- NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR THE PROTECTION OF COLORED WOMEN
- NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE
NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR THE PROTECTION OF COLORED WOMEN (Box 53)
Background: the League was founded in 1906 by Frances A. Kellor.
Its purpose was to check the emigration of black women from the
South and to aid those who did emigrate in finding suitable lodgings
and employment (and thereby avoiding disreputable employment agencies
which would steer them into prostitution).
Members of the League met the women as soon as they arrived by
boat or train, thereby keeping them out of the hands of unscrupulous
men and houses. They made sure the women knew where they were
going and had the means to get there.
The League was one of three organizations (Committee for Improving
the Industrial Condition of Negroes in New York and the Committee
on Urban Conditions Among Negroes were the others) which came
together in 1911 to form the National League on Urban Conditions
Among Negroes.
Wood is listed as treasurer on 1911 letterhead of the Committee
on Urban Conditions Among Negroes, assistant treasurer on 1911
letterhead of National League on Urban Conditions Among Negroes
and 1912 letterhead of National League for the Protection of Negro
Women "A Federated Organization of the National League on
Urban Conditions Among Negroes."
[see: "The National Urban League, 1910-1940" by Nancy
J. Weiss, E185.5 N33 W44]
I. NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR THE PROTECTION OF COLORED WOMEN - Correspondence,
1911-1913. [1 folder in Box 53]
Notes on contents: letters, chiefly discussing financial matters.
Correspondents include Ruth S. Baldwin, Eugene Kinckle Jones,
Bessie M. Pike, Elizabeth Walton and others.
II. NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR THE PROTECTION OF COLORED WOMEN -
Minutes, treasurer's reports, receipts, 1911-1913. [1 folder in
Box 53]
Notes on contents: minutes (1911-1912), treasurer's reports (1912),
receipts (1911).
Minutes of 1912 mention reorganization whereby NLPCW becomes
a committee of National League on Urban Conditions Among Negroes,
to be known as the "Committee for the Protection of Women.".
NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE (Boxes 54-56)
Background: the League grew out of the 1911 consolidation of
the Committee on Urban Conditions Among Negroes, the National
League for the Protection of Colored Women and the Committee for
Improving Industrial Conditions of Negroes in New York.
Wood was secretary of the Executive Board of NUL (1913-1914)
and President from 1915 to 1941.
[see: "The National Urban League 1910-1940," by Nancy
J. Weiss, E185.5 N33 W44 (note: Weiss cites Wood papers); "The
Urban League Movement" by L. Hollingsworth Wood, in Journal
of Negro History, 1924, vol. IX, pp. 117-126 (and letter of E.
K. Jones, p. 232-233, elaborating on Wood's contribution to NUL)]
I. NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE - "Correspondence," 1910-1917.
[27 folders in Boxes 54-56]
Notes on contents: letters, reports, clippings, brochure, printed
material.
Topics include meetings, fund-raising, plans to consolidate work
of several organizations [forming Urban League, Wood is on consolidation
committee, 1911], unsatisfactory work of Houstoun as field secretary,
make-up of first National Urban League executive committee, "suitable"
work available to blacks [see Pratt to Wood, 12/23/1911], plan
of work for fellows of the NUL (1912).
Also, criticism of Haynes as too theoretical and academic by
Frissell and others, suitability of various persons for positions
in NUL, confidential proposal from NAACP for a "National
Race Commission" (1913, with accompanying letter of Oswald
Garrison Villard to Ruth S. Baldwin [in Baldwin folder]).
Also, possibility of adding Booker T. Washington to Executive
Board (1914), joint conference in Memphis with NAACP (1914), "A
Plan for Improving City Conditions Among Negroes" and "Brief
Statement of the Work of the National League on Urban Conditions
Among Negroes" (with letter of Julius Rosenwald, 6/30/1914).
Also, training center for black social and religious workers
at Nashville, financial problems, Roger Baldwin's statement on
work of the League (in Oct. 1914), salary of George Haynes [see
folder 24], "Co-operation for Community Betterment"
by James R. Anderson (Nov. 1916), work in Nashville by Haynes,
controversy over Mowbray (of Fisk) going to Chicago (1916).
The bulk of the correspondence is with Ruth Standish Baldwin
(note: letters of RSB are found throughout the correspondence
folders, additionally Wood has put together a folder of correspondence
with RSB), Eugene Kinckle Jones and George Edmund Haynes.
Also includes letters of Roger N. Baldwin, Wm. L. Bulkley, John
T. Emlen (Armstrong Association of Phila.), Hollis B. Frissell,
Emanuel W. Houstoun, Frances A. Kellor (1910), Kelly Miller (Howard
University), Bessie M. Pike, Edward Ewing Pratt (New York School
of Philanthropy), Oswald Garrison Villard, Elizabeth Walton, Booker
T. Washington (Feb. 3, 1914) and others.
Folders 1-10 (Box 54), folders 11-16 (Box 55), folders 17-27
(Box 56).
- Correspondence, 1910.
- Correspondence, 1911 (Jan. - Aug.).
- Correspondence, 1911 (Sept. - Dec.).
- Correspondence, 1912 (January).
- Correspondence, 1912 (February).
- Correspondence, 1912 (March - April).
- Correspondence, 1912 (May - June).
- Correspondence, 1912 (July - Sept.).
- Correspondence, 1912 (Oct. - Nov.).
- Correspondence, 1912 (December).
- Correspondence, 1913 (Jan. - March).
- Correspondence, 1913 (April - May).
- Correspondence, 1913 (June - August).
- Correspondence, 1913 (Sept. - Oct.).
- Correspondence, 1913 (Nov. - Dec.).
- Correspondence, 1913-1914, with Ruth S. Baldwin.
- Correspondence, 1914 (Jan. - Feb.).
- Correspondence, 1914 (March - April).
- Correspondence, 1914 (May - June).
- "A Plan for Improving City Conditions Among Negroes"
and "Brief Statement of the Work of the National League
on Urban Conditions Among Negroes" with letter, 6/30/1914,
of Julius Rosenwald.
- Correspondence, 1914 (July - August).
- Correspondence, 1914 (Sept. - Oct.).
- Correspondence, 1914 (Nov. - Dec.).
- Correspondence, 1915 - 1916 (June). [letters put together
by Wood re salary of George Haynes]
- Correspondence, 1916 (July - Sept.).
- Correspondence, 1916 (Oct. - Nov.)
- Correspondence, 1916 (Dec.) - 1917 (June).
