Infant Welfare Society of Chicago records, 1903-1976
Descriptive Inventory for the Collection at the Chicago History Museum, Research Center
By Richard L. Popp, July 1981
© Copyright 2000, Chicago History Museum, 1601 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614-6038
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Main entry: Infant Welfare Society of Chicago
Title: Infant Welfare Society of Chicago records, 1903-1976
Dates: 1903-1976
Size: 12 linear feet (25 boxes and 10 unboxed scrapbooks)
A&M Accession number: 1974.0018
This descriptive
inventory includes:
1. Brief history,
2. Description of the collection,
3. Description of some related material,
4. List of card catalog headings,
5. List of online catalog headings,
6. Provenance statement,
7. Storage designation,
8. Container list of boxes and folders numbers/titles.
The Infant Welfare Society was formed in 1911 to support services to lower the infant death rate in Chicago. It developed out of the Children's Hospital Society and the Pure Milk Commission. In 1903, the Reform Department of the Chicago Woman’s Club started a campaign for a children’s hospital. After the Children’s Hospital Society was formed, it appointed a Milk Commission to distribute pure milk to families in some of the city’s poorer neighborhoods, to inspect dairy farms, and to certify milk brought into Chicago. In 1908, the Milk Commission of Chicago was incorporated independently of the Children’s Hospital Society. Despite the work of the Commission, the infant death rate continued to rise. In 1911 the Milk Commission rejoined the Children's Hospital Society to expand the range of its programs, and the new organization was named the Infant Welfare Society (IWS) to reflect its wider scope. IWS hired trained nurses to staff each of its milk distribution stations, organized conferences at the stations where babies were weighed and registered with the City Board of Health, and sent its nurses to make home visits to instruct mothers how to feed and care for their babies. In the first year, ten stations served 2129 babies and Infant Welfare babies had a significantly lower death rate than average.
Judge Julian Mack was the first president of the Infant Welfare Society, having previously served on the Milk Commission. Within a year he was replaced by Lucius Teter, who remained as president for the next 18 years. Dr. Henry Helmholz served as medical director, and Minnie H. Ahrens as superintendent. In addition to her supervisory activities, Miss Ahrens was instrumental in organizing women’s groups to support the Society. Miss Ahrens, along with Dr. Helmholz, Dr. Clifford G. Grulee, Dr. Frank Churchill, Mrs. L. H. Freer, and Mrs. Edward P. Welles, spoke to women in various communities, and in 1913 the Board of Directors of IWS gave permission to organize a Woman’s Auxiliary. Each center of the Women’s Auxiliary usually selected an IWS station for which it raised full or partial financial support and also provided volunteer services. Although IWS received some support from the city and later the federal government, the Woman’s Auxiliary through the years continued to provide at least half of its financial resources. Thus it remained a private organization, although working closely with government agencies.
The Infant Welfare Society continued to expand, opening more stations and expanding its services through the 1920s and 1930s. Prenatal care began in 1917, a program for children ages 2 through 6 in 1919, and a mental health consultant was added to the staff in 1925 (IWS being the first health organization to offer the general public such a service). IWS worked in close cooperation with the Visiting Nurses Association, the University of Chicago, the United Hebrew Charities, the Elizabeth McCormick Memorial Fund, the Children’s Home and Aid Society, the Chicago Woman’s Club, and hospitals, nurseries, and dispensaries. IWS and the Chicago Health Department served many of the same functions, but divided their responsibilities by districts.
Although IWS remained strong in the 1960s, government health programs were expanding rapidly, and rather than spread itself thin, IWS gradually turned over the work of its neighborhood stations to the Board of Health, concentrating its own energies on developing high quality programs. More emphasis was placed on the Child Development Center, which specialized in mental hygiene, and in 1968 a new Child and Family Center was established which offered a full range of facilities and programs all in one building. IWS maintained high standards for service to the public, as well as providing opportunities for research and training for public health personnel.
