DACS

halcyon Inventory of the Halcyon Literary Club Records, 1910-2011 Processed by: Chloe Rockow, Meghan Lyon; machine-readable finding aid created by: Meghan Lyon David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library Duke University Durham, N.C., USA

Aleph Number: 002523052

Machine-readable finding aid derived from XML authoring program. Date of source: April 2012Processed by Chloe Rockow, Meghan Lyon, April 2012; finding aid encoded by Meghan Lyon, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University, April 2012 Description is in English Finding aid was prepared using DACS and local Style Guide Inventory of the Halcyon Literary Club Records, 1910-2011 David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library Duke University Durham, North Carolina 27708-0185 USA

Descriptive Summary David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University Halcyon Literary Club. Halcyon Literary Club Records, 1910-2011 Material in English 3.5 Linear Feet 2625 Items For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog. Durham, N.C., club organized "to promote interest in literary study and to further social enjoyment." Limited to thirty female members. Collection includes club history research, program booklets for the length of the club's operation, various correspondence from club members, meeting minutes, and historical versions of the constitution and other administrative materials. Administrative Information Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

However, collection may contain materials to which the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibilities and Privacy Rights form applies. Patrons must sign this form before using this collection.

Also, all or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. Consequently, there may be a 24-hour delay in obtaining these materials.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Halcyon Literary Club Records, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.

Provenance

The Halcyon Literary Club Records were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library as a gift in 1975 and 2012.

Processing Information

Processed by Chloe Rockow, Meghan Lyon, April 2012

Encoded by Meghan Lyon, April 2012

Accession(s) described in this finding aid: 2012-0050

This collection is minimally processed: materials may not have been ordered and described beyond their original condition.

Descriptive sources and standards used to create this inventory: DACS, EAD, NCEAD guidelines, and local Style Guide.

This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.

Historical Note

The Halcyon Literary Club was formed among 12 women in Durham in 1910 "to promote interest in literary study and to further social enjoyment." Club histories reveal that early meetings were held once a month, with a luncheon followed by a book club. An annual theme was selected by the Club's program committee. Topics ranged, based on the interests of the Club's members, and included several countries or regions, art, music, as well as different genres of literature, including North Carolina authors, humorists, drama, and novels. Several mid-century programs discussed the changing roles of women in society. Membership grew but was capped at 30 members, excluding daughters or daughters-in-law.

Along with monthly meetings, the Club has maintained an active outreach program, beginning by contributing generously to charities in Europe following World War II. Recent efforts have focused locally on the Durham County Public Library, various symphonies, and local arts councils.

Collection Overview

The collection has been arranged into four series: Club History, Halcyon Members, Programs, and Club Administration. The Club History Series contains research and recollections by Halcyon members about the group's founding and early members. A large portion of this series is the Centennial Memory Notebook, created in 2011 in honor of the Halcyon Club's 100th anniversary. The series also includes handwritten and typed histories by club members from the 1930s through the 1990s. The Halcyon Members Series includes membership and officer lists, news coverage, membership nomination letters, resignation letters, and other correspondence between members relating to Halcyon member business. The majority of the Programs Series consists of the Halcyon Literary Club program booklets, created each year with the annual theme, schedule, and lists of participating and hosting members. Some years include multiple copies of the program booklets, sometimes including members' personalized notes. Other materials in the series include written book reviews, essays, and poems from different prgrams throughout the Club's history. Finally, the Club Administration Series includes meeting minutes, copies of the constitution, financial records, and receipts from various charitable donations made by Halcyon. This series also includes notes from families across the world thanking the Halcyon Club for contributing Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe (C.A.R.E.) packages during the post-World War II period. Thematic summaries of the meeting minutes have been collected by Halcyon members and are included in the Club History Series.

Subject Headings

These are searchable subject entries for this collection. Performing a search on these subjects in the Duke University Libraries online catalog will bring up other related research materials.

