Traveler's Aid Society records
Descriptive Summary
- Repository
-
University of Illinois at Chicago,
801 S. MorganChicago, ILUSA
- Repository Number
- MSTAS66
- Creator
- Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights., Travelers Aid/Immigrants Service (Chicago, Ill.).
- Title
- Traveler's Aid Society records,
- Dates
- 1927-1961
- Quantity
- 20.0 linear feet.
- Abstract
- The Traveler's Aid Society of Chicago was established in 1888 as an adjunct of the YWCA. By 1914, as Chicago had become a destination or transit stop for great numbers of immigrants, the unemployed and traveling servicemen, the Travelers Aid Society was established as a separate, non-sectarian organization. The Travelers Aid Society was responsible for the care of dependent children, and after 1935 for transients of all ages. The Travelers Aid Society of Chicago merged with the Immigrants Service League just before the First World War becoming the Traveler's and Immigrant's Aid Society. In 1995, the organization was reorganized as Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Rights, which now focuses its programs and services of impoverished adults and children in Chicago. The collection includes correspondence, financial records, minutes, fundraising material, manuals, annual reports and case records dating from 1927 to the present. The material deals primarily with such topics as immigration, travelers, runaways, servicemen, employment, mental health and social legislation.
- Language of the Material
- English
Administrative Information
Biography/Profile
Compared with other welfare agencies assisting the city's new immigrants Travelers Aid Society combines a unique array of clients side by side with its services to the foreign born. This difference arises out of the locale in which it operates, namely railroad terminals, airports and docks, where a motley assortment of depressed travelers come to the attention of the Society. The immigrant shares the services of the Travelers Aid Society with runaway children, old travelers, mothers accompanied by children, fatigue servicemen, and sick or stranded travelers in need of financial or medical assistance. These protective services demand the talents of an organization capable of dealing with more than one type of social problems.
The Chicago Travelers Aid Society is but one of many similar groups operating in major cities of the United States and federated with the National Association for Travelers Aid and Transient Service of New York City. The first such organization was the St. Louis Travelers Aid Society which originated when a former mayor of that city, Bryan Mullanphy, left one third of his fortune in 1849 to provide aid to stranded travelers on their way west- ward to the gold fields, During the following years, the national association of the Young Women's Christian Association urged its branches to establish Travelers Aid departments, which resulted in an inevitable duplication of efforts. The non-sectarian Travelers Aid Societies were then organized, first in Philadelphia in 1901, and then in New York in 1905. By 1948, there were 98 local Travelers Aid Societies, only four of which being departments of the Young Women's Christian Association.
The Travelers Aid Society of Chicago was established in 1888 as an adjunct of the Young Women's Christian Association, which opened in the same year a residence for transient women seeking employment in the city. Volunteer workers were stationed in railroad terminals to meet and assist newly arrived women. With the rapid transformation of Chicago into a busy urban center and a railroad terminal point, it became the destination or transit stop for immigrants, the unemployed, and traveling servicemen. The need to devote greater effort and bring specialized skills to these problems resulted in the organization of a separate Travelers Aid Society of Chicago and Illinois in 1914, with a Board of Directors numbering representative of Jewish, Protestant and Catholic groups. A residence providing temporary shelter for women was established, only to be discontinued in 1926 because of the availability of similar community facilities. The first Board of Directors also took steps to establish branches throughout the state, with the result that some of which, namely Peoria, Danville, and Springfield, survived until the present day.
Increased unemployment accompanied by the unusual dislocation of populations in the early 1930's alarmed the federal government into financing a federal transient program in 1933. When a public relief agency for inter- state transients in Chicago, named the Federal Transient Service, came into being, a re-division of responsibilities became necessary and the Travelers Aid Society was made responsible for the care of dependent children under Juvenile Court age and special cases of transients in other age groups, in 10 addition to its services in transportation terminals. But in 1935, the Cook County Bureau of Public Welfare supplanted the Federal Transients Service. Yet the need for the services of the Travelers Aid Society was not diminished, and with the influx of immigrants and the troop movements during and after the Second World War, more and more responsibilities were shouldered by the Society.
