mums026 People's Institute Records, 1896-1970 Finding Aid Finding aid prepared by Linda Seidman. Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, MA

2003

Finding aid encoded using Perl scripts and edited in XMetal 2.0. Encoded by Eric S. Cartier. 2003-05-29 Finding aid written in English. 2005-09-23 mu131 converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02-5c.xsl (sy2003-10-15). Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst People's Institute Records, 1896-1970 Finding Aid Manuscript Number 26 Compiled by Linda Seidman Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Collection Overview People's Institute (Northampton, Mass.) People's Institute Records 1896-1970 MS 26 2 boxes (0.75 linear ft.) Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst Organization in Northampton, Massachusetts that met in members' homes for the purpose of helping working people spend their evenings in valuable reading and discussion, and for furthering the culture of the home as well as the individual. The organization also sponsored flower garden competitions, an evening school for adults, a school for the household arts, an after school play program for children, a Golden Age club, and a day camp. Photocopied records include Board of Directors minutes, Directors' reports, and correspondence. English. Historical Note

People's Institute of Northampton, Massachusetts was an outgrowth of the Home Culture Club established in 1887 by George W. Cable. It met in members' homes for the purpose of helping working people spend their evenings in valuable reading and discussion, and for furthering the culture of the home as well as the individual. The club, renamed People's Institute in 1909, sponsored flower garden competitions, an evening school for adults, a school for the household arts, and more recently, after school play for children, a Golden Age club, and a day camp. The building, dedicated in 1905, was built with $50,000 given by Andrew Carnegie, supplemented with funds raised by the town over 5 years. It has provided meeting rooms for scouts and a variety of other community organizations over the years.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The records, photocopies of records held by People's Institute, include Board of Directors minutes, 1896-1970; Directors' reports, 1933-1942; and correspondence, 1965-1970.

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Cite as: People's Institute Records (MS 26). Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Acquired from: Margaret Hutchins, 1985.

Processed by Linda Seidman.

Search Terms People's Institute (Northampton, Mass.)--History--Sources. Home Culture Club (Northampton, Mass.)--History--Sources. Working class--Massachusetts--Northampton--Societies, etc. --History--Sources. Working class--Massachusetts--Northampton--Intellectual life--History--Sources. Northampton (Mass.)--Intellectual life--History--Sources. Minutes. Reports. Correspondence. Home Culture Club (Northampton, Mass.)