MS-7
PIQUA CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN RED CROSS COLLECTION
INTRODUCTION
The American Red Cross is a charitable volunteer organization that offers a variety of beneficial humanitarian services to the public. The records of the Piqua Chapter of the American Red Cross were accessioned into the Flesh Public Library Archives and Special Collections on February 13, 1986. They were donated by the Piqua Red Cross Board of Directors who passed the following resolution on February 6, 1986:
The Piqua Chapter, American Red Cross Board donates Piqua Red Cross minutes, records and reports from 1917 to 1966 to the Flesh Public Library Archives. Any records that might intrude on individual privacy would be retained by the Piqua Red Cross Chapter.
The collection fills nine Hollinger boxes with 236 file folders. The record collection covers the years from 1917 until 1985. There are no restrictions on the use of this collection.
SCOPE AND CONTENTS
The Piqua Chapter of the American Red Cross Collection is divided into nine series: Photographs, Administration, Financial, Volunteer Services, Newsletters, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam, and Scrapbooks.
SERIES I: PHOTOGRAPHS
The series Photographs contains twelve file folders of unbound photographs ranging from 1942 until 1982. Missing are photos dating from 1944, 1947, 1953, 1955, 1958-1960, 1962, 1970-1973, and 1976-1981. Also many of the photos are undated. One subject of the photos is chapter owned and operated automobiles used for Red Cross business. Others are various scenes from the Blood Program, Disaster Corps, First Aid Training, Home Nursing Class, National Red Cross Conventions, Nurses’ Aides, Service Men, Social Functions, and Water and Hunter Safety programs. There are also scenes of Red Cross parade exhibits and various Red Cross window displays. Finally there are photographs of many assorted groups and individuals associated with the Red Cross.
SERIES II: ADMINISTRATION
Administration contains thirty-nine file folders of unbound administrative records. One of these files contains various items that explain the administrative structure, organization and polity of the Red Cross.
Thirty-one file folders contain the organizational minutes that are records of the proceedings at various meetings of the Piqua Chapter of the American Red Cross. They are, therefore very diverse in content. There is a complete range of them from 1917 until 1922 and from 1931 until 1972. Those from 1923 until 1930 are missing. The organization many not have been active during this period of time. There are occasional listings of committee members as well as some records of various financial transactions.
Five file folders contain membership and officer lists. The dates are 1917 and 1943-1976. Two file folders contain administrative matter relating the Piqua Chapter of the American Red Cross to its district and the national association. Items in this section date from 1950 to 1976. This section also includes assorted campaign advertising memorabilia done on a national scale.
SERIES III: FINANCIAL
Financial contains eighty-four file folders containing financial records of the Piqua Chapter for the years 1943 to 1976. Twenty-nine of these contain assorted financial reports and audits. Thirty of the eighty-four files deal exclusively with the Red Cross fund raising campaigns. 1971 is the only year missing; however, there are some undated records. Out of these thirty, eight focus upon special fund raising efforts during World War II. These range from 1942 until 1949.
Four files under the financial series contain ledgers, two of which are unbound. Together these legers date from 1943 to 1973. They basically record banking and cash flow. The next eighteen folders contain insurance and automobile records from the years 1949 until 1973. Years missing are 1951, 1954-1955, and 1958-1959. In general this section contains automobile and fire insurance policies, and automobile repair and maintenance records for the chapter’s car. Two folders in the series contain the chapter’s budget records from 1944 until 1962. Finally one folder in this series contains the chapter’s investment records of 1945, 1956, 1964, and 1971. These roughly include some stock certificates and market reports. Bequest records are also included in this file from cases where the proceeds of the bequest were invested in stocks or mutual funds.
SERIES IV: VOLUNTEER SERVICES
Volunteer Services contains thirty-four file folders containing records of the activities of the various services of the Piqua Chapter from 1948 to 1973 (earlier records of these are filed under World War II). Twenty-four of these contain the records of the chapter’s Blood Program from 1949 to 1973. These files contain extensive list of blood donors and in some cases records of recipients. Also among these records are various types of reports and financial records related to the activities of the Blood Program.
