Charlotte E. Senechalle papers, 1904-2001 (bulk
1950-1990)
Descriptive
Inventory for the Collection at Chicago History Museum, Research Center
By Claudia
Nickson; ed. by Sarah Dorpinghaus, 2010
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 2010, Chicago Historical Society
Processed
with funding provided by the National Historical Publications and Records
Commission.
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Title: Charlotte E. Senechalle papers, 1950-2000
(bulk 1950-1990)
Main entry: Senechalle, Charlotte E., 1904-2001.
Inclusive dates: 1904-2001 (bulk 1950-1990)
Size:
3.75 linear ft. (9 boxes)
Restriction: Research use of this collection is governed
by the standard rules and regulations of the Chicago History Museum Research
Center.
Accession number: 2000.0170
Provenance statement: Gift of Charlotte E. Senechalle (2000.0170)
Terms governing use: All rights owned by the donor, including copyright, were deeded to Chicago Historical Society. Copyright may be retained by the creators of items, or their descendents, as stipulated by United States copyright law, unless otherwise noted.
Please cite this collection as:
Charlotte E.
Senechalle papers (Chicago History Museum) plus a detailed description, date,
and box/folder number of a specific item.
This descriptive inventory contains the following
sections:
Biographical
note,
Summary
description of 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
note:
Charlotte
E. Senechalle was active in several Chicago social service and social justice organizations,
including Church Women United, the League of Women Voters, and the Citizens
Information Service of Illinois. She served on the board (1955) and as
president (1960-1962) of the League of Women Voters of Chicago and as president
of the Cook County Council of the League of Women Voters (1962-1964). Senechalle
also served on the board of Citizens Schools Committees (1965-1990).
Summary description of the collection:
Correspondence,
board meeting minutes, research files, newspaper clippings, reports,
observation notes, and other papers of Charlotte E. Senechalle, primarily relating
to her work with school improvement and the conditions of the Cook County
Department of Corrections. Included are materials regarding Senechalle's work
with the Citizens Schools Committee, such as meeting minutes (1988-1991),
financial records, and observer reports regarding the Chicago Board of
Education (1971-1976). Topics include school integration and desegregation.
Also present are Senechalle's teaching materials, correspondence, and other
records for her course on "Practical Politics" taught at the YMCA
Community College for the Citizens Information Service of Illinois (1960s).
Materials regarding Senechalle's work with Church Women United (1990s) and
League of Women Voters (1960s) are also included as well as research and notes
on criminal justice, penal systems, and prison conditions in Chicago, Cook
County, and Illinois.
List of online catalog headings about the
collection:
The
following index headings for this collection were entered in the online
catalog.
Subjects:
Senechalle,
Charlotte E., 1904-2001
Chicago
(Ill.). Board of Education
Citizens
Information Service (Chicago, Ill.)
Citizens
Schools Committee (Chicago, Ill.)
Church
Women United in Greater Chicago
Cook
County (Ill.). Dept. of Corrections
League
of Women Voters of Chicago.
Prisons--Illinois--20th
century.
Citizens'
advisory committees in education--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.
Educational
accountability--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.
Jails--Illinois--20th
century.
Schools--Illinois--Chicago--20th
century.
School
management and organization--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.
Women
in politics--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.
Women
volunteers in social service--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.
Chicago
(Ill.)--Politics and government--20th century.
Chicago
(Ill.)--Social conditions--20th century.
Form/genre:
Correspondence.
Minutes.
Newspaper
clippings.
Notes.
Reports.
Photoprints.
Added
entries:
Citizens
Information Service (Chicago, Ill.)
Citizens
Schools Committee (Chicago, Ill.)
Church
Women United in Greater Chicago
League
of Women Voters of Chicago.
United
States--Illinois--Cook County--Chicago.
Arrangement of the collection:
The
collection is arranged in ten series:
Series
1. Biographical files, 1958-1991 (box 1)
Series
2. Citizens School Committee (CSC) materials, 1960-1996 (box 1-2)
Series
3. Chicago Board of Education materials, 1970-1996 (box 2)
Series
4. League of Women Voters (LWV) materials, 1954-2000 (box 2-5)
Series
5. Church Women United materials, 1962-1999 (box 5-6)
Series
6. Citizens Information Service materials, 1950-1997 (box 6)
Series
7. Cook County materials, 1960-1997 (box 6-8)
Series
8. Criminal Justice materials, 1960-1996-(box 8-9)
Detailed description of archival series in
the collection:
Series 1. Biographical files, 1958-1991
(box 1)
Series
1 contains biographies, photographs, newspaper clippings, and other biographical
materials of Charlotte Senechalle. Also present is a transcript of a speech
Senechalle gave while president of the League of Women Voters (1961) as well as
issues of Voter, the League of Women
Voters newsletter (1960-1962).
