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Finding Aid

Presbyterian Medical Center Ladies Aid Society Records UPC 501

Access to collections is granted in accordance with the Protocols for the University Archives and Records Center.

Summary Information

Prepared by
Kaiyi Chen
Preparation date
2002
Date [inclusive]
1872-2002
Extent
7.0 Cubic feet

PROVENANCE

Transferred to the University Archives of the University of Pennsylvania in 1997 and 2002.

The 1997 accession of the Ladies Aid Society records came mixed with the records of the Presbyterian Medical Center. The latter group is to be processed as a separate collection under the code UPC 500.

ARRANGEMENT

The collection has been organized into four series: Corporate Governance Records, 1872-2002; General Administrative Files, 1883-2002; Financial files, 1872-2001; and Photographs and Artifacts, 1922-1992. The records are basically arranged in an alphabetical order within each series (except for the series of “Photographs and Artifacts”).

AGENCY HISTORY

The Ladies Aid Society of the Presbyterian Medical Center was founded in October 1872. The mission of the Society, as mapped out in its first Constitution, was to “aid the [Presbyterian] Hospital by soliciting funds, assisting the sick, procuring supplies of clothing, lint, bandages,” etc., “subject to the direction of the Board of Trustees of the Hospital and the Medical Board.”

The Society became gradually a major source of funding for various projects of the Presbyterian Hospital. In 1921, the Society was involved with a fund-raising drive among the local churches to collect $100,000.00 for a new Dispensary-Laboratory Building. In the 1960s, the Society pledged $40,000 to the building and redevelopment fund of the Hospital and made another gift of $50,000 for the purchase of equipment in the Food Service Center. In 1970, it pledged and raised $75,000.00 for the Pediatric Medical Services. From 1985 to 1994, the Ladies Aid Society raised over three quarters of a million dollars for the Presbyterian Medical Center.

During its over 125 years of existence, the Society has received numerous legacies and bequests, most of which have been invested. While the interest from these investments form the bulk of the its revenues, the Society has also embarked on a number of money-raising enterprises to augment their income. It sponsors various sales, bazaars, concerts, recitals and fashion shows. Outstanding in its retail ventures have been the Cubby Hole Gift Shop which started in 1932 and is still operating; the Rittenhouse Flower Market, to which the Ladies Aid Society was first invited in 1927 and from which the Society raised thousands of dollars for the sick children at the Presbyterian Hospital, including setting up a Child Health Clinic in 1928. In addition, a Co-operative Shop which was formed in 1923 and sold in 1975; and a Thrift Shop at the hospital which closed in 1987.

Apart from fund-raising operations, the Society has been active in various kinds of training and social services for the Presbyterian Hospital. Shortly after its founding, the Society organized Visiting and Benevolent Committees to visit patients at the hospital. The first official “visitor” for the committee was Caroline Farnum, who had been trained as a nurse. By 1889, she had combined her training skills and her visiting activities into a new system which provided opportunities for potential nurses to do off-site visiting for practice. That year the hospital board of trustees named Farnum its “Directress of Nurses,” and thus, was born the Presbyterian School of Nursing. The Ladies Aid Society was generous from the outset to the new school, giving gifts through its Benevolent Committee to the patients being visited, and even providing its students with their first uniforms. In addition to visiting the sick and sewing sheets, pillow cases, patient clothing and operating room linens, early members also performed useful tasks patients could not yet deal with physically, helped find them employment, made temporary monetary loans and even helped send some convalescents to the sea-shore to speed their recovery, until the Cathcart Nursing Home was opened in Devon in 1892.

For all of its fund-raising and service activities, the Society depended heavily on the good-will and reliability of hundreds of volunteers from its own membership. In 1957, it oversaw the formation of the Medical Auxiliary, which was created primarily as a volunteer fund-raising group for the hospital. The Auxiliary officially separated itself from the Society by 1959, but the two groups still co-operate in a number of different activities. Despite the modern downward trend in membership for most volunteer organizations, the current membership of the Ladies Aid Society has stayed at about 200. Its operations, however, have increasingly concentrated on raising funds for the hospital in recent decades.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

The Collection documents the history and development of the Ladies Aid Society of the Presbyterian Medical Center of Philadelphia since its founding in 1872. The Corporate Governance Records series includes all corporate documents as well as the Annual Report of the Society from 1872 to the present and minutes of its Executive Committee, Board of Managers and annual and quarterly meetings. The General Administrative Files comprise administrative correspondence and files of such major subjects as book donations, directory and mailing lists, handbooks, history material, and legacies and wills. The Financial files consist of audit report, annual financial statement, Treasurer report, documentation of gifts received and made, records of its investment and banking transactions, income and expense ledgers, tax exempt status, and its business related to the Rittenhouse Square Flower Market and the Cubby Hole Gift Shop. The Photograph and Artifact Series include a couple of photograph images of its activities and a ceramic Florence Nightingale lamp.

