Collection title: Maine Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs Records
Collection number: MS 313
Dates of collection: 1921-2003 
Size of collection: 8 boxes
Restrictions on access and use: Kept at Fogler Library's offsite storage facility. One week's notice required for retrieval

History

The Maine Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, now called BPW Maine, is a federation of the national organization Business and Professional Women/USA. BPW/USA, founded in 1919 as the National Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, was established as the first organization to focus on issues of importance to working women. Its mission statement gives its purpose as “to achieve equity for all women in the workplace through advocacy, education, and information.” The history of the Maine federation also began in 1919 with the formation of the Lewiston/Auburn BPW Club followed in 1920 by the organization of a club in Portland. The state organization was formed in 1921 and is comprised of local organizations spread throughout the state. At its formation, the federation constitution stated as its purpose “To promote the interests of business and professional women in the state of Maine; to encourage cooperative effort among them; to stimulate local organization and to promote what we believe to be the interests of the National Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs.” The state federation holds annual board meetings and conventions; its Futurama Foundation carries on a scholarship program as well as the Maine Women’s Hall of Fame and other development projects. The Federation’s publications include its newsletter called first The Pine Cone, then BPW Brevities, and now BPW Maine Business Women.

Scope and Content Note

The collection contains administrative records of the organization including by-laws, a handbook of policies and procedures, and minutes of the Board of Directors, 1928-2003. Also included are treasurer’s and membership reports, information about state and national conventions, copies of the Federation’s publications and information about its Futurama Foundation. Membership files from local clubs have been retained because of the overview they provide about the professions of members.

The collection also includes subject files of the organization arranged alphabetically by topic. Of special interest is the history of the organization, 1921-1963, written by club historians, as well as photographs of federation members and activities, and scrapbooks covering the federation from 1935-1986.

Contents of Boxes

Box 1

Folder

1 By-laws, 1968, 1974, 1977

2 List of charter members

3 Handbook of policies and procedures … presented in memory of Louise M. Green by Sally Pickering

4-25 Minutes, etc., Board of Directors, 1921-1996

Box 2

1 Minutes, etc., 2003

2-3 Reports, etc., 1928-1960/61

4 Correspondence, etc., 1957-1990s (scattered)

5-16 National/state correspondence, 1978-1989

17 Account ledger, 1931-1941

Ledger Account ledger, 1952-1963

18 Receipts, 1952-1963

19-32a Treasurer’s reports, 1960-1997

33-48 Membership reports, etc., 1970s-1992

Box 2A

1 Membership reports, 1992-1993

2 Membership: Augusta #4000, 1984-1989

3 Bangor #4002, 1984-1987

4 Bath #4004, 1984-1988

16 Knox County #4025, 1985-1989

17 Lewiston-Auburn #4026, 1984-1989

18 Lincoln #4028, 1984-1989

19 Lisbon Falls #4030, 1973-1975

20 Livermore Falls #4032, 1984-1989

21 Newport #4040, 1984-1989

22 Norway-Paris #4042, 1984-1986

23 Old Town #4044, 1981-1985

24 Portland #4048, 1984-1989

25 Presque Isle #4050, 1984-1989

26 Rockland #4052, 1984-1988

27 Sanford-Springvale #4056, 1984-1989

28 Skowhegan #4058, 1984-1989

29 Uptown Bangor #4059, 1986-1989

30 Van Buren #4060, 1973-1982

31 Waterville #4062, 1984-1989

32 Westbrook, 1973-1975

33 Winthrop #4066, 1984-1989

34 Membership directories, 1998-2000

35-46 State and national conventions, 1930s-1984 (with gaps)

Box 3

1-5 State and national conventions, 1985-2001

6 Post-convention meetings, 1977-1990s

7 The Pine Cone, 1928-1930; B.P.W. Brevities, 1937

8-14 Brevities, 1940s-1980s, undated

15 BPW Maine Business Women, 1990s

16 Futurama programs, 1961-1973

17-27 Futurama: minutes of meetings, etc., 1974-1984

Box 4

1-4 Futurama: minutes of meetings, etc., 1985-1987, 1990s

5 Armory correspondence, 1961-1984

6-7 Futurama notebook, 1979-1989

8 Futurama cashbook, 1978-1987

9 Ad Hoc Committee on Structure and Funding, 1984

10 Awards: Member of the Year, Woman of the Year, etc.

11 Bangor

12 Brochures, programs, etc.

13 Candidates for state office

14 BPW celebrates women: women who influenced our lives

15 BPW community achievement program

16 Certificate program in non-profit development, 1993

17 Clippings from National Federation, 1950s-1960s

18-19 Clippings: BPW/Maine, 1996/1997-1997/1998

20 Disbanding of clubs, 1996

21 Gardiner Business and Professional Women’s Club minutes, 1925-1932

22-23 History: Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, 1921-1963

24 History (partial copy)

25 History, 1919-1940

26 50th anniversary, Maine Federation, 1921-1971

27 Honor the Past: 75th anniversary of BPW, 1919-1994

Box 5

1 Maine Blueberry Breakfast, 1990

2 Maine Women’s Hall of Fame

3 Photographs (many include Margaret Chase Smith)

4-7 Photo album

8 Project 2012, 1986

9 Publications: BPW National

9a Publicity: Ad, National Business Women’s Week, 1981

10 Publicity, news clippings, etc., 2001-2002

11 Reports on occupational roundtables, Richmond convention, 1931

12 State of Maine song

13 BPW student manual, 1987-1988

14 Summer calendar of events, 1987

15 Young career woman program materials

16-17 Young careerist program, 1983-1985

Box 6

50th anniversary commemorative plate

Scrapbooks, 1935-1986, compiled by Sally Green Dunn Pickering (4 vols.)

Scrapbook: B.P.W. odds & ends: clippings and pictures, 1944-1964

Box 7

Two plaques: NFBPWC; Lewiston-Maine BPW Achievement Winner, 1958-59

Box 8

Time capsule information from Farmington, Livermore Falls (restricted until 2026)

Time capsule, 1976 (restricted until 2026)