Manuscript Collections: National Catholic Welfare Conference/United States Catholic Conference Collection Description
Individual Department Index
General Description Records. 1919-1995. 1,215 feet; 853 boxes, 40 volumes, 1759
audio-visual items. Donor: United States Catholic Conference, 1972-1997. The National Catholic Welfare Council (NCWC), the annual
meeting of the American hierarchy and its standing secretariat, was
established in 1919 as the successor to the emergency organization, the
National
Catholic War Council, created in 1917 to supervise and unify
American Catholic activities during the First World War. Father John
Burke, a Paulist priest, was elected first General Secretary and
directed the efforts of the five original departments: Social Action,
Education, Press, Legal, and Lay Organizations. In 1922, after
controversy with the Vatican, the name was changed to the National
Catholic Welfare Conference to reflect its consultative nature, and the
administrative board was incorporated as the National Catholic Welfare
Conference, Inc. This structure served the American church until 1966. This monumental collection of records entails correspondence
and reports, press releases and publications, audio and video tapes,
photographs and motion pictures, detailing the expansive scope of
Catholic advocacy
and action in virtually all facets of American life, especially prior
to
1966. Material of the General Secretary/Executive, Social Action, and
Education departments are most voluminous, important, and widely
researched. Others include the Legal, Press, and Youth Departments;
Family, Rural Life, and Latin American Bureaus; Decent Literature and
Motion Picture committees; National Catholic Community Service (NCCS);
and the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD). Records for the
Immigration Department and the Catholic Association for International
Peace (CAIP) are housed, respectively, at
the Center for Migration Studies at Staten Island and Marquette
University. Indvidual Department Descriptions Advisory Council to the Administrative Board of U.S. Bishops. 1969-1975. 4 feet; 3 boxes. Donor: USCC, 1972. The creation of the Advisory Council was a post Vatican II
phenomenon that reflected a new vision of the Church as a community of
the 'people
of God' and not just a hierarchical structure. There was a focus on the
shared responsibility of bishops and non-bishops alike in conducting
the
pastoral affairs of the Church. A major undertaking of the Advisory
Council
was to study the possibility of creating a National Pastoral Council
but
it was decided that this was not feasible. The Council was influential
in
other areas though as it had a role in shaping decisions that led to
the
establishment of the Campaign
for Human Development, the Bicentennial Conference on Liberty and
Justice, and a greater NCCB/USCC concern for Blacks and the
Spanish-speaking. Records are made up on material produced by the Steering
Committee to Study the Feasibility of a National Pastoral Council,
1970-1974, and
the Committee on the History of the Advisory Council, 1969-1975. There
is
no filing order and the arrangement is generally chronological. Top of page | Individual Department Index Bicentennial, Ad Hoc Committee for the Observance of the/Call To Catholic Action. 1973-1977.Some 30-40 linear feet of records produced by the committee,
1973-1977, and consisting of minutes, reports, correspondence, and
printed material
were received in the CUA Archives, 1977-1981, but returned to the
Library
of the United States Catholic Conference (USCC) on 15 April 1992. Top of page | Individual Department Index Campaign for Human Development. 1971-1978. 124 feet; 99 boxes. Donor: USCC, 1998. Established in 1969, the Campaign for Human Development (CHD)
serves as the American Catholic Church's domestic anti-poverty program.
Its stated purpose is both to raise funds to support organized groups
of the poor to develop economic and political power and to educate the
public with a new knowledge of contemporary problems. Since its
founding, the CHD has funded more than 3,000 self-help projects
developed by the poor. Each year national grants are distributed to
more than 200 local communities and many more
smaller projects are funded by the 25 percent share of the CHD
collection
retained by the dioceses. CHD is funded solely by private donation,
primarily
an annual parish appeal. A permanent USCC committee of eight bishops
and
seven lay/religious members has overall responsibility, which includes
setting
policy and making final funding decisions. Diocesan bishops appoint
directors
to manage things at the local level. Their duties include the promotion
of fund raising, evaluating funding applications, monitoring funded
programs,
and supporting seedling organizations. There is also an Advisory
Committee
and a national CHD staff. The latter is headed by an Executive Director
appointed by the General Secretary of the USCC and manages day to day
operations. Records on deposit at CUA consist of material relating to the
first decade of funded projects, divided by regional areas. There is
little else to indicate a filing system or location of specific items. Top of page | Individual Department Index Catholic Association for International Peace (CAIP). 1926-1969. 13 feet; 10 boxes. Donor: NCWC/USCC, 1972; William O'Brien, 1994. In 1927, due to the prevalence of isolationist sentiment in
the
United States, the Social
Action Department organized and provided a secretariat for the
Catholic Association for International Peace (CAIP). The first meeting
was held at The Catholic University of America (CUA) and the membership
included not only experts in the application of Catholic teachings on
international order, but those interested in learning about and
promoting those principles. CAIP's principle efforts were directed to
meetings, which were often held in cities such as Washington and
Chicago, and the publication of the proceedings of those meetings, as
well as study committee statements, and papers on special topics
prepared by individual authors. CAIP was abolished in 1967 when it
merged with the reorganized Social Action Department of the former NCWC
to form the USCC's Department of Social Development and World Peace,
now known as Social Justice and World Peace. Records consist chiefly of those relating to the meetings,
1926-1949; statements, 1927-1968, publications, 1929-1964; and
committee and conference files of William O'Brien, 1958-1969, who
served as CAIP's last president. Additional CAIP archives are at the
Marquette University Archives. Top of page | Individual Department Index Catholic Conference on Industrial Problems (CCIP). 1922-1957. 12 feet; 10 boxes. Donor: NCWC/USCC, 1972. Founded upon the initiative of the Social
Action Department, the CCIP was conceived as an association to
discuss and promote the study of industrial problems. Linna E.
