Abstract Coffee Dunkers of America is an international non-profit organization; a local chapter in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was founded on January 30, 1939 by Gerald R. Ford Sr., Police Chief Frank O’Mally, Kent County Sheriff Hugh M. Blacklock, and Kent County Circuit Court Judge John H. VanderWal, among others. The aim of Coffee Dunkers International is to raise funding for charities and promote camaraderie among members. Beginning in the 1960s, the Grand Rapids chapter began holding an annual event...

Abstract The Family Service Association (FSA) was a social service agency operating in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area from the late 1800s through the 1990s. The organization was also known as the Charity Organization Society and the Social Welfare Association. This collection documents the activities of the agency through minutes, annual reports, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks and correspondence. The collection includes a range of information pertaining to the FSA and to social services...

Abstract This collection provides an in depth look at the Grand Rapids Jaycees (Grand Rapids, Michigan), founded in 1912. The bulk of the material dates from 1929 through 1989. The minutes and newsletters offer a look at how the Jaycees functioned, their motivations as they related to community ideals and values that changed over time. Over the years, the Jaycees have supported projects such as the Santa Claus Parade, Michigan Special Olympics and the Grand Rapids Open Golf Tournament. The Jaycees'...

Abstract

This is a devised collection that contains serial and periodical holdings which are housed in the archives. The bulk of the collection consists of newsletters or periodicals published by local companies or organizations. Also included are national periodicals with content relating to the Grand Rapids or Michigan area.

Abstract This collection documents the history of the Grand Rapids, Michigan Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), founded in June 1866 and continuing today. Included are materials previously filed in a variety of formats in the Local History Department and brought together here. The collection also contains a 2001 manuscript on the history of the Grand Rapids YMCA, as well as research material used in writing the history. This research material, which makes up approximately two thirds of this...

Abstract This collection provides an informative but selective view of the Grand Rapids Rotary Club, founded in 1913. The bulk of the material deals with the period after World War II. There are several brief historical resumes of the club's early decades. Most of the records involve limited time spans but offer valuable glimpses of the club's community activities, particularly service to children of the community, nation and world, as well as the club's internal deliberations. Extensive membership...

Abstract

The Needlework Guild of America collected and distributed clothing through charitable agencies. The Grand Rapids Branch was organized in 1921 and disbanded in 1968. This collection includes the club's minutes for most years, membership lists, reports, correspondence and a substantial group of newspaper clippings from a scrapbook.

Abstract This collection reflects Robert G. Nelson's knowledge and interests in the local and regional history of the greater Grand Rapids and Kent County, Michigan area. The collection includes material related to the Nelson family and to Nelson's work as a graphic designer and printer, including his time at Meijer. Also included are ephemera, photographs and printed material for a wide variety of topics and organizations, including, but not limited to, urban renewal, churches, local periodicals,...

Abstract The Santa Claus Girls is a non-profit organization that provides gifts for children in Kent County, Michigan for Christmas. The collection primarily consists of newspaper clippings scrapbooks, documenting the organization from 1941 to 2000. Also included are four versions of the group's constitution and occasional photographs, ephemera and correspondence. The organization was founded in 1908 by Adriana VanDoorn with the help of Senator Arthur Vandenberg. It was sponsored by the Grand Rapids...

Abstract This small collection contains documents of the history and development of the Playground Association, and subsequently the Grand Rapids Recreation Association, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. These organizations developed in response to the perceived advantages of fresh air and exercise in combating tuberculosis. Playgrounds were also perceived as a way to prevent juvenile delinquencies in the growth urban environments. Charles W. Garfield is considered the father of the playground movement in...