Minutes, reports, and scrapbooks, 1903-1916, of the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago, organized in 1911 to distribute pure milk to families in some of the city's poorer neighborhoods and to provide nurses to instruct mothers in the care of their babies; and of its predecessors the Children's Hospital Society and the Milk Commission of Chicago. Also present are later reports, press releases, minutes, programs, brochures, and newsclippings of IWS, especially of its Woman's Auxiliary in the city and suburbs, which raised funds and provided volunteers for IWS stations in Chicago that offer prenatal care and services for mothers, infants, and young children. The IWS's initial goal was to lower the infant mortality rate in the city; later services expanded to include mental health and welfare.
Authors of the IWS records include Judge Julian Mack, the first IWS president; Lucius Teter, president for 18 years; Dr. Henry Helmholz, medical director; and Minnie H. Ahrens, superintendent.
The records consist of three series:
Series 1. Records,
Series 2. Publications, and
Series 3. Newsclippings.
Series 1. Records 1903-1972
(Boxes 1-5)
Series 1 begins with historical and background material collected for histories or press releases of the Infant Welfare Society, of the Woman's Auxiliary, or of the individual centers of the Auxiliary. Series 1 also contains minute books and reports of the Milk Commission and of the early years of the Infant Welfare Society, followed by records of the Woman’s Auxiliary. Most of the materials in Series 1 relate to the period from 1903 to the mid-1920s although some reports on the Woman’s Auxiliary and the records of the Hinsdale center extend into the 1950s and 1960s.
Series 2. Publications,
1914-1973 (Boxes 6-10)
This series contains samples of printed literature of the IWS collected by the Woman’s Auxiliary and preserved in scrapbooks or folders. Included are annual reports, 1918-ca. 1928, pamphlets, solicitation letters and circulars, publicity for fund-raising benefits and for Baby Week (a major annual promotion campaign begun in 1914). Many items carry notations indicating when they were printed, by whom, and how many copies were ordered.
Series 3. News clippings,
1903-1970 (Boxes 10-25)
Clippings were first kept in scrapbooks and later in folders, for most years from 1903 to 1969. The early years include many stories about child health care and activities of the Infant Welfare Society; later years include more about meetings and activities of the Woman’s Auxiliary and its individual centers. Clippings for the years 1960-1963 have been filed by names of centers, located primarily in Chicago’s suburbs. The Woman’s Auxiliary kept statistics on how much press coverage it received in Chicago and suburban newspapers, and some of these figures are filed with the clippings.
Over 900 excellent photographs received with the collection are in the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago collection of visual materials (1980.0170). Some show immigrant mothers with their babies and the nurses in homes demonstrating to mothers methods for properly feeding their babies and giving them baths.
A long run of annual reports of the IWS (1931- ) are in Library of CHS.
A description of this collection also is available in NUCMC MS 92-798749.
List of card catalog
headings:
The following entries were placed in the Manuscripts card catalog:
Main entry: Infant Welfare Society.
Subject entries
1. Charities. Chicago.
2. Charities. Chicago Suburbs.
3. Chicago. Communities.
4. Chicago. Department of Health.
5. Chicago. Suburbs.
6. Child Welfare. Chicago.
7. Children. Care and Hygiene. Chicago.
8. Maternal and Infant Welfare. Chicago.
9. Mental Hygiene. Chicago.
10. Nurses and Nursing. Chicago.
11. Social Service. Chicago.
12. Women. Chicago.
13. Women. Chicago Suburbs.
14. Women. Societies and Clubs.
Added entries
1. Ahrens, Minnie H.
2. Chicago Woman’s Club.
3. Children’s Hospital Society.
4. Helmholz, Henry.
5. Mack, Julian William, 1866-1943
6. Milk Commission of Chicago.
7. Teter, Lucius, 1873-1950.
List of online catalog
headings:
The following headings were placed in the online catalog for this collection:
Subject headings:
Ahrens, Minnie H.
Helmholz, Henry.
Mack, Julian W. (Julian William), 1866-1943
Teter, Lucius, 1873-1950.
Infant Welfare Society of Chicago.
Milk Commission of Chicago
Infant Welfare Society of Chicago. Woman's Auxiliary
Charities--Illinois--Chicago Metropolitan Area.
Child mental health services--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.
Child welfare--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.
Children--health and hygiene--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.
Fund raising--Illinois--Chicago Metropolitan Area.
Infant health services--Illinois--Chicago.
Maternal and infant welfare--Illinois--Chicago.
