Baden Street Settlement Records

Summary Information

Title: Baden Street Settlement Records
Dates: 1901-1966
Creator: Baden Street Settlement
Extent: 4 linear feet (95 folders, 3 legal folders)
Language: English
Collection Number: SW0003
Abstract:

This Rochester, New York settlement house, which is still in operation, traces its origins to the work of the B'rith Kodesh Temple. The Baden Street Settlement records document child care, health care, casework, and group work at the settlement. The records include minutes from Board of Directors' meetings, annual reports, case reports, and commentary on the impact of the Great Depression and other events.

Repository: University of Minnesota Libraries. Social Welfare History Archives

Access and Use

Acquisition Information:

The Baden Street Settlement records were received as a gift from the Baden Street Settlement in August, 1966.

Access Restrictions:

Open for use in Social Welfare History Archives reading room.

Copyright:

Please contact the Archives for copyright information.

Processing Information:

Arrangement and description of the records was completed by Loren Crabtree in 1967. Conversion of the original finding aid for online display was completed in 2007.

Arrangement

The Baden Street Settlement records are arranged into four series:

• Series 1. Administrative
• Series 2. Committees
• Series 3. Reports
• Series 4. Publications

Historical Note

Organized in 1901 as a non-sectarian, neighborhood center, the Baden Street Settlement traces its origins to the work of the women of the B'rith Kodesh Temple on Gibbs Street in Rochester, New York. The group felt a social responsibility to teach immigrant women the basic tasks and responsibilities of life in the United States. Their emphasis was on the practical, necessities of homemaking -- gardening, sewing, elementary education and child-rearing -- and this practical remained central to the work of the settlement throughout the early decades of the 20th Century. In 1901, the women of B'rith Kodesh Temple, led by Therese R. Katz and Fannie A. Carson, decided to expand their work into the wider community. They formed "The Social Settlement of Rochester," which became Baden Street Settlement in 1922.

From its beginnings, the guiding philosophy of the settlement was "beneficent pragmatism," the adaptation of its scope of service to fit the changing needs of the community. Its program grew from homemaking classes, Sunshine Clubs (to encourage social life), and intellectual stimulation (Shakespeare clubs, current topics courses, and German clubs) to include social and athletic clubs for boys and girls, an informal kindergarten, public bath facilities, and operation of a "milk station" to supply clean milk to neighborhood infants and children, and a Day Care Center. By the early 1950s, the settlement had a Health Center, and programs in casework and group work. Along the way, the settlement sponsored and/or participated in unemployment relief, community social action and reform through such agencies as the Community Chest and urban renewal associations, and the promotion of literacy through adult education.

Throughout its existence, the Baden Street Settlement responded to the changing character of its neighborhood and the larger aspects of social welfare in America. Thus, the Settlement studied the effect of the gradual influx of African Americans into the area and adjusted its program accordingly. Correspondingly, with the growth of public welfare programs, Baden Street recognized the necessity of cooperating with the public agencies and shifting certain practice areas to the public sector. In the gradual evolution of programs and policies, the settlement workers and their supporters emphasized the importance of the family unit in healthful living and followed the classic goals of settlement houses in America: (l) the enrichment of neighborhoods, (2) the strengthening of entire family units, (3) the promotion of legislative and social action to solve social problems, (4) the development of neighborhood leadership and the strengthening of neighborhood ties with the wider community, (5) the overcoming of prejudice and ignorance, and (6) the inculcation of democratic attitudes.

In the post-World War II era, the settlement attacked the problems of bad housing, inadequate education, unemployment, discrimination, cultural deprivation, and hopelessness, with a program of social action including such enterprises as a speech clinic, school readiness program, music instruction, tutoring service, careers club, employment service, instruction and aid for unwed mothers, and a volunteer case-aide program in casework.