Bressette served as
the Field Secretary and was particularly concerned to bring papal
teachings on the social order to a wider audience. At the first meeting
in 1923,and at subsequent meetings, the CCIP's was to discuss
industrial policy. Attendance was drawn primarily from representatives
of labor, education, and social work. Fewer employers participated
although some such as Patrick Henry Callahan assumed an active role.
Eventually, it became evident that its interests were too limited to
assimilate the widening types of Catholic social action so, in 1957, it
gave way to a successor organization of broader scope, the National
Catholic Social Action Conference. Records relate primarily to the meetings held in cities across
the country, 1922-1951. They are arranged chronologically by meeting
date with no particular order thereunder. In addition, there are Linna
Bressette
general administrative files, 1922-1957, which include correspondence,
membership material, financial records, publications, and some
photographs. Finally, there are some topical and meeting files of the
CCIP's Interracial
Secretary, ca. 1931-1950. Top of page | Individual Department Index Catholic Relief Services (CRS). CRS is the official overseas aid and development agency of
American Catholics. It is a separately incorporated organization of the
NCWC/USCC. It was founded as War Relief Services in 1943 to assist
victims of the mass devastation caused by World War II. It has since
become a global operation which works nots only to alleviate suffering
caused by war and other diasters but to raise the general standard of
living for the poorer nations of the world. There are no records of
WRS/CRS office on deposit in the Archives of The Catholic University of
America though copies of annual reports submitted to the NCWC/USCC General Secretary, 1943-1966, are present, as are
some correspondence files. Top of Page | Individual Department Index Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD). 1921(1935-1982)1982. 53 feet; 41 boxes. Donor: NCWC/USCC, 1972, 1976, 1988. The concept of CCD began in Italy in the 16th Century in the
aftermath of the Council of Trent, and was strongly promoted by Pope
Pius X in the
early twentieth century. It only gained official recognition in the
United
States in 1934, when the National Catholic Rural Life Conference
featured
a 'Confraternity Day' as part of its annual meeting. This was in
recognition
of the need for religious education in rural America and the existence
of
diocesan and parish units already addressing this need in 19 parishes.
Later
that same year, the Bishops' Annual Meeting established an episcopal
committee
with a national center as a bureau under the Executive Department. The
center
became operational in 1935, transferred to the Education Department in
1969
and dissolved in 1974. From 1967, a new organization, the National
Conference
of Diocesan Directors (NCDD) was operated as a part of the NCWC/USCC
until
1982 when it became an independent entity. It is currently known as the
National Conference of Catechetical Leadership (NCCL). Records consist of general correspondence, 1935-1982;
photographs with an index, 1921-1960; scrapbooks of clippings,
1933-1957; and publications including the proceedings of the national
conventions, manuals, and training kits, 1935-1973. In addition, there
are the working files of the National Catechetal Directory Committee,
1973-1977, and personal papers, 1943-1952, of Father Joseph Burns
Collins, who directed the national center from 1942 to 1967. The
Collins material largely consists of copies of his writings and public
addresses. Due to the long affiliation with the Education
Department of the NCWC/USCC, the CCD records are considered a
separate but equal part of that department and housed in close
proximity to that collection. Top of page | Individual Department Index Communications Department: Office for Film and Broadcasting 1966-1990. 120 feet; 1,759 items. Donor: NCWC/USCC, 1978, 1998. Established after the re-organization of the NCWC in 1967, the
Communications Department serves the media relations needs of the
NCCB/USCC and is the chief spokesperson for the American bishops. The
Office for Film and Broadcasting was responsible for reviewing and
rating film and television influencing
social and personal values. These reviews and ratings were disseminated
via
the Catholic News Service (CNS) to a variety of domestic and foreign
newspapers and subscribers. Records on deposit cover a vast range of topics of concern to
the American Catholic Church and include several audio-visual formats.