There is one file in this series containing records of the activities of the chapter’s Canteen in 1970. One file contains the records of the Disaster Corps in 1948, 1966, and 1974. One file contains the records of Entertainment and Instruction Corps from 1949 to 1953. Two files contain the records of the First Aid, Water Safety and Accident Prevention Corps From 1949 to 1976. This section contains extensive records of participants in the water safety programs. One file contains the records of the Home Services Corps from 1948 to 1958. One file contains the records of the Junior Red Cross from 1949 to 1956. One file contains the records of the Nursing Corps from 1942 to 1951 and from 1970 to 1971. Finally, one file contains the reports of the administrative body over the entire Piqua Volunteer Services area dating from 1948 to 1971. Most records in this series list names.
SERIES V: NEWSLETTERS
The newsletters Category consists of one file folder of newsletters released by the Piqua Chapter at various dates between 1966 and 1976. These newsletters contain a variety of information dealing with the activities of the local chapter including the occasional mention of names and activities of various volunteers.
SERIES VI: WORLD WAR II
World War II contains all of the collection’s records, except the major financial ones, dating from the era of World War II, 1942-1948. Many of these records are like those already described above under Series IV, Volunteer Services, with the stated exception that they deal with the war years. Like Volunteer Services this section contains a file on the Blood Program )1943-1945); one on the Canteen Corps (1944-1946); one on Disaster Relief (1945-1948); one on First Aid, Water Safety and Accident Prevention (1942-1947); one on Home Services (1943-1948); one on the Junior Red Cross (1945-1948); and one on Volunteer Services reports (1943-1949).
In addition to these records this series also includes a file of the records of the Camp and Hospital council dating from 1942 to 1947. It includes one file of correspondence between the Piqua Chapter and servicemen from the Piqua area dating from 1942 to 1945, and from 1948. It includes two copies of a historical record released by the American Red Cross that explains the historical activities of the American Red Cross during the Second World War. These volumes were published in 1946. It includes one file of records from the Motor Corps dating from 1944 to 1945. It includes one file from the Nutrition Corps, 1943-1945. It includes three files of records and newsletters about P.O.W.’s of World War II. An article in one of these papers gives the names and locations of the various German prison Camps during the war. It includes one file of records from the Production Corps 1944-1946. It includes one file of records from the Staff Assistance Corps, 1942-1946. It includes one file of reports of a troop train wreck that occurred in Piqua in 1945. These records date from 1945, and 1948. Finally, it includes a file on war brides dating from 1947. Many of the records in this series list the names of specific individuals involved with the given subject matter.
SERIES VII: KOREAN WAR
Korean War contains only one document about the Red Cross activity during the Korean War. It is a file containing a letter from a G.I. to the Piqua Chapter that discusses the war and the Red Cross activity at that time. It dates from the years 1950-1953.
SERIES VIII: VIETNAM
Vietnam contains one file of reports, articles, correspondence, and newsletters related to the Red Cross activities in relationship to the Vietnam conflict. The materials date from 1965 to 1968.
SERIES IX: SCRAPBOOKS
The series Scrapbooks consists of forty-four files containing the contents of various scrapbooks compiled by the Piqua Chapter of the American Red Cross dating from 1937 to 1983 and from 1985. The bulk of this series is photo copies of newspaper articles about all facets of the life of the Piqua Chapter.
