American Business Women’s Association, Show-Me State Chapter, Records, 1965-1996 (C4016)
2.7 linear feet
INTRODUCTION
The records of the Show-Me State Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association include meeting minutes, membership rosters, correspondence, memos and announcements, photographs, scrapbooks, and miscellaneous material.
DONOR INFORMATION
The American Business Women’s Association, (ABWA) Records were donated to the State Historical Society of Missouri beginning on July 19, 1978 (Accession No. 2177) by Barbara Campbell, President of the Show-Me State Chapter of ABWA. Multiple donations were subsequently added to the collection by Mary K. Dains of the State Historical Society of Missouri, and Kathy Dains and Leona Morris of ABWA. Please consult the information folder for further details.
ORGANIZATIONAL SKETCH
The American Business Women’s Association was created at the end of World War II, when a Kansas City businessman, Hilary A. Bufton, Jr., recognized the positive impact women had been having on the economy. He also realized what a widespread loss it would be to let women fade quietly out of the workforce. On September 22, 1949, Bufton and three Kansas City businesswomen incorporated the American Business Women’s Association. In August of 1965, the National Headquarters of the American Business Women’s Association wrote the Mizzou Chapter of ABWA to see if they would sponsor a second chapter in Columbia. On September 22, 1965, the Show-Me State Chapter, Columbia, Missouri, was chartered and officers were installed. The chapter’s colors were black and gold and their flower was the carnation. The chapter disbanded in 1996.
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
The records of the American Business Women’s Association, Show-Me State Chapter, include meeting minutes, correspondence, procedural manuals, membership information, brochures, flyers, and photographs, scrapbooks, and miscellaneous material. The material is arranged into seven series, arranged in chronological order by decades:
FOLDER LIST
The Minutes and Membership series consist of reports given by ABWA officers and committees, executive board meetings, and discussion of old and new business.
| f. 1-9 | 1960s |
| f. 10-32 | 1970s |
| f. 33 | 1970s-1980s |
| f. 34-55 | 1980s |
| f. 56-58 | 1980s-1990s |
The Announcements and Bulletins series consist of information on guest speakers, topics of discussion, and various upcoming events, such as chapter and national conventions, charitable and fund-raising activities, food recipes, and information on individual members, such as birthdates and recent personal travel activities.
| f. 59-60 | 1960s-1970s |
| f. 61-63 | 1960s-1980s |
| f. 64-73 | 1970s |
| f. 74-86 | 1970s-1980s |
| f. 87 | 1970s-1990s |
| f. 88-101 | 1980s |
The Convention Material series consists of booklets and other types of material which include hotel and transportation information, session speakers, schedules of events and their locations, photos of chapter officers and committee chairpersons, entertainers for the events, listings of sponsors. Also included are notes and memos regarding the conventions.
| f. 102 | 1960s-1970s |
| f. 103-105 | 1970s |
| f. 106 | 1980s-1990s |
The Correspondence series consists of letters and memos between ABWA national headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, and chapter presidents, memos on position appointments, regional meetings and convention sites, information on rules governing nominations and campaigning for national office, congratulatory letters, along with various types of correspondence between district chapter presidents and officers. There are also thank you letters from various recipients of ABWA sponsored scholarships.
| f. 107 | 1970s-1980s |
| f. 108 | 1970s-1990s |
The Guides and Manuals series list the specific duties and functions of the President and Vice-President, the committees, procedures related to the business of the organization, and chapter programs, specifically the Stephen Bufton Memorial Educational Fund. In addition, chapter award requirements and qualifications, election of chapter officers, the officer installation ceremony, etc.
| f. 109-110 | 1970s |
| f. 111 | 1970s-1980s |
| f. 112 | 1980s |
The Photographs series consist of both chapter and national convention meetings, focusing on chapter officers and members. Also included are photographs of lesser functions, such as “Hand of Friendship” meetings.
The Miscellaneous Material series consist of scrapbooks containing newspaper clippings detailing ABWA functions, sponsorships, “Woman of the Year” awards, numerous photos of association officers and members attending various functions, the Association Creed, Charter, awards, chapter activities, etc. The years covered by the scrapbooks are the 1960s through the 1990s, with the majority of the material covering the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. The material also includes award ribbons, citations, an ABWA charm brochure, a typed history of the Show-Me State Chapter of ABWA, listings of ABWA officers and scholarship recipients, 1968-1996, and a proclamation by John D. Westlund, Mayor of the City of Columbia, Missouri, that September 22, 1983 be declared “American Business Women’s Day.” Additionally, there are assorted blank application forms pertaining to the functions of the organization, a planning guide to an ABWA development drive, confirmation forms, newspaper clippings, flyers, and a metal printing stamp of the organization’s logo.
| f. 115 | 1960s |
| f. 116 | 1960s-1970s |
| f. 117 | 1960s-1980s |
| f. 118 | 1960s-1990s |
| f. 119 | 1960s-1990s |
| f. 120 | 1970s-1990s |
| f. 121 | n.d. |
INDEX TERMS
These index terms are the subjects, people, places, etc. under which this collection is listed in all available indexes at the Western Historical Manuscript Collection-Columbia. If you are interested in a specific index term, please contact the reference staff
| American Business Women's Association, Show-Me State Chapter | f. 1-121 |
| American Business Women's Association, Show-Me State Chapter | f. 103-106, 113, 114, 119 (pictorial image) |
| Brownlee, Richard S. (1918-1990) | f. 119 (pictorial image) |
| Bufton, Hilary A., Jr. (1919-1985) | f. 119 |
| Eagleton, Thomas F. (1929-2007) | f. 119 |
| Ichord, Richard H. (1926-1992) | f. 119 (pictorial image) |
| Women--Societies | f. 1-121 |
| Women--Societies | f. 103-106, 113, 114, 119 (pictorial image) |