Cal Poly Women's Club Records, 1949-2013

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Summary

Creators:
Cal Poly Women's Club
Abstract:
The Cal Poly Women's Club was a campus organization established by the wives of faculty and staff which operated on and off campus from 1946 to 1998. While working to promote the University through social and cultural events, and fostering lifelong friendships, the Club's main objective was to raise funds for various scholarships offered to students who contributed to Cal Poly Pomona through leadership and service. The funds were raised by Club-hosted events held annually, such as the fashion and quilt shows. The Cal Poly Women's Club also held welcome dinners at the beginning of each school year for all faculty and their spouses, until the number of guests grew too large. The collection includes administrative records; newsletters produced by the Club, materials on scholarship; and photographs, scrapbooks, and realia.
Extent:
17.29 Linear Feet (17 boxes)
Language:
English and English
Preferred citation:

[Box/folder# or item name], Cal Poly Women's Club Records, Collection no. 0081, University Archives, Special Collections and Archives, University Library, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection includes files related to the operation of the Cal Poly Women's Club, including minutes, materials for event planning, photographs, and correspondence; scrapbooks from the Club's early years that document events held on campus, mentions in the school newspaper, and flyers and mailings for Club-sponsored events; realia and ephemera including placement ribbons for quilts displayed at Poly Vue and a plaque awarded to the Club by the University president in 1995.

Biographical / historical:

The Cal Poly Women's Club (CPWC) was established in 1946 and was one of the first clubs formed at the school that would eventually become California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. In 1938, California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo established a satellite campus at the former site of the Voorhis School for Boys in San Dimas, California. The campus became known as the Voorhis Unit and by 1946 had 270 students, all male. The CPWC was formed by three wives of three faculty members at the Voorhis Unit as a group for other wives of faculty and staff to promote the well-being of the college, to assist first and second year students in acclimating to college life, and to offer cultural and social events in an effort to forge lifelong friendships.

Membership in the CPWC was open, initially, to wives of any CPP faculty and staff member, and later included women who joined the faculty and staff. The CPWC functioned as any other organization with a board of elected members, monthly meetings, and committees for special projects. The CPWC worked closely with other interest groups on campus to plan events and activities most often pertaining to popular hobbies of the time, including needlecraft and bridge groups for singles and couples, a book club, and theatre and gourmet groups. Members organized welcome dinners at the beginning of each school year for faculty and staff in the early years, and other activities held throughout the year included theatre trips, special guest speakers, and participation in on-campus annual events such as Poly Vue and the Bronco Bonanza horse show.

In 1948, just two years into its formation, the CPWC began what would become the impetus of its operation: the scholarship fund. The scholarships were available to students at all levels and all majors. Established to offer financial aid to students who provided active leadership and service to Cal Poly Pomona, the number of scholarships awarded, and the amount for each, varied from year to year. Some scholarships were formed in memory of past members or special contributors to the CPWC. Members worked year-round to raise the funds for these scholarships, hosting various events including teas, silent auctions, and a progressive dinner, which each course was eaten at a different home throughout the evening. Two main events organized by the CPWC each year provided the largest fundraising for the scholarships. First, the annual Fashion Show and Makeover Magic, where members would model the latest trends in clothes and receive makeovers from local hair stylists. Second, the annual Quilt Show. Occasionally held during the weekend of Poly Vue in the spring, the event allowed the needlecraft group to display and auction off the year's wares. In 1988, the CPWC unveiled a special quilt designed in honor of the university's 50th anniversary celebrations. The quilt was worked on by various members for almost four years and remains on display to the this day in the university library. In May and September, depending on the year, the CPWC hosted a banquet to award each scholarship recipient and offer them a chance to thank the Club as a whole.

By 1998, membership of the CPWC had dropped to its lowest numbers since its inception, with competing groups offering membership, such as the Women's Council of the State University and the Women Faculty Association. Eventually the Club ceased operation and transferred its remaining scholarship funds to the University. The name of the Cal Poly Women's Club lives on in the form of a scholarship offered yearly by Cal Poly Pomona.

Acquisition information:
The materials were transferred by the Cal Poly Women's Club to the University Library in several installments between 1998 and 2007.
Processing information:

The processing of this collection and the creation of this finding aid was funded by the generous support of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

The collection was initially processed and cataloged by Wendolyn Wysock in 2001. The collection underwent further processing and the finding aid was revised in 2018 by Lissa Lopez to enhance findability and access. The collection number was changed from UA2000/18/1-4 to 0064 and the collection title changed from Cal Poly Women's Club Collection to Cal Poly Women's Club Records.

Arrangement:

The collection is organized into the following series: Series 1. Administrative Records; Series 2. Publications; Series 3. Scholarship; Series 4. Photographs, Scrapbooks, and Realia.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Advance notice required for access.

Terms of access:

Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.

Preferred citation:

[Box/folder# or item name], Cal Poly Women's Club Records, Collection no. 0081, University Archives, Special Collections and Archives, University Library, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Location of this collection:
3801 West Temple Ave.
Pomona, CA 91768, US
Contact:
(909) 869-3775
speccollections@cpp.edu
Website