Elva M. Chandler papers
Creation: 1917-1988 Creation: Majority of material found within 1965-1972Abstract
Elva M. Chandler (1900-1990) was an active clubwoman, active in many women's professional, church, and political organizations and president of the local Business and Professional Women's Club. She was best known for her involvement in the Delaware Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs (BPWC) and belonged to the Christina branch. Chandler's papers document her role in business and professional women's organizations and the changing role of women in business life from the 1950s to the 1970s.
Dates
- Creation: 1917-1988
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1965-1972
Creator
- Chandler, Elva M., 1900-1990 (Person)
Extent
22 Linear Feet
Biographical Note
Elva M. Chandler (1900-1990) was an active clubwoman, active in many women's professional, church, and political organizations, and president of the local Business and Professional Women's Club. She was best known for her involvement in the Delaware Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs (BPWC) and belonged to the Christina branch.
Elva M. Chandler, born on May 13, 1900, was a life-long Delaware resident. She attended Wilmington Friends School and graduated from Goldey College, a post-secondary school, which specialized in business education. Chandler worked during the 1940s and 1950s for E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company in the Pigments Department. From 1959 through 1969, she worked at Delaware Trust Company, where she was employed as a teller/cashier. She retired from full-time employment in 1969 but continued to work there on a part-time substitute basis. During 1972 she worked at ICI America Inc.
Chandler also owned and operated Hartman's Store, located in Mount Cuba, north of Wilmington. In late 1955, she bought a gift and card shop in Wilmington from fellow Pilot Club member Francis Wright. She operated the shop called "The Charm" from 1955 to 1957.
Chandler was a life-long clubwoman. Her earliest membership was in the Wilmington YWCA in the 1920s, and then she became a charter member of Beta Sigma Phi, an international, non-academic social and cultural sorority founded in 1931. She was also a charter member of the Pilot Club, which was organized in November 1940, and held the office of president.
Chandler was best known for her involvement in the Delaware Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs (BPWC) and belonged to the Christina branch. This local branch was affiliated with the state federation, which in turn, was affiliated with the National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs. She was state president for two terms, in 1969 and 1970. Chandler was very active in both local and state affairs and attended state and national conventions.
Chandler was also involved with the Greater Wilmington Federation of Women's Organizations, which was affiliated with the General Federation of Women's Club, and served as an officer in the Women's Civic Association of Richardson Park. She was a member of the Westminster Presbyterian Church and belonged to its women's club, the Philathea Circle. She was also a member of the Women's Republican Club of Wilmington.
Chandler died on May 6, 1990, just short of her 90th birthday.
Arrangement
By the time Hagley Library received the collection, original order was lost. The papers have since been arranged in series by organization, with a series of personal papers and a series of miscellany.
Scope and Content
The Elva M. Chandler papers document her role in business and professional women's organizations and the changing role of women in business life from the 1950s to the 1970s.
The bulk of the records concern Chandler's membership in Beta Sigma Phi sorority and the Business and Professional Women's Clubs (BPWC) at the local, state, and national levels. Papers for the BPWC include local and state board and membership meeting minutes, financial statements, correspondence, state convention programs, and the state publication First State Women. National level records primarily consist of mailings received by Chandler and include the publications Independent Woman (1953-1956) and National Business Woman (1956-1986), convention materials, and form letters regarding membership and programming ideas. The records of the National Federation reflect subjects of interest to working women from the 1960s through the 1980s and document the strategies used in pursuing goals, primarily through legislation. The organization provided networking opportunities and acted as a forum for issues affecting women, such as affirmative action, the Equal Rights Amendment, and day care.
Papers relating to Chandler's membership in social and church organizations include publications, meeting minutes, and programs. There are also a few personal papers, including correspondence, bills and receipts, and tax records.
Access Restrictions
No restrictions on access; this collection is open for research.
Language of Materials
English
Additional Description
Provenance
Gift of the Brumbaugh family, 1992
Subjects
Finding Aid & Administrative Information
- Title:
- Elva M. Chandler papers
- Description rules:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description:
- English
- Script of description:
- Latin
Repository Details
Repository Details
Part of the Manuscripts and Archives Repository
