People's Institute Records
Organization in Northampton, Massachusetts that met in members’ homes for the purpose of helping working people spend their evenings in valuable reading and discussion, and for furthering the culture of the home as well as the individual. The organization also sponsored flower garden competitions, an evening school for adults, a school for the household arts, an after school play program for children, a Golden Age club, and a day camp. Photocopied records include Board of Directors minutes, Directors’ reports, and correspondence.
People’s Institute of Northampton, Massachusetts was an outgrowth of the Home Culture Club established in 1887 by George W. Cable. It met in members’ homes for the purpose of helping working people spend their evenings in valuable reading and discussion, and for furthering the culture of the home as well as the individual. The club, renamed People’s Institute in 1909, sponsored flower garden competitions, an evening school for adults, a school for the household arts, and more recently, after school play for children, a Golden Age club, and a day camp. The building, dedicated in 1905, was built with $50,000 given by Andrew Carnegie, supplemented with funds raised by the town over 5 years. It has provided meeting rooms for scouts and a variety of other community organizations over the years.
The records, photocopies of records held by People’s Institute, include Board of Directors minutes, 1896-1970; Directors’ reports, 1933-1942; and correspondence, 1965-1970.
The collection is open for research.
Cite as: People’s Institute Records (MS 26). Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Acquired from: Margaret Hutchins, 1985.
Processed by Linda Seidman.