The Society's Board of Directors, often referred to as the Administrative Board, directs and controls all activities. It tries to include within its ranks representatives of the city's civic, professional and business circles. Members of the Board are elected at each annual meeting and serve for a three- year term. Officers of the Society are elected by the Board from its own ranks for a term of one year. The Board also oversees the employment of the necessary salaried staff. First officers of the Society who served in 1914 included Thomas C. MacMillan as President, Dr. Gerson B, Levi and the Reverend Peter Joseph O'Callaghan as Vice-Presidents, Albert Harris as Treasurer, Mrs. Ignace J. Reis as Recording Secretary, and Everett L. Meservey as General Secretary. The annual report of 1959 lists the following people as officers of the Society: Robert E. Johnson as President, Douglas Campbell, Mrs. Charles F. Cutter, and L. Hyland Erickson as Vice-Presidents, Wesley H. Loomis III as Treasurer, and Mrs. Herman H. Pevler as Secretary. In 1939, a Woman's Board composed of 35 young women was appointed for the purpose of interesting women in the programs of the Society. Officers of the Woman's Board in 1959 included Mrs. Ike Sewell as President, Mrs. John Brittingham as Vice-President, Mrs. Robert A. Beebe as Secretary, Mrs. Bernard J. Cooper as Treasurer, and Mrs. G. Robert Parry, Jr., as Benefit Chairman.
Standing committees of the Society are: The Executive, Service, Finance, Publicity, Membership, Nominating and Development Committees. The Society finances its operations through contributions from the following groups: Community Fund of Chicago, United Service Organizations especially during the Second World War, foundations, transportation companies, women's clubs and church groups, individual contributors, and the Woman's Board annual benefit. People of note who corresponded regularly with the Society are few. Jessie Florence Binford of the Juvenile Protective Association must be singled out though, for her letters afford an interesting view of the cooperation or lack of it between various social welfare agencies.
Scope and Content
The papers include correspondence; agendas and minutes of the Board of Directors, the Woman's Board and various committees, 1914-1959; memoranda exchanged between members of the Board and officers of the Society; lists of candidates for use by the Nominating Committee; articles of incorporation; reports of the Nominating Committee; salary scales; financial papers; literature and published material; tally sheets-, annual reports of the Society, 1916, 1920, 1923, 1927, 1933, 1935-1937, 1951-1955-9-- 1957-1959; constitutions and by-laws; bulletins; manuals for the use of Board members; case histories of the Society's clients. These papers also consist of material relating to other organizations such as minutes of the National Social Welfare Council, 1954-1955; published material of the National Travelers Aid Society; 1956 annual report of United Service Organizations, Inc.; programs; 1959 annual report of Grant Hospital of Chicago, Illinois. Papers of the Travelers Aid Society pertain to assisting new immigrants to the Chicago area; assisting old travelers in transportation terminals; returning run-away children and youths to their relatives; aiding weary servicemen in terminals; finding suitable lodging for newly arrived people in search of employment; the personnel requirements, salary scales and general procedures of social welfare agencies; United Service Organizations, Inc., and its activities; National Travelers Aid Society of New York; the progress of Grant Hospital, Chicago, Ill.
Arrangement
When received, these papers were subject-classified, folders being arranged alphabetically and chronologically thereunder, This arrangement was maintained, with the exceptions of the folder titled Annual Reports and Mailing Pieces, which was broken into the following three folders: Articles of Incorporation and Related Material.; Annual Reports; Literature.
Access Restrictions
Access restrictions -- Available without restriction.
Use/Re-use Restrictions
Use restrictions -- Available without restriction.
Preferred Citation
Traveler's Aid Society records, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Illinois at Chicago
Custodial History
This collection was acquired through the Department of History, University of Illinois, Chicago Circle Campus, from the Travelers Aid Society of Chicago/Heartland Alliance on November 22, 1966.
Indexed Terms
- Immigrants--Services for
- Neighborhoods & community organizations
- Transients, Relief of
- Chicago (Ill.)
- Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights.
