Legacy Finding Aid for Manuscript and Photograph Collections 801 K Street NW Washington, D.C. 20001 What are Finding Aids? Finding aids are narrative guides to archival collections created by the repository to describe the contents of the material. They often provide much more detailed information than can be found in individual catalog records. Contents of finding aids often include short biographies or histories, processing notes, information about the size, scope, and material types included in the collection, guidance on how to navigate the collection, and an index to box and folder contents. What are Legacy Finding Aids? The following document is a legacy finding aid – a guide which has not been updated recently. Information may be outdated, such as the Historical Society’s contact information or exact box numbers for contents’ location within the collection. Legacy finding aids are a product of their times; language and terms may not reflect the Historical Society’s commitment to culturally sensitive and anti-racist language. This guide is provided in “as is” condition for immediate use by the public. This file will be replaced with an updated version when available. To learn more, please Visit DCHistory.org Email the Kiplinger Research Library at [email protected] (preferred) Call the Kiplinger Research Library at 202-516-1363 ext. 302 The Historical Society of Washington, D.C., is a community-supported educational and research organization that collects, interprets, and shares the history of our nation’s capital. Founded in 1894, it serves a diverse audience through its collections, public programs, exhibits, and publications. THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON, D.C. SPECIAL COLLECTIONS FINDING AID Title: MS 554 The 13 Club Records, 1921-1991 Processor: Katy Kendrick Date: January 2000 Organized in Washington, D.C., about 1918, The 13 Club offered “the average man in business” an opportunity to develop skills and relationships that would help him achieve success. The club’s motto was “Advancement through Contact,” and its objects, as stated in its constitution, were “to develop in its membership the ability to speak in public, and, to educate its members in parliamentary procedure; to offer them the advantages of constructive criticism; to encourage the desire for research into worthy subjects; to promote friendship and goodwill; to instill into them the aspirations for success, and, lastly, in dealing with the public, to foster justice and good citizenship.” The club was founded by Don Holt, a government building contractor working in Washington during World War I. Shortly before relocating here, Holt had founded a 13 Club in his hometown of Sioux City, Iowa. The name supposedly derived from the number present at the first meeting of the Iowa club, but in 1923 the Washington club adopted Benjamin Franklin as its “patron genius” and officially based its name on Franklin’s thirteen principles of virtue and good citizenship. Members represented a variety of Washington-area businesses, including May Hardware, Peoples Drug, Woodward & Lothrop, and the publishing firm of Judd & Detweiler, but the roster also included lawyers, bankers, doctors, and government employees. Membership often grew along company and family lines as members invited co-workers and relatives to meetings. Meetings were held twice a month at various locations—hotels, clubs, restaurants, and occasionally members’ homes. The first monthly meeting was a dinner meeting, more of a social affair. Meetings were conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order and sometimes included exercises in parliamentary procedure prepared by a special officer, the Parliamentarian. The main event was the speaking program, in which members gave prepared speeches on assigned topics and an appointed critic judged their performance. Speech topics ranged from local politics and financial advice to foreign affairs, history, career development, science and technology, sports and hobbies, and family life. The club also hosted guest speakers, such as congressmen, military officers, business leaders, and local officials. Special events included Past Presidents Night, the first meeting in January, when the 13 Club inducted new officers and paid tribute to its outgoing and former presidents. The 2 biggest social event of the year was Ladies Night, a banquet usually held at the Columbia or Congressional Country Club. There were also summer outings to places like Griffith Stadium, Rosecroft Raceway, and Fort Belvoir. In 1936, the 13 Club held its Twentieth Anniversary Meeting at the Willard Hotel. The 13 Club played an active role in Washington civic life. Members engaged in debate with other organizations—Epworth League, the Optimist Club, and the