Home Economics More Than Meets The Eye OR

Home Economics – More Than Meets The Eye OR The Challenges in Organizing and Describing the Records of an Evolving Organization 1

Acronym alert! AAFCS = American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences AHEA = American Home Economics Association 2

AAFCS Historical Collection Processing Project § § § Brief history of the AAFCS activities Cornell-AAFCS connections Processing the collection Other collection-related work 3

The American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) § § Formerly the American Home Economics Association Headquartered in the metro Washington, D. C. area 10, 000+ members “AAFCS strives to improve the quality and standards of individual and family life by providing educational programs, influencing public policy, and through communication. ” 4

AAFCS – the Beginning § Originated from the Lake Placid Conferences, 1899 -1908 § Group of 11 “Founders” headed by Ellen Richards § AHEA officially established in 1909 § 700 charter members; 1200+ at the end of 1909; nearly 20, 000 by 1949 § Growth = Change 5

Center for the Family Bd. of Trustees Senate Projects and Programs Assembly Council Officers AHEA Foundation Bd. of Directors Bd. of Trustees Members State Associations Headquarters Units Accreditation Committees Executive Bd. Executive Cmte Annual meetings Certification Affiliated orgs. Student groups Sections & Divisions 6

Key Sources of Published History § The AHEA Saga by Keturah Baldwin (1949) § AHEA - A History of Excellence by Helen Pundt (1980) § Lake Placid Conference proceedings (1899 -1908, 1973) § Bulletin of the AHEA (1912 -42) § Journal of Home Economics (1909 -present) 7

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Association Activities § § § Public affairs Consumer interests and standards International relations and programs Education Assistance in times of need 10

(a few) Cornell-AAFCS Connections § § § § Martha van Rensselaer Flora Rose Flemmie Kittrell Helen Canoyer Gwendolyn Newkirk Carol Anderson Francille Firebaugh F. Rose & M. van Rensselaer, ca. 1920 11

AAFCS Historical Collection Project AHEA bumper sticker 12

Project Background § 3 -year project began in October 2004 § Funded by the AAFCS § Purposes: § To organize and preserve the historical records of AAFCS § To assist the organization in leveraging its history to celebrate its centennial 13

The AAFCS Collection § About 400 cubic feet § Over 500 boxes § Materials from late 1800 s to mid 1990 s § Includes paper records, scrapbooks, videotapes, films, slideshows, photographs, textiles, and other interesting items 14

The Challenges of Archival Processing § What is it? § Why is it there? § Where does it go? Future challenge § How do we save it? 15

What is it? § The original box list § At least there was a list § But sometimes vague or inaccurate § The survey – one box at a time § Verifying collection contents § Identifying potential preservation problems 16

Why is it there? § Are these materials together for a reason? § Is there a common source? § Do we need to keep it all? § Archival appraisal – deciding research/historical value, not monetary value § Disposition of published materials 17

Where does it go? § § The ideal of original order Arrangement into series The process of sorting Information management tools § Database § Reports generated from the database 18

Microsoft Access database 19

Microsoft Word table (generated from Access database) 20

Additional Responsibilities § Records management § More boxes? ! § Working with Headquarters staff § Assisting researchers § In person, and via e-mail and telephone § Dean’s Fellowship in the History of Home Economics and Nutrition http: //www. human. cornell. edu/che/Fellowship/index. cfm 21

Additional Responsibilities (cont’d) § Donor relations § National Headquarters § Individual members § Presentations and events § AAFCS conference, Minneapolis, June 2005 § Donor event, Ithaca, October 2005 22

AAFCS Donor Event, October 2005 - (L to R) Jennie Kitching, Francille Firebaugh, Sharon Nickols, Peggy Meszaros, Marjorie East, Queen Bowman, 23 Carol Anderson, Sarah Keen, and Sarah Thomas

Future happenings § AAFCS conference, June 2006 § Society of American Archivists conference presentation, August 2006 The Politics of Petticoats: The American Home Economics Association and National Standards for Textile Fabrics § Lake Placid Centennial, 2008 § AAFCS Centennial, 2009 24

Questions? For further information, please contact: Sarah Keen, AAFCS Project Archivist sek 38@cornell. edu 25