American Association of University Women, Maywood-Proviso Branch Records, 1941-1979 | Illinois History and Lincoln Collections

This collection is comprised of records from the Maywood-Proviso branch of the American Association of University Women. Located west of Chicago, the Maywood-Proviso branch promoted equity, education, and opportunities for women of all ages. Records include minutes, yearbooks, and scrapbooks.

The American Association of University Women began in 1881 when seventeen women in Boston formed the Association of Collegiate Alumnae for the purpose of uniting the alumnae of different institutions for practical educational work. In 1889 it merged with the Western Association of College Women under the ACA name. A final union with the Southern Association of College Women in 1921 brought about the present AAUW.

In September 1941, sixty women gathered in Maywood, Illinois, to organize a branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). The Maywood branch, later renamed the Maywood-Proviso branch, survived until June 1979, when it disbanded.

This collection contains minutes of branch meetings, 1941-1960; yearbooks for 1942-1972 and 1978-1979; and scrapbooks for the entire life of the branch. The scrapbooks mainly contain newspaper clippings, but also include some correspondence.

The collection was acquired in 1989 as part of Lot 5 of the AAUW Illinois Records.