CONTAINER LISTING
SERIES I: PHOTOGRAPHS
BOX 1
File
1 Automobiles of the Chapter 1950, 1952, 1956
2 Blood Program 1948, 1951, 1952, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1982, and Undated
3 Disaster Corps 1966 and undated
4 First Aid 1966 and undated
5 Home Nursing Class 1949
6 Miscellaneous Groups and Individuals 1951, 1952, 1954, 1963, 1974, and undated
7 National Conventions 1946, 1949
8 Nurses’ Aides 1942, 1945, 1948, 1950, 1952, 1961, and Undated
9 Promotions, Parades, and Window Displays 1943, 1948, 1965, 1969, and undated
10 Service Men 1943, 1949, 1950 1957, 1966-1968, 1975, and undated
11 Social Functions – undated
12 Water Safety and Accident Prevention 1957, 1961, 1963, 1965, and undated
13 Photocopies of photographs and newspaper clippings.
SERIES II: ADMINISTRATION
BOX 1A
File
1 Organizational Structure 1948 and following
2 Minutes – 1917-1923, 1930-1943
Minutes – 1924-1929 are not part of the collection
3 Minutes – 1943
4 Minutes – 1944
5 Minutes – 1945
6 Minutes – 1946
7 Minutes – 1947
BOX 2
File
1 Minutes – 1948
2 Minutes – 1949
3 Minutes – 1950
4 Minutes – 1951
5 Minutes – 1952
6 Minutes – 1953
7 Minutes – 1954
8 Minutes – 1955
9 Minutes – 1956
10 Minutes – 1957
11 Minutes – 1958
12 Minutes – 1959
13 Minutes – 1960
14 Minutes – 1961
15 Minutes – 1962
16 Minutes – 1963
17 Minutes – 1964
18 Minutes – 1965
19 Minutes – 1966
20 Minutes – 1967
21 Minutes – 1968
22 Minutes – 1969
23 Minutes – 1970
24 Minutes – 1971
25 Minutes – 1972
26 Membership and Officers Lists – 1917-1947
27 Membership and Officers Lists – 1948-1953
28 Membership and Officers Lists – 1954-1963
29 Membership and Officers Lists – 1964-1969
30 Membership and Officers Lists –1970-1976
31 National and District – 1950-1967
32 National and District 1968-1976
SERIES III: FINANCIAL
BOX 3
File
1 Reports and Audits – 1943
2 Reports and Audits – 1944
3 Reports and Audits – 1945
4 Reports and Audits – 1946
5 Reports and Audits – 1947
6 Reports and Audits – 1948
7 Reports and Audits – 1949
8 Reports and Audits – 1950
9 Reports and Audits – 1951
10 Reports and Audits – 1952
11 Reports and Audits – 1953
12 Reports and Audits – 1954
13 Reports and Audits – 1955
14 Reports and Audits – 1956
15 Reports and Audits – 1957
16 Reports and Audits – 1958
17 Reports and Audits – 1959
18 Reports and Audits – 1960
19 Reports and Audits – 1961
20 Reports and Audits – 1962
21 Reports and Audits – 1963
22 Reports and Audits – 1964
Reports and Audits – 1965-1966 are not part of the collection
23 Reports and Audits – 1967
24 Reports and Audits – 1968
25 Reports and Audits – 1969
26 Reports and Audits – 1970
27 Reports and Audits – 1971
28 Reports and Audits – 1972
Reports and Audits – 1973-1975 are not part of the collection
29 Reports and Audits – 1976
30 Campaigns (War Fund) – 1942
31 Campaigns (War Fund) – 1943
32 Campaigns (War Fund) – 1944
33 Campaigns (War Fund) – 1945
34 Campaigns (War Fund) – 1946
35 Campaigns (War Fund) – 1947
36 Campaigns (War Fund) – 1948
37 Campaigns (War Fund) – 1949
BOX 4
File
1 Campaigns – 1950
2 Campaigns – 1951
3 Campaigns – 1952
4 Campaigns – 1953
5 Campaigns – 1954
6 Campaigns – 1955
7 Campaigns – 1956
8 Campaigns – 1957
9 Campaigns – 1958
10 Campaigns – 1959
11 Campaigns – 1960
12 Campaigns – 1961
13 Campaigns – 1962
14 Campaigns – 1963
15 Campaigns – 1964
16 Campaigns – 1965
17 Campaigns – 1966
18 Campaigns – 1967
19 Campaigns – 1968
20 Campaigns – 1969
21 Campaigns – 1970
Campaigns – 1971 is not part of the collection.
22 Campaigns – 1972
23 Leger – 1943-1962
24 Leger – 1957-1965
25 Leger – 1944-1947
26 Leger – 1956-1964
BOX 5
File
1 Leger – 1964, 1965, 1966
2 Leger – 1969-1973
3 Insurance and Automobile – 1949
4 Insurance and Automobile – 1950
Insurance and Automobile – 1951 is not part of the collection.
