Canadian American Women's Committee Records, 1941-1969

Canadian-American Women's Committee/Association Records, 1941-1969

13 boxes (5 linear ft.)

Collection number: MS 355

Abstract:

The Canadian-American Women's Committee was founded as an international organization with the aim of developing appreciation and cooperation between the two countries through increased knowledge. Records of the American Section and the Connecticut Branch include material on conferences, field study trips, affiliation with the National Council of Women, student exchanges, and administrative records.

Terms of Access and Use:

Restrictions on access:

The records are open to research according to the regulations of the Sophia Smith Collection.

Restrictions on use:

The Sophia Smith Collection owns copyright to portions of the Canadian American Women's Committee Records. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights. Permission must be obtained from the Sophia Smith Collection to publish reproductions or quotations beyond "fair use."

Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College, Northampton, MA

Historical Note

Vera Beggs and Cairine Wilson believed that the practical international cooperation between Canada and the U.S. developed during World War I could not be trusted to extend into the future solely through treaties and joint boards. In 1941, they founded the Canadian-American Women's Committee, an international organization with the aim of developing appreciation and cooperation between the two countries through increased knowledge. The Committee was composed of two sections. The Canadian division had headquarters in Ottawa, while the its American counterpart was based in New York. Each operated separately to suit their activities to the situation of their respective countries, and joint international conferences of Committee leaders were held to determine general policies. In both countries, the Committee worked a great deal with national women's organizations. In addition, it sponsored educational conferences, field study trips for college students and teachers, student exchanges, teacher exchanges, and lecture tours. Though the Canadian Section disbanded in 1966 and the American section disbanded in 1969, the group established permanent student exchanges.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Canadian-American Women's Committee Records consist of 5 linear feet of the records of the American Section and the Connecticut Branch. They contain material on conferences, field study trips (itineraries, student notes, and records regarding class activities), affiliation with the National Council of Women, student exchanges, and administrative records. Types of materials include clippings; publications, such as newsletters and pamphlets for conferences; correspondence; reports; financial records; minutes; and speech texts. Also included is correspondence concerning programs to foster mutual appreciation, cooperation, and communication (such as an art exchange between school-children).

This collection is organized into four series:

I. Subjects
II. American Section
III. Connecticut Branch
IV. Student Exchanges

Information on Use

Terms of Access and Use

Restrictions on access:

The records are open to research according to the regulations of the Sophia Smith Collection.

Restrictions on use:

Preferred Citation

Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:

Canadian American Women's Committee Records, Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College, Northampton, Mass.

History of the Collection

The Canadian American Women's Committee Records were donated to the Sophia Smith Collection by May Hall James.

Recent additions to this collection are unprocessed and are not reflected in the finding aid.

Accruals:

Periodic additions to collection are expected.

Processing Information

Processed by Burd Schlessinger. Finding aid revised in 2002 by Christine Jedziniak, intern.

Additional Information

Contact Information

Sophia Smith Collection

Smith College
Northampton, MA 01063

Phone: (413) 585-2970
Fax: (413) 585-2886

Email Reference Form: http://www.smith.edu/libraries/libs/ssc/emailform.html
URL: http://www.smith.edu/libraries/libs/ssc/

SERIES I. SUBJECTS
AAUW Conference		Box 1: folder 1
Art Exchange		Box 1: folder 3
Bibliography		Box 1: folder 3
Canadian tour, Willimantic		Box 1: folder 4
Chautauqua meeting		Box 1: folder 5
Canadian section
Addresses of members		Box 2: folder 6
Canadian Institute of Public Affairs		Box 2: folder 7
Letters from Canadians		Box 2: folder 8
Cairine R. Wilson: correspondence, photograph		Box 2: folder 9-10
Newsletters		Box 2: folder 11
Conference on Canada,	1964-65	Box 3: folder 12-13
Conferences, general,	1943-49	Box 3: folder 14
Correspondence,	1942-65	Box 3: folder 15-25
Correspondence, official,	1949	Box 3: folder 26
Correspondence re: published materials on Canada,	1955-56	Box 3: folder 27
Field Study course to Canada,	1945	Box 4: folder 28
Field Study course to Canada (trans-Canada air tour),	1946	Box 4: folder 29
Fifteenth anniversary,	1957	Box 4: folder 30
Financial records		Box 4: folder 31
Hall, May James, photo		Box 4: folder 32
History		Box 4: folder 33
History, original meeting		Box 4: folder 34
League college project		Box 4: folder 35
MacSkimming visit		Box 4: folder 36
Manuscript materials and miscellaneous clippings		Box 4: folder 37
Miscellaneous material		Box 4: folder 38
Nursery education project		Box 4: folder 39
Project in international hospitality		Box 5: folder 40
Publications		Box 5: folder 41
Small informal group meetings		Box 5: folder 42
Survey of teaching about Canada in American Schools		Box 5: folder 43
Teacher exchange program		Box 5: folder 44
Twentieth anniversary		Box 5: folder 45

SERIES II. AMERICAN SECTION
Chronological files,	1943-1969	Box 6: folder 46-54
Subject files
Activities,	1958	Box 6: folder 55
Addresses of members		Box 6: folder 56
Art teacher grants,	1960, 1966	Box 6: folder 57-58
By-laws		Box 6: folder 59
Correspondence,	1949-50	Box 6: folder 60-61
Correspondence and reports,	1953	Box 6: folder 62
Education re: Canada		Box 7: folder 63
James, May Hall, first trip to Canada,	1941	Box 7: folder 64
Meetings, major,	1951-59	Box 7: folder 65
Membership lists		Box 7: folder 66
New York group,	1959	Box 7: folder 67
Newsletters		Box 7: folder 68
Official publications		Box 7: folder 69
Quebec, Montreal Conference,	1950	Box 7: folder 70
Sophia Smith Collection		Box 7: folder 70a
Transfer of headquarters		Box 7: folder 71
Treasurer's reports,	1949-67	Box 7: folder 72
National Council of Women in the United States (part of American Section).
General		Box 8: folder 73
Hospitality Committee		Box 8: folder 74

SERIES III. CONNECTICUT BRANCH
Chronological files,	1946-1964	Box 9: folder 75-78
Art grants		Box 9: folder 79
Correspondence, minutes, reports,	1943-44	Box 9: folder 80
Correspondence and reports,	1945-49	Box 9: folder 81
James, May Hall, trip to Canada,	1949	Box 9: folder 82
Special records		Box 9: folder 83
Study guide on Canada		Box 9: folder 84
Traveling library		Box 9: folder 85
Treasurer's reports,	1944-67	Box 9: folder 86

SERIES IV. STUDENT EXCHANGES
Chronological files,	1844-1957	Box 10: folder 87-98
Toronto-Smith exchange
Correspondence,	1945-67	Box 11: folder 99-100
Newsletters, "The Journal" (Smith student experiences),	1953-65	Box 11: folder 101
Chronological files,	1960-1969	Box 12: folder 102-106
Subject files
Address list		Box 13: folder 107
Alberta--Central Connecticut,	1945-50	Box 13: folder 108
Alberta--First exchange,	1951-2	Box 13: folder 109
Alberta--TCC exchange,	1953, 1954, 1955, 1960	Box 13: folder 110
Central Connecticut State College		Box 13: folder 111
Danbury State Teachers College		Box 13: folder 112
Douglas College		Box 13: folder 113
Evaluation		Box 13: folder 114
General		Box 13: folder 115
Saskatchewan--Trenton		Box 13: folder 116
University of Maine		Box 13: folder 117
Willimantic State Teachers College		Box 13: folder 118