Austin, Helen
Cloud
Retired social worker and community activist. The first African American professional hired at
the San Antonio State Hospital (1965). Correspondence, newsletters,
newsclippings, award programs, and a scrapbook document a prominent San
Antonio social worker who gained national recognition for her
accomplishments in the profession.
Berler, Beatrice
Community
volunteer, author and translator of books on the history of Mexico. She founded and led the San Antonio chapter of the Brandeis University
National Women's Committee, coordinating the annual book sale and a nationwide project
to provide books to federal prisons. She was also involved with Friends of the San Antonio Public Library.
Bexar County Women's
Bar Association
An organization for attorneys, legal assistants and law students
in Bexar County, Texas which provides a local, non-partisan forum for
dialogue and the exchange of ideas relevant to women in the legal
profession. The records of the Bexar County Women's Bar Association,
1983-1997, consist of founding and incorporation documents, bylaws,
minutes, reports, correspondence, printed material, membership
information, directories, newsletters, newspaper clippings, and ephemera
documenting the inception, daily function, monthly meetings, and
projects of this San Antonio women's organization.
Bexar County Women's Political Caucus
An
organization that works to increase the number of women involved in all
aspects of political life. The
records include correspondence, minutes, convention materials, and
newspaper clippings of the organization and its local, state, and
national affiliates.
Briscoe, Hattie Ruth
Elam
Attorney
and lifetime member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. The first African
American to graduate from St. Mary's University Law School, San Antonio,
TX (1956) and the first African American woman to practice law in Bexar
County, TX. Diplomas, certificates of award and memberships, news
articles, photographs and two trial case transcripts document the
education, career and activities of Hattie Elam Briscoe.
Business and
Professional Women's Club, Inc. of San Antonio
A club for women which promotes and
provides business opportunities for women in the professions and
encourages young women to enter the professions. Founded in 1923. The
records of the Business and Professional Women's Club of San Antonio
cover the years 1923-1994. Minutes, reports, bulletins, membership
applications, yearbooks, correspondence, financial records, legal
documents, scrapbooks, programs and photographic materials document the
structure, activities, interests, events and business transactions of
the Club.
Charity Ball
Association of San Antonio
The collection documents the Charity Ball
Association from its beginning in 1954 through 2000, with
the bulk of the materials concerning the annual Chrysanthemum Ball to
benefit children's charities in Bexar County. Records of the Chrysanthemum Ball include
an invitation, menu (when available), and Rotogravure for each
year.
Carter, Aline B.
Family Papers
A San
Antonio poetess and former Poet Laureate of Texas (1947-1949).
Granddaughter of Sarah Riddle Eagar (1842-1947), first Anglo American
girl born in San Antonio. The Aline B. Carter Family Papers vividly
document this prominent poet and five generations of her family in the
form of correspondence, notebooks, diaries, newsclippings, a few
photographs and a historical fiction manuscript. The bulk of the
collection consists of a series of letters that document life in San
Antonio as it was experienced and described by five generations of
Carter family members and friends.
Castleberry, Mary Ann Blocker
Proponent of
historic preservation efforts in Texas and San Antonio. Served in leadership roles on the Board
of Directors of the Texas Heritage Council, the San Antonio Missions
National Historical Park, and the San Antonio Conservation Society. Includes one box of historical preservation
materials and files related to Texas.
Church Women United in
San Antonio
The records of Church Women United in San Antonio, Texas, 1955, (1961-1996)
document the history, structure, fellowship, and community service of this
interdenominational church women's organization.
Church Women United in
Texas
A statewide
interdenominational Christian women's fellowship and community service
organization, which is an umbrella organization for the local chapters
of Church Women United.
Damas de
Galvez
Las Damas de Galvez is a women's unit of equal status to the men's Order of Granaderos de Galvez.
Both are patriotic organizations dedicated to honoring the memory of General Bernardo de Galvez
and other Spaniards who aided American Colonies during the War for Independence.
The records consist of founding records, minutes, and general
correspondence.