Milk commissions, Medical
Milk hygiene--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.
Social work with immigrants--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.
Women--Societies and clubs--Illinois--Chicago Metropolitan Area.
Women volunteers in social service--Illinois--Chicago Metropolitan Area.
Chicago (Ill.)--Social conditions--20th century.
Form/genre headings:
Minutes. aat
Press releases. aat
Reports. aat
Scrapbooks. aat
Added entries:
Ahrens, Minnie H.
Helmholz, Henry.
Mack, Julian W. (Julian William), 1866-1943
Teter, Lucius, 1873-1950.
Milk Commission of Chicago
Infant Welfare Society of Chicago. Woman's Auxiliary
Provenance statement:
The records and publications were a gift of the Infant Welfare Society, Woman’s Auxiliary, in April 1974. (Accession number 1974.0018).
Storage designation:
Collections: Infant Welfare Society
This Inventory By:
Richard L. Popp, July 1981
Container list of boxes and folders numbers/titles.
Box 1
Folders:
1-2 10-year history of Woman’s Auxiliary 1923-1924
3 10-year history of Woman’s Auxiliary, Center contributions 1923-1924
4 Background material 1931-1976
5 Press releases, histories of Centers 1955-1974
6 Milk Commission: Historical data 1903, 1931
7 Milk Commission: Minutes and reports 1903
8 Milk Commission: Report 1903
9 Milk Commission: Minutes and reports 1904
Box 2
Folders:
1 Milk Commission/Infant Welfare Society minutes and reports 1908-1913
2-3 Infant Welfare Society minute book no. 2 1913-1916 (1 vol.)
4-5 Special Committee on Program and Policies 1924-1925
Box 3
Folders:
1 Woman’s auxiliary: Minutes and reports 1913-1926
2 Woman’s auxiliary: Office notebook 1922-1961 (1 vol.)
3 Woman’s auxiliary: President’s book 1953-1965 (1 vol.)
4 Woman’s auxiliary: Reports Sept-De 1962
5 Volunteers: Reports Jan-June 1967
Box 4
Folders:
1-4 Volunteers: Reports July 1967-Dec 1969
5-7 Volunteers: Schedules 1965-1970
8 Volunteers: Regulations and reports 1954-1970 (1 vol.)
Box 5 (1/2 box in size)
Folders:
1 Hinsdale Center of Woman’s Auxiliary: Minutes 1960-1969
2 Hinsdale Center of Woman’s Auxiliary: Year books 1966-1967, 1967-1968, 1971-1972
3 Hinsdale Center of Woman’s Auxiliary: Food Service Committee 1952-1966 (1 vol.)
4 Hinsdale Center of Woman’s Auxiliary: Party Chairman’s notebook 1952-1969 (1 vol.)
Box 6
Folders:
1 Educational committee scrapbook 1915 (1 vol.)
2 Circulars, forms, and annual reports 1917-1929 (1 vol.)
Box 7
Folders:
1 Benefit concert Jan 6, 1929
2 Byrd lecture Nov 16, 1930
3 Benefits by Kenwood Social Service Club 1955-1957
4 Royal Marines Tattoo May 11, 1965
5 Fundraising drives 1967-1969
6 Annual meetings 1967-1969
7 Lectureships 1969
8 Cooking classes 1971-1973
9 Publicity reports and statistics 1924-1955
10 Picture cuts for press releases 1914-1954 (1 vol.)
Box 8
Folders:
1-3 Circulars, pamphlets & mailings: Numbers 1-59, 1914-1934
4-5 Circulars, pamphlets & mailings: Numbers 145-175A 1951-1962
6 Center reports 1915
7-11 Center literature (Woman’s Auxiliary) 1921-1937
Box 9
Folders:
1 Birthday Fund: Forms 1919-1928
2 Birthday Fund: Forms & subscription cards 1923-1938
3 Appeal leaflets 1923-1926
4 Circulars, pamphlets & mailings: 1926-1940
5 Circulars, pamphlets & mailings: 1922-1952
6 Circulars, pamphlets & mailings: 1924-1965
7 Centers and Chicago Woman’s Club 1923-1974
On shelf Forms scrapbook 1940-1944 (1 vol.)