Halcyon Literary Club. Clubs--North Carolina--Durham. Literature--Societies, etc. Women--Societies and clubs. Durham (N.C.)--History. Contents of Collection Club History Series, 1931-2011 (1 box)

Centennial Memory Notebook 1Cover and Introduction 1Programs 1List of Program Topics 1Histories 1Membership List, 1910-2011 1Halcyons in the News 1Halcyon Profiles, 2010-2011 1Miscellaneous 1Club History, by Mrs. C.C. Thomas, 1931-1932 1"Lest We Forget," Club History, by Mrs. Helen Davis, 1931-1952 1History of Halcyon, by Hatsy Moorhead, 1994 Notes from Minutes: 1Meeting locations outside homes, by Lucy Grant 1Halcyon program notes, by Lucy Grant 1Halcyon people and houses, by Lucy Grant 1Research on early members 1Asides, by Lucy Grant 1Halcyon food, by Lucy Grant 1Outside speakers, by Lucy Grant 1Research on founding members 1Member biographies, by Lola Williams Halcyon Members, 1910-2011 (1 box)

This series includes membership and officer lists, news coverage, nomination letters, resignation letters, and other correspondence between members relating to Halcyon member business.

2Membership lists, officers, and duties 2Halcyons in the news, 1910-2011 2Newspaper clippings, obituaries, sympathy notes, 1923-2011 2Nomination letters, 1972-2000 and undated 2Acceptance letters, 1919 and 1979-1981 2Thank you notes and acknowledgements, 1923-1972 2Resignation letters, 1969-1996 and undated 2Other member letters, 1979-1996 Programs, 1910-2007 (3 boxes)

The majority of this series consists of the Halcyon Literary Club program booklets, created each year with the annual theme, schedule, and lists of participating and hosting members. Other materials include written book reviews, essays, and poems from different events.

