Fine Arts Club of Fargo Records, 1917-1998

Collection

Identifier: Mss 248

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The records of the Fine Arts Club of Fargo, North Dakota can be loosely categorized in three general areas: records pertaining to the club as a whole, those pertaining to the nine individual sections of the club, and scrapbooks. The scrapbooks category, which also contains photo albums, contains both general scrapbooks and those associated with a particular section. The earlier donation of club records was processed as Mss 34. Consult the separate finding aid to that collection regarding its contents. The General Club Materials Series consists of treasurer’s reports, check registers, account books, proposed budgets, tax returns, annual reports, president’s reports, Board of Directors meeting minutes, annual booklets, correspondence and care taker agreements. The treasurer’s reports cover the years 19481956 and 1967-1978. Three volumes of check registers cover the years 1948-1972. The account book tracks dues paid from 1955-1986. The collection holds the proposed budgets from 1950-1963 and 19751979. The real estate tax returns cover the years 1947-1949, 1953-1958, and 1960-1969. General tax returns for the years 1960, and 1962-1969 are also included. The collection holds annual reports from the years 1957-1978 and president’s reports from 1963-1979. The Board of Directors meeting minutes are from the years 1944-1951 and 1974-1979. Correspondence comes from the years 1964-1994. Three caretaker agreements from the years 1976-1979 are also included. Five bound volumes of annual booklets cover the years 1912-1980. The Section Materials Series consists almost exclusively of meeting minutes of various sections. The bylaws of the Literature Section as adopted on March 27, 1992 are also included. The meeting minutes of the various sections, in alphabetical order, include the Art Section 1917-1937, Drama Section 1949-1958, and 1974-1981, Home Economics Section 1974-1982 Literature Section 1980-1998, and Social Economics Section 1982-1984. The Scrapbook Series consists of five scrapbooks. Two of the scrapbooks are associated with the club as a whole while two more of them document the Music Section and the Sports Section. One final book documents the gifts received by the club during the years 1930 to 1974.

Dates

1917-1998

Creator

Fine Arts Club (Fargo, N.D.) (Organization)

Access

The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the Institute.

Copyrights

The Institute owns the copyrights.

History

The Fine Arts Club of Fargo, North Dakota had its origins in the Fargo Amateur Music Club. In the spring of 1911 Mrs. Frank J. Thompson consented to assume the presidency of the Music Club on the condition that it be merged into a new organization consisting of several departments. This was accomplished and in September 1911 the Fine Arts was formally organized at the home of Mrs. Thompson. There were five original sections representing Music, Writers (Quill), Drama Art, and Sociology (Social Economic). The first meeting was held December 2, 1911 and the first yearbook published in 1912. The club became federated on October 4, 1912 and joined as member of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs in 1925. The club continued to grow with the addition of the Home Economics Section in 1913, the Literature Section in 1922, the Women’s Sports Section in 1926, and the History Section in 1926. Clubhouse facilities continually changed until November 5, 1930 when the gift of Watson Hall (formally of Fargo College) from Mrs. John H. Watson was formally accepted as a permanent residence. A Fine Arts Library was a project for the 1934-1935 season and dedicated March 29, 1935. An addition of a stage and auditorium was accomplished in 1937. The Fine Arts Club continues to function, today, at the Watson Hall location, 601 4th Street South.