On shelf Baby Week: Scrapbook 1914-1923
Box 10
Folders:
1 Baby Week: Publicity materials 1914
2-3 Baby Week: News clippings 1921, 1923
4 Baby Week: Baby Day news clippings 1926
5 Baby Week: Correspondence, histories, and press releases 1923-1974
6 Baby Week and other news clippings 1954, 1972
7 Baby Week: Proclamations 1956-1975
On shelf Milk Commission scrapbook 1903-1909 (1 vol.)
Box 10 continued:
Folders:
8 Infant Welfare Society scrapbook 1912-1915 (1 vol.)
On shelf Infant Welfare Society scrapbook Jan 1915-Nov 1923 (2 vols.)
Box 11
Folders:
1-2 Infant Welfare Society scrapbook 1927-1928 (2 vol.)
Box 12
Folders:
1-3 Infant Welfare Society scrapbook 1929-1930 (3 vols.)
Box 13
Folders:
1-2 Infant Welfare Society scrapbook 1930-1931 (2 vols.)
Box 14
Folders:
1-2 Infant Welfare Society scrapbook 1932-1933 (2 vols.)
Box 15
Folders:
1-2 Infant Welfare Society scrapbook 1934, 1936 (2 vols.)
On shelf Infant Welfare Society scrapbook 1930-1933 (1 vol.)
On shelf Infant Welfare Society scrapbook 1937-1939 (1 vol.)
On shelf Infant Welfare Society scrapbook 1930-1939 (1 vol.)
On shelf Infant Welfare Society scrapbook 1940-1953 (1 vol.)
On shelf 50th anniversary celebration scrapbook 1961 (1 vol.)
Box 16
Folders:
1 News clippings in folders 1951
2 News clippings in folders 1951-1952
3 News clippings in folders 1957
4 News clippings in folders 1958
5 Arlington Heights Center news clippings 1960
6 Barrington Center news clippings 1960
7 Beverly Center news clippings 1960
8 Clarendon Hills Center news clippings 1960
9 Deerfield Center news clippings 1960
10 Deerpath Center news clippings 1960
11 Downers Grove Center news clippings 1960
12 Elmhurst Center news clippings 1960
13 Evanston Center news clippings 1960
14 Fieldbrook Center news clippings 1960
15 Flossmoor Center news clippings 1960
16 Glencoe Center news clippings 1960
17 Glenview Center news clippings 1960
18 Highland Park Center news clippings 1960
19 Hinsdale Center news clippings 1960
Box 17
Folders:
1 Kenwood Center news clippings 1960
2 LaGrange Center news clippings 1960
3 Lake Bluff Center news clippings 1960
4 Lakeside Center news clippings 1960
5 Mount Prospect Center news clippings 1960
6 Oak Park Center news clippings 1960
7 Park Forest Center news clippings 1960
8 Park Ridge Center news clippings 1960
9 Riverside Center news clippings 1960
10 South Shore Center news clippings 1960
11 Springbrook Center news clippings 1960
12 Western Springs Center news clippings 1960
13 Wilmette Center news clippings 1960
14 Arlington Heights Center news clippings 1961
15 Barrington Center news clippings 1961
16 Beverly Hills Center news clippings 1961
17 Clarendon Hills Center news clippings 1961
18 Deerfield Center news clippings 1961
19 Deerpath Center news clippings 1961
Box 18
Folders:
1 Downers Grove Center news clippings 1961
2 Elmhurst Center news clippings 1961
3 Evanston Center news clippings 1961
4 Fieldbrook Center news clippings 1961
5 Flossmoor Center news clippings 1961
6 Glencoe Center news clippings 1961
7 Glenview Center news clippings 1961
8 Highland Park-Ravinia Center news clippings 1961
9 Kenilworth Center news clippings 1961
10 Kenwood Center news clippings 1961
11 LaGrange Center news clippings 1961
12 Lake Bluff Center news clippings 1961
13 Mount Prospect Center news clippings 1961
14 Oak Park-River Forest Center news clippings 1961
15 Palatine Center news clippings 1961
16 Park Forest Center news clippings 1961
17 Park Ridge Center news clippings 1961
18 Riverside Center news clippings 1961
19 South Shore Center news clippings 1961
20 Western Springs Center news clippings 1961