2List of topics 2Papers and articles 2Poems 2Miscellaneous program materials Program booklets 2Studies in Southern Literature, 1910-1911 2North Carolina: A Study in Social History and Resources, 1911-1912 2Mexico, 1912-1913 2Norway and Sweden, 1913-1914 2Famous Women, 1914-1915 2Italian Art, 1915-1916 2Seventeenth Century Art, 1916-1917 2Contemporary Literature, 1919-1920 2Contemporary Drama, 1920-1921 2American Life as Portrayed in American Fiction, 1921-1922 2South America, 1922-1923 2Music, 1923-1924 2Literature of Today, 1924-1925 2The Old North State: Past and Present, 1925-1926 2British Isles, 1926-1927 2Memoirs and Biography, 1927-1928, 1928-1929 2Our Own United States, 1929-1930 2Anniversary: Selected Topics, 1930-1931 2Short Stories and Short Story Writers, 1931-1932 2A Journey in Spain, 1932-1933 2Selected Topics, 1933-1934 2North America (United States, the Mixing Bowl), 1933-1934, 1934-1935 2Selected Topics, 1936-1937 2North Carolina, 1937-1938 2Modern Drama, 1938-1939 2Loafing through the Pacific: World Cruise, 1939-1940 2The Arts in Georgian England, 1940-1941 3Selected Topics, 1941-1942 3Book Reviews, 1942-1943 3Book Reviews, 1943-1944 3Selected Topics, 1944-1945 3Places and People of the Mediterranean, 1945-1946 3Rivers of America, 1946-1947 3Famous Families, 1947-1948 3Famous Cities, 1948-1949 3Career Women at Mid-Century, 1949-1950 3Americans from Abroad, 1950-1951 3Humor and Humorists, 1951-1952 3Other Peoples' Lives, 1952-1953 3Books of Travel, 1953-1954 3Book Reviews, 1954-1955 3Travel, 1955-1956 3The Great West; in Fact and Fiction, 1956-1957 3The Art Collection of the North Carolina Museum, 1957-1958 3Music, 1958-1959 3Study of Theater (Various Countries), 1959-1960 3Around the World, 1960-1961 3Cultural and Political Personalities of the Last Decade - 1950-1960, 1961-1962 3Book Reviews: Collector's Items, 1962-1963 3The Cabinet of the United States, 1963-1964 3From the Mountains to the Sea, 1964-1965 3Biographies and Autobiographies of Women, 1965-1966 3The Modern Arts, 1966-1967 3Great Castles and Palaces of the World, 1967-1968 4Man and Religion, 1968-1969 4Kaleidoscope, 1969-1970 4Book Reviews, 1970-1971 4"Civilisation," by Kenneth Clark, 1971-1972 4NOW, 1972-1973 4A Year of Books, 1973-1974 4Women, 1974-1975 4Interesting Americans, 1975-1976 4Any Subject, Book, or Person of Current Interest, 1976-1977 4Different Cultures of the World, 1977-1978 4Twentieth Century Fiction-Non Fiction, 1978-1979 4Looking Back on the 70s: A Review of the Past Decade, 1979-1980 4Famous Families, 1980-1981 4North Carolina Personalities, 1981-1982 4The Life and Work of a Colorful Literary Personality, 1982-1983 4Famous Artists, 1983-1984 4Museums of Interest, 1984-1985 4Kings, Queens, and Jacks, 1985-1986 4Famous Churches of the World, 1986-1987 4Mysteries, 1987-1988 4Mistresses, 1988-1989 4American Dynasties, 1989-1990 4The Irish, 1990-1991 4Focus on Your Favorite Author, 1991-1992 4Book Review of 90s Best Seller, 1992-1993 4Portraits of Ladies, 1993-1994 4The Joy of Music/A Variety of Religious Experiences, 1994-1995 4Saints and Sinners, 1995-1996 4Art and Design, 1996-1997 4Great Love Affairs, 1997-1998 4A New Generation of Southern Literatures; Our Contemporary NC Writers, 1998-1999 4The Greatest Generation: Milestones of the 20th Century, 1999-2000 4Heroes, 2000-2001 4Women who Made a Difference, 2001-2002 4Potpourri, 2002-2003 4Sacred Sites, 2003-2004 4Southern Comfort, 2004-2005 4"Books that Made a Difference" and Revised Edition, 2005-2006 4Journeys of Life, 2006-2007 Club Administration, 1923-2008 (3 boxes)

This series includes meeting minutes, copies of the constitution, financial records, and receipts from various charitable donations made by Halcyon. This series also includes notes from families across the world thanking the Halcyon Club for contributing Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe (C.A.R.E.) packages during the post-war period. Thematic summaries of the meeting minutes have been collected by Halcyon members and are included in the Club History Series.

Minutes 51923-1926 51926-1932 and undated, by Susie Shipp 5October 1931-November 1940(2 folders) 51941-1952(2 folders) 51952 5November 1952-May 1954 51954-1964 51964-November 1970 5December 1970-May 1972 6October 1972-December 1974(2 folders) 6January 1975-May 1975 6October 1975-May 1976 6October 1976-January 1978 6February 1978-March 1979 6April 1979-December 1980 6January 1981-May 1982 6October 1982-May 1983 6October 1983-May 1985 6October 1985-May 1987 61987-1990 6October 1990-May 1991 6October 1991-May 1992 6October 1992-May 1993 6October 1993-May 1994 6October 1994-May 1995 6October 1995-May 1996 6October 1996-May 1997 6October 1999-May 2002 72002-2005(3 folders) 72005-2007 7Treasurer's Records, 1934-2006(2 folders) 7Constitutions and Bylaws, 1931-2008 71947 Day Planner with notes about members 7Receipts and thank you notes for charitable donations 7Receipts and information about C.A.R.E. packages, 1950s-1961 7Thank you letters re: C.A.R.E. packages, 1948-1959