Altrusa International of Durham club records, 1933-2023

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Summary

Creator:
Altrusa International of Durham (Durham, N.C.)
Abstract:
Altrusa International of Durham, North Carolina, operated between 1934 and 2023 as a local club in District Three of Altrusa International. Altrusa International is a community service and philanthropic civic organization, founded by and originally limited to women. This collection consists of the Durham Club's records, minutes, yearbooks, scrapbooks, and ephemera documenting its activities and membership in Durham between 1930s-2010s.
Extent:
15 Linear Feet (8 boxes, 1 oversize folder, 1 phonodisc.)
Language:
Materials in English.
Collection ID:
RL.11885

Background

Scope and content:

The collection consists of official records and files created by Altrusa International of Durham throughout its existence, including club yearbooks and minute books, meeting files, scrapbooks, committee and program reports, membership files, financial ledgers and reports, scholarship and grant applications and awards, and other project files and correspondence. Earlier materials document the club's organizational structure and approach to membership, including classification guides for admitting members. (Altrusa was designed to have a wide representation of professions among members within each chapter.) Later materials document the revitalization efforts of the club to add and expand membership. Some materials relate to Altrusa District Three conferences and Altrusa International resources and programming.

The records document various service projects undertaken by the club, which evolved over its history. Earlier materials relate to educational scholarships and vocational aid, and are intertwined with the club's international committee, which sponsored visiting Duke faculty or graduate students (or wives) with Altrusa term memberships as a means of expanding the network of the club and cultural connections beyond Durham. Later projects focused more on supporting specific Durham organizations or services efforts like homeless shelters, education, cooking or literacy programs, the Durham Cooperative Extension, and the Eno River Festival. The club's records also document the participation and activities of some Altrusa members and leaders, particularly local Durham women like Florence Blakely, Bailey Webb, and Katharine Banham.

Biographical / historical:

Altrusa International was first formed in Nashville, Tenn., in 1917 as a service nonprofit organization for business or professional women. The Durham club was founded in 1933 and began serving Durham in 1934. It operated as a civic and service club for women until disbanding in 2022. Projects and initiatives supported by the club included children's literacy, shelters and at-risk youth, arts and the environment, support for military servicemen and women, college scholarships and vocational training grants, and international exchanges and friendship.

A 1990s-era promotional brochure for Durham Altrusa summarizes the club thusly: "Altrusa is an international network of executive and professional women united in community service. Its strength comes from a diversified membership, and its goal is to help people help themselves. ... All contributions and proceeds from fundraisers go directly to charities in the Durham community, none to club operation expenses. Altrusa incorporates its motto - Patriotism, Efficiency, Service - into projects, selecting events which are fiscally efficient and enjoyable for members. Altrusa draws on the strengths and talents of members, but gives members the freedom to contribute to projects of choice."

Acquisition information:
The Altrusa International of Durham club records were first received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a deposit in 1998. Subsequent deposits were received in 2000, 2005, 2019, and 2020. The collection's deposits were converted to gifts upon the club's disbandment in 2023.
Processing information:

Processed by Meghan Lyon, March 2026

Accessions described in this collection guide: 1998-0517; 2000-0276; 2000-0392; 2005-0105; 2019-0038; 2020-0096; 2023-0081.

Arrangement:

Collection is arranged into series by record or format.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

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Restrictions:

Access note. Collection contains original audiovisual materials which need to be reformatted before use. Contact Research Services for access.

Access note. Some materials in this collection are electronic records that require special equipment. Contact Research Services with questions.

Terms of access:

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.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Altrusa International of Durham club records, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.

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