Friendship House (Chicago, Ill.) records, 1937-2000.
Descriptive
Inventory for the Collection at Chicago History Museum, Research Center
By Mrs. Dale Greenberg and Archie
Motley, 1968; Mackenzie Brooks and Dominique Tremblay, 2009; Rebecca Gibbons
and Jane McCarthy, 2014.
Please
address questions to:
Chicago
History Museum, Research Center
1601
North Clark Street
Chicago,
IL 60614-6038
Web-site:
http://www.chicagohistory.org/research
© Copyright 2014, Chicago Historical Society
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title: Friendship House (Chicago, Ill.) records
[manuscript], 1937-2000.
Main entry: Friendship House (Chicago, Ill.)
Inclusive dates: 1937-2000.
Size:
68 linear ft.
Restriction: Six boxes of
prisoners' letters are closed until 2025. The unprocessed additions to this
collection are closed to researchers at this time (part3: 2001.0027; part 4: 2009.0034.1).
In part 4, box 7 is closed until 2109. Seventeen boxes are labeled as closed.
Provenance statement: Most of the collection was a gift of Friendship House Chicago (M1968.0310; M1974.0057?; M1983.0056; 1994.0277; 2001.0027). Some materials regarding the early years of the Chicago Friendship House were a gift of Nina Polcyn Moore (1994.0203). Part 4 received from Albert Schorsch III, former president of Friendship House (2009.0034.1).
Terms governing
use: Copyright
may be retained by the creators of items, or their descendants, as stipulated
by United States copyright law, unless otherwise noted.
Please cite this collection as: Friendship House records (Chicago History
Museum) plus a detailed description, date, and box/folder number of a specific
item.
This descriptive inventory contains the
following sections:
Biographical/historical
note,
Summary
description of the collection,
Description
of some material related to the collection,
List
of online catalog headings about the collection,
Arrangement
of the collection,
Detailed
description of archival series in the collection,
List of contents of the collection.
Biographical/historical note:
Friendship
House began in the 1932 as a Catholic interracial apostolate founded by Russian
emigre Baroness Catherine de Hueck. She founded the first Friendship House (FH)
in Toronto, Canada, and helped thousands of needy people during the Great
Depression. De Hueck had emigrated
in 1925 from Russia to Canada; in Russia, she had been a woman of wealth and
property until the Communist takeover. She devote her
life to spreading the Catholic faith, opposing Communism, and helping the
needy.
De
Hueck was a committed supporter of racial equality and frequently lectured on
the subject to various Catholic organizations throughout her life. She went on
to establish several Madonna House Secular Institutes in Canada. In 1951, Betty
Schneider succeeded de Hueck as the FH national director. Eventually, disagreements within Friendship
House administration led de Hueck to resign her membership in 1956 and focus
solely on the Madonna Houses. With the help of her second husband, journalist
Eddie Doherty, de Hueck established more than twenty Madonna Houses throughout
Canada and the world. De Hueck was a prolific author who published over thirty
books and wrote thousands of letters. She died on December 14, 1985.
The
first U.S. Friendship House was established in Harlem (New York City) in 1938 by
invitation from Cardinal Hayes of New York City. The next fifteen years saw the
spread of the Friendship House movement. One began in Chicago in 1942 with
other houses opening in Washington, D.C., in 1948, Portland, Oregon, in 1951,
and Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1953. The Washington, D.C., FH was known as the
St. Peter Claver Center, and Mary Houston served as director. Ellen Renkoph was
director of the Portland, Oregon, center. A Friendship House center was never
established in an area without being requested by local residents. However, the
Friendship House movement's commitment to combat racism led to conflict with neighbors
of several Friendship House centers.
The Chicago Friendship House, known as the Martin de Porres Friendship House, opened in November 1942 in at 305-309 East 43rd Street at the request of Bishop Bernard J. Sheil. Father Daniel M. Cantwell served as its chaplain. The Chicago center was staffed by Ann Harrigan (later Ann Harrigan Makletzoff) and Ellen Tarry, who were sent from the New York FH. The aim of the Chicago Friendship House was to provide a gathering place for Catholics, particularly those interested in eliminating racial injustices. The Chicago center featured mothers clubs and teen clubs, children's day programs, and a lending library of Catholic literature. In 1947, the Chicago center relocated to 4233 South Indiana Avenue. In 1948, Miss Harrigan got married and resigned as director, to be succeeded by Betty Schneider.
