Texas A&M University-San Antonio Digital Commons @ Texas A&M University-San Antonio Finding Aids: Guides to the Collection Archives & Special Collections 2020 Beretta (Sallie Ward) Family Papers, 1845-1965 DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.tamusa.edu/findingaids Sallie Ward Beretta Family Papers, 1845-1965 Descriptive Summary Creator: Beretta, Sallie Ward (1872-1964) Title: Sallie Ward Beretta Family Papers Dates: 1845-1965 Creator Sallie Ward Beretta was an active member of numerous local Abstract: organizations in San Antonio. Following her interest in higher education, Beretta was appointed to the Board of Regents of the Texas State Teachers Colleges for almost two decades. Content Correspondence, reports, bylaws, yearbooks, various types of Abstract: administrative material, legal documents, financial documents, addresses, printed material, and photographs related to organizations, higher education in Texas, business and personal activities make up the Sallie Ward Beretta Family Papers. The majority of the material is related to Sallie Ward Beretta, with some items associated with her husband, John K. Beretta, and her son, John W. Beretta. The bulk of the papers date from 1920-1963. Identification: Col 931 Extent: 24 document boxes, 15 flat storage, oversize, and storage boxes Language: Materials are in English Repository: DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio Biographical Note Sallie Mills Ward Beretta was born July 11, 1872 in Austin, Texas, the daughter of John R. and Louisa Ward. She spent her childhood in Virginia and Texas, and attended Beechcroft College in Tennessee, and the University of Texas. She married John King Beretta in 1896. The couple had one son, John Ward Beretta. The Berettas moved to San Antonio in 1912, where Mrs. Beretta became active in a number of local organizations. She was appointed to the state High Cost of Living Campaign, by Woodrow Wilson in 1912; organized the Housewives League in 1920; served as president of the City Federation of Women's Clubs 1922-1924; was state chairman of the Motion Picture Committee of the Texas Federation of Women's Clubs 1928-1940; served as president of the San Antonio History Club 1919-1921; was president of the San Antonio Council of Girl Scouts 1924-1934; was regent of the Alamo Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution 1937-1939; organized the Albert Sidney Johnston chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and served as president 1932-1934; was chairman of the Jefferson Davis Highway Committee for the Texas Division of the U.D.C.; organized the San Antonio chapter of the Colonial Dames of America; and was an honorary member of Delta Kappa Gamma and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. A donation from Mrs. Beretta resulted in the construction of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library in 1950. Mrs. Beretta's civic activities included participation in the revision of the San Antonio City Charter, 1925-1927. Mrs. Beretta also pursued an interest in higher education. She was a member of a state educational survey committee in 1922. She was appointed to the Board of Regents of the Texas State Teachers Colleges in 1933, and served until 1951. Like her husband, Mrs. Beretta was active in the banking business, serving as a vice president of the Broadway National Bank in San Antonio, and as a member of the board of directors of the First National Bank of San Antonio. She died in San Antonio on November 27, 1964. John King Beretta was an Arkansas native, born in 1871, coming to Texas as a boy. He was a partner in the T.C. Frost mercantile business in San Antonio before moving to Laredo, where he established the Laredo National Bank. After moving back to San Antonio following his marriage, Beretta became executive officer of the National Bank of Commerce, where. He worked for 32 years. He then served as Chairman of the Board of the First National Bank until his death in 1948. Beretta was involved in a number of organizations, and was a member of the Texas Centennial Commission of Control, responsible for planning the 1936 centennial celebration. John Ward Beretta (1899-1992) attended the University of Texas and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in preparation for a career as an engineer. He served in the military in both world Wars, and held civilian military advisory positions as well. His interest in aviation led to his involvement with early efforts to establish an airport in San Antonio. Scope and Content Note Correspondence, reports, bylaws, yearbooks, various types of administrative material, legal documents, financial documents, addresses, printed material, and photographs related to organizations, higher education in Texas, business and personal activities make up the Sallie Ward Beretta Family Papers. The majority of the material is related to Sallie Ward Beretta, with some items associated with her husband, John