The Presidents of the Board of Directors and the Executive Directors listed below were the key figures in the leadership of the settlement:

• Presidents:
• Fannie Adler (Mrs. J.L.) Carson , 1901-1939
• Ruth M. (Mrs. Charles R.) Witherspoon, 1939-1942
• Wilma L. (Mrs. Dexter) Perkins, 1942-1951
• Margaret C. (Mrs. Henry W.) Hays, 1951-1954
• Harry H. Suskind, 1954-1956
• Doris U. (Mrs. Libby) Pulsifier, 1956-1958
• Nancy B. (Mrs. Joseph) Harris, 1958-1961
• Jane A. (Mrs. Manuel D.) Goldman, 1961-1964
• Loma M. (Mrs. De Leslie L.) Allen, 1964-1966
• Dr. William J. Knox, Jr., 1966-
• Directors:
• Mrs. Sara Vance Stewart , 1901-1914
• Mrs. Gertrude Montfort, 1914
• Gertrude M. (Mrs. Francis, Jr.) Jerdone, 1915-1948
• Irving M. Kriegsfeld , 1948-1958
• Howard C. McClary Sidney, 1958-1962
• J. Lindenberg, 1962-

For information on these and other members of the Board of Directors, the researcher should consult the minutes of the Board, the Executive Committee, and other committees of the settlement.

Collection Scope and Content Note

The Baden Street Settlement records include minutes from Board of Directors' meetings and Executive Committee meeting minutes concerning day-to-day operations. They also include program reports from other committees, annual reports, case reports, and commentary on the impact of the Great Depression, World War I and World War II, race riots, and other events. Nearly half of the collection consists of statistical reports on programs and activities that were submitted to the Rochester Community Chest and Council and to the National Federation of Settlements. The Settlement's Board of Directors and Executive Committee minutes, 1901-1964, are also available on microfilm (SWF5).

Related Material

The Settlement's Board of Directors and Executive Committee minutes, 1901-1964, are also available on microfilm (SWFilm 5).

The National Federation of Settlements (sw0056) records in the Social Welfare History Archives contain about six files on Baden Street dating from 1935 to 1956 and 1955 to 1969.

Unpublished inventory available. Please contact the Archives for more information.

Subject Terms

Index Terms

• This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the University of Minnesota Libraries. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
• Baden Street Settlement
• Social settlements -- New York (State) -- Rochester