Controlled Access Headings

Corporate Name(s)
Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Company.
Presbyterian Hospital (Philadelphia, Pa.). Ladies Aid Society.
Presbyterian Hospital (Philadelphia, Pa.).
Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing (Philadelphia, Pa.).
Presbyterian Medical Center of Philadelphia. Ladies Aid Society.
Presbyterian Medical Center of Philadelphia.
Presbyterian-University of Pennsylvania Medical Center.
Rittenhouse Square Flower Market.
University of Pennsylvania Health System. Presbyterian Medical Center. Ladies Aid Society.
University of Pennsylvania. School of Medicine.
Genre(s)
Annual Reports.
Minutes.
Photographs.
Subject(s)
Hospitals–Pennsylvania–Philadelphia.
Nursing–Study and teaching–Pennsylvania–Philadelphia.

General Note

The agency history of the Ladies Aid Society of the Presbyterian Medical Center of Philadelphia is partially based on the Historical Notes prepared by Sandy VanDoren, former Archivist of the Presbyterian Medical Center.

Inventory

 

Corporate Governance Records, 1872-2002 

Box

Folder

Annual Report 

 

 

1872-1897 in a bound volume 

1

1

1898-1916 in a bound volume 

1

2

1912 

1

3

1917-1931 in a bound volume 

1

4

1931-1933 (printed) 

1

5

1932-1943 

2

1

1932-1953, in a bound volume 

2

2

1950-1954 (printed) 

2

3

1955-1956 (printed) 

2

4

1957-1958 (printed) 

2

5

1959-1969, typescript 

2

6

1970-1974, typescript 

2

7

1975-1977, typescript 

3

1

1978-1989, typescript 

3

2

1998-1999, 2002, with Newsletter, 1999-2002 

3

3

Articles of incorporation (original), 1929 

3

4

Charter, constitution and by-laws, 1893, 1929-1993 

3

5

Charitable Organization Registration, 1993 

3

6

Executive Board (Committee) meeting, Correspondence and supporting documents, 1902-1922 

3

7

Incorporation seal, 1929 

3

8

Minutes 

 

 

Founding meeting, 1872 Oct. 10, and Constitution Committee meeting 1872 Oct. 12, with constitution draft, list of founding members (?) and their addresses 

3

9

Board of Managers 

 

 

1879-1887, bound 

3

10

1888-1895, bound 

3

11

1896-1901, bound 

3

12

Executive Board, Annual and Quarterly meetings 

 

 

1896-1909 (bound, with hand-written notes by Isabella Talley, 1937) 

4

1

1918-1926, bound 

4

2

1927, unbound 

4

3

1928, unbound 

4

4

1929, unbound 

4

5

1930, unbound 

4

6

1931, unbound 

4

7

1932, unbound 

4

8

1933, unbound 

4

9

1934, unbound 

4

10

1935, unbound 

4

11

1936, unbound 

4

12

1937, unbound 

4

13

1938, unbound 

4

14

1939, unbound 

4

15

1940, unbound 

4

16

1941, unbound 

4

17

1942, unbound 

5

1

1943, unbound 

5

2

1944, unbound 

5

3

1945, unbound 

5

4

1948, unbound 

5

5

1949-1951, bound 

5

6

1955, unbound 

5

7

1956, unbound 

5

8

1957, unbound 

5

9

1958, unbound 

5

10

1959, unbound 

5

11

1960, unbound 

5

12

1961, unbound 

5

13

1962, unbound 

5

14

1963, unbound 

6

1

1964, unbound 

6

2

1965, unbound 

6

3

1966, unbound 

6

4

1967, unbound 

6

5

1968, unbound 

6

6

1969, unbound 

6

7

1970, unbound 

6

8

1971, unbound 

6

9

1972, unbound 

6

10

1973, unbound 

6

11

1974, unbound 

6

12

1975, unbound 

6

13

1976, unbound 

6

14

1977, unbound 

6

15

1978, unbound 

6

16

1979, unbound 

6

17

1980, unbound 

6

18

1985, unbound 

6

19

1986, unbound 

6

20

1987, unbound 

7

1

1988, unbound 

7

2

Executive Committee 

 

