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Friends in Council records

 Collection
Call Number: RH MS 94

Overview

Friends in Council of Lawrence, Kansas, was founded in 1871 as a women's organization dedicated to cultural enrichment of its members. The collection includes records of members, constitution with amendments, minutes, and clippings.

Dates

  • Creation: 1871 - 2017

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

No access restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Spencer Library staff may determine use restrictions dependent on the physical condition of manuscript materials.

History of Friends in Council, Lawrence, Kansas

The Lawrence Friends in Council was founded in 1871 by Elizabeth Perkins Leonard who came to Lawrence from Quincy, Illinois. She had been appointed professor of modern languages, drawing and painting at the University. While in Quincy, Miss Leonard had been a member of the newly formed women's study club called Friends in Council. She recognized that such a group in Lawrence could provide an outlet for women who missed cultural activities in the East; thus, she and several of her friends met in her living quarters and organized the Friends. Jane A. Snow, Emma Thacher, and Mary Frances Simpson, who was the first public librarian in Lawrence, were among those who formed the club. Over the years the women studied and read a broad range of topics, including literature, history, art and music. During the late 1920s the Friends became more service oriented, e.g, providing quarters for social service women, money for maternity loans, participating in hospital auxiliary and public welfare work. They also provided money for University scholarships. Such activities as these have been continued by the Friends over the years.

Extent

3.25 Linear Feet (7 document cases + 25 volumes)

Language of Materials

English

Physical Location

RH MS 94

Physical Location

RH MS 769

Physical Location

RH MS 1313

Physical Location

RH MS 1424

Physical Location

RH MS AK5

Physical Location

RH MS C42

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gifts, Allan Busch, 1976; Georgana Torres, 2015, 2016; Susan Osborn, 2018.

Title
Guide to the Friends in Council Collection
Subtitle
Friends in Council records
Author
Finding aid prepared by pg, 1975, 1976. Finding aid encoded by skt, 2006. Finding aid revised by cl, 2010; skt, 2010; eear, 2015; mes, 2016; tmw, 2017; cmp, 2022.
Date
2006
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Finding aid written in English.
Finding aid permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/10407/0921501714
Preferred citation
Friends in Council records, RH MS 94, Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas

Repository Details

Part of the University of Kansas. Kenneth Spencer Research Library Repository

Contact:
1450 Poplar Lane
Lawrence KS 66045-7616 United States
785-864-4334