Supported
by private contributions and greatly dependent upon volunteer workers, the Friendship
House movement was constantly in financial difficulty. Despite annual operating
deficits, the FH movement managed to purchase two farms as retreat centers during
the 1940s, Blessed Martin Farm in Montgomery, New York, and St. Joseph Farm in
Marathon, Wisconsin, and subsequently acquired Childerly Farm in Prairie View,
Illinois, and Maria Leach Farm in Burnley, Virginia. At these farms, discussion
groups dealt with instances of housing and school discrimination and ways for
individuals to combat discrimination and assist others to do the same.
In 1953, the fifth and last U.S. Friendship House was opened in Shreveport, Louisiana, at the request of Father Gremillion. Ann Foley was sent from the Chicago Friendship House to Shreveport in 1953 and served as director there until February 1954, when she became national Friendship House director. Mary Dolan was then sent from the Chicago center to the Louisiana center and was the director there until the July 1955 closing of the FH. The major efforts of Shreveport during its short life span were in the areas of school integration and educational improvements for African Americans.
In
the late 1950s, the Friendship Houses in Portland and in Washington, D.C.
changed their affiliation to de Hueck’s Madonna House. The Harlem House closed
in 1960 due to long-standing problems with financial support and management.
The
Chicago Friendship House remained opened, although it experienced frequent
changes in leadership. In 1957, a reorganization plan instituted a salaried executive
director. John Kearney held this position until 1963, Mary Dolan until 1966,
and James Duignan until 1968. Due to neighborhood difficulties, Friendship
House moved from Indiana Ave to 8201 South Ashland Avenue. The cultural
movements of the 1970s affected Friendship House, especially as a Catholic
organization. It occupied various downtown office buildings while searching for
an identity and a focus.
In
1980, Friendship House opened at 1746 West Division Street in Chicago and
reestablished itself as a Catholic Interracial Apostolate. It was run by Ron
Kelly from 1983 to 1986 and Pamela Karban from 1987 to 1989. Albert Schorsch
III served as the president of the board beginning in 1982. Betty Schneider, an
original volunteer for Catherine de Hueck Doherty at the Harlem Friendship
House, filled the role of secretary. At this location, Friendship House worked
with a variety of clients including those of African American, Polish, and
Hispanic ethnicities. Friendship House served as a homeless shelter, providing
food, clothing, beds, and job assistance for local homeless. Additionally, it
provided alcoholism and addictions counseling, a program run by Bob Blair. Friendship
House closed in Chicago in March 2000 due to financial difficulties.
Summary description of the collection:
Correspondence,
staff meeting materials and annual convention reports, photographs, and other
records, mainly from the Catholic interracial organization Chicago Friendship
House (FH) and national headquarters; together with records from Friendship
Houses in Shreveport (La.), New York City, Portland (Or.), and Washington, D.C.
Includes information on the operation of the Friendship Houses, known as
centers, and on the policies of the Catholic Church on social issues, problems
generated by racial injustice and discrimination in Chicago area schools,
hospitals, churches, and housing, civil rights activities, the Friendship House
publication "Community," interracial home-visit programs, the
Childerly Farm (or Childerley Farm) retreat near Wheeling (Ill.), and on the
Madonna Houses established in Canada by Baroness Catherine de Hueck Doherty.
Correspondents and authors of materials include Monsignor Daniel M. Cantwell, a
Chicago Friendship House chaplain; Baroness Doherty, and staff workers Ann
Harrigan, John Kearney, Betty Plank, Betty Schneider, and Al Schorsch.
Description of some material related to the
collections:
Related
materials at Chicago History Museum, Research Center, include the John Kearney
papers; the Friendship House (Chicago, Ill.) photograph collection, part 1
(1980.0174) and the Friendship House (Chicago, Ill.) photograph collection,
part 2 (2009.0034); and papers of other Catholic race relations organizations
and workers.
List of online catalog headings about the
collection:
The
following index headings for this collection were entered in the online
catalog.
Subjects:
Friendship
House (Chicago, Ill.)--Archives.
Doherty,
Catherine de Hueck, 1896-1985--Archives.
Cantwell,
Daniel Michael, 1914-1996.
Dolan,
Mary.
Harrigan,
Ann.
Kearney,
John A. (John Anthony), 1926-
McDermott,
John A.
Moore,
Nina Polcyn.
