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Bozeman Business and Professional Women Records, 1931-2025

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Bozeman Business and Professional Women
Title
Bozeman Business and Professional Women Records
Dates
1931-2025 (inclusive)
Quantity
8 linear feet
Collection Number
2439, Collection 2439 (collection)
Summary
The Bozeman Business and Professional Women promotes personal development, civic participation and world affairs. Records consist of consists of minutes, financial records, membership lists and directories, program schedules, officers rosters, reports, memos, notices, brochures, newspaper clippings, and correspondence relevant to the club's activities. The programs of the BBPW deal with women in the professions, women political activists, community organizations, feminism, reproductive rights, equal rights, sexual abuse, education, health, personal development, civic activism, world affairs, elder care, battered women, legislative programs, and sex discrimination.
Repository
Montana State University Library, Merrill G. Burlingame Special Collections
Montana State University-Bozeman Library
Merrill G Burlingame Special Collections
P.O. Box 173320
Bozeman, MT
59717-3320
Telephone: 4069944242
Fax: 4069942851
Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Languages
Collection materials are in English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
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Historical Note

The Bozeman Business and Professional Women's Club (BBPW) was organized on September 18, 1930 and chartered on October 25, 1930. It is affiliated with the Montana State Federation of Business and Professional Women's Organizations (MSFBPW) and the National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Club, Inc. (now BPW/USA). The objectives of the organization are: to elevate the standards for women; promote the interests of business and professional women with a spirit of cooperation among them; extend opportunities through education about industrial, scientific, and vocational activities; and provide fellowship and friendship among the members. When first established, membership was open to women who were actively engaged or retired from business or the professions but over the years membership has expanded to employed individuals, retired individuals if a member while working, students (post-secondary education), members-at-large (affiliated with State or National), and business affiliates. BBPW was incorporated as a non-profit corporation in 1986. The national organization promotes personal development, civic participation, and world affairs, which the local Bozeman organization likewise supports through its programming.

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Content Description

The records of the BBPW have been organized into 3 series. Series 1 contains the minutes, financial records, membership lists and directories, program schedules, officers rosters, reports, memos, notices, brochures, newspaper clippings, and correspondence relevant to the club's activities. Programs represented include public relations strategies; National Business Women's Week; the Pearl S. Buck Award; scholarships materials; the Nike Club, the Equal Rights Amendment; International Women's Year; orientation and individual development programs; the Montana BPW (papers, correspondence, history, etc.); BPW/USA informational papers and materials; local, state, and national newsletters, assorted ephemera and certificates. Many of these records are sparse or incomplete. In Series 2 are presidents' notebooks kept by Pat Simmons, Denise Brown, Emily Swanson, Mary Berquist, Roxanne Smith Klingensmith, Debbie Jurgenson, and Evelyn Lane between 1983 and 1991. The notebooks contain correspondence, handwritten meeting notes, newspaper clippings, and materials collected according to the style of the individual president during her tenure. Series 3 is a set of scrapbooks maintained by the BBPW between 1935 and 1992 which contain many photographs of prominent members, newspaper clippings of events and programs, ephemera and convention memorabilia.

Interspersed within the records of the BBPW are materials related to programs that deal with: women in the professions, women political activists, community organizations, feminism, reproductive rights, equal rights, sexual abuse, education, health, personal development, civic activism, world affairs, elder care, battered women, legislative programs, and sex discrimination. Local programs and events represented are National Business Women's Week, Nike Club, Women's Exchange Mart, War Relief Fund, Girls State, BBPW Scholarship, Equal Rights Amendment, International Women's Year, Pearl S. Buck Award, Women's Lobbyist Fund, Woman of Achievement, Woman of the Year, Young Careerist, Springtime in the Rockies Talent Show, and local, state, and national conventions. Members and other individuals often mentioned or featured are: Phenie Ahern, Helen Atkins, Minnie Barclay, Mary Berquist, Norma Boetel, Dorothy Bradley, Denise Brown, Idalaire Cloninger, Mabel Cruikshank, Alice Dahl, Beatrice F. Davis, Winnefred Dorsett, Dorothy Eck, Helen Fechter, Geraldine G. Fenn, Bess Fowler, Karen Furu, Margorie Goering, Gladys Gorman, Helen Heck, Georgia Higgins, Ginny Hunt, Debbie Jurgenson, Evelyn Lane, Ruth Loucks, Helen McQuarrie, Ione Moore, Dodie Moseley, Myrtle Noraker, Hermione Peterson, Jeanette Rankin, Eloise Reese, Laurie Shadoan, Anna Pearl Sherrick, Pat Simmons, Roxanne Smith Klingensmith, Jan Strout, Emily Swanson, Marilyn Wessel, Marcia Youngman.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

[Creator Name], [Date of Creation], [Brief Description of Object], Folder [#], Box [#], [Collection Name], [Collection #], Montana State University (MSU) Library, Bozeman, MT

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Series 1: Minutes and records, 1921-1999

Series 2: President's notebooks, 1983-1991

Series 3: Scrapbooks, 1935-1992

Series 4: Web archive

Acquisition Information

The records of the Bozeman Business and Professional Women's Club were donated to Special Collections by a vote of the members at their business meeting on June 9, 1999. The collection will be supplemented periodically with additional records as they are retired from active use by the organization. Additional materials from Pat Simmons, 2022.