21 Wilmette Center news clippings 1961
22 Arlington Heights Center news clippings 1962
23 Barrington Juniors Center news clippings 1962
Box 19
Folders:
1 Barrington Seniors Center news clippings 1962
2 Beverly Hills Center news clippings 1962
3 Clarendon Hills Center news clippings 1962
4 Deerfield Center news clippings 1962
5 Deerpath Center news clippings 1962
6 Downers Grove Center news clippings 1962
7 Elmhurst Center news clippings 1962
8 Evanston Juniors Center news clippings 1962
9 Evanston Seniors Center news clippings 1962
10 Fieldbrook Center news clippings 1962
11 Flossmoor Center news clippings 1962
12 Glencoe Center news clippings 1962
13 Glencoe Juniors Center news clippings 1962
14 Glencoe Wings Center news clippings 1962
15 Glenview Center news clippings 1962
16 Highland Park-Ravinia Juniors Center news clippings 1962
17 Highland Park-Ravinia Seniors Center news clippings 1962
18 Hinsdale Center news clippings 1962
19 Kenilworth Center news clippings 1962
20 Kenwood Center news clippings 1962
21 Lake Bluff Center news clippings 1962
22 Lake Forest Center news clippings 1962
23 LaGrange Juniors Center news clippings 1962
24 LaGrange Seniors Center news clippings 1962
25 Mount Prospect Center news clippings 1962
26 North Shore Center news clippings 1962
Box 20
Folders:
1 Oak Park-River Forest Center news clippings 1962
2 Palatine Center news clippings 1962
3 Park Forest Center news clippings 1962
4 Park Ridge League Center news clippings 1962
5 Riverside Center news clippings 1962
6 South Shore Center news clippings 1962
7 Western Springs Center news clippings 1962
8 Wheaton-Springbrook Center news clippings 1962
9 Wilmette Center news clippings 1962
10 Wilmette Juniors Center news clippings 1962
11 Arlington Heights Center: News clippings 1963
12 Barrington Seniors Center: News clippings 1963
13 Beverly Hills Center: News clippings 1963
14 Clarendon Hills Center: News clippings 1963
15 Deerfield Center: News clippings 1963
16 Deerpath Center: News clippings 1963
17 Deerfield Wings Center: News clippings 1963
18 Elmhurst Center: News clippings 1963
19 Evanston Juniors Center: News clippings 1963
20 Evanston Seniors Center: News clippings 1963
21 Flossmoor Center: News clippings 1963
22 Glencoe Center: News clippings 1963
23 Glencoe Juniors Center: News clippings 1963
24 Glencoe Wings Center: News clippings 1963
25 Glenview Center: News clippings 1963
26 Highland Park-Ravinia Intermediates Center: News clippings 1963
27 Highland Park-Ravinia Juniors Center: News clippings 1963
28 Highland Park-Ravinia Seniors Center: News clippings 1963
29 Hinsdale Center: News clippings 1963
30 Kenilworth Center: News clippings 1963
31 Kenwood Social Service Club Center: News clippings 1963
32 LaGrange Juniors Center: News clippings 1963
33 LaGrange Seniors Center: News clippings 1963
34 Lake Bluff Center: News clippings 1963
Box 21
Folders:
1 Mount Prospect Center: News clippings 1963
2 Oak Park-River Forest Center: News clippings 1963
3 Palatine Center: News clippings 1963
4 Park Ridge League Center: News clippings 1963
5 Riverside Center: News clippings 1963
6 Skokie Center: News clippings 1963
7 South Shore Center: News clippings 1963
8 Western Springs Center: News clippings 1963
9 Wheaton-Springbrook Center: News clippings 1963
10 Wilmette Juniors Center: News clippings 1963
11 Obituaries 1962-1963
12-14 Center publicity clippings 1966
Box 22
Folders:
1-4 News clippings 1967
Box 23
Folders:
1-5 News clippings 1968
6 Lake Forest Center: News clippings 1968
Box 24
Folders:
1-6 News clippings 1969
Box 25
Folders:
1-3 News clippings 1969
4 Lollipops & Roses show publicity 1970 (1 vol.)