 4
Attendance records,
1989, East
Rockingham-Harrisonburg
Box 12 Folder 1
Attendance records,
1989,
Madison-Winchester
Box 12 Folder 2
Attendance records,
1990,
Broadway-Harrisonburg
Box 12 Folder 3
Attendance records,
1990, Madison-Potomac
Valley
Box 12 Folder 4
Attendance records,
1990,
Shenandoah-Winchester
Box 13 Folder 1
Attendance records,
1991, Broadway-Dayton
Box 13 Folder 2
Attendance records,
1991, East
Rockingham-Madison
Box 13 Folder 3
Attendance records,
1991, Potomac
Valley-Shenandoah
Box 13 Folder 4
Attendance records,
1991,
Staunton-Winchester
Box 14 Folder 1
Attendance records,
1992
Box 14 Folder 2
Attendance records,
1993
Box 14 Folder 3
Attendance records,
nd
Box 14 Folder 4
Awards,
1957-1992
Box 14 Folder 5
Calendars,
1989-1997
Box 14 Folder 6
Cartoons,
nd
Box 14 Folder 7
Chronological files,
1950-1959
Box 14 Folder 8
Chronological files,
1960
Box 14 Folder 9
Chronological files,
1961
Box 14 Folder 10
Chronological files,
1962
Box 14 Folder 11
Chronological files,
1962-1964
Box 15 Folder 1
Chronological files,
1963
Box 15 Folder 2
Chronological files,
1964
Box 15 Folder 3
Chronological files,
1965
Box 15 Folder 4
Chronological files,
1966
Box 15 Folder 5
Chronological files,
1967
Box 15 Folder 6
Chronological files,
1968
Box 15 Folder 7
Chronological files,
1969
Box 16 Folder 1
Chronological files,
1970
Box 16 Folder 2
Chronological files,
1971
Box 16 Folder 3
Chronological files,
1972
Box 16 Folder 4
Chronological files,
1973
Box 16 Folder 5
Chronological files,
1974
Box 16 Folder 6
Chronological files,
1975
Box 16 Folder 7
Chronological files,
1976
Box 16 Folder 8
Chronological files,
1977
Box 16 Folder 9
Chronological files,
1978
Box 17 Folder 1
Chronological files,
1979
Box 17 Folder 2
Chronological files,
1980
Box 17 Folder 3
Chronological files,
1981
Box 17 Folder 4
Chronological files,
1982
Box 17 Folder 5
Chronological files,
1983
Box 18 Folder 1
Chronological files,
1984
Box 18 Folder 2
Chronological files,
1985
Box 18 Folder 3
Chronological files,
1986
Box 18 Folder 4
Clippings,
1949-1959
Box 18 Folder 5
Clippings,
1960-1969
Box 18 Folder 6
Clippings,
1973-1979
Box 18 Folder 7
Clippings,
1980-1985
Box 18 Folder 8
Clippings,
1986-1989
Box 19 Folder 1
Clippings,
1990-1999
Box 19 Folder 2
Clippings,
nd
Box 19 Folder 3
Community organizations,
1970-1988
Box 19 Folder 4
Contest entries,
1955
Box 19 Folder 5
Contest entries,
1956, Contest #1,
Photographs
Box 19 Folder 6
Contest entries,
1956, Contest #2,
Essays
Box 19 Folder 7
Contest entries,
1956, Contest #3,
Essays
Box 19 Folder 8
Contest entries,
1957
Box 20 Folder 1
Contest entires,
1959
Box 20 Folder 2
Correspondence, Administration,
1954-1984
Box 20 Folder 3
Correspondence, Administration,
1985-1989
Box 20 Folder 4
Correspondence, Administration,
1990-1998
Box 20 Folder 5
Correspondence, Administration,
nd
Box 20 Folder 6
Correspondence, Administration, Postcards,
1959-1991
Box 21 Folder 1
Correspondence, Fresh Air Fund children,
1959-1984
Box 21 Folder 2
Correspondence, Fresh Air Fund children,
1985-1995
Box 21 Folder 3
Correspondence, Personal,
1960-1983
Box 21 Folder 4
Correspondence, Personal,
1984-1994
Box 21 Folder 5
Correspondence, Personal, Cards,
nd
Box 21 Folder 6
Correspondence, Personal, Envelopes,
1963-1993
Box 21 Folder 7
Fresh Air Fund events, Flyers
1958-1994
Box 21 Folder 8
Fresh Air Fund events, Miscellaneous,
1961-1995
Box 21 Folder 9
Fresh Air Fund event, Programs,
1968-1994
Box 22 Folder 1
Games,
1989
Box 22 Folder 2
Histories,
1977
Box 22 Folder 3
Manuals, Agency worker,
1978
Box 22 Folder 4
Manuals, Available materials,
1982-1983
Box 22 Folder 5
Manuals, Chairperson's,
1976-1990
Box 22 Folder 6
Manuals, Chairperson's checklist,
1993-1994
Box 22 Folder 7
Manuals, Escort,
1987
Box 23 Folder 1
Manuals, Fund representatives, Section 1
1965-1992
Box 23 Folder 2
Manuals, Fund representatives, Section 2,
1965-1992
Box 23 Folder 3
Manuals, Fund representatives, Interviewer's
guide,
1990
Box 23 Folder 4
Manuals, Miscellaneous, Section 1,
1990-1992
Box 23 Folder 5
