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Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)John M. Jackson
The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials. Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction . Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.
Collection is open to research.
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Virginia Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Records, Ms2008-032, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
The Virginia Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Records were donated to Special Collections in 2002. Additional materials were donated in 2003.
The processing, arrangement and description of the Virginia Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Records commenced in June, 2008 and was completed in August, 2008.
The discipline of home economics was first conceptualized in the 1890s by Ellen Swallow Richard, who subsequently founded the American Home Economics Association (AHEA) in January 1909. Mary Ledger Moffett, Mary E. Dillard and Frances Sale began organizing the Virginia Home Economics Association (VHEA) later that year, with Mary E. Dillard becoming the first president in 1910. The VHEA functioned as an affiliate of the national branch in its mission, promoting individual, family and community well-being in Virginia.
The AHEA changed its name to the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) in 1994 in order to more accurately define the scope of the profession in general. The VHEA followed suit, becoming the Virginia Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (VAFCS).
With its predecessor, the VAFCS has served Virginia as a source of practical knowledge about human growth and development, personal behavior, housing and environment, food and nutrition, apparel and textiles, and resource management. It has also influenced Virginia legislation pertaining to the family unit by disseminating information and lobbying. The VAFCS is currently (2008) headquartered in Amelia, Virginia.
The Virginia Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Records consist primarily of permanent records produced by the VAFCS administrations. Most of the materials date from approximately 1940 to 1990; however, some of the membership lists, convention programs and newsletters date back to the 1920s. There are several published histories included in the collection that trace the VAFCS to its inception in 1909. Most of the permanent records were accumulated at the executive office that had been located in Lynchburg. The collection contains such records as meeting minutes, membership lists, officer lists, reports, correspondence, annual convention programs, revised handbooks, published histories, constitutions and bylaws, and newsletters. On a smaller scale, similar records were kept for the Student Member Section (SMS), a subsidiary of VHEA comprised of college clubs.
The collection largely follows the original order in which it was received. The original folders had been grouped under headings, delineated by tabbed markers. These groupings have been preserved as 15 series, arranged by subject matter and material type. A sixteenth series was added for general materials that did not fit into any of the original categorizations. A small set of oversized materials completes the collection.
SERIES I: MINUTES, 1957-2001. This series includes minutes for significant meetings, including executive board meetings, executive council meetings, board of directors meetings and general assemblies of members.
SERIES II: MEMBERSHIP LISTS, 1922-1997. This series is comprised of lists of active members. Early lists document full name and town or county of residence. Beginning with the 1940s, most names have a corresponding mailing address as well. By 1965, all members were required to provide a full mailing address.
SERIES III: PRESIDENTS AND OFFICERS, 1958-2002. Lists of officers, naming state officers, college club/chapter officers, chairmen of district associations, chairmen of professional sections, chairmen of committees, including the convention committee, and news editors. As the VHEA expanded in size and scope, new positions were created along with new districts, professional sections, subject matter sections, and committees. Series III also contains a complete list of VHEA Presidents from 1910 to 1976. The President's Folder has papers that passed through the president's office between 1961 and 1971.
SERIES IV: SPECIAL REPORTS AND PROJECTS, 1921-2000. This series contains reports on the objectives and concerns of the VHEA. The Program of Work (POW) outlines broad annual goals and general plans of action throughout the history of VAFCS. Most of the folders are devoted to specific projects or reports intended to influence Virginia legislation or promote social issues that are of concern.
SERIES V: CORRESPONDENCE AND COMMUNICATIONS, 1961-1979. Series V contains letters and memos that the VHEA sent or received. "Correspondence" and "VHEA Correspondence" include a variety of subjects between the years 1961 and 1971. "AHEA Correspondence" contains letters and memos between the VHEA and the AHEA regarding a variety of subjects between 1969 and 1979. "AHEA Communications" contains announcements addressed to state officers from 1967 to 1969.
SERIES VI: ANNUAL REPORTS, 1947-1973. Series VI consists of regular internal reports as well as reports addressed to the AHEA from approximately 1960 to 1973. The annual reports regard a variety of subjects including the status of the local college chapter. This series also contains many committee reports. The treasurer's reports contain suggested and accepted fiscal year budgets from 1958 to 1973. The president submitted statements about VHEA progress and accomplishments in the form of an annual "president's message."
SERIES VII: CONVENTION PROGRAMS, 1929-2002. This series contains a complete record of VHEA annual convention programs. Every year officers, committee members and regular members met to review the accomplishments of the previous year and to introduce future goals and plans of action. The programs also provide lists of the names and titles of speeches and presentations, as well as complete lists of the presiding officers, chairmen of committees, and chairmen of district committees.
SERIES VIII: HANDBOOKS, 1954-1995. Series VIII contains various editions of the VHEA Handbook, intended to serve as a guide for presiding officers and chairs of committees and units. It consists mostly of protocol and duty descriptions for VHEA leaders, and is therefore the most significant source for outlining the day-to-day functions of the organization. Revised every few years, it also portrays the development of the VHEA.
SERIES IX: VHEA HISTORY, 1956-1985. This series contains secondary sources pertaining to the history of the VAFCS. The most significant of these is a small book written in 1956 by VHEA founder and director of home economics at Radford College, M'Ledge Moffett, entitled The Virginia Home Economics Association: A Resume of Its Historical Developments . It describes the initial push to integrate the study of Home Economics into higher education programs across the state, as well as other important events in VAFCS history. The file on Old Dominion Home Economics Association (ODHEA) contains officer lists from 1942 to 1966 when it merged with the previously segregated VHEA.
SERIES X: CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS: This series contains various copies of the constitution and bylaws, showing their development to 1970. The earlier copies are undated. The constitution and bylaws of the VHEA Student Member Section from 1967 are also included.
SERIES XI: VHEA DISTRICTS AND REGIONS, 1924-1986. This series shows the development of the VHEA system of regions. There were four regions in 1977, with another three added by 1983. Regions served as the program arm of VHEA. Under a separate leadership, each region assisted the implementation of programs handed down from the state administration. The series is organized by region and the folders contain correspondence between the regional leadership and the state leadership.
SERIES XII: NEWSLETTERS, 1926-2002. The newsletter for members contains articles concerning the business of the organization as well as articles about the family. The newsletter also serves as a bulletin about the activities of other related organizations.
SERIES XIII: VHEA CONVENTION, 1960-1968. This series consists of correspondence pertaining to the annual convention.
SERIES XIV: STUDENT MEMBER SECTION, 1958-1989. This series contains material pertaining to the VHEA Student Member Section (SMS), including individual college club membership lists and membership reports, financial reports, and copies of The College Echo , the SMS newsletter. It also contains all material related to the annual workshops conducted by the college clubs, which was one of the main events related to the VHEA College Chapter.
SERIES XV: VHEA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, 1954-1965. The Scholarship Committee awarded scholarships to outstanding females who planned to pursue a college degree, often related to the study of home economics. This series contains the papers from the committees, winning applications, and news from the winners during and after college.
SERIES XVI: GENERAL VHEA RECORDS, 1948-1984. This series documents the AHEA 75th anniversary that occurred in 1983, a VHEA boutique that was held in 1968, and executive council meeting from 1970 to 1971. There is also a folder for historic Virginia brochures, VHEA letterheads, and a collection of photographs and newspaper articles from 1948 to 1949.
Virginia Home Economics Association. Committee for the Standardization of Consumer Goods. Records, 1930-1936. Ms63-001.
The guide to the Virginia Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Records by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).