 

1998 March – May 

7

3

1998 June – 1999 June 

7

4

1999 June – 2000 May June 

7

5

2002 Feb. 12 

7

6

Annual and Quarterly meetings, bound, 1918-1927 

7

7

Benevolent Committee, 1895-1900 

7

8

Benevolent, Sabbath, Visiting Nurse Missionary Visitor and Social Service Committees (in 1 bound volume), 1900-1910 

7

9

Quarterly Meeting, 1932 Jan. 29 

7

10

Visiting Committee, 1872-1877 

8

1

 

General Administrative Files, 1883-2002 

Box

Folder

Book Donations 

 

 

1937-1969 

8

2

1970-1974 

8

3

1975-1976 

8

4

1977-1981 

8

5

Child of Providence: A History of Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia, 1996 

8

6

Church representatives, Mailing lists, [1960s-1970s] 

8

7

Coal land bequeathed by Ellen A. Girard, Correspondence, 1907-1923 

8

8

Coal mine property 

 

 

Correspondence and legal, 1916-1923 

9

1

Girard Mammoth Coal Company vs. Raven Run Coal Company, et al., 1919-1923 

9

2

Correspondence 

 

 

1873-1947, with clippings 

9

3

1954-1967 

9

4

1968 

9

5

1969 

9

6

1970 

9

7

1971 Jan.-June 

9

8

1971 July-Dec. 

9

9

1972 

9

10

1973 

9

11

1974 

10

1

1975 

10

2

1976 

10

3

1977 

10

4

1978 

10

5

1979 

10

6

1980 

10

7

1981 

10

8

1982-1985 

10

9

1986-1988 

10

10

1989-1990 

10

11

Dedication Programs, 1996, 2002 

10

12

Directory and mailing list, Officers and members 

 

 

1967-1972 

11

1

1973-1976 

11

2

1977-1978 

11

3

1979-1982 

11

4

Election, Ballots, 1961-1981 

11

5

Election, Nominating Committee reports, 1957-1969, 1979-1980 

11

6

Election, Ballot for April 26, 1985, Nominees for Board Offices, April 1986, with miscellaneous clippings 

11

7

Governing Board, Directory, 1980-1981 

11

8

Governing Board, List, 1998-1999 

11

9

Handbook for Committee Chairmen, 1973, 1979, and Handbook for Church Representatives, 1980-1981, 

11

10

Handbooks for committee chairmen and church representatives, 1973-1981 

11

11

Historical Sketch of the Ladies Aid Society, with other miscellaneous clippings, 1936-1981 

11

12

Histories, 1936, 1967, 1973 

11

13

Junior Service Guild and miscellaneous committee reports, [1942]-1956 

11

14

Legacies and wills 1883-1903 

11

15

Legacies and wills 1900-1916 

11

16

Legacies and wills 1924-1929 

11

17

Medical Auxiliary of the Presbyterian-University of Pennsylvania Medical Center Directory and mailing lists, 1967-1982 

12

1

Medical Auxiliary of the Presbyterian-University of Pennsylvania Medical Center Directory, 1984 

12

2

Membership application form and dues invoice, 1982-1986 

12

3

Obituary, Mary Ellen Brown, [1966] 

12

4

Pennsylvania State University, Workshop certificates, 1958, 1964 

12

5

Presbyterian Foundation for Philadelphia and New Courtland, Inc., [1996] 

12

6

Presbyterian Medical Center of Philadelphia, Ladies Aid Fund, Declaration of Trust, draft, n.d. 

12

7

Prize and appreciation certificates, two, to the Ladies Aid Society, 1960, 1971 

12

8

Secretary’s Report, 1941-1944 

12

9

 

Financial, 1872-2001 

Box

Folder

Audit report of the Treasurer’s cash accounts 

 

 

1936-1939 

12

10

1940-1944 

12

11

1945-1949 

12

12

1951-1959 

12

13

1960-1963 

12

14

1964-1969 

12

15

Bank statements, with cancelled checks, deposits and invoices 

 

 

1969 

12

16

1970-1972 

12

17

1972-1973 

13

1

1974-1975 

13

2

1976-1977 

13

3

1978-1979 

13

4

1980-1981 

13

5

1982-1983 

13

6

1984 

13

7

1985 

14

1

1986-1988 

14

2

1989-1990 

14

3

1998-1999 

14

4

Cubby Hole Gift Shop 

 