Processing Note

This collection was processed 2009 April 22

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Detailed Description of the Collection

  • 1: Minutes and records, 1931-1999

    The history of the BBPW to 1964, bylaws, amendments, and the articles of incorporation begin the records of the club. Business and program meeting minutes plus Board of Director (Officers) and Executive Board (Officers and committee chairmen) minutes have been arranged chronologically for continuity. Financial records that are incomplete and scattered include treasurer reports, yearly budgets, audit reports, and P & L statements. Incomplete, scattered membership lists, program schedules, officer rosters, and most directories (yearbooks) to 1990 are present. There are memos, notices, brochures, newspaper clippings, correspondence, ephemera, and certificates representing only a partial record of the 70 years of the club's existence. Folders related to particular local programs include: public relations, National Business Women's Week, the Pearl S. Buck Award, scholarships, Nike club, Equal Rights Amendment, International Women's Year, and an individual development plan. Papers, correspondence, brochures, and other materials from the Montana and National BPW organizations and newsletters from the national, state, and Bozeman organization.

  • 2: President's notebooks, 1983-1991

    Between 1983 and 1991 (1985-86 is missing), each individual president of the BBPW created her own notebook. The contents of the notebooks are reflective of the individual's personal style. They may contain handwritten notes for addressing the club, correspondence, program information, newspaper clippings and other papers relative to the year in office.

  • 3: Scrapbooks, 1935-1992

    Scrapbooks created to chronicle the activities of the Bozeman Business and Professional Women's Club between 1935 and 1992. The scrapbooks contain newspaper clippings, photographs, ephemera, articles, and programs of special meetings; information on the Young Careerist award, Woman of Achievement award, Woman of the Year award, Springtime in the Rockies Talent Show, national and state conventions, etc. This is not a complete run of years. The 1980-1984 scrapbook has been stored separately.*

  • 4: Minutes and Agendas, 1990-2016

    The materials in this series represent deposits made by the organization in 2014-2016.  The minutes vary in style as different recorders had their own style of note taking, but commonly include discussion topics, speaker notes, votes, and results of programs. The minutes and agendas can sometimes include a treasurer report with financial information and budgets.

  • 5: Newsletters

    The materials in this series represent deposits made by the organization in 2014-2016.  These newsletters contained information such as meeting minutes from the previous month, articles from prominent women in the community and member spotlights. They also released a quarterly report newsletter that served as a summary of their business for the months prior for backers of the club and members who couldn't attend the regular meetings.

    • Description: BPW Bulletin/Newsletter
      Dates: 1990-2003
      Container: Box 13, Folder 7-14
      Location: 5: Newsletters
    • Description: BPW Bulletin/Newsletter
      Dates: 2005-2013
      Container: Box 14, Folder 1-3
      Location: 5: Newsletters

  • 6: Financial Reports

    The materials in this series represent deposits made by the organization in 2014-2016.  Fiscal reports and budget information as recorded by the treasurer of the BPW. Also included are budget approval forms, balance sheets, audits, and bank account summaries.

    • Description: BPW Financial Reports
      Dates: 1991-2015
      Container: Box 14, Folder 4-8
      Location: 6: Financial Reports

  • 7: Program Files

    The materials in this series represent deposits made by the organization in 2014-2016. The BPW has been holding events since the group formed in 1930. Their programs have helped empower women in business through training, endorsement and recognition. Programs like "Take our Daughter to Work Day", "The Young Careerist Award", and "Woman of Achievement Award" have a long history in the Bozeman community. These files include all the papers and reports pertaining to programs run by the group.

    • Description: "Take our Daughters to Work Day"
      Container: Box 14, Folder 9
      Location: 7: Program Files
    • Description: Candidates School
      Container: Box 14, Folder 10
      Location: 7: Program Files
    • Description: Dorothy Eck Day
      Container: Box 14, Folder 11
      Location: 7: Program Files
    • Description: Equal Pay Day
      Container: Box 14, Folder 12
      Location: 7: Program Files
    • Description: Honor Program
      Dates: 2010
      Container: Box 14, Folder 13
      Location: 7: Program Files
    • Description: Honor Program
      Dates: 2011
      Container: Box 14, Folder 14
      Location: 7: Program Files
    • Description: Membership Retreat
      Dates: 2010
      Container: Box 14, Folder 15
      Location: 7: Program Files
    • Description: National Business Women Week
      Container: Box 14, Folder 16
      Location: 7: Program Files
    • Description: Program Ideas
      Container: Box 14, Folder 17
      Location: 7: Program Files
    • Description: Programs
      Dates: 1981-1987
      Container: Box 14, Folder 18-23
      Location: 7: Program Files
    • Description: The Silent Witness
      Container: Box 14, Folder 24
      Location: 7: Program Files
    • Description: Website Project
      Container: Box 14, Folder 25
      Location: 7: Program Files
    • Description: Expo
      Dates: 2022
      Container: Box 14, Folder 26
      Location: 7: Program Files
    • Description: Woman of Achievement Nomination and Winners
      Container: Box 15, Folder 1
      Location: 7: Program Files
    • Description: Young Careerist Files
      Container: Box 15, Folder 2
      Location: 7: Program Files
    • Description: Young Careerist Memos, Communication, and Nominations
      Container: Box 15, Folder 3
      Location: 7: Program Files

  • 8: Miscellaneous files        

    The materials in this series represent deposits made by the organization in 2014-2016. This series of files showcases other activities of the BBPW. This series contains information on the advertising, organizational controls, and management of the group.

  • 9: Scrapbooks and visual materials

  • Description: 10: Web Archive
    Dates: 2020-2025

Kim Allen Scott, 2009. Updated by Heather Mulliner, 2022.
2022

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