Olivet Community Center records, 1885-1966, bulk 1940-1960

Box 5, folder 1 is closed until 2039

Copyright may be retained by the creators of items, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law, unless otherwise noted.

Gift of Olivet Community Center (accession #: M1969.0034; M1977.0018).

Olivet Community Center records (Chicago History Museum) plus a detailed description, date, and box/folder number of a specific item.

Correspondence, meeting minutes, financial records, case files, reports, newsletters, scrapbooks, abstracts of title, and other records of the Olivet Community Center (formerly known as Olivet Institute), a Chicago settlement house and community center in the Near North Side. For many years it was located at 1441 North Cleveland Street. Collection includes materials related to the Olivet Day Nursery, Olivet Day Camp, and the Chicago Nisei Athletic Association (a Japanese-American sports group). Also present is correspondence regarding the relationship between the Olivet Institute and the Presbyterian Church, its original sponsor.

Olivet Institute, a settlement house and community center, was established in Chicago in 1888 and incorporated as an Illinois nonprofit agency in 1909. Originally affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, the Olivet Institute became nonsectarian in 1937 and later changed its name to the Olivet Community Center (1959?). The organization was located for many years at 1441 North Cleveland Street in the Near North Side community area and offered educational, recreational, and welfare services to local residents. Olivet Community Center merged into the Chicago Commons Association in 1966.

Related materials at Chicago History Museum, Research Center, include publications by and about the Olivet Institute, cataloged separately.

• Names
  • Olivet Community Center (Chicago, Ill.)--Archives
  • Olivet Institute (Social settlement : Chicago, Ill.)--Archives
  • Chicago Commons Association
  • Chicago Nisei Athletic Association
• Subject
  • Camps--Illinois--Chicago--20th century
  • Church charities--Illinois--Chicago--19th century
  • Church charities--Illinois--Chicago--20th century
  • Charities--Illinois--Chicago--20th century
  • Child welfare--Illinois--Chicago--20th century
  • Community centers--Illinois--Chicago--20th century
  • Day care centers--Illinois--Chicago--20th century
  • Japanese Americans--Illinois--Chicago--20th century
  • Japanese Americans--Sports--Illinois--Chicago
  • Presbyterian Church--Illinois--Chicago--19th century
  • Presbyterian Church--Illinois--Chicago--20th century
  • Social settlements--Illinois--Chicago--19th century
  • Social settlements--Illinois--Chicago--20th century
• Geographic Coverage
  • 1441 North Cleveland Street (Chicago, Ill.)
  • Chicago (Ill.)--Social conditions--19th century
  • Chicago (Ill.)--Social conditions--20th century
  • Near North Side (Chicago, Ill.)

The collection is arranged in six series.

Series 1: General papers, 1921-1964 (box 1-2)

Series 1 consists of correspondence, reports, memoranda, notes, and other general records. Some materials relate to the relationship between the Olivet Institute and the Presbyterian Church. Also included are applications, attendance records, mailing lists, and staff lists for the Olivet Day Camp. Proposals regarding the Chicago Nisei Athletic Association (a Japanese American sports group) and materials associated with the Olivet Day Nursery are also present.

Series 2: Meeting minutes and reports, 1909-1966 (box 2-3)

Series 2 contains proposals, reports, minutes, agendas, correspondence, staff lists, and other administrative records. Includes annual and monthly minutes of board of trustees and staff meetings (1937-1966). Also present are annual activity reports, membership applications, papers regarding the Olivet Day Nursery, staff calendars and schedules, and the constitution and by-laws of the Olivet Community Center.

Series 3: Financial records, 1920-1966 (box 3-4, volume 1)

Series 3 consists of budget proposals, audit reports, fund accounts, balance sheets, monthly financial reports, correspondence, notes, and other financial records. Some materials relate to tag day events, including checklists, location information, and event reports. Includes one bound ledger volume (1920-1921). Also includes tax documents, insurance claims, and donation letters.

Series 4. Case files, 1937-1944 (box 4-5)

Series 4 contains case files, home visit reports, attendance records, and correspondence related to the Olivet Day Nursery. Also includes applications and enrollment sheets.

RESTRICTION: Folder 1 in box 5 is CLOSED until 2039

Series 5. Events and publications, 1923-1966 (box 5, volume 2-4)

Series 5 consists of newsletters, schedules, program announcements, event invitations, and other printed materials. Present are publications of the Olivet Institute and the Olivet Community Center, including Olivet Items (1923-1950), Olivet Journal, Olivet Column, and the Olivet Institute--Report to Our Friends (1949-1953). Includes one bound volume of Olivet Items (1925-1927) and two scrapbooks documenting sponsored events, clubs, and personnel associated with the Olivet Community Center.

Series 6. Land titles, 1885-1941 (box 6)

Series 6 contains abstracts of title that denote real estate history, lot sizes and locations, diagrams, and other information regarding property in Chicago (Ill.). Also included are two site plans of the play area for the Olivet Institute.