 

Bank statements and cancelled checks 

 

 

1986 

14

5

1987 

14

6

1988 

14

7

1989 

14

8

Cancelled Checks 

 

 

1986 

15

1

1987 

15

2

1988 

15

3

1989 

15

4

Correspondence and personnel data form, 1969-74 

15

5

Cancelled checks Reports, 1962-1972 

15

6

Cancelled checks Reports, 1973-1986 

15

7

Daily journal (ledger)1966-1970 

16

1

Daily journal (ledger)1970-1984 

16

2

Daily journal (ledger)1985 March – 1995 May 

16

3

Donations made, receipts 

 

 

1969 

17

1

1970 

17

2

1971 

17

3

1972 

17

4

1973 

17

5

1974-1981 

17

6

1976-1980, with summary 

17

7

Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Company (Fidelity Bank), investment statement 

 

 

1907, 1928-1930 

17

8

1931-1933 

17

9

1934-1935 

17

10

1936-1938 

17

11

1939-1942 

17

12

1943-1946 

18

1

1960-1977 

18

2

1985 

18

3

1986 

18

4

1987 

18

5

1988 Jan. – May 

18

6

1988 June- Dec. 

18

7

1989 Jan. – July 

18

8

1989 Aug. – Dec. 

18

9

1990 

18

10

Financial statement, ending May 31, 1994, 1995, 1996 

18

11

Financial statement, ending May 31, 2001 

18

12

Gifts received, summaries, 1901-1903, 1959-1974 

18

13

Gifts, Mary Patton Freeman Estate, 1958 

18

14

Income and expense ledgers 1872-1889 

19

1

Income and expense ledgers 1889-1901 

19

2

Income and expense ledgers 1901-1911 

19

3

Income and expense ledgers 1967-1982 

19

4

Investment Supervisory Account, correspondence 1918-1955 

19

5

Investment Supervisory Account, correspondence 1957-1990 

19

6

Rittenhouse Square Flower Market 1931, 1967 

19

7

Rittenhouse Square Flower Market 1970-1973 

19

8

Rittenhouse Square Flower Market 1979-1980 

19

9

Rittenhouse Square Flower Market 1981-1990 

19

10

Tax exempt status correspondence, 1993-1997 

20

1

Treasurer’s reports 

 

 

1934-1959 

20

2

1960-1963 

20

3

1964-1969 

20

4

1970-1974 

20

5

1975-1977 

20

6

1978-1984 

20

7

1985-1990 

20

8

Ways and Means Committee 1961-1962 

20

9

Ways and Means Committee 1963-1965 

20

10

Financial, 1997-1998 

Banking statements, with deposit slips and cancelled checks 

21

1

Correspondence 

21

2

Financial statement, ending May 31, 1998, with relevant material 

21

3

Organization Exempt From Income Tax, Return of, 1997 

21

4

Financial, 1998-1999 

Correspondence 

21

5

Financial statement, ending May 31, 1999, with relevant material 

21

6

Organization Exempt From Income Tax, Return of, 1998 

21

7

Financial, 1999-2000 

Banking statements, with deposit slips, cancelled checks and miscellaneous receipts 

21

8

Correspondence 

21

9

Financial statement, ending May 31, 2000, with relevant material 

21

10

Organization Exempt From Income Tax, Return of, 1999, with Charitable Organization Registration Statement of 2000 

21

11

Vanguard Funds, statements 

21

12

Yearly dues received 

21

13

 

Photographs and Artifacts 

Box

Folder

Photographs, 1922-1992 

21

14

Photographs, Two, Jackson, Jack, and Katharine Clothier, with Carl Mosher at the presentation of a new piano to the PMC, 1969; Margaret Gayley Palmer with Daniel DeArment, Chaplain, Roger Dvorak, Vice-President, and an unidentified man at a presentation, 1969 

21

15

Photographs, Mosher, Carl, with Margaretta Miller, Dr. Farquehar (Director of Pediatrics), Jane Tunnell and G. Hall Todd, with the plaques honoring Lena Littell and the section of the Ambulatory Services Pavilion, 1975 

21

16

Ceramic Florence Nightingale lamp, given to the last graduating class of Registered Nurse, 1987 April 29, Two [one missing, original note: “placed in the Display Cabinet, 10/5/1994”] 

22

1