Plank,
Betty.
Schneider,
Betty V. H.
Schorsch,
Albert J., III.
Sheil,
Bernard J. (Bernard James), 1888-1969.
Catholic
Church--Missions--United States.
Childerly
(Retreat center : Wheeling, Ill.)
Harlem
Friendship House
Friendship
House (Portland, Or.)
Friendship
House (Shreveport, La.)
African
Americans--Missions.
African Americans--Illinois--Chicago--Social conditions.
Catholics--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.
Discrimination in education--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.
Discrimination in housing--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.
Prisoners--Illinois--Chicago--20th
century.
Race relations--Religious aspects--Christianity.
Chicago
(Ill.)--Race relations--20th century.
Chicago
(Ill.)--Social conditions--20th century.
Deerfield
(Ill.)--Race relations--20th century.
Grand Boulevard (Chicago, Ill.)
Niles
(Ill.)--Race relations--20th century.
Form/genre:
Correspondence.
Newsletters.
Photographic
prints.
Reports.
Added
entries:
Cantwell,
Daniel Michael, 1914-1996.
Doherty,
Catherine de Hueck, 1896-1985.
Dolan,
Mary
Harrigan,
Ann.
McDermott,
John A.
Moore,
Nina Polcyn.
Kearney,
John A. (John Anthony), 1926-
Plank,
Betty.
Schneider,
Betty V. H.
Schorsch,
Albert J., III.
Sheil,
Bernard J. (Bernard James), 1888-1969.
Childerly
(Retreat center : Wheeling, Ill.)
Harlem Friendship House.
Friendship
House (Portland, Or.)
Friendship
House (Shreveport, La.)
United
States--Illinois--Cook County--Chicago.
United States--Louisiana--Shreveport.
United States--New York--New York.
United States--Oregon--Portland.
Arrangement of the collection:
The
collection is arranged in four series:
Series 1.
Historical data, 1944-1988 (box 1-21)
Series 2.
Data, reports, and correspondence, 1958-1977 (box 22-153)
Subseries 1. Records and surveys, 1958-1977 (box 22-133)
Subseries 2. Prisoner's letters (box 134-150) Closed until 2025.
Subseries 3. General operational documents, 1971-1986 (box 151-153, 3
volumes)
Series 3.
Community resources and promotional materials, 1953-1986 (box 154-158)
Series 4.
Correspondence, and other operational documents, 1958-2000 (box 159-165)
Subseries 1. Correspondence, 1976-1990 (box 159)
Subseries 2. Subject Files, 1978-2000 (box 160-161)
Subseries 3. Financial, 1958-2000 (box 162-165) Closed until 2071.
Detailed description of archival series in
the collection:
Series 1.
Historical data, 1944-1988 (box 1-21)
This
series consists of historical materials from the Friendship Houses across the
country, including their involvement in their communities, materials on
everyday matters in the houses, and correspondence among board members,
directors, and community organizations. Includes materials on
the topic of desegregation of American cities during the 1950s and 1960s.
Series 2.
Data, reports, and correspondence, 1958-1977(box 22-153)
This
series consists of three subseries containing materials related to Friendship
House operations and work with prison populations.
Subseries 1. Records and surveys, 1958-1977(box 22-133)
This
subseries consists of home visit records, hospital surveys and visits records
from the Chicagoland area, donation correspondence, and community involvement
materials and reports.
Subseries 2. Prisoners' letters (box 134-150) This subseries is closed until 2025.
Subseries 3. General operational documents, 1971-1986 (box 151-153, 3
volumes)
This
subseries consists of documents related to various FH functions, such as
financial statements and records, newsletters, and community reports.
Series 3.
Community resources and promotional materials, 1953-1986 (box 154-158)
This
series consists of contact information for Illinois residents, donors and
non-donors to the Friendship House. It also contains community resource
pamphlets and flyers.
Series 4.
Correspondence, and other operational documents, 1958-2000 (box 159-165)
This
series consists of three subseries containing correspondence and research and
financial materials.
Subseries 1. Correspondence, 1976-1990 (box 159)
This subseries
consists of letters from donors or individuals describing their personal
experience with Friendship House, newsletters written by FH president Al Schorsch,
and other correspondence documenting interactions between Friendship House and
other local social service organizations.