San Antonio Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta
Organizational materials, newspaper clippings,
photographs, programs, and a scrapbook make up the records of this
African American public service sorority established in San Antonio in
1933.
Fahringer,
Catherine
Author and activist. The collection contains correspondence,
newsletters, articles, essays, and awards documenting Catherine
Fahringer's efforts in promoting the separation of church and
state.
Fernandez,
Rosita
The collection contains honors and awards, photographs and photo
albums, a large-size scrapbook, publicity materials, correspondence, and
ephemera of this singer, entertainer, humanitarian and pioneer of Tejano
music. The records document her over-sixty-year musical career, and
performances on film, television, radio, and stage.
Finley, Patricia
Writer.
Materials document her involvement in a women's journal workshop and
include autobiographical essays.
San Antonio Area
Council of Girl Scouts
An educational and recreational organization for girls that
offers opportunities for girls to participate in community projects,
career exploration, educational programs, and sports. The records of the
San Antonio Area Council of Girl Scouts document the organization
through correspondence, minutes, reports, photographs, scrapbooks and
printed materials. The materials present a complete picture of
administrative activities carried out by board and committee
members.
Glossbrenner,
Ernestine
Retired educator and Texas State Representative. The Ernestine
Glossbrenner Papers document the State Representative's career through
correspondence, legal documentation, photographs, awards and printed
materials. These papers also include materials of her time as an
educator before assuming office in 1977.
Kretzschmar,
Angelina
Feminist, and career federal employee. The papers of Angelina
Kretzschmar, 1974-1997, document discrimination cases (1989-1996)
that Kretzschmar filed against management at Fort Sam Houston. Also
included are records Kretzschmar collected as a member of more than
fifteen local, regional, and national organizations.
Krier, Cyndi Taylor
Cyndi Taylor Krier represented Bexar County in the Texas Senate for two terms from 1984 through 1992.
In 1992, Krier was the first woman and first Republican elected as Bexar County Judge.
Materials document Krier's political career, and civic and charitable
work from the 1970s to 2001. Includes scrapbooks, newspaper
clippings, photographs, campaign materials, pamphlets, brochures,
subject files, and correspondence.
League of Women Voters
of the San Antonio Area
A non-partisan women's group committed to
educating voters and increasing participation in the electoral process.
The collection contains records that document the organization's
structure, history, purpose, positions on political issues, and
projects. The San Antonio League researches positions on political
issues concerning education, economic development, health, housing,
justice, and water resources, among others.
National Council of Jewish Women, Houston Section
The Houston Section of the National Council of Jewish Women, active between 1963 and 1965, helped organize a literacy program in
Houston, Texas, volunteered with a juvenile delinquency rehabilitation program,
collected school supplies for children in Israel, supported Civil Rights issues,
and helped a Jewish Community Center conduct a survey on housing for the aged.
The records include correspondence, minutes, newsletters and a report.
National Council of Jewish Women, San Antonio Section
A volunteer organization inspired by Jewish
values and committed to community service and education. Activities and
programs focus on improving the quality of life of women, children, and
families. The records consist of administrative documents, newspaper
clippings, scrapbooks and printed materials. The bulk of the
materials in the collection are scrapbooks.
Negley, Laura
Burleson, Family Papers
Legislator. The first woman from San Antonio elected to the
Texas State Legislature. The collection consists primarily of
correspondence between Laura Burleson Negley and her immediate
family members, but also includes speeches, memorabilia, clippings and photographs.
Collectively these papers show the social and business ties that the
family maintained in San Antonio, and illustrate the etiquette and
social customs of the time. The papers also personalize the WWII war
experience and its impact on families in San
Antonio.
North Alamo City Business and Professional Women's Club
The North Alamo City Business and Professional Women's Club
was established in 1968, an official chartered club of the Texas Federation of Business and
Professional Women and National Federation of Business and Professional Women.
The club began with 22 members. Among the club's achievements was the establishment
of their Career Awareness Program, the first inaugurated by a state club.
