Robert Ahrens papers, 1949-1982, bulk 1963-1967

Materials were a gift of Robert J. Ahrens M1982.0007 and M1982.0020.

Robert J. Ahrens papers (Chicago History Museum) plus a detailed description, date, and series/box number of a specific item.

Correspondence, newsletters, memoranda, program and meeting agendas, meeting minutes, newspaper clippings, financial statements, press releases, fundraising proposals, reports, speeches, and promotional materials documenting the life and career of Robert J. Ahrens. Much of the collection documents Ahrens's work as Executive Director of the Adult Education Association from 1956-1967, as Vice President of Roosevelt University from 1965-1967, with the Commission for Senior Citizens in 1956, as well as his involvement with numerous civic organizations such as Urban Gateways, City Club of Chicago, and the Clarence Darrow Center.

Robert J. Ahrens was born in 1923 to German immigrants in Oak Park. In 1944, Ahrens enlisted in the Army Air Force, the predecessor of today’s Air Force. He served as an intelligence officer while stationed in London during World War II. Upon his return in 1946, he enrolled in classes at Roosevelt University where he met and became close friends with Harold Washington, who would later become the first African-American mayor of Chicago in 1983. After the war, he worked for the City of Chicago under Mayor Richard J. Daley, and helped create the Commission for Senior Citizens (CSC) in 1956. The CSC was one of the first municipal offices in the nation to focus on needs of seniors, and was the forerunner to the Area Agency on Aging.

Ahrens was involved in numerous city and national educational and cultural organizations throughout his life. In 1956, he was hired as the Executive Director of the Adult Education Association, the precursor to the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education. Ahrens was the first Director of Alumni Relations at Roosevelt University, eventually becoming its Vice President from 1965-1967. Through the 1960s and 1970s, he was also involved with the Auditorium Theatre Council, the Citizens School Committee, the Institute for Cultural Development, and the Mayor’s Committee on Economic and Cultural Development. When Harold Washington was elected Mayor of Chicago in 1983, he appointed Ahrens as Director of the Mayor’s Office for Senior Citizens and the Handicapped. Ahrens died in Chicago on Saturday, May 24, 2003 at the age of 80.

Related materials at Chicago History Museum, Research Center include the Auditorium Theatre Council records, Citizens School Committee Records, City Club of Chicago records, and "News from Urban Gateways" periodicals.

The collection was previously semi-processed at an unknown date, and reprocessed in 2017. During processing, the collection was rehoused from 14 boxes into 16 boxes. The existing order was maintained, and no materials were culled.

• Names
  • Ahrens, Robert J, 1923-2003--Archives
  • Auditorium Theatre (Chicago, Ill.)
  • Chicago Auditorium Building (Chicago, Ill.)
  • Chicago (Ill.). Mayor's Commission for Senior Citizens
  • Chicago (Ill.). Division for Senior Citizens
  • Roosevelt University -- Buildings
• Subject
  • Adult Education -- Illinois -- Chicago Metropolitan Area -- 20th century
  • Adult Education -- United States -- 20th century
  • Citizens' advisory committees in education -- Illinois -- Chicago -- 20th century
  • Historic buildings -- Illinois -- Chicago -- 20th century
  • Older people -- Illinois -- Chicago -- 20th century
  • Theaters -- Illinois -- Chicago -- 20th century
  • Universities and Colleges -- Illinois -- Chicago -- 20th century
• Geographic Coverage
  • Chicago (Ill.) -- Economic conditions -- 20th century
  • Chicago (Ill.) -- Social conditions -- 20th century

The collection is arranged in four series.

Series 1. Adult Education Association (AEA), 1956-1967 (boxes 1-4)

Series 1 consists of correspondence, newsletters, memoranda, quarterlies, meeting minutes, and information on annual conventions/conferences (1962-1964, 1966-1967).

Series 2. Auditorium Theatre, 1949-1982 (boxes 4-7)

Series 2 consists of articles, balance sheets, biographies, brochures, meeting agendas and minutes, correspondence, financial statements, press clippings, newsletters, notes, and fundraising proposals.

Series 3. Citizens School Committee, 1962-1978 (boxes 8-11)

Series 3 consists of announcements, meeting agendas and minutes, reports, bylaws, budgets, newspaper clippings, press releases, and names/addresses of elected officers.

Series 4. Various Education Associations, 1957-1971 (boxes 11-16)

Series 4 consists of correspondence, program agendas, reports, surveys, meeting minutes, fundraising materials, program proposals, announcements, brochures, policy statements, bylaws, press clippings, newsletters, and promotional materials. Also included are a 1967 Chicago Park District map of facilities and a Faculty Manual for Roosevelt University.

Organizations in the series include: Chicago Board of Education, Urban Gateways, Institute for Cultural Development, Mayor's Commission for Senior Citizens, Clarence Darrow Community Center, City Club of Chicago, Hyde Park YMCA, Society of Real Estate Appraisers, Woodfield Center, and the Committee for Economic and Cultural Development (part of the Cultural Advisory Committee).