K. Beretta, and her son, John W. Beretta. The bulk of the papers date from 1920-1963. Four subgroups have been created: Organizations, which includes material related to civic, business, patriotic, cultural, and social organizations with which Mrs. Beretta or her family were involved. The organization documented in the greatest detail is the city Federation of Women's Clubs of San Antonio, particularly during the years of Mrs. Beretta's presidency, 1922-1924. Other series containing a significant amount of material include the Committee on Motion Pictures of the Texas Federation of Women's Clubs; The United Daughters of the Confederacy and the U.D.C. Jefferson Davis Highway Committee; Colonial Dames of America; and Daughters of the American Revolution. Other organizations are represented by small amounts of material, from a few items to a few folders, which may document a single event. Higher Education, which contains material on governing bodies and institutions of higher education, and with higher education in general. The most detailed documentation is found in the Texas state Teachers Colleges Board of Regents series, which covers the activities of the board from 1933-1951. Separate series have been created covering the Regents' relations with each of the seven colleges governed by the Board; of these, the Southwest Texas State Teachers College and Sam Houston State Teachers College series contain significant amounts of material. A General Higher Education series gathers items collected in connection with other organizations or institutions. Business Papers, which contains a small amount of material related to banks and banking. Mostly printed material, each series contains a few items related to banks, banking organizations, and banking in general. Personal Papers, material produced or collected by family members in connection with personal interests. Arranged in series by document type, there is little family or personal information. Much of the material consists of periodicals, pamphlets and leaflets, and other printed material, collected for its subject matter. Certain printed material has been separated from the papers and placed in the general library collection. Duplicates of these items, or items already available in the general collection have been retained with the papers. These actions are noted in the inventory. Restrictions Access Restrictions No restrictions. The collection is open for research. Usage Restrictions Please be advised that the library does not hold the copyright to most of the material in its archival collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to secure those rights when needed. Permission to reproduce does not constitute permission to publish. The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming to the laws of copyright, literary property rights, and libel. Administrative Information Preferred Citation [Identification of item], Sallie Ward Beretta Family Papers, 1845-1965, Col 931, DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio. Acquisition Information Donated by John W. Beretta Processing Information Processed by Warren Stricker, 1991 December. Edited by Rebeka Delgado, 2020 August. Detailed Description of the Collection Sallie Ward Beretta Family Papers, 1845-1965 ORGANIZATIONS Box Folder San Antonio City Federation of Women's Clubs Correspondence 1 1 1920, 1921, February-July, 1922: 36 items. 1 2 August-December, 1922: 37 items. 1 3 January-June 1923: 25 items. 1 4 July-December 1923: 43 items. 1 5 January-March 1924: 27 items. 1 6 April-November 1924: 29 items. 1 7 1925, 1928, 1930, 1936, 1938, n.d.: 24 items. Minutes 1 8 State Board, Texas Federation of Women's Clubs (pamphlet), 1924: 1 item. Box Folder Constitution and Bylaws 1 9 City Federation of Women's Clubs, n.d.: 2 items. Reports 1 10 President, Texas Federation of Women's Clubs (pamphlet), 1934: 1 item. 1 11 San Antonio city Federation of Women's Clubs, 1922, 1923, 1924, n.d.: 16 items. 1 12 Member Clubs, 1921, 1922, 1923, n.d., 7 items. Divisions and Committees 1 13 Division of Community Service, bulletins, outlines, 1922, 1923, n.d., 10 items (including duplicates). 1 14 Committee Friendly Cooperation with ex-Service Men, letters, bulletins, reports, 1922-1924, n.d., 16 items (including duplicates). 1 15 Conservation Division, printed material, 1928: 1 item. 1 16 Fine Arts Department, report, 1931: 1 item. 1 17 Character Education Division, letters, reports, 1937: 6 items. Work Plans 1 18 Texas Federation of Women's Clubs, n.d.: 1 item. Resolutions 1 19 1923, n.d.: 4 items. Press Releases and Announcements 1 20 1922, 1924, n.d.: 11 items. Addresses, Introductions, Toasts 1 21 1921-1924, n.d.: 39 items. Rosters 1 22 City Federation of Women's Clubs, 1932, 1937, n.d.: 7 items. Texas Federation of Women's Clubs, Fifth District, Club Roster, 1932: 1 item. 1 23 Texas Legislature, 1923: 1 item. Box Folder Biographical Material 1 24 Beretta, Sallie Ward, 1935: 1 item. 1 25 Pettus, Mrs.