There
are 33 reels of 16mm film of mostly news shows from the 1960s; 505 3/4
inch
U-Matic tapes mostly consisting of network news and the 1987 Papal
Visit;
1,076 audio tapes largely related to the show Guidelines;
and
143 VHS and 1 BETA video tapes of general topical interest, A-Z. Top of Page | Individual Department Index Decent Literature, Episcopal Committee on/National Office for Decent Literature. 1940-1969. 9 feet; 7 boxes. Donor: NCWC/USCC, 1972. The National Office for Decent Literature (NODL), and its
supervisory episcopal committee, were established in 1938 to act
against the lascivious type of literature which posed a threat to
moral, social, and national life, especially among youth. The NODL was
a service organization that advised interested groups working on
literature programs. It issued a quarterly bulletin detailing
activities and programs nationwide and printed a monthly list
of magazines and books judged objectionable for youth. The NODL was not
exclusively Catholic and many reviewers were Jewish or Protestant.
Publications were evaluated according to a code which condemned, among
other things, explicit horror, violence, and sex as well as
blasphemous, profane, and obscene speech. It also was critical of
stories that glorified criminals, disrespected lawful authority, and
ridiculed religious or racial groups. Records include annual reports, 1946-1967; evaluation reports,
1954-1969; general subject files, A-Z, 1951-1968; miscellaneous
publications, 1940-1966; and index cards to publications by author,
A-Z, 1960-1968, and by title,
A-Z, 1959-1969. Top of Page | Individual Department Index Education Department. 1919-1974. 154 feet; 123 boxes. Donor: NCWC/USCC, 1972, 1976. The Bureau of Education, later a department, was established
in
1919 as part of the National Catholic Welfare Council, which became the
National Catholic Welfare Conference in 1922. The first episcopal
chairman was Austin Dowling, Archbishop of St. Paul. The first
Executive Secretary was James
Hugh Ryan, who also was Assistant General Secretary to John J. Burke
and
later the Fifth Rector of The Catholic University of America,
1928-1935.
The directorship was first offered to Francis Howard of National
Catholic
Education Association (NCEA) but he declined and Edward Pace, acting as
Director,
filed the first annual report in 1920. Arthur Coleman Monahan became
the
first director from 1921-1922. His successors include Francis M.
Crowley,
1924-1929, George Johnson, 1929-1944, Frederick Hochwalt, 1944-1966,
and
James C. Donohue. The original divisions were Statistics and
Information,
Teachers' Registration (renamed Placement in 1940), Health Education,
Research
in Catholic Education, and the Library. An Inter-American Collaboration
Section
was added in 1941. The Education Department sponsored many conventions
and
conferences and was very involved in major issues such as the Oregon
School
Case of the 1920s attacking parochial education and the later
controversy
over the establishment of a federal Department of Education. The department worked in close collaboration with the NCEA, so
much so that for the years 1929-1966 the same person directed both
entities simultaneously; George Johnson for 1929-1944 and Frederick
Hochwalt for 1944-1966. After 1966, Hochwalt continued at NCEA while
James Donahue directed the NCWC department. Along with the
reorganization of the NCWC in 1967, which resulted in the creation of
the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB)/United States
Catholic Conference (USCC), the Education Department itself saw
considerable changes with the creation of divisions of Adult Education,
Elementary and Secondary Education, Higher Education, Religious
Education, Research and
Development, and Youth Activities which was transferred from the now
defunct Youth Department. Records include General Correspondence and Subject Files,
1919-1970; Elementary and Secondary Education Files, 1921-1974, which
include Federal Aid to Education, 1940-1963; Higher Education Files,
1921-1974; Youth Activities Files, 1958-1973; International Files,
1945-1963, including the Foreign Visitor's Office
(FVO), 1952-1963, and Exchange Programs, 1946-1960; Scrapbooks, 1925,
1961-1965, which include the Oregon School Case; and Miscellaneous
Publications, 1920-1970. Top of page | Individual Department Index Executive Department/Office of the General Secretary (OGS). Papers. 1905(1919-1972)2001. 290 feet; 232 boxes. Donor: NCWC/USCC and Hugh Nolan, 1972-1997. A finding aid to the records of the Office of the General Secretary is available at http://libraries.cua.edu/achrcua/NCWCOGS.html. The General Secretary, as chief executive officer of the
Administrative Board, not only directed the work of the Executive
Department, otherwise known as the Office of the General Secretary
(OGS), but also supervised the operations of the other departments and
coordinated the multiple activities of the various NCWC units. Under
the dynamic leadership of the first General Secretary, Father John J.