Manuals, Miscellaneous, Section 2,
1990-1992
Box 23 Folder 6
Manuals, Publicity campaign,
1981-1992
Box 24 Folder 1
Manuals, Publicity workbook,
1984-1989
Box 24 Folder 2
Manuals, Public relations guide,
1993
Box 24 Folder 3
Manuals, Resource book,
1994
Box 24 Folder 4
Manuals, Trainer's guide,
1990
Box 24 Folder 5
Manuals, Training,
nd
Box 24 Folder 6
Maps,
1992
Box 24 Folder 7
Memoirs,
1993-1994
Box 24 Folder 8
Memoranda,
1955-1990
Box 24 Folder 9
Memoranda,
1991-1993
Box 24 Folder 10
Memoranda,
1994-1995
Box 25 Folder 1
Miscellaneous,
1976-1991
Box 25 Folder 2
Newsletters, Fresh Air Fund,
1953-1965
Box 25 Folder 3
Newsletters, Fresh Air Fund,
1966-1979
Box 25 Folder 4
Newsletters, Fresh Air Fund,
1980-1989
Box 25 Folder 5
Newsletters, Fresh Air Fund,
1990-1997
Box 25 Folder 6
Newsletters, Miscellaneous,
1965-1994
Box 26 Folder 1
Notebooks,
1956-1957
Box 26 Folder 2
Notebooks,
1967-1976
Box 26 Folder 3
Notebooks,
1977
Box 26 Folder 4
Notebooks,
1984
Box 26 Folder 5
Notebooks,
1986
Box 26 Folder 6
Notebooks,
1987
Box 26 Folder 7
Notebooks,
1988
Box 26 Folder 8
Notebooks,
1988-1989
Box 26 Folder 9
Notebooks,
1989
Box 26 Folder 10
Notebooks,
1990
Box 26 Folder 11
Notebooks,
1991
Box 26 Folder 12
Notebooks,
1993
Box 26 Folder 13
Notebooks,
1994
Box 27 Folder 1
Notes,
1959-1994
Box 27 Folder 2
Personnel, Administration,
1983-1991
Box 27 Folder 3
Personnel, Agencies,
1974-1993
Box 27 Folder 4
Personnel, Chairpersons,
1954-1994
Box 27 Folder 5
Personnel, Fund representatives,
1974-1994
Box 27 Folder 6
Personnel, Job descriptions,
1976-1978
Box 27 Folder 7
Photographs, Children,
1956-1985
Box 27 Folder 8
Photographs, Children,
1970
Box 28 Folder 1
Photographs, Host families, Collins, Dorothy,
1950
Box 28 Folder 2
Photographs, Host families, Rolden, Jenny,
1950
Box 28 Folder 3
Photographs, Host families, Wenger, P. Ben,
1950
Box 28 Folder 4
Photographs, Miscellaneous,
1958-1993
Box 28 Folder 5
Photographs, Slides,
nd
Box 28 Folder 6
Poetry,
1933-1969
Box 28 Folder 7
Promotional materials,
1959-1995
Box 28 Folder 8
Publications, Fresh Air Fund, Annual reports,
1954-1968
Box 28 Folder 9
Publications, Fresh Air Fund, Annual reports,
1970-1983
Box 28 Folder 10
Publications, Fresh Air Fund, Annual reports,
1984-1992
Box 29 Folder 1
Publications, Miscellaneous,
1960-1980
Box 29 Folder 2
Publications, Miscellaneous,
1960-1980
Box 29 Folder 3
Publications, General,
1950-1994
Box 29 Folder 4
Publications, Religious,
1960-1992
Box 30 Folder 1
Public relations, Media lists,
1989-1994
Box 30 Folder 2
Public relations, Miscellaneous,
1960-1994
Box 30 Folder 3
Public relations, Press kit,
1977-1983
Box 30 Folder 4
Public relations, Press releases,
1957-1994
Box 30 Folder 5
Questionnaires,
1988-1990
Box 30 Folder 6
Receipts,
1988-1990
Box 30 Folder 7
Reports, Annual, Virginia chapter,
1964-1983
Box 30 Folder 8
Reports, Annual, Virginia chapter,
1984-1994
Box 30 Folder 9
Reports, Chairperson's checklist,
1968-1987
Box 31 Folder 1
Reports, Chairperson's checklist,
1988-1994
Box 31 Folder 2
Reports, Friendly Town Study,
19779-1980
Box 31 Folder 3
Reports, Miscellaneous,
1959-1980
Box 31 Folder 4
Research paper,
1961
Box 31 Folder 5
Scrapbooks,
1927-1987, Section
1
Box 31 Folder 6
Scrapbooks,
1927-1987, Section
2
Box 32 Folder 1
Scrapbook,
1954-1988
Box 32 Folder 2
Scrapbook,
1957
Box 32 Folder 3
Speeches,
1963-1977
Box 32 Folder 4
Trip records,
1963-1983
Box 32 Folder 5
Trip records,
1984-1986
Box 32 Folder 6
Trip records,
1987
Box 33 Folder 1
Trip records,
1988-1989
Box 33 Folder 2
Trip records,
1990
Box 33 Folder 3
Trip records,
1991
Box 33 Folder 4
Trip records,
1992
Box 33 Folder 5
Trip records,
1993
Box 33 Folder 6
Trip records,
1994
Box 33 Folder 7
Trip records,
nd
Box 36
Oversize, Audio/Visual materials,
Box 37
Oversize, Audio/Visual materials,
Box 38
Oversize, Scrapbooks (1965-1981: Centennial
1977;1981),
Box 39
Oversize, Scrapbook (Years
1949-1970),
Box 40
Oversize, Scrapbook (Years
1971-1987),
Box 41
Oversize, Posters,
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