Additionally, the club presented annual scholarships and hosted annual educational seminars for women.
The collection spans the years 1953 through 1992 (with the bulk of materials dating 1968-1992)
and documents the establishment, functions, and district-wide, statewide, national, and
international involvement of the North Alamo City Business and Professional Women's Club.
Pan American Round
Table of San Antonio
San Antonio is the original round table of this now
international women's organization devoted to promoting friendship and
understanding between the people and nations of the Americas. The
organization's records consist of correspondence, minutes, reports,
yearbooks, scrapbooks, programs and photographic materials which
document the activities, interests, and events of the group. Most
strongly documented are the initial years of the movement, when Florence
Terry Griswold was Director, 1916-1941.
Phillips, Cynthia and
Linda
Gender
movement activists, leaders of the Boulton & Park Society in San
Antonio and the Texas "T" Party. The Linda and Cynthia Phillips Papers
document the couple's attempt to educate other transgender singles and
couples based on experience gained in their own relationship.
Additionally, the collection reflects the Phillips' active involvement
in raising awareness of the transgender culture among the general
population.
Planned Parenthood of
San Antonio and South Central Texas
A reproductive and health services and advocacy
organization. The records of Planned Parenthood of San Antonio and South
Central Texas, 1931-1999, document the organization's operation from its
formation. The records include correspondence, minutes, reports,
photographs, scrapbooks and printed materials. Highlights of the
collection include administrative activities, programs and services
offered to local and regional communities, how public opinion of the
organization changed and regional and national developments of sexual
and family issues.
Riddle, Katharine
Author and Ph.D. in Nutrition Education. Riddle grew up in India and
later worked in 17 countries to improve the health of women and their
children. Materials include files on women's issues, short
publications, and proofs and galley from her 1999 book A Nourishing
Life. Dr. Riddle also edits and produces Storyletters,
an international publication of women's writing.
San Antonio
100
Created by
participants in the first Leadership Texas program, this group provides
a forum for professional, social and community women leaders to network.
The records of San Antonio 100, 1983-1994, consist of correspondence,
memos, minutes, reports, printed material, financial material, newspaper
clippings, photographs, and ephemera documenting the foundation, daily
function, and monthly meetings of this San Antonio women's
organization.
San Antonio Bar Auxiliary
A component of the San Antonio Bar Association, this organization awards annual
scholarships to law students and legal assistants, gives tours of the
courthouse to schools and other groups, and conducts a Courthouse
Appreciation Project. The bulk of the collection consists of minutes, reports, correpondence, newsletters and event planning materials.
San Antonio Chapter of
Hadassah
A
women's Zionist organization focused on supporting and promoting the
provision of health care in Israel. The collection contains histories,
minutes, correspondence, newspaper clippings, printed material,
scrapbooks, photographs, and sound recordings. Together, the records
document the local chapter's organizational beginnings and structure,
membership, functions, projects, programs, growth, presence in the
community, and relations with the state and national organizations. The
collection is particularly strong in documenting membership and the
Donor Dinners that raised money to support the Hadassah Medical
Organization and the Medical Center in Kerem, Jerusalem.
San Antonio Chapter of
Links, Inc.
The
fifth Links chapter established in Texas, the San Antonio chapter
sponsors scholarships and educational programs to help economically and
culturally deprived children and provides networking opportunities for
African American women educators. These records document organizational
structure, internal procedures, communications with the national
headquarters and local chapters, membership, committee work, activities,
and educational programs benefiting economically and culturally deprived
children.
San Antonio Chapter of
the National Organization for Women
A political organization committed to
advocating for the rights of women and freedom from discrimination. The
records of the San Antonio chapter document the varied activities and
concerns of its members including correspondence and petitions relating
to the founding of the chapter and newsletters providing an extensive
overview of two decades of the organization's interests, events, and
activities.
San Antonio Junior Forum
A non-profit women's service organization that contributes to the community's civic,
education and philanthropic interests through fundraising and volunteer
efforts. Founded in 1961, the chapter is one of nine in
Texas.