Inventory
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1927-1929
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1931-1931
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1932-1933
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1934-1935
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1935-1936
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1936-1937
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1937-1938
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1939-1939
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1940-1940
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1941-1941
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1941-1942
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1943-1943
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1944-1944
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1945-1945
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1945-1946
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1946-1947
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1948-1948
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1949-1949
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1950-1950
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1950-1951
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1952-1952
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1952-1953
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1954-1954
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1954-1955
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1955-1956
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1956-1957
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1957-1958
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1958-1960
- Title
- Annual Meetings
- Dates
- 1959-1961
- Title
- Annual Meetings-Community Fund of Chicago
- Dates
- 1953-1953
- Title
- Annual Reports
- Dates
- 1959-1961
- Title
- Annual Reports
- Dates
- 1915-1959
- Title
- Articles of Incorporation and Related Material
- Dates
- 1918-1959
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1914-1919
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1919-1927
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1927-1932
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1933-1934
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1935-1935
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1936-1936
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1937-1937
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1938-1938
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1939-1939
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1940-1940
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1941-1941
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1942-1942
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1943-1943
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1944-1944
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1915-1915
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1946-1946
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1947-1947
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1948-1948
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1949-1949
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1950-1950
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1951-1951
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1951-1952
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1952-1952
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1953-1953
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1954-1954
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1955-1955
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1956-1956
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1957-1957
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1958-1958
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings
- Dates
- 1958-1959
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings: Supplementary Material
- Dates
- 1925-1927
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings: Supplementary Material
- Dates
- 1928-1928
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings: Supplementary Material
- Dates
- 1928-1929
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings: Supplementary Material
- Dates
- 1929-1930
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings: Supplementary Material
- Dates
- 1931-1931
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings: Supplementary Material
- Dates
- 1932-1932
- Title
- Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings: Supplementary Material
- Dates
- 1933-1933
- Title
- Board of Directors Minutes of Meetings: Supplementary Material
- Dates
- 1934-1934
- Title
- Board of Directors - Miscellaneous
- Dates
- 1934-1934
- Title
- Board of Directors - Miscellaneous
- Dates
- 1935-1935
- Title
- Board of Directors - Miscellaneous
- Dates
- 1935-1936
- Title
- Board of Directors - Miscellaneous
- Dates
- 1937-1937
- Title
- Board of Directors - Miscellaneous
- Dates
- 1938-1938
- Title
- Board of Directors - Miscellaneous
- Dates
- 1939-1939
- Title
- Board of Directors - Miscellaneous
- Dates
- 1945-1950
- Title
- Board of Directors - Miscellaneous
- Dates
- 1950-1952
- Title
- Board of Directors - Miscellaneous
- Dates
- 1953-1953
- Title
- Board of Directors - Miscellaneous
- Dates
- 1954-1954
- Title
- Board of Directors - Miscellaneous
- Dates
- 1954-1955
- Title
- Board of Directors - Miscellaneous
- Dates
- 1956-1956
- Title
- Board of Directors - Miscellaneous
- Dates
- 1957-1957
- Title
- Board of Directors - Miscellaneous
- Dates
- 1958-1958
- Title
- Board of Directors - Publicity - Miscellaneous
- Dates
- 1914-1943
- Title
- Board of Directors - Solicitations
- Dates
- 1958-1958
- Title
- Committees Annual Meeting Committee: Minutes
- Dates
- 1940-1948
- Title
- Committees - Development Committee