Heurich Brewery’s own XIII Club—lent support to local charities and causes, and adopted resolutions on matters of local and national interest. The club took a special interest in youth, working with the Boys Club of Washington and sponsoring father-son activities. The size of the club varied over the years, growing during the 1920s to as many as 50 active members before the limit was set at 31 in 1938. Although turnover was relatively high, a significant number of members remained active for many years or kept close ties to the club as associate members. In 1975, declining attendance prompted the club to reduce its meetings to once a month. In 1985, the club lifted its men-only policy and soon afterwards inducted its first woman member. At the time of processing this collection, the club was still functioning, although in a limited capacity. Scope and Content: The 13 Club Records, 1921-1991, consist of meetings, minutes, bulletins, agendas, correspondence, financial records, constitution and by-laws, membership applications, attendance records, registers, annual and committee reports, newspaper clippings, a history of the club written and published by its members (1991), parliamentary procedure guides and exercises, an unpublished manuscript on parliamentary law written by a club member, assorted memorabilia, and a few photographs. There is also some photocopied material related to the history of the 13 Club of Sioux City, Iowa, collected by the club historian. The strength of this collection is in the minutes (1921-1972) and bulletins (1924-1976), which describe club business, social activities, and speaking programs. Unfortunately, the speeches themselves were not transcribed, but clues to members’ concerns and values can be gleaned from the titles. The membership lists, attendance records, and applications provide information about members’ occupations, education, and family life. A few applications include photographs. Perhaps the most interesting item in the collection is the Secretary’s Record Book for 1934, compiled by J. F. Moulton. Moulton was an active member of the 13 Club during the 1930s, serving as secretary in 1934 and president in 1935. His scrapbook presents a complete portrait of the club’s interests and activities for an entire year. The collection also includes a register donated to the club by Moulton in 1935, signed by members. As a resource for researchers, this collection provides insight into the history of professional and civic organizations in Washington and the social aspects of the twentieth-century male business world. 3 The collection is organized by document type and then chronologically. Size: 2.1 cubic ft. (4 containers) Donor: J. Gregory Shields, 1998 Restrictions: None 4 Container List Container 1 Folder 1: Five copies of club history booklet, The 13 Club: Its Origin and Development, Aims and Purposes, 1991, written by Herbert G. Pillen and edited by James W. Shields. (17 pp.) Folder 2: Manuscript and galleys for club history booklet, 1991, and notes and correspondence related to Mr. Pillen’s historical research, 1975. Folder 3: Photocopied records of the 13 Club of Sioux City, Iowa, including articles of incorporation and by-laws, 1919; member list; and photograph, 1927. Folder 4: Constitution and By-Laws, circa 1924-1948. Folder 5: Constitution and By-Laws, 1955-1972. Folder 6: “Declaration of Purposes and Aims” pamphlets. Folder also contains typewritten lists of Benjamin Franklin’s “Thirteen Principles” and an anonymous essay about club membership, “The Gauge.” Folder 7: Correspondence, 1921-1972. Mostly internal between club members and officers regarding speaking programs, special events, financial accounts, and membership status. External correspondents include the Boys Club of Washington, 1932; Heurich Brewery’s XIII Club, 1938; and the Washington Star, 1949. Additional correspondence filed with special events, club history, and treasurer’s records. Folder 8: Minutes, December 1921, 1923-1926, annual report attached. Folder 9: Minutes, 1927-1929, annual and Parliamentarian’s reports attached. Folder 10: Minutes, 1930-1933, annual and committee reports attached. Folder 11: Minutes, 1934-1938, annual, committee, and financial reports attached. Minutes for 1934 are handwritten in a notebook; typed versions are bound in the Secretary’s Record Book (see Folder 42). [No minutes for 1939-1941.] Folder 12: Minutes, 1942-1944, financial reports attached. Folder 13: Minutes, 1945-1948, annual and financial reports attached. Folder 14: Minutes, 1949-1951, financial reports attached. Folder 15: Minutes, 1952-1956, annual and financial reports attached. 5 Folder 16: Minutes, 1957-1959, financial and Entertainment Committee reports attached. [No minutes for 1960-1961.] Folder 17: Minutes, 1962-1964,