Burke, C.S.P. (1919-1936), the conference worked on both a national and
an international level to define American Catholic identity, promote
Catholic social thinking, influence public policy, and coordinate
humanitarian efforts. These notable endeavors were continued
to varying degrees by Burke's successors, Michael J. Ready (1936-1944),
Howard J. Carroll (1944-1957), and Paul F. Tanner (1959-1968). Major
activities included the suppression of birth control and communism,
defense of Catholic education and cultural identity, and the promotion
of social justice and international peace. Voluminous records of the Executive Department/Office of the
General Secretary. They are divided into subject, numerical, executive
secretary, Mexican, and private files, 1905(1919-1972)1981. Beginning
in 1919, administrative files were organized numerically, with numbers
assigned to notable persons, organizations, and topics. This filing
system remained in effect until
1949-1950 when efforts were made to convert into general subject files.
The conversion process was not completed so that currently there are 97
boxes, some 120 feet, of subject files and 47 boxes, some 70 feet, of
numerical
files. Research focusing prior to 1949 must consult both of these
sub-series
to pursue a particular event or topic. There are 13 major subject
headings: Administration, Church, Communism, Cults and Sects,
Education, Information Media, International Affairs, Military Affairs,
NCWC, Organizations, Social Action, Travel, and U.S. Government. In addition, there are three other divisions of departmental
files. The first consists of 1 box of material dealing with Executive
Secretary James Hugh Ryan, 1919-1928, who often deputized for the first
General Secretary, Father John Burke. The second group are the Mexican Files, consisting of material related to
the special case of Mexico, 1921-1981. The third consists of Private
Files of Burke and his successor, Michael J. Ready, 1905-1944, 1951. Other records include miscellaneous photographs, 1921-1980,
scrapbooks and oversized material, 1919-1972; and publications,
1919-2001. Finally, there are records of associated bureaus and
affiliates: Inter-America Bureau, 1942-1954; Latin American Bureau, 1928-1970; Peace Corps Desk, 1961-1962; Office of UN Affairs, 1946-1972; Episcopal Committee on Motion Pictures/John T.
McNicholas, 1933-1950; Episcopal Committee on
Decent Literature/National Office for Decent Literature, 1939-1969,
and the Advisory Council to the Administrative Board
of US Bishops, 1970-1975. Top of page | Individual Department Index Family Life Bureau. 1929-1974. 11
feet; 9 boxes. Donor: NCWC/USCC, 1977-1980. The Family Life Bureau, attached to the Social Action
Department and inspired by Pope Pius XIth's 1930 encyclical Casti
connubi,
was established by the bishops in 1931 to serve as a central
organization
for the development and coordination of family life programs and
projects
nationwide. It's activities consisted of conventions, special
conferences,
publications and field services as related to preparation for marriage,
parents as educators, Cana conferences, the formation and operation of
family clubs, the observance of diocesan family days, and marriage
counselling.
Associated with the bureau were family life directors from archdioceses
and dioceses across America. Records consist of correspondence and subject files,
conference
material, and copies of Family Life publications such as Family
Apostolate and Catholic Family Leader. There is a
concentration on the time period of about 1930 to 1950, when Rev. Edgar
Schmiedler was director, with only some of the publications as late as
1974. For additional Family Life Bureau archives records, consult the Center for Migration Studies at Statten
Island, New York. Top of page | Individual Department Index Foreign Visitor's Office. 1952-1963. 16 feet; 12 boxes. Donor: NCWC/USCC, 1972. Directed from the Education Department, the
Foreign Visitor's Office (FVO) was established in 1952 to provide
orientation of visiting foreign adults to introduce them to the
American Catholic Church and arrange Catholic contacts for them as they
traveled. Records include correspondence,
both chronological, 1954-1959, and by subject, A-Z, 1952-1963; and
miscellaneous
publications, 1958-1963. Top of Page | Individual Department Index Glass Lantern Slides. Ca. 1927, 1942-1946. 2.6 feet; 2 oversized boxes. Donor: NCWC/USCC, 1996. There are one hundred and eleven slides in this collection. They appear to have been used together in a lecture or presentation highlighting the NCWC's work with the American veterans of both the First and Second World War. The images are mostly in black and white, although there are a number of color images. They feature photographs of social events, religious events, NCCS/ NCCM events, United States' Armed Forces personnel, children, and assorted NCWC organizational charts. Many of the slides prominently feature African American soldiers or children, and many also show interracial events or groups. There are also slides of women in Armed Forces uniform and their work contributing to the war effort. Top of Page | Individual Department Index Health Affairs Department. 1966-1971. 2 1/2 feet; 2 boxes. Donor: NCWC/USCC, 1972?. The Health Affairs Department was formed after the NCWC/USCC