5 Insurance and Automobile – 1952
6 Insurance and Automobile – 1953
Insurance and Automobile – 1954-1955 is not part of the collection
7 Insurance and Automobile – 1956
8 Insurance and Automobile – 1957, 1960
Insurance and Automobile – 1958-1959 is not part of the collection
9 Insurance and Automobile – 1961, 1962
10 Insurance and Automobile – 1963
11 Insurance and Automobile – 1964
12 Insurance and Automobile – 1965
13 Insurance and Automobile – 1966
14 Insurance and Automobile – 1967
15 Insurance and Automobile – 1968
16 Insurance and Automobile – 1969
17 Insurance and Automobile – 1970
18 Insurance and Automobile – 1971
19 Insurance and Automobile – 1972
20 Insurance and Automobile – 1973 (and undated materials)
21 Budgets – 1944-1950
22 Budgets – 1951-1962
23 Investments – 1945, 1956, 1964-1971
SERIES IV: VOLUNTEER SERVICES
BOX 5 – continued
File
24 Blood Program – 1949
25 Blood Program – 1950
26 Blood Program – 1951
27 Blood Program – 1952
28 Blood Program – 1953
29 Blood Program – 1954
30 Blood Program – 1955
31 Blood Program – 1956
32 Blood Program – 1957
33 Blood Program – 1958
34 Blood Program – 1959
35 Blood Program – 1960
36 Blood Program – 1961
37 Blood Program – 1962
BOX 6
File
1 Blood Program – 1963
2 Blood Program – 1964
3 Blood Program – 1965
4 Blood Program – 1966
5 Blood Program – 1967
6 Blood Program – 1968
7 Blood Program – 1969
8 Blood Program – 1970
9 Blood Program – 1971
10 Blood Program – 1972
BOX 7
File
1 Blood Program – 1973
2 Canteen – 1970
3 Disaster Relief – 1948, 1966, 1974
4 Entertainment and Instruction – 1949-1953
5 First Aid, Water Safety and Accident Prevention – 1949-1971
6 First Aid, Water Safety and Accident Prevention – 1972-1976
7 Home Services – 1948-1958
8 Junior Red Cross – 1949-1956
9 Nursing – 1942-1951, 1970-1971
10 Reports – 1948-1971
SERIES V: NEWSLETTERS
BOX 7 – continued
File
11 Newsletters – 1966-1976
SERIES VI: WORLD WAR II
BOX 7 – continued
File
12 Blood Program – 1943-1945
13 Camp and Hospital Council – 1942-1947
14 Correspondence – 1942-1945, 1948
15 Canteen Corps – 1944-1946
16 Disaster Relief Committees – 1945-1948
17 First Aid, Water Safety and Accident Prevention – 1942-1947
18 Historical Record (copy 1) – 1946
19 Historical Record (copy 2) – 1946
20 Home Services 1943-1948
21 Junior Red Cross – 1945-1948
22 Motor Corps – 1944-1945
23 Nutrition – 1943-1945
24 P.O.W.s – 1943
25 P.O.W.s – 1944
BOX 8
File
1 P.O.W.s – 1945
2 Production Corps – 1944-1946
3 Staff Assistance Corps – 1942-1946
4 Troop Train Wreck – Piqua 1945 (1948)
5 Volunteer Services Reports – 1943-1949
6 War Brides – 1947
SERIES VII: KOREAN WAR
BOX 8 – continued
File
7 Korean War – c. 1950-1953
SERIES VIII: VIETNAM
BOX 8 – continued
File
8 Vietnam – 1965-1968
SERIES IX: SCRAPBOOKS
BOX 8 – continued
File
9 Scrapbook – 1937
Scrapbook – 1938-1941 are not part of the collection
10 Scrapbook – 1942
11 Scrapbook – 1943
12 Scrapbook – 1944
13 Scrapbook – 1945
14 Scrapbook – 1946
15 Scrapbook – 1947
BOX 9
FILE
1 Scrapbook – 1948
2 Scrapbook – 1949
3 Scrapbook – 1950
4 Scrapbook – 1951
5 Scrapbook – 1952
6 Scrapbook – 1953
7 Scrapbook – 1954
8 Scrapbook – 1955
9 Scrapbook – 1956
10 Scrapbook – 1957
11 Scrapbook – 1958
12 Scrapbook – 1959
13 Scrapbook – 1960
14 Scrapbook – 1961
15 Scrapbook – 1962
16 Scrapbook – 1963
17 Scrapbook – 1964
18 Scrapbook – 1965
19 Scrapbook – 1966
20 Scrapbook – 1967
21 Scrapbook – 1968
22 Scrapbook – 1969
23 Scrapbook – 1970
24 Scrapbook – 1971
25 Scrapbook – 1972
26 Scrapbook – 1973
27 Scrapbook – 1974
28 Scrapbook – 1975
29 Scrapbook – 1976
30 Scrapbook – 1977
31 Scrapbook – 1978
32 Scrapbook – 1979
33 Scrapbook – 1980
34 Scrapbook – 1981
35 Scrapbook – 1982
36 Scrapbook – 1983
Scrapbook – 1984 is not part of the collection.
37 Scrapbook – 1984 and undated material