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The Book Circle records

Descriptive Summary

Reference No.
MSS 1994-766
Creator
The Book Circle
Title
The Book Circle records
Span Dates
1943-1993
Contents
3 boxes; 4.5 linear feet
Repository
Chicago State University, Archives and Special Collections,
Chicago, IL 60128
Summary
The Book Circle was a reading group organized by African-American women on the South Side of Chicago to “boost morale” during World War II. The group continued to meet on a monthly basis over the next fifty years. The collection includes meeting minutes, photographs, scrapbooks, and constitutions.
Languages
English

Administrative Information

Location

Bin#: 0204307B

Restrictions

None

Preferred Citation

The Book Circle records, [Box#, Folder#] Chicago State University Archives and Special Collections.

Administrative history

The Book Circle was a reading group organized by African-American women on the south side of Chicago to “boost morale” during World War II. The group resolved to read a book a month and continued to meet on a monthly basis over the next fifty years. The Book Circle was founded by Ora C. Morrow, who became the its first president. Oneita Farrell was chair of the Steering Committee and later replaced Morrow as president. Vivian Harsh, Chicago’s first African-American librarian and curator of what is now the Harsh collection at Woodson Public Library, was also a member and contributor. Originally the group met at the South Side Community Center, but by the 1980s they were gathering at the Windemere Hotel in Hyde Park.

Indexed Terms

Indexed Terms

Indexed Terms

Scope and Content

The collection includes 8 carefully compiled scrapbooks. Three deal with meetings and readings from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s; these include correspondence and photographs as well. The others are devoted to the group’s constitutions, programs, and invitations. Three bound volumes contain The Book Circle’s meeting minutes, and there is a small collection of realia, including a porcelain miniature book given to Ora C. Morrow on the group’s 50th anniversary.

Arrangement

Papers were arranged and labeled by The Book Circle. Original order preserved.

Collection Inventory and Description

Box 1
Folder 1
Title
Nostalgia [scrapbook]
Box 1
Folder 2
Title
Quotations and poetry [scrapbook]
Box 1
Folder 3
Title
1940s [scrapbook]
Box 1
Folder 4
Title
1950s [scrapbook]
Box 1
Folder 5
Title
1960s [scrapbook]
Box 2
Folder 1
Title
Constitution[scrapbook]
Box 2
Folder 2
Title
Programs[scrapbook]
Box 2
Folder 3
Title
Invitations: Meeting Postcards[scrapbook]
Box 2
Folder 4
Title
Meeting minutes 1949-1965
Box 2
Folder 5
Title
Meeting minutes 1965-1969
Box 2
Folder 6
Title
Meeting minutes 1971-1983
Box 3
Folder 1
Title
Booklet of photos
Box 3
Folder 2
Title
Plaque marking 29th anniversary of The Book Circle
Box 3
Folder 3
Title
Porcelain book display marking 50th anniversary of The Book Circle
Box 3
Folder 4
Title
Medallion