Evelina Belden Paulson papers, 1911-2003

Old Resource ID was EBPaulson

After graduating from Oberlin College in 1909, Evelina Belden became a resident social worker at Hiram House, Cleveland, Ohio. She directed the Boys' Game Club, activities for girls on the settlement playground, and other recreational activities. In addition, the United States Department of Commerce certified Evelina Belden as a census enumerator for the year 1910. (United States Department of Labor - Children's Bureau - correspondence, August 1914-March 1920.)

A research fellowship from the Russell Sage Foundation was awarded to Miss Belden in 1911. She then terminated her employment at Hiram House to attend the Chicago School of Civics and Philanthropy. While pursuing her studies, Evelina Belden lived and worked at Northwestern University Settlement, 1911; Chicago Commons, 1911-1914; and Bethesda House, 1912. In 1912 she was awarded a certificate from the school. (Ibid.)

Evelina Belden joined the staff of the Juvenile Protective Association of Chicago as a social case worker assigned to investigate public dance halls in Chicago, 1912-1913. She then served as a special officer at the Cook County Jail Juvenile Division, 1913-1914, where she interviewed and counseled juveniles (boys) who were awaiting trial. This assignment was a prelude to Evelina Belden's appointment as the first social service director of the newly established Chicago Boys' Court. (Ibid.)

In 1915 Evelina Belden left Chicago to become a special agent for the United States Department of Labor-Children's Bureau. Along with a group of enterprising young women, Miss Belden was given the task of investigating infant mortality and social agencies in New Bedford and illegitimate births in Boston, Massachusetts. Before conducting a survey of the standards and procedures of the Juvenile Courts in the United States, Evelina Belden attended the Child Welfare Institute of New York School of Philanthropy the summer of 1917. (Ibid.)

After Miss Belden completed the Juvenile Court survey, she became a field agent for the American Red Cross, 1919-1920. She conducted surveys on the community welfare needs of various counties within Illinois, especially Macon and Rock Island. From 1921 to 1922, Evelina Belden was a member of the American Red Cross Commission to Poland. (American Red Cross - Central Division - correspondence and report-, February - August, 1919.)

On October 16, 1922, Henry Thomas Paulson and Evelina Belden were married. They had two children; a son, Dr. Belden H. Paulson, and a daughter, Kary Evelina Paulson Harrington (Mrs. Gordon). The use of nick- names for family members will be found throughout the collection. A chart of nicknames is in folder 12. (Biographical Data - clippings, 1905 - May, 1968.)

In 1940, Evelina Paulson accepted the directorship of the Protestant Woman's Protectorate, a position which she held until 1942 when illness forced her to resign. (Protestant Woman's Protectorate - correspondence and notes, May, 1933-September, 1947.)

Mrs. Henry T. Paulson, who was born in Bridgeton, New Jersey, 1885, died on February 19, 1966.

These papers consist of correspondence, clippings, programs, reprints, notes, proceedings, forms, pamphlets, questionnaires, reports, lists, bulletins, case studies, fliers, statements pertaining to Evelina Belden Paulson's career as a social worker specializing in investigations of infant mortality, social agencies, illegitimate births, community welfare needs, juvenile courts, disabled veterans, dance halls, juvenile delinquency, etc., including material relating to the establishment of the Chicago Boys' Court; relief work of Chicago Commons and United Charities of Chicago; the effects of war on children; socialism; U. S. Census, 1910; Neva Boyd; and correspondence with Adena Miller Rich, Julia Lathrop, Katherine Lenroot, Lea Taylor, Graham Taylor, Edith Abbott, Jessie Binford and others. Additionally, some of the material in folders 15, 17, and 35 reflect the social work activities of her husband, Henry T. Paulson.

Ten subsequent supplements to the Evelina Belden Paulson Papers were received after the initial installment, in 1971, 1971, 1976, 1987, 1988, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, and 2003. For information about the materials in these supplements to the collection, please consult paper inventories located in the Special Collections Reading Room.

A concise alphabetical arrangement of this collection was achieved when the initial segment of these papers were interfiled with a supplement one.

Pamphlets written by prominent social workers were placed in the small manuscript files of Special Collections - Manuscript Division and of Hull- House. Each folder was marked with the accession number 70-72 and this separation in no way destroyed the provenance of the unarranged papers. Some of these pamphlets reflect the social work activities of her husband, Henry T. Paulson.

None.

None, outside of regular reading room hours.

Evelina Belden Paulson Papers, Special Collections, University of Illinois at Chicago.

These papers were received by the cataloger and deposited at the University of Illinois Library, Circle Campus on August 21, 1970. The donor of these papers was Mrs. Paulson's daughter, Mrs. Gordon Harrington.

The finding aid for this collection was revised from a 1971 collection description and inventory (by Mary Ann Bamberger), and subsequently marked up for web presentation in July 2008.

• Names
  • Paulson, Evelina Belden, 1885-1966 -- Archives
  • Paulson, Henry T.
• Subject
  • Chicago Community Organizations.
  • Chicago Political and Civic Life.
  • Social service.
• Geographic CoverageIllinois--Chicago.