Series 2. Citizens School Committee (CSC)
materials, 1960-1996 (box 1-2)
Series
2 contains notes, publications, correspondence, minutes, financial statements,
policies, historical information, memorandums, newspaper articles and clippings,
and other records pertaining to the Citizens School Committee, of which
Senechalle was a board member. Materials primarily relate to school reform. Also
present are Senechalle's observer reports on the activities and meetings of the
Chicago Board of Education (1971-1976).
Series 3. Chicago Board of Education
materials, 1970-1996 (box 2)
Series
3 consists of correspondence, press releases, memorandums, reports, procedural
guidelines, reference materials, newspaper clippings, and other materials
regarding the Chicago Board of Education. Topics include education, membership,
students' rights, and discipline.
Series 4. League of Women Voters (LWV)
materials, 1954-2000 (box 2-5)
Series
4 contains clippings, notes, policies, correspondence, newsletters, financial
reports, reference materials, and other records of the League of Women Voters
(LWV). Materials pertain to the history of LWV and workshops offered by LWV.
Also present are reference materials regarding housing, and urban planning,
land use, flood control, and the environment. Included are LWV annual meeting programs
(1962, 1964) and observer reports on Cook County Corrections board meetings
(1989-1996). Reference material and briefings related to the Cook County
Department of Corrections are also present, addressing topics such as jail
overcrowding, alternatives to incarceration, the female offender, sentencing
laws, bail and release, court reform, and criminal justice. Also included is a
reference book on local governmental units and agencies in Chicago prepared by
the League of Women Voters and published by the Citizen Information Service (1954).
Series 5. Church Women United materials, 1962-1999
(box 5-6)
Series
5 contains publications, clippings, notes, administrative forms, correspondence,
minutes, policies, a membership directory, and other records of Church Women
United. Also present is a brief history of the organization written by
Senechalle.
Series 6. Citizens Information Service
materials, 1950-1997 (box 6)
Series
6 consists of publications, notes, correspondence, clippings, and other
materials regarding Senechalle's work with Citizens Information Service.
Included are teaching materials for a "Practical Politics" course
taught by Senechalle at YMCA Community College (1960s) as well as reference
materials on politics, civil service, welfare reform, crime prevention, and the
U.S. Constitution. Also present is a transcript of a speech given by Senechalle
while president of the League of Women Voters (1961).
Series 7. Cook County materials, 1960-1997 (box
6-8)
Series
7 contains clippings, memorandums, administrative forms, statistics, legal
records, public policies, and other materials regarding Cook County. Also
present are reference materials on jail crowding, Cook County Circuit Court,
food service, health care, vocational programs, work-release, half-way houses,
the mentally ill inmate, the female offender, death penalty, and probation
challenge. Senechalle's notes on her visits to Cook County jails and interviews
with inmates are also included (1992-1996). A history on the Cook County Department
of Corrections published by the League of Women Voters is also present (1977).
Series 8. Criminal
Justice materials, 1960-1996 (box 8-9)
Series 8 contains newspapers clippings, correspondence, and
other reference materials on criminal justice compiled by Senechalle. Topics
include capital punishment, boot camp, corrections reform, judicial reform,
Illinois Court Watching Project, gun control, juvenile justice, gangs, prisoner
rights, and penal systems. Also present are reports of the League of Women
Voters on community correctional centers and sentencing (1980-1985).
List of contents of the collection:
Box 1 Biographical
information files, 1958-1991
Box 1-2 Citizens School Committee (CSC)
materials, 1960-1996
Box 2 Chicago
Board of Education materials, 1970-1996
Box 2-5 League of Women Voters (LWV)
materials, 1954-2000
Box 5-6 Church Women United materials, 1962-1999
Box 6 Citizens Information Service
materials, 1950-1997
Box 6-8 Cook County materials, 1960-1997
Box 8-9 Criminal Justice materials, 1960-1996