San Antonio Mother's
Service Organization
A group of mothers of all faiths organized in 1945 to curb
juvenile delinquency and positively affect youth through cooperation
between the home and the community. San Antonio Mother's Service
Organization was the first African American group of Christian women to
get a state charter for a local club. Legal documents, correspondence,
event programs, membership rosters, minutes, newsclippings, newsletters
and a scrapbook document the membership, fundraising activities, and
functions of the San Antonio Mother's Service
Organization.
San Antonio
Professional Chapter of Women in Communications
A professional association of women
in all fields of communications. Provides a forum for education and
networking.
San Antonio Women's
Celebration and Hall of Fame
Modeled after the Texas Women's Hall of Fame,
it recognizes and honors outstanding women who have contributed to the
civic and cultural well-being of San Antonio. Records consist of
administrative documents, clippings, photographs, scrapbooks, printed
materials, and a time capsule. The collection documents the
business of the organization from its inception in 1984 to
2000.
San Antonio Women's Chamber of Commerce
An affiliate of the Women's Chamber of Commerce of Texas (WCCT), the
first statewide women's chamber of commerce in the United States. Like the WCCT, the SAWCC
is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote growth and economic
development of women and to achieve the integration of women into leadership
roles within the social, political, and economic structures of the public and private
spheres of society. The collection includes board records, projects, programs, and issues of concern.
There is also a small section devoted to peripheral information about the larger state organization.
The largest portion of the records in this collection are devoted to the organization's various programs
and issues of concern such as providing women access to leadership roles within the social and political
communities of San Antonio.
Sinkin, William and Fay
The papers of this husband and wife reflect the couple's longstanding commitment to
and interest in civic issues. Fay Sinkin is community activist. Her
materials relate to water issues in San Antonio and South Texas. William
Sinkin is a lawyer who in the 1960s helped plan and organize HemisFair
'68. His interests in later years have focused on city/county
governance.
Sorosis Club
The Sorosis Club was one of the earliest clubs in San Antonio, Texas, organized
exclusively for women. On February 4, 1903, a group of women living in Government Hill,
a San Antonio neighborhood near Fort Sam Houston, organized a study club in the home
of Mrs. H. H. Richmond. Originally called the Government Hill Literary Society,
the group changed its name to Sorosis Club in 1913 when women from other parts of the
city began joining the group. The final Sorosis Club meeting was held in May 2000. The Sorosis Club Records,
1923-1924, 1941-1991, provide information about the club's members and activities primarily through minutes,
photographs, scrapbooks and yearbooks.
Storyletters
An international publication of
women's writing edited and produced by Katharine "Kittu" Riddle.
Storyletters contains poetry, correspondence, and true stories
written and contributed by women from around the world.
Swearingen, Winifred
McCraw and Patrick Henry
Civic leaders in San Antonio in the early
1900s. The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence between
Winifred McCraw and Patrick Henry Swearingen, but there are also letters
from other family members and friends. The correspondence between
Winifred and Patrick Henry begins five years before they were married,
and continues through 1908. The letters reveal aspects of their
courtship, engagement, marriage and relationships with friends and
family.
Terrett, Vivian Johnson Hamlin
President of the Woman's Pavilion Board of Directors for Hemisfair '68 and President
of the San Antonio Bicentennial Commission of 1976. The collection
includes planning materials, meeting minutes, correspondence, and
photographs from Terrett's work on these committees.
Texas Lesbian Conference
The Texas Lesbian Conference was begun in 1988 as a way for lesbians to network, learn and share.
The yearly conference was begun by a small group of women in Dallas, Texas. Over the years the
conference featured speakers and workshops on coming out, dating, network building, maintaining
relationships, health issues, political activism, spirituality, legal issues and financial matters.
The bulk of the collection documents the yearly conferences and consists of correspondence,
marketing materials, notes, questionnaires, programs, and research materials.
Texas Nurses
Association, District 8
Organized in 1904 to establish and maintain ethical standards
among nurses, support and defend the law relative to nurses and promote
the educational and social standing of the nursing profession. The
District 8 records include bylaws, minutes, scrapbooks, and
newsletters.
