The collection contains a good deal of information on the organization and history of the American Red Cross, this is a brief summary. In the 1850’s, traveling Swiss Physician Henry Dunant witnessed firsthand the atrocities of war on the battlefield of Solferino in North Italy. He realized the need for an international institution that would protect and care for the wounded in a neutral fashion. In 1859 then, he founded the International Red Cross and received vast approval from numerous nations. The Geneva Convention was signed in 1864, giving the organization international support.

The Red Cross was not accepted or appreciated in the United States until the 1880’s. Philanthropist Clara Barton, like Dunant before her, had seen the horror of combat in the American Civil War and lobbied Congress successfully for creation of the American Red Cross Society. Before long, the Red Cross proved its worth in disaster relief such as the forest fires in Michigan in 1881. Numerous chapters sprang up across the country, including the Kent County one in 1917. Kent County Red Cross volunteers got involved in projects both locally and also on a wider scale, participating in both World Wars and Vietnam. The years between such wars saw countless floods, tornadoes and other disasters to occupy Red Cross workers' time. Volunteers grew in number and diversity each year, from youths to the “Gray Ladies.”

As the years moved on, the Red Cross got involved in all aspects of community health, including the Grand Valley Blood Program and the creation of a wide range of information pamphlets to increase awareness of important acts and dangers in everyday life. A headquarters was opened on Fuller street in 1969, and from there the Kent County Chapter continued to distribute aid both to the local community and to the National Red Cross office. By the 1990’s, the Kent County Red Cross had become a full fledged business operation, with campaigns to raise large amounts of money from individuals and corporations, many staff and office members to perform necessary operations and frequent parties to recognize those who give their time and money to help others.