Subseries 2. Subject Files, 1978-2000 (box 160-161)
This subseries
consists of newspaper articles about the Chicago (Ill.) Friendship House, materials
about Catherine de Hueck Doherty, statistics about Friendship House clients,
and administrative documents, including board meeting minutes, the Friendship
House constitution, travel records, and vehicle titles.
Subseries 3. Financial, 1958-2000 (box 162-165) Closed to researchers until 2071.
List of contents of the collection:
Series
1. Historical data 1938-1994,
bulk 1938-1957 (box 1-21)
box 1
folders:
1 Information and Articles, 1961, 1970, undated
2 Information and Articles, 1975, 1978
3 Historical data, undated
4 Historical data, undated
5 Historical data, 1938-1939
6 Historical data, 1940-1941
7 Historical data, 1942 Jan.-1943 Aug.
8 Historical data, 1943 Sept.-Dec.
9 Historical data, 1944 Jan.-May
10 Historical data, Nina Polcyn Moore File, 1942-1994, undated
11 Publications and photos, 1978-1988
box 2
1 Historical data, 1944 June-Dec.
2 Historical data, 1945 Jan.-April
3 Historical data, 1945 May-Sept.
4 Historical data, 1945 Oct.
5 Historical data, 1945 Nov.-Dec.
6 Historical data, 1946 Jan.
7 Historical data, 1946 Feb.-Apr.
box 3
1 Appointment book, 1946
2 Historical data, 1946 May-Aug.
3 Historical data, 1946 Sept.-Dec., undated
4 Historical data, 1947 Jan.-May
5 Historical data, 1947 June
6 Historical data, 1947 July-Nov.
box 4
1 Historical data, 1947 Dec., undated
2 Historical data, 1948 Jan.-Feb.
3 Historical data, 1948 Mar.-May
4 Historical data, 1948 June-Sept.
5 Historical data, 1948 Oct.
6 Historical data, 1948 Nov.-Dec.
7 Historical data, 1948, undated
8 Historical data, 1948, undated
box 5
1 Historical data, 1949 Jan.-Mar.
2 Historical data, 1949 Apr.-July
3 Historical data, 1949 Aug.
box 6
1 Historical data, 1949 Sept.-Dec., undated
2 Historical data, 1950 Jan.-Apr.
3 Historical data, 1950 May-Sept.
4 Historical data, 1950 Oct.-Dec.
5 Historical data, 1950, undated
box 7
1 Historical data, 1951 Jan.-Mar.
2 Historical data, 1951 Apr.-May
3 Historical data, 1951 June-Sept.
4 Historical data, 1951 Oct.-Nov.
5 Historical data, 1951 Dec.
6 Historical data, 1951, undated
box 8
1 Historical data, 1952 Jan.-Feb.
2 Historical data, 1952 Mar.-Apr.
3 Historical data, 1952 May
4 Historical data, 1952 June
5 Historical data, 1952 July
6 Historical data, 1952 Aug.-Sept.
box 9
1 Historical data, 1952 Oct.
2 Historical data, 1952 Nov.-Dec.
3 Historical data, 1952, undated
4 Civil Rights in the United States 1952- A Balance Sheet of Group Relations published by the American Jewish Congress and the NAACP, 1953
5 Historical data, 1952, undated
6 Historical data, 1953 Jan.
7 Historical data, 1953 Feb.
box 10
1 Historical data, 1953 Mar. 1-18
2 Historical data, 1953 Mar. 19-31
3 Historical data, 1953 April
4 Historical data, 1953 May
5 Historical data, 1953 June
6 Historical data, 1953 July
7 Historical data, 1953 Aug.
box 11
1 Historical data, 1953 Sept.
2 Civil Rights in the United States 1953-A Balance Sheet of Group Relations published by the American Jewish Congress and the NAACP, 1954