Texas Women's Alliance
Formed in 1984, the Texas Women's Alliance (TWA) is a nonprofit women's organization that researches issues, makes
policy recommendations, and works to influence government, with a focus on Texas affairs.
The TWA attempts to recruit women who are professional, business and civic leaders; its activities
include conducting seminars and conferences on issues, publishing position papers, and testifying
before Texas Senate and House committees. The collection spans the years 1984 through 1995 and
includes meeting minutes, reports, position papers, correspondence and other papers, document the history,
activities, programs and policy positions of the Texas Women's Alliance (TWA), in its first 11 years.
Tuesday Musical Club
Founded in
1901, it is the oldest music club for women in Texas. The Club promotes
and supports the performance and discussion of classical music.
The bulk of the collection is comprised of scrapbooks and meeting
minutes. Also included are numerous printed programs from musical
performances sponsored by the Tuesday Musical Club.
Vexler, Esther
A native of San Antonio, Vexler is a yoga instructor and community volunteer.
She has done volunteer work with Jewish charities and was the first female president of the Jewish Federation of San Antonio. She also worked with the League of Women Voters and the Child Guidance Clinic, amongst others. Collection includes correspondence, memoranda, advertisements, clippings,
newsletters, and reports; also included are meeting
minutes, agendas, organizational lists, coursework, and Vexler's master's thesis.
Vowell, Arvella
Bentley, Nurses Collection
Arvella Bentley Vowell was a registered nurse
who received her nurses training in 1929-1933. She worked full-time as a nurse in San Antonio,
Texas, serving as a school nurse, private nurse, psychiatric nurse, and polio nurse.
In addition, she was a visiting nurse at Kelly Field during World War II, a health nurse at
Trinity University, and a staff nurse at Nix Hospital. She served as historian of the Texas
Nurses Association, District 8, beginning in 1976. Collection consists of clippings,
correspondence, books, papers, a scrapbook, a ceramic lamp and a photograph.
Wilson, Louita Dodson
(b. 1917 - d. 1992)
A geologist, author and community leader. She began her career
as a petroleum geologist during WWII, in her later years she was active
in many women's groups in San Antonio, and co-founded the Dote
Foundation.
Woman's Club of San
Antonio
The
oldest women's civic and social club in San Antonio and the first
woman's club in Texas to endorse women's suffrage. The records span the years
1892-2004. Minutes, reports, news bulletins, yearbooks, correspondence,
financial records, legal documents, scrapbooks, programs and
photographic materials document the structure, activities, interests,
events and business transactions of the Club.
WomanSpace
The longest continuously published
women's community newsletter in San Antonio. First published as The
Women's Community Journal in February 1986, the newsletter aimed to
be an open forum to discuss issues affecting women's lives, with
emphasis on issues concerning the lesbian and gay community. The
newsletter was renamed WomanSpace in 1988 and continues to be
published by the San Antonio women's community.
Women in Texas
Government Exhibit Collection
A collection of portraits of women who have served in the Texas
legislature. The exhibit was organized by the Women's Legislative Caucus of Texas and
first displayed in the Texas Capitol Rotunda on Susan B. Anthony Day,
1987.
Women of the 80's
An annual
conference for the 1980s to honor outstanding San Antonio women in their
career fields, and to recognize their up-and-coming protégées.
Materials include planning materials for four
conferences including correspondence, agendas, scrapbooks and assorted printed materials.
Women's Overseas
Service League
A national organization for women who served overseas during
times of military conflict. Units are present throughout the United
States. Materials recount the individual experiences of women during
World War I and II, as well as the functioning and structure of the
organization.
Zonta Club of San
Antonio
A
classified service organization of professional and executive
women. The records
primarily consist of printed and photographic materials that document Zonta
Club membership, service activities, social events, and the individual
achievements of members. Reflected in the records is the participation of
business and professional women in public life in San Antonio,
Texas.