reorganization of 1966-1967, with divisions of Health Care Facilities,
Health Care Programs, Health Manpower, and Nursing Services. By 1972,
Health Affairs had become a committee affiliated with the Department of
Social Development and World Peace, and by 1974 was listed as a Section
of this department. The Vietnam Assistance Program resulted from a
contract between the USCC and USAID with the intent was to supply
qualified and motivated Catholic personnel to work within the
USAID/South Vietnam Ministry of Health Program to develop the
Public Health System In Vietnam. This program was in effect from May
1966
to June 1971. High financial costs appear to be a primary reason for
the
suspension of this program. Records consist of material from the Vietman Assistance
Program. Included are monthly progress reports, 1968-1971; employment
contracts,
insurance and reports, 1966-1971; photographs, 1968-1969; and
miscellaneous
publications and news clippings, 1967-1968. Top of Page | Individual Department Index Immigration Bureau/Department. 1922-1966. 1.25 Feet; 1 box. Donor: NCWC/USCC 1997. Established as a bureau in 1920 and made a department in 1953,
the Immigration Department provided a broad technical service for
immigration, emigration, deportation, naturalilzation, citizenship and
related matters. It also conducted correspondence on behalf of aliens
seeking to enter or
adjust their status once in the United States and represented aliens as
counsel
in any legal proceedings. The department operated from offices based in
New
York City, Washington, and El Paso. The founder and longtime director
of
the bureau/department was Bruce M. Mohler. The records at CUA consist of the annual reports, 1922-1966,
in
addition to correspondence pertaining to the Immigration
bureau/department
within the records of the NCWC/USCC General Secretary.
Archival records of the bureau/department, except for annual reports,
are on deposit at the Center for
Migration Studies at Staten Island, New York. Please note that CUA does not have any NCWC immigration or adoption case file records. For these inquiries please contact the Migration and Refugee Services (MRS) Office at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Top of page | Individual Department Index International Affairs and Inter-American Bureau, Office of Consultant on. 1942(1945-1950)1954. 5 feet; 4 boxes. Donor: NCWC/USCC, 1979. The Social Action Department's Latin
American Bureau was suspended from 1933 until 1959 yet an interest
in Latin America affairs persisted and was made more acute by the
events of the
Second World War. The NCWC discussed re-instating it as the
Inter-American Bureau in 1944-1945 with the hope that Richard Pattee,
who worked as a lecturer in History at The Catholic University of
America and as Assistant Chief of the Cultural Relations Division at
the US State Department, would agree to serve as Director. The NCWC
Administrative Board established an Office of Consultant on
International Relations on 1 January 1946, to work under the guidance
of the Executive Department, as well as supervise the operation of the
Inter-American or Latin American Bureau. The combined Office of
Consultant on International Affairs and the Latin American Bureau began
to function in July 1946 with Pattee as head and John Parr engaged to
handle the administrative work. Both men would write articles and
lecture extensively, both at home and abroad, on a series of
international and inter-American questions.There were several name
changes, with Foreign Affairs replacing International Affairs and
Inter-American replacing Latin America Bureau, and simply reference to
the International Bureau at times as well. There are no annual reports
after
1950 nor mention of the office/bureau so its final status is difficult
to
determine though a bonafide Latin American Bureau was re-established in
1959. Records consist of General Administration files, 1945-1950,
including annual reports, 1946-1950; Richard Pattee's personal papers
including articles, books, manuscripts, lectures, and correspondence,
1942-1952; and miscellaneous publications including NCWC Foreign
Affairs, 1946-1949, and UN Social Welfare Information
Series, 1949-1950. Top of Page | Individual Department Index Latin American Bureau. Records. 1928-1933, 1959-1964, 1970. 14 feet; 11 boxes. Donor: NCWC/USCC, 1972. Established in 1929 within the NCWC and attached to the
Executive Department, the Bureau promoted an interchange of information
between Catholics of the United States and Latin America primarily in
the field of Catholic Social Action. Under the directorship of Father
Raymond A. McGowan, who was also Assistant Director of the Social
Action Department, the focus
was upon education, social work, lay organization, economics, the
press,
and international relations. Suspended in 1933, there were discussions
to re-establish it in 1944-1945 but nothing came about until 1959.
Father
John Consedine was selected to head the revived bureau whose mandate
was
updated to include assistance in the recruitment and service of United
States lay and religious personnel in Latin America, especially the
Papal Volunteers, as well as the forwarding of financial assistance
there. In
1968, it was reconstituted as the Division for Latin America with Rev.
