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Montana Congress of Parents, Teachers and Students Records, 1927-1992

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Montana Congress of Parents, Teachers and Students
Title
Montana Congress of Parents, Teachers and Students Records
Dates
1927-1992 (inclusive)
Quantity
4.5 linear feet of shelf space
Collection Number
MC 299
Summary
This collection of records (1927-1992) for the Montana Congress of Parents, Teachers and Students (Montana PTA) consists of minor correspondence (1960-1992); financial records (1931-1970); minutes (1927-1992); organizational records (1931-1991); subject files (1957-1991) for state annual conventions and for issues of interest to the group; and miscellany (1991-1993). There are also subgroups for several district PTA's and the National PTA, which include organizational records (1969); PTA area council minutes; and Board of Directors minutes (1989-1990) respectively. [newsletters (1928-1993) transferred to Library]
Repository
Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov
Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Historical Note

The National PTA was founded in 1897 by Alice McClellan Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst as the National Congress of Mothers. In 1924, reflecting the increased number of fathers and teachers involved, the name was changed to the National Congress of Parents and Teachers. The organization's aims were to unite home, school and community in promoting the education, health, and safety of children, youth, and families.

Local PTA groups were active in several Montana towns as early as 1912. In 1914 these groups met as part of the Montana State Teacher's Association convention. The Montana Congress of Parents and Teachers held its first meeting in Butte on May 7, 1915. Local "circles" were formed around the state. By 1922 there were 1077 members in 20 local units. In 1927 a Board of Managers was established to coordinate the work of 5515 members in 91 local groups. Initially, conventions were held annually but from 1929 through World War II, the conventions were bi-ennial. Annual conventions were resumed after the war. The first issue of the Bulletin was published in 1928 and has continued to the present under a variety of forms of the name.

As the organization matured it took on new roles and became very active as a lobbying group. Beginning in 1992, the Montana PTA recognized the important role of students in the organization by changing the name to the Montana Congress of Parents, Teachers and Students. The organization has always been known informally as Montana PTA.

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Content Description

The core of the collection consists of minutes (1927-1991) for the board of managers and the executive board; and convention materials (1961-1992). In addition there are scattered general correspondence (1960-1992) arranged chronologically; records of a court case (1964) between the local PTA from the Kessler School in Helena and the statewide office; financial records (1950-1990) including audit reports, scatterd budgets, three financial journals, and financial reports; organizational records including bylaws, lists of officers, membership reports, and standing rules; a Montana PTA slide program; reports of the executive secretary the state secretary, and the state treasurer; a subject file on a variety of topics of interest to the Congress; and miscellany, including a 2-volume scrapbook (1989-1992). There are small subgroups of records for the Kalispell District #1 Area Council PTA, consisting of minutes (1970-1978) and bylaws (1950-1969); for Havre District #3, and for Districts #5 and #6 in northeast Montana. There is also a subgroup consisting of scattered materials generated by the National PTA.

[Newsletters (1928-1993) transferred to Library]

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

by series

Acquisition Information

Acquisition Information:

available upon request

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection


2004

CC Attribution
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