Scope and Contents:
The Ladies' Education Society of Jacksonville, Illinois, is believed to be the oldest women's organization in continuous existence in the United States. In 1833, a small group of Jacksonville women, mainly Illinois College faculty wives, created the Society to identify and support young women who were studying to become teachers. By 1983, the organization had evolved, as it had helped nearly 2500 women prepare for many different careers.
This collection mainly consists of eight cumulative reports on the activities of the Society, dated 1891, 1895, 1902, 1909-12, 1912-27, 1927-37, and 1937-83. Also included are a photocopy of the program for the society's centennial celebration and three newspaper clippings dated 1983.
Helen Walton Hackett of the Society donated the collection to the Illinois Historical Survey in 1987.