By Brenda Alling, WSU Vancouver
VANCOUVER, Wash. – The Vancouver chapter of the American Association of University Women has donated its historical records to WSU Vancouver.
The collection includes various archives, scrapbooks and other memorabilia from the founding of the branch in 1931 to the present.
“This will be an important collection to help document the roles, contributions and lives of women in the Vancouver area,” said Karen Diller, librarian at the WSU Vancouver Library.
The Library’s Archives and Special Collections worked with the AAUW chapter on the donation and on a schedule for releasing records to the public. The branch has given WSU Vancouver authority to permit full public access immediately to records from the founding in 1931 through 1970.
Records from 1971 through 1980 will be available in 2025; and thereafter records will be available in 10-year increments (for example, those from 1981 through 1990 will be available in 2035, and so on).
A valuable resource for scholars
College libraries and historical associations around the country hold archives from AAUW chapters. WSU Pullman has records from the Pullman chapter. National records are held with the national organization.
“We are so grateful that WSU Vancouver has accepted our archives,” said Kathy Walker, president of AAUW Vancouver. “For 85 years they have been lovingly passed from one branch president to the next, and we are fortunate that the various attics, garages and closets that housed them were in good repair. The thought that they are now professionally preserved, yet available for research, is a tremendous gift and relief to our branch.”
Founded in 1881, AAUW is an organization of university women whose purpose is to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research. The Vancouver branch was founded in 1931 and works to promote the education and welfare of girls and women on local, state and national levels. AAUW provides two annual scholarships ($3,000 each) for women attending WSU Vancouver.
Media Contact:
- Brenda Alling, director of marketing and communication, WSU Vancouver, 360-546-9601, brenda_alling@wsu.edu