Louis M. Colonnese succeeding Father Consedine as director. It was
phased
out by 1974. Correspondence and subject files, organized alphabetically by
correspondent's name or geographic region, for both periods of active
operations, 1928-1933 and 1959-1964, plus working papers of the 1970
Catholic Inter-American
Co-Operation Program (CICOP). Top of page | Individual Department Index Lay Organizations Department. 1920-1975. Established in 1920 to coordinate the activities of the
National Council of Catholic Men (NCCM) and National Council of
Catholic Women (NCCW), and later the National Council of Catholic
Nurses (NCCN). It served as
a channel for the interchange of information and service between
NCWC/USCC
and the laity in their common Church work, especially in promoting
Catholic
principles and ideals in education, social and civic life. Only the
NCCW
still exists though now independent of the NCWC/USCC. Top of Page | Individual Department Index Legal Department/General Counsel. 1921-1980. 150 feet; 120 boxes. Donor: NCWC/USCC, 1972, 1982. Originally known as the Department of Laws and Legislation, it
was established in December of 1919 as one of the five founding
departments
of the National Catholic Welfare Council. The name has been changed
twice,
in April of 1926 it became the Legal Department, and in November of
1966
it became the Office of the General Counsel, the name that it still
bears.
This department/office has worked to maintain a record of proposed and
enacted
federal legislation; to exchange legal and legislative information with
and
to advise the departments and committees of the NCWC/USCC and
interested
organizations and individuals; to confer and exchange judicial, legal,
legislative,
and administrative information with state Catholic conferences,
diocesan
attorneys, and other national, regional, and local Catholic entities
and
organizations; to serve the dioceses and Catholic agencies by means of
extensive
legal research, advice regarding specific legal issues, study of
government
regulations, and by attending to administrative matters before federal
authorities.
In addition, it has served to represent the NCWC/USCC in litigation and
has
published scholarly works and conducted public speaking on issues of
law
and policy affecting the Roman Catholic Church. Noted directors include
William
F. Montavon (See also: Papers
of William
Frederick Montavon), 1925-1951, Eugene J. Butler, 1951-1956,
William
R. Consedine, 1956-1974. Records include general administration files, primarily
correspondence, 1921-1980; subject files regarding congressional
matters, 1920-1960, education, 1923-1980, foreign/international
relations, 1924-1980, organizations, 1921-1980, social security,
1933-1960, states, 1922-1968, taxation, 1933-1980, and tenure
of church property, 1927-1971; and miscellaneous publications and
proceedings, 1929-1964. There are also some personal correspondence
files for directors Montavon, 1929-1955, Butler, 1930-1956, and
Consedine, 1942-1966. Top of page | Individual Department Index Mexican Files. 1921-1981. 10 feet; 7 boxes, 8 reels of microfilm. Donor: NCWC/USCC, 1977, 1997. Material related to Mexico removed by NCWC staff from the main
body of the files of the Executive Department/Office of the General
Secretary. Said files appear to have been given special treatment due
to the precarious position of the Church in unstable Mexico beginning
in the 1920s, which
was of special importance to the American bishops. Records include card
files and interview books, general correspondence, specific files on
the
Montezuma Seminary and the Pious Fund of the Californias, and
miscellaneous
publications. With the exception of some of the publications and Pious
Fund items, these records have been microfilmed and the decision was
taken
not to attempt to restore them to their proper provenance though they
remain
in close intellectual and physical proximity. Top of page | Individual Department Index Motion Pictures, Episcopal Committee on. 1933-1944. 4 feet; 3 boxes. Donor: NCWC/USCC, 1972. This committee was established in 1933 to work to improve the
standard and quality of motion pictures and directed the National
Legion of Decency based in New York City. John T. McNicholas of
Cincinnati was the longtime head of this committee and these are his
records. They include general correspondence, Bishops' Statements, and
annual reports. Top of Page | Individual Department Index National Catholic Community Service (NCCS). 1932(1940-1981)1981. 38 feet; 30 boxes. Donor: NCWC/USCC, 1972. The National Catholic Community Service (NCCS) was established
by the American hierarchy in 1940, and maintained until 1980, to serve
the
spiritual, social, educational, and recreational needs of the military