- Dates
- 1954-1955
- Title
- Committees - Development Committee
- Dates
- 1955-1955
- Title
- Committees - Development Committee
- Dates
- 1957-1959
- Title
- Committees - Development Committee
- Dates
- 1959-1959
- Title
- Committees - Executive Committee
- Dates
- 1929-1939
- Title
- Committees - Executive Committee
- Dates
- 1940-1948
- Title
- Committees - Executive Committee
- Dates
- 1949-1950
- Title
- Committees - Executive Committee
- Dates
- 1951-1951
- Title
- Committees - Executive Committee
- Dates
- 1952-1952
- Title
- Committees - Executive Committee
- Dates
- 1953-1953
- Title
- Committees - Executive Committee
- Dates
- 1954-1954
- Title
- Committees - Executive Committee
- Dates
- 1954-1955
- Title
- Committees - Executive Committee
- Dates
- 1956-1956
- Title
- Committees - Executive Committee
- Dates
- 1957-1958
- Title
- Committees - Executive Committee
- Dates
- 1959-1959
- Title
- Committees - Executive Committee - Minutes
- Dates
- 1929-1957
- Title
- Committees - Finance Committee
- Dates
- 1933-1939
- Title
- Committees - Finance Committee
- Dates
- 1940-1944
- Title
- Committees - Finance Committee
- Dates
- 1945-1947
- Title
- Committees - Finance Committee
- Dates
- 1948-1948
- Title
- Committees - Finance Committee
- Dates
- 1949-1949
- Title
- Committees - Finance Committee
- Dates
- 1950-1950
- Title
- Committees - Finance Committee
- Dates
- 1951-1951
- Title
- Committees - Finance Committee
- Dates
- 1952-1952
- Title
- Committees - Finance Committee
- Dates
- 1953-1953
- Title
- Committees - Finance Committee
- Dates
- 1954-1954
- Title
- Committees - Finance Committee
- Dates
- 1955-1955
- Title
- Committees - Finance Committee
- Dates
- 1956-1956
- Title
- Committees - Finance Committee
- Dates
- 1957-1957
- Title
- Committees - Finance Committee; Minutes
- Dates
- 1937-1956
- Title
- Committees - Membership Committee
- Dates
- 1936-1940
- Title
- Committees - Membership Committee
- Dates
- 1941-1943
- Title
- Committees - Membership Committee
- Dates
- 1944-1946
- Title
- Committees - Membership Committee
- Dates
- 1947-1949
- Title
- Committees - Membership Committee
- Dates
- 1950-1950
- Title
- Committees - Membership Committee
- Dates
- 1951-1951
- Title
- Committees - Membership Committee
- Dates
- 1952-1952
- Title
- Committees - Membership Committee
- Dates
- 1953-1953
- Title
- Committees - Membership Committee
- Dates
- 1954-1954
- Title
- Committees - Membership Committee
- Dates
- 1957-1958
- Title
- Committees - Membership Committee, Minutes
- Dates
- 1936-1957
- Title
- Committees - Nominating Committee
- Dates
- 1927-1942
- Title
- Committees - Nominating Committee
- Dates
- 1947-1951
- Title
- Committees - Nominating Committee
- Dates
- 1952-1952
- Title
- Committees - Nominating Committee
- Dates
- 1952-1953
- Title
- Committees - Nominating Committee
- Dates
- 1954-1954
- Title
- Committees - Nominating Committee
- Dates
- 1955-1956
- Title
- Committees - Nominating Committee
- Dates
- 1957-1957
- Title
- Committees - Nominating Committee
- Dates
- 1958-1958
- Title
- Committees - Nominating Committee
- Dates
- 1959-1961
- Title
- Committees - Nominating Committee Minutes
- Dates
- 1932-1956
- Title
- Committees - Nominating and Membership Committee
- Dates
- 1954-1955
- Title
- Committees - Organization and Review Committee
- Dates
- 1957-1957
- Title
- Committees - Personnel Committee
- Dates
- 1953-1958
- Title
- Committees - Publicity
- Dates
- 1932-1938
- Title
- Committees - Publicity Committee
- Dates
- 1940-1946
- Title
- Committees - Publicity Committee
- Dates
- 1947-1948
- Title
- Committees - Publicity Committee
- Dates
- 1949-1949
- Title
- Committees - Publicity Committee
- Dates
- 1950-1950
- Title
- Committees - Publicity Committee
- Dates
- 1951-1951
- Title
- Committees - Publicity Committee
- Dates
- 1952-1952
- Title
- Committees - Publicity Committee
- Dates
- 1953-1954
- Title
- Committees - Publicity Committee
- Dates
- 1956-1956
- Title
- Committees - Publicity Committee: Minutes
- Dates
- 1958-1958
- Title
- Committees - Publicity and Interpretation Committee: Minutes
- Dates
- 1940-1952
- Title
- Committees - Public Relations Committee
- Dates
- 1957-1958
- Title
- Committees - Retirement Plan Committee: Minutes
- Dates
- 1945-1945
- Title
- Committees - Service Committee
- Dates
- 1931-1945
- Title
- Committees - Service Committee
- Dates
- 1946-1947
- Title
- Committees - Service Committee
- Dates
- 1948-1948
- Title
- Committees - Service Committee
- Dates
- 1949-1949
- Title
- Committees - Service Committee
- Dates
- 1950-1950
- Title
- Committees - Service Committee
- Dates
- 1951-1951
- Title
- Committees - Service Committee
- Dates
- 1952-1952
- Title
- Committees - Service Committee
- Dates
- 1953-1953
- Title
- Committees - Service Committee
- Dates
- 1954-1954
- Title
- Committees - Service Committee
- Dates
- 1955-1955
- Title
- Committees - Service Committee
- Dates
- 1956-1956
- Title
- Committees - Service Committee
- Dates
- 1957-1957
- Title
- Committees - Service Committee
- Dates
- 1958-1958
- Title
- Committees - Service Committee
- Dates
- 1959-1959
- Title
- Committees - Service Committee Minutes
- Dates
- 1936-1950
- Title
- Committees - Service Committee Minutes
- Dates
- 1951-1957
- Title
- Committees - Special Board Committees Minutes
- Dates
- 1938-1951
- Title
- Committees - Transiency Committee Minutes
- Dates
- 1940-1940
- Title
- Committees - Trust Committee Minutes
- Dates
- 1952-1952
- Title
- Literature
- Dates
- 1935-1958
- Title
- Projects Fund Raising Project
- Dates
- 1958-1958
- Title
- The Woman's Board - Minutes
- Dates
- 1939-1942
- Title
- The Woman's Board - Minutes
- Dates
- 1942-1945
- Title
- The Woman's Board - Minutes
- Dates
- 1946-1951
- Title
- The Woman's Board - Minutes
- Dates
- 1952-1959
- Title
- Momorandum - Comments on "the homeless man on skid row", the research report
- Dates
- 1960