3 School survey, 1953
4 Historical data, 1953 Oct.-Nov.
5 Historical data, 1953 Dec., undated
6 Historical data, 1953, undated
7 Historical data, 1953, undated
box 12
1 Historical data, 1954 Jan.
2 Historical data, 1954 Feb.
3 Historical data, 1954 Mar.
4 Historical data, 1954 Apr.
5 Historical data, 1954 May 1-19
6 Historical data, 1954 May 20-31
7 Historical data, 1980-1984, undated
box 13
1 Historical data, 1954 June
2 Historical data, 1954 July
3 Historical data, 1954 Aug.
4 Historical data, 1954 Sept.
5 Historical data, 1954 Oct.
6 Historical data, 1954 Nov.
box 14
1 Historical data, 1954, undated
2 Historical data, 1954, undated
3 Historical data, 1954, undated
4 Housing photos, 1954
5 Historical data, 1954 Dec.
6 Historical data, 1955 Jan.
box 15
1 Historical data, 1955 Feb.
2 Historical data, 1955 Mar.
3 Historical data, 1955 Apr.
4 Historical data, 1955 May
5 Historical data, 1955 June
6 Historical data, 1955 July
box 16
1 Historical data, 1955 Aug.
2 Historical data, 1955 Sept. 1-25
3 Historical data, 1955 Sept. 26-30
4 Historical data, 1955 Oct.
5 Historical data, 1955 Nov.-Dec.
6 Not Without Parables-Stories of Yesterday, Today and Eternity, by Catherine de Hueck Doherty, 1977
7 World Wide Diary of 1955
box 17
1 Community published quarterly by Friendship House, vol. 17, no. 3, 1978
2 Historical data, 1955, undated
3 Historical data, 1955, undated
4 Historical data, 1956 Jan.
5 Historical data, 1956 Feb.
6 Historical data, 1956 Mar.
box 18
1 Historical data, 1956 Apr.
2 Historical data, 1956 May
3 Historical data, 1956 June
4 Historical data, 1956 July
5 Historical data, 1956 Aug.
6 Historical data, 1956 Sept.
box 19
1 Historical data, 1956 Oct.
2 Historical data, 1956 Nov.
3 Historical data, 1956 Dec.
4 Historical data, 1956, undated
5 Children's Theatre, 1956, undated
6 Historical data, 1956, undated
box 20
1 Historical data, 1957 Jan.-Feb.
2 Historical data, 1957 Mar.
3 Historical data, 1957 Apr.
4 Historical data, 1957 May
5 Historical data, 1957 June
6 Historical data, 1957 July
box 21
1 Historical data, 1957 Aug.
2 Historical data, 1957 Sept.
3 Historical data, 1957 Oct.
4 Historical data, 1957 Nov.-Dec.
5 Historical data, 1957, undated
Series 2.
Data, reports, and correspondence, 1958-1977 (box 22-153):
Subseries 1.
Records and surveys, 1958-1977 (box 22-133)
Series 2.
Data, reports, and correspondence, 1958-1977 - continued:
Subseries 2.
Prisoner's letters (box 134-150) Closed
until 2025.
Series 2.
Data, reports, and correspondence, 1958-1977 - continued:
Subseries 3.
General operational documents, 1971-1986 (box 151-153, 3 volumes)
Series 3.
Community resources and promotional materials, 1953-1986 (box 154-158)
Series 4.
Correspondence, and other operational documents, 1958-2000 (box 159-165):
Subseries 1.
Correspondence, 1976-1990 (box 159)
box
159
folders:
1 Correspondence: Community magazine, 1982-1996
2 Correspondence: Donations, 1985-1999
3 Correspondence: General, 1983-1993
4 Correspondence: Newsletters, 1980-1999
5 Correspondence: Professional,
1976-1999
Series 4.
Correspondence, and other operational documents, 1958-2000 - continued:
Subseries 2.
Subject files, 1978-2000 (box 160-161)
box
160
1 Articles, 1985-1993
2 Board meeting minutes, 1985-1998
3 Check receipt forms, 1996-1997
4 Christie, James, 1994-1998
5 Client statistics, 1987-1989
6 Coat record, 1997
7 Community Magazine, 1979-1981
8 Community Service Records, 1996-1997
9 Certified Public Accountants, 1990
box
161
1 Department of Health, 1989
2 Doherty, Catherine de Hueck, 1985
3 Fact sheet/wishlist, 1989-1993
4 Flyers, 1991
5 FH Constitution, 1983-1988
6 Mail authorization forms, 1996
7 Police Reports, 1987-1989
8 Recipes, undated
9 Summer program, 1982
10 Tax scavenger sale, 1991
11 Travel record, 1988-1989
12 Tribune Foundation, 1990
13 Tribune Foundation, 1991
14 Tribune Foundation, 1992
15 U.S. Catholic Historian, 1990
16 Van title, 1989
Series 4.
Correspondence, and other operational documents, 1958-2000 - continued:
Subseries 3.
Financial, 1958-2000 (box 162-165) Closed to researchers until 2071.