and
defense workers and their families. NCCS rendered service with both
professional
personnel and volunteers at home and overseas. It was a member agency
of
the United Service Organization (USO) and the Veteran's
Administration's
(VA) Voluntary Service National Advisory Committee and operated a VA
Hospital
Program with the assistance of a VA diocesan hospital committee. NCCS
was
under the direction of a board of trustees composed of members of the
NCWC/USCC
Administrative Board, the military vicar and his delegate, that worked
closely
with the various departments and committees of the NCWC/NCCB. For
unknown
reasons, the board voted in 1979 to dissolve NCCS. This action took
effect
on 22 February 1980. NCCS was involved in numerous publications
including NCCS-VA Hospital News, NCCS Chairman's
Newsletter, USO Notebook, and various prayerbooks
and pamphlets. Thomas
Hinton was Executive Director for much of NCCS's history, 1948-1972. He
had
served previously in several administrative capacities in NCCS
including
program, budget, and field operations. He later served as Director of
Finance
and Administration of USCC/NCCB, 1972-1979. Records include copies of USO board, conference, and council
minutes, 1943-1978; NCCS board of trustees minutes and reports,
1941-1976; general administration subject files, 1940-1975; club
reports and correspondence, 1966-1971; VA Hospital Service subject
files and printed material, 1944-1981; Joint Action in Community
Service files, 1967-1971; photographs, 1941-1944; and publications and
manuals, 1932(1941-1953)1953. Top of page | Individual Department Index National Catholic News Service. 1919(1919-1977)1989. 75 feet; 60 boxes. Donor: NCWC and Sal Miragliota, 1972-1997. Established in 1920, the NCWC Press Department provided the
Catholic press, radio, and eventually television in the United States
and other countries with news, editorial, feature, and picture services
gathered and prepared by professional journalists and released under
the names NCWC News Service and Noticias Catolicas (in Spanish and
Portugese for Latin America). Both services were designated by the
abbreviation (NC) and the former is now
known as the Catholic New Service (CNS). Prior to the NCWC
reorganization
in 1967, the Press Department operated under an episcopal chairman and
carried
on its activities with a lay director experienced in journalism and
trained
staff at the headquarters in Washington, DC, and field correspondents
in
cities throughout the United States and the world. The founding
director
was Justin McGrath, 1920-1932, and he was followed by Frank A. Hall who
served
1932-1963, the period of NC News' greatest development. Administrative files including general correspondence,
1920-1972, which is indexed; correspondence within the NCWC, 1919-1971;
and correspondence with the Catholic Press Association, 1919-1969;
general subscriber files, A-Z, 1920-1972; obituary files for prominent
catholics, A-Z, 1940-1970,
which is indexed; and miscellaneous publications and press releases,
1931-1977. Several libraries, including those of The Catholic
University of America
and Marquette University, retain microfilmed copies of the press
releases
for 1920-1983. Top of page | Individual Department Index National Catholic School of Social Service (NCSSS). 1917-1991. 175 feet; 140 boxes. Donors: NCSSS and Dorothy Mohler, 1970-1996. The present school is the fourth in a series that began during
the first world war. The National Service School for Women, popularly
known
as Clifton, was established in 1918 by the National
Catholic War Council, predecessor to the National Catholic Welfare
Conference, now known as the United States Catholic Conference. It's
purpose was to train women for war and reconstruction efforts both at
home and overseas. This was succeeded in 1921 by the National Catholic
School of Social Service which gave a two year graduate program for
women students and was operated by the National
Council of Catholic Women, then an affiliate of the NCWC. In 1934
the Catholic University of America opened its School of Social Work for
the training of priests, religious, and laymen. As academic and social
interaction between these two schools grew, plans for a merger were
undertaken and became effective in July of 1947. The combined schools
became known as the Catholic University of America's National Catholic
School of Social Service, which is still in operation. Records on deposit include a variety of material collected by
long time NCSSS faculty member, Dr. Dorothy Mohler, administrative
files of
various deans, curriculum, and faculty personnel files, financial
records,
surveys and questionnaires, photographs, scrapbooks, and publications.