Local Subject Terms

• Settlements and Neighborhood Centers

Contents List

Location		Title
		Series 1. Administrative
Box 1		Board of Directors Minutes 1901-1964 Box 1, Folder 1 to 5 Note The Board met to consider routine operating matters, such as reports of the activities of the day nursery, treasurers’ reports, membership campaigns, committees for the operation of the settlement, eulogies for deceased friends of the settlement, resolutions on financial and social-political problems. The minutes therefore contain reports of other committees, eulogies and their responses, miscellaneous resolutions and memoranda, personnel codes and regulations, occasional correspondence, data about the 1956-1957 self-survey, By-laws and changes in the settlement’s legal operations, budget statements, and policy statements regarding the operation and use of settlement facilities. See also legal-size folder 1.
		Board of Directors Minutes 1901-1929  Box legal 9, Folder 1
Box 1		Executive Committee Minutes 1926-1932 Box 1, Folder 6 Note The Committee met irregularly, sometimes once a month and occasionally weekly. It made decisions related directly to the daily operation of the settlement, including such matters as personnel, reports of other committees and individuals, finances, committee lists, correspondence with other social welfare personnel. Between 1937 and 1950, the Executive Committee met monthly, except for the summer months when it did not meet. After January, 1951, the record of the meetings is very incomplete.
Box 2		Executive Committee Minutes 1933-1964 Box 2, Folder 7 to 9 Note Continued from previous box
		Program Planning and Adjustment 1960-1966 Box 2, Folder 10 Note The Baden-Ormond area was in a state of transition circa 1960 due to an urban renewal project. Consequently, the settlement had to rethink its programs and policies. This folder contains studies and recommendations on such subjects as health care, nursery facilities, educating the neighborhood residents, casework, urban renewal, use of public funds in settlement work, the 1964 Rochester riots, the Economic Opportunity Program, priorities in adjustment, and structural rearrangement.
		Series 2. Committees
Box 2		Activities Committee 1963-1964 Box 2, Folder 11 Note The committee met monthly to consider the various activities of the settlement (e.g., camping, Girl Scouts, leadership training) and to present recommendations to the Board of Directors. The folder contains minutes of these meetings.
		Casework Committee 1948-1952 Box 2, Folder 12 Note Minutes of monthly meetings regarding initiating, expanding and controlling casework at Baden Street. Committee members include Irving Kriegsfeld and Reverend Quintin Prime.
		Finance Committee 1949-1965 Box 2, Folder 13 to 14 Note The committee met irregularly, often in joint session with other committees such as maintenance and personnel. As a result, the minutes of these committees sometimes overlap. Statistical analyses and budget reports. Decisions about spending policies. Includes financial data and communications about Baden Street and the Community Chest of Rochester and Monroe County.
		Group Work Committee   Note The Group Work Committee records relate primarily to work with children and youth.
Box 2		Minutes 1949-1962 Box 2, Folder 15 Note Minutes of meetings. Data re: budgets, special programs, routine programs.
		Beaver Subcommittee 1953-1959 Box 2, Folder 16 Note Minutes of monthly meetings are relatively complete for 1953 to 1955, but there is only one report for 1955 to 1959. Concerned with the day-to-day details of the program.
		Chipmunk Subcommittee 1953 Box 2, Folder 17
		Gopher Subcommittee 1953-1959 Box 2, Folder 18
Box 3		Gym Committee 1952-1955 Box 3, Folder 19
		Lynx Subcommittee 1953-1959 Box 3, Folder 20
		Percheron Subcommittee 1952-1955 Box 3, Folder 21
		Raccoon Subcommittee 1954-1959 Box 3, Folder 22
		Steering Committee 1952-1955 Box 3, Folder 23
		Health Center Committee 1948-1964 Box 3, Folder 24 to 25 Note Minutes of the regular monthly meetings, dealing with routine operating matters, statistical reports, and other topics.
Box legal 9		Health Center 1913-1952 Box legal 9, Folder 2 to 3 Note Incomplete run of the minutes of the Baden Street Settlement Health Center. Reports to the Board of Directors. Reports of the inspection of facilities by New York State Department of Social Welfare. Includes state charter, rules and regulations, statistical reports, correspondence regarding staff selection.
Box 3		Legislative Committee 1955-1960 Box 3, Folder 26 Note Minutes of the committee, which functioned as an advocacy group representing the needs of the settlement in relation to proposed federal and state legislation.
		Miscellaneous Committees 1951-1960 Box 3, Folder 27 Note Occasional minutes of the following committees: arrangements, building, survey, and nominating.
		Neighborhood Development Committee 1942-1964 Box 3, Folder 28 Note Minutes of meetings concerned with urban renewal, housing, the settlement’s role in the neighborhood, problems of inner city neighborhoods, city planning, and other topics.
		Nursery Committee 1948-1964 Box 3, Folder 29 Note Minutes of monthly meetings, including information regarding summer day camps, enrollment, personnel, special programs, and other routine operating details.
