Historical note:

            The Sarah E. Doyle Club was founded in 1894 with seventy-five members. Its membership was originally open to "any woman regularly employed as a teacher in a public or private school of Providence," which by 1905 was narrowed to "any woman teacher of the Grammar Department of the public schools of Providence," and broadened again in 1916 to "any woman engaged in educational work." The club's objective was "the mutual assistance and culture of its members, especially in the line of their professional work." It was named after Sarah E. Doyle (1830-1922), a prominent educator and a founder of Pembroke College. Sarah E. Doyle was an honorary member of the club that bore her name. The club appears to have been thriving in 1925, but it is difficult to determine how long it survived after that point.

Bibliography:

Yearbooks of the Sarah E. Doyle Club, 1897, 1905-1907, 1914-1922.

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Scope and content:

            This collection consists of two minute books kept by the club, which cover from 1908 to 1925; and loose annual reports from various club committees dating from 1909 to 1915.

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Provenance:

            The earlier volume was donated in 1962 by Mrs. Henry Eldredge. All of the loose reports were removed from this early volume. The later volume was donated by Dr. and Mrs. Leonard Bellin in 2000. It was found in a building at 325 Angell Street, Providence that the Bellins had owned since the early 1950s, and is presumed to have been the property of a prior occupant. Jay B. Botsford occupied the building from 1929 to 1937, and John C. McOsker from 1939 to 1950. Neither seem to be connected to the club's 1925 officers. President Harriet Parker and Secretary Isabella Connon resided at other addresses through 1950.

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Processing note:

            The earlier minute book originally had the committee reports folded into envelopes, which were then glued into the minute book. In 2000, these reports were removed from their envelopes and placed in folders. The later minute book appears to have once had reports clipped in, but the reports were missing when the book was found.

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Inventory:

Minute books:

Folder 1. 1908-1915

Folder 2. 1915-1925

Committee reports:

Folder 3. 1909, Education

Folder 4. 1909, Home Economics

Folder 5. 1909, Legislative

Folder 6. 1909, Pure Food

Folder 7. 1909, Traveling Library

Folder 8. 1910?, Child Labor

Folder 9. 1910, Directors

Folder 10. 1910, Education

Folder 11. 1910?, Home Economics

Folder 12. 1910, Legislative

Folder 13. 1910, Civil Service; Club Extension; Hospitality; Health; Traveling Library;

            Corresponding Secretary.

Folder 14. 1911, Education

Folder 15. 1911, Executive Board; Field Day; Corresponding Secretary; Traveling Library

Folder 16. 1911, Forestry

Folder 17. 1911, Hygiene

Folder 18. 1911, Industrial & Child Labor

Folder 19. 1911, Resolutions

Folder 20. 1913, Musical program

Folder 21. 1914, Forestry & Waterways

Folder 22. 1914, Industrial & Child Welfare; Books for the Sightless

Folder 23. 1915, Civil Service Reform

Folder 24. 1915, Industrial & Child Labor; Forestry & Waterways

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Subjects:

Doyle, Sarah E. (1830-1922)

Providence, R.I. - Societies, etc.

Teachers - Rhode Island - Providence

Women - Societies and clubs - Rhode Island - Providence

Women teachers - Rhode Island - Providence

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RIHS1822