United Charities of Chicago records

  • Creator Names United Charities of Chicago.
  • Title United Charities of Chicago records [manuscript], 1867-1998.
  • Physical description ca. 200 linear ft. (ca. 217 boxes and 31 unboxed v.)
  • Access and usage restrictions
    • Case files less than 75 years old are closed. In order to consult other case files, researchers must sign the Chicago History Museum's "Request for Research Access to Confidential Materials" form.
    • Recent additions to the collection are unprocessed and are not described in detail in this catalog record but are included in the overall box count. Contact research@chicagohistory.org for access to unprocessed portions. Staff will typically respond to your inquiry within two weeks. However, due to the high volume of inquiries and depending upon the nature of your request additional time may be required to respond. Please note that not all material will be available for researcher access due to condition, location, staff availability, confidentiality and/or other factors. Scheduling an appointment to view available material may require several additional weeks.
  • Collection summary
    • Correspondence, minutes, bylaws, financial records, annual reports, news clippings, newsletters, radio scripts, statistical and intake reports, manuals, pamphlets, scrapbooks, case files, and other materials of United Charities (UC) relating to older people, economic conditions, ethnic groups, African Americans, camping programs, divorce, employees' organizations, legal aid, mental disabilities, social services, children, and unmarried mothers in Chicago. Includes correspondence, minutes, and other records of two predecessor organizations: Chicago Relief and Aid Society (1867-1909) and the Chicago Bureau of Charities (1894-1909); a history by Gudrun Rom; material relating to relief services for victims of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871; correspondence of Joel Hunter, general superintendent (1919-1947), of Amelia Sears, assistant general superintendent (1919-1930), and scattered items pertaining to the Social Service Employees' Union. Includes documentation of UC's Legal Aid Bureau, Women's Service Division, and Family Service Bureau.
    • Most papers were generated in the daily work of United Charities and reflect policy, procedures, and programs. A small number of items, primarily correspondence and studies were generated by others. Case studies or composite case studies are scattered throughout the material. Many were done in conjunction with other agencies or prepared for presentation at board of directors' or committee meetings as examples of work done or problems dealt with. Christine Wagner's 1953 article: "Records Review and Destruction in a Family Agency" (in Information Folder, Box 1, Folder 1) states that seventy-five to eighty-five percent of UC's case records were destroyed and that those retained by UC were thought to have historical value.
  • Acquisition information Gift of Metropolitan Family Services (2002.0032) and United Charities of Chicago (M1967.0656, etc.).
  • Finding Aids Note Descriptive inventory available in the Research Center that does not cover additions to the collection.
  • Location of Other Archival Materials Note Related materials at Chicago History Museum, Research Center, include the United Charities of Chicago collection of visual materials (1967.0527); the United Charities of Chicago camp photograph collection (1985.0419); the United Charities of Chicago lantern slide show collection (1986.0594); and publications cataloged separately.
  • Biographical or Historical Note Chicago Relief and Aid Society (1867-1909) and Chicago Bureau of Charities (1894-1909) became United Charities of Chicago; and in 1995 United Charities became Metropolitan Family Services.
  • Names
    • United Charities of Chicago Archives.
    • United Charities of Chicago. Family Service Bureau.
    • United Charities of Chicago. Legal Aid Bureau.
    • United Charities of Chicago. Women's Service Division.
    • Chicago Bureau of Charities Archives.
    • Chicago Relief and Aid Society Archives.
    • Metropolitan Family Services (Chicago, Ill.)
    • Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.). School of Law.
    • Juvenile Protective Association of Chicago
    • Old People's Home of the City of Chicago.
    • Social Service Employees Union.
    • Welfare Council of Metropolitan Chicago
    • Hunter, Joel.
    • Rom, Gudrun.
    • Sears, Amelia.
    • Chicago Bureau of Charities.
    • Chicago Relief and Aid Society.
    • Social Service Employees Union.
    • Metropolitan Family Services (Chicago, Ill.)
    • Welfare Council of Metropolitan Chicago
  • Subjects
    • African Americans Illinois Chicago 19th century.
    • African Americans Illinois Chicago 20th century.
    • Camping Illinois Chicago 20th century.
    • Charities Illinois Chicago 19th century.
    • Charities Illinois Chicago 20th century.
    • Disaster relief Illinois Chicago 19th century.
    • Disaster relief Illinois Chicago 20th century.
    • Fires Illinois Chicago 19th century.
    • Fires Illinois Chicago 20th century.
    • Great Fire, Chicago, Ill., 1871. Especially boxes 1-4.
    • Human services Illinois Chicago 19th century.
    • Human services Illinois Chicago 20th century.
    • Legal aid Illinois Chicago 19th century.
    • Legal aid Illinois Chicago 20th century.
    • Mental health Illinois Chicago 19th century.
    • Mental health Illinois Chicago 20th century.
    • Older people Illinois Chicago 19th century.
    • Older people Illinois Chicago 20th century.
    • Unmarried mothers Illinois Chicago 20th century.
  • Geographic coverage
    • Chicago (Ill.) Social conditions 19th century.
    • Chicago (Ill.) Social conditions 20th century.
    • Camp Algonquin (Ill.)
    • Camp Harlowarden (Algonquin, Ill.)
  • Genre
    • Bylaws (administrative records) aat
    • Case files. aat
    • Correspondence. aat
    • Histories. aat
    • Manuals. aat
    • Minutes. aat
    • Reports. aat
    • Scrapbooks. aat
    • Scripts. aat
    • Statistics. aat
  • Geographic name United States Illinois Cook County Chicago.