		Personal Service Committee 1952-1964 Box 3, Folder 30 Note Known from 1952 to 1962 as the Consultation Committee, the committee assumed the responsibilities of the Case Work Committee and also functioned as a general supervisory committee assisting the other committees of the settlement, Contains an incomplete run of the minutes of the monthly meetings.
		Personnel Committee 1949-1962 Box 3, Folder 31 Note Includes minutes of meetings concerned with staff recruitment, salaries, promotions.
		Physical Education Committee 1952 Box 3, Folder 32 Note Includes statement of philosophy, minutes of meetings, reports on use of gym facilities.
		Public Relations Committee 1952-1964 Box 3, Folder 33 Note Minutes of meetings dealing with publicity of the settlement’s work through such means as films, television specials, luncheons, and a 60th anniversary celebration.
		Scholarship Committee 1962-1964 Box 3, Folder 34 Note Minutes concerned with raising and assigning funds for student scholarships.
		Settlement Committee 1948-1951 Box 3, Folder 35 Note Minutes of the meetings of the committee, which exercised general supervision over the work of the settlement.
		Series 3. Reports
Box 3		Annual Reports 1901-1925 Box 3, Folder 36 Note Series 2 contains an incomplete run of annual reports from 1901 to 1925, with 1903-1904 and 1906-1913 reports missing. Typical annual reports cover the programs and problems of the settlement during each year. Includes: information concerning the settlement’s name change in 1922; a brief history of the settlement from 1901 to 1926; an historical summary of the Dispensary (1944); an historical survey of the settlement, 1901-1949; information the post-World War II "transition" period; a supplementary historical statement covering 1951 to 1962; and a copy of a 1942 "organization and cost survey." Also includes miscellaneous correspondence regarding legal issues. A general annual report is provided, as well as specific reports from the various divisions of the settlement, such as the Nursery and Dispensary. Some statistical reports are embellished by personal experiences. The reports also provide insights into the fiscal and emotional problems caused by the Great Depression; give detailed information on the effect of World War II on the settlement; and reflect issues surrounding the migration of African American residents into the settlement neighborhood circa 1944 to 1952.
Box 4		Annual Reports 1926-1966 Box 4, Folder 37 to 40 Note Continued from previous box
		Statistical Reports 1916-1918 Box 4, Folder 41 to 43 Note Summary statistics of the operations of the nursery, dispensary, classes and clubs. Also, general reports and annual statistical reports. The reports cover each fiscal year, April-March.
Box 5		Statistical Reports 1919-1937 Box 5, Folder 44 to 61 Note Continued from previous box
Box 6		Statistical Reports 1937-1952 Box 6, Folder 62 to 77 Note Continued from previous box
Box 7		Statistical Reports 1953-1960 Box 7, Folder 78 to 84 Note Continued from previous box
		Treasurer’s Reports 1910-1938 Box 7, Folder 85 to 87 Note Monthly record of receipts and disbursements, plus occasional legal documents pertaining to the treasurer and his financial functions.
		Series 4. Publications
Box 8		Manual of Baden Street Settlement 1963 Box 8, Folder 88 Note This is a guide to Agency policies and practices, and contains a variety of forms and policies to be followed and used by Agency workers.
		Newsletter 1951-1966 Box 8, Folder 89 Note Incomplete run of the staff newsletter. Contains information about events in the life of the settlement.
		Studies of and by Baden Street Settlement 1956-1964 Box 8, Folder 90 Note Copy of a M.Ed thesis dealing with the goals of the settlement and the problems of reaching them. 1964 study prepared by the settlement on African Americans in the United States and the role of the settlement in relations with people of color. Data on the self-survey of 1956-1957, including a handbook of questions, reports from the various subdivisions, resolutions on how to address the settlement’s problems.
		Nursery and Day Care Center 1934-1952 Box 8, Folder 91 Note Legal documents regarding licensing of the nursery. Statistical summaries, data on proposed legislation, financial statements, correspondence about operation of the Nursery.
		Neighborhood Story Film 1953-1958 Box 8, Folder 92 to 93 Note The film, Neighborhood Story , was produced by Baden Street Settlement to depict and interpret the work of the settlement to its supporters and the community at large. Folder contents include correspondence between settlement officials (especially Irving M. Kriegsfeld) and University of Syracuse audio-visual personnel (especially Donald G. Williams and Lu Snyder) re planning, producing, promoting and distributing the film; financial and legal data regarding production; request for showing the film; press clippings and reviews of the film; brochures. includes a copy of the script.
		Volunteer Case Aide Project 1957-1965 Box 8, Folder 94 Note Description of the project, which was designed to provide volunteer assistance for caseworkers who had too heavy a case load. Progress reports detailing the evolution and results of the project.