Use Restrictions

Permission to publish material from Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Virginia Collection must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Virginia Collection, Ms2017-055, Special Collections, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Acquisition Information

The Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Virginia Collection was purchased by Special Collections in April 2016.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Virginia Collection was completed in October 2017.

Historical Note

The Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was established in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1874. Still in existance today, the national organization continues to promote abstinence from alcohol, tobacco, and drugs as part of its mission of reform. Individual chapters, called "unions," formed throughout the U. S. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, though many fewer exist today. A history of the national organization can be found on their website.

Through the mid-20th century, there were Women's Christian Temperance Union of Virginia groups throughout the state, including places like Roanoke, Danville, and Leesburg.

Scope and Contents

The collection contains three flyers for the national and Virginia branches Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), dating from about 1929. Materials include a letter from the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Virginia publicity director about the organization, a scripted "dialogue" between several characters about the importance of the publicity department of the WCTU, and a set of "standards of efficiency" for publicity workers. All three flyers came with an original envelope suggesting they were went from Roanoke to Charlottesville in November 1929.

Related Material

Special Collections Rare Book Collection includes a book on the history of the WCTU in Virginia: History of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Virginia and a Glimpse of Seventy-Five Years, 1883-1958 . In addition, several archives in the Virginia have papers relating to the WTCU. A list is availabe online .

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Cocktail History Collection
• Cocktails -- History
• History of Food and Drink
• Temperance