The dean and faculty files as well as the financial records are
restricted. The remaining records are open to researchers. Top of page | Individual Department Index National Council of Catholic Laity. 1967-1975. 4 feet; 3 boxes. Donor: NCWC/USCC, ca. 1975. The NCCL was a brief union of the National Council of Catholic
Men (NCCM) and National Council of Catholic Women arising out of
celebrations of their joint fiftieth anniveraries in 1970 as part of
the Lay Organizations Department of the National
Catholic Welfare Conference (NCWC)/United States Catholic Conference
(USCC). A joint NCCM/NCCW committee had recommended the merger as a way
to promote greater lay unity but the short lived organization went
defunct when the NCCM
folded in 1975. NCCW went its own way thereafter. Records consist of general administration files,
1967(1970-1975)1975; slides of the New Orleans assembly, 1973; and
their official publication People, 1972-1974. Top of page | Individual Department Index National Council of Catholic Men (NCCM). 1920-1975. 26 feet; 20 boxes. Donor: NCWC/USCC, 1975. The NCCM was established in 1920 as part of the Lay Organizations Department of the National
Catholic Welfare Council (NCWC). Its various functions included the
federation of Catholic men's groups in a common agency, to be a central
clearinghouse for information on lay activities, to promote lay
cooperation in regard to the Church's welfare, to help existing
Catholic lay organizations on the local
level, to contribute to national and international movements with moral
questions,
and to inculcate appreciation of Catholic principles in education,
social,
and civil life in general. The NCCM operated through a committee system
on national, diocesan, and parish levels. NCCM published a monthly news
organ
called Alert and other publications as well. It operated
a film
distrubution office and a New York radio and television office, from
which
it produced the Cathoic Hour, 1929-1968. NCCM celebrated
its
golden anniversary in 1970 and was briefly merged with NCCW to form the
National
Council of Catholic Laity, before going defunct in 1975. Records include constitutions, bylaws, and incorporation,
1920-1970; minutes of the Board of Directors, 1920-1969; reports and
convention proceedings, 1932-1968; general correspondence including
national organizations and diocesan, 1939-1975; Catholic Hour radio and
television scripts, transcripts, audio tapes, and phonographs,
1929-1968; photographs, 1930, ca. 1960s; and miscellaneous
publications, 1924-1969. Top of page | Individual Department Index National Council of Catholic Nurses. The National Council of Catholic Nurses (NCCN) was formally
organized at Chicago on 10 June 1940, under the direction of the
Episcopal Chairman for the Lay Organizations
Department, which also included the National Council of Catholic
Men (NCCM) and National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW), of the former
National Catholic Welfare Conference. NCCN operated under and elected
board with a spiritual director. Membership was through affiliated
diocesan organizations though there were provisions for individual
memberships as well. NCCN had as its program the personal
sanctification
of its members and the inculcation of Christian principles in the field
of health and nursing. Its official publication was the quarterly The
Catholic Nurse. There are no records of NCCN on deposit with the
CUA Archives, just three general subject files and annual reports for
the NCCN in the records of the General
Secretary/Executive Department of the United States Catholic
Conference, 1938-1966. Top of page | Individual Department Index National Council of Catholic Women. 1917(1920-1998)1998. 120 feet; 80 boxes, 40 volumes. Donor: NCWC/USCC and NCCW, 1972, 1986, 1999. Established in 1920 as part of the Lay
Organization Deparment of the National Catholic Welfare Conference
(NCWC), the NCCW was a breakthrough for catholic lay women which
co-incided with the
winning of suffrage for American women. NCCW has operated as a
federation of Catholic women's organization under an Executive Director
and a Board of
Directors. Stated goals have been the study and promotion of Catholic
principles
through a system of national committees having counterparts on the
diocesan
and parish level. These committees included Home and School
Association,
Immigration, Social Action, Rural Life, and many others. NCCW holds
biennial
national conventions, assemblies, and regional training institutes.
NCCW
provides representation for American Catholic women at national and
international
meetings concerned with the moral and religious welfare of humanity in
general
and women in particular. Numerous publications are produced including
the
monthly magazine Catholic Woman and various news sheets.
In
its early days, the NCCW managed the National Catholic
School of Social Service (NCSSS), 1921-1947, for women, prior to
its
merger with the School of Social Work, for men, at The Catholic
University
of America. A noted and long-time executive director, 1948-1977, was
Margaret
Mealey. Records consist of Board of Directors' minutes and related
material, 1920-1985; convention and assembly proceedings, 1920-1996;
executive director's correspondence, 1990-1996; diocesan affiliate card
files, ca. 1940s-1960s; conference and insitute minutes, 1937-1971;
Home and School Association, 1951-1969; national and international
membership records, 1920-1975; photographs, 1920-1970; general
publications, 1920-1998, including Catholic Woman,
1975-1997; and mixed media material, ca. 1940s-1998, including reel to
reel audio tapes, ca. 1960s-1971, and audio cassettes, 1975-1997. Top of page | Individual Department Index Peace Corps Desk. 1961-1962. 5 feet; 4 boxes. Donor: NCWC/USCC, 1972. In early 1961, as a new facet of US Foreign Policy, President
John F. Kennedy established a Peace Corp of volunteers, both secular
and religious, to serve as a source of skilled manpower in carrying out
technical and education projects in developing countries. Shortly
thereafter, a NCWC Peace Corps
Desk was established in Washington, DC, under the episcopal
chairmanship
of Auxiliary Bishop Edward E. Swanstrom of New York, with Robert Melina
as
Executive Director. Its efforts were directed at assisting and advising
applicants, dioceses, organizations, and institutions in recruiting
Catholics
for the Peace Corps. Under pressure from certain Jewish and Protestant
groups,
Peace Corps Director Sargent Shriver announced in December of 1961 a
reversal
of policy in that there would not be any cooperation with religious
groups
and that none would handle Peace Corps projects. Bishop Swanstrom
expressed
'regret' and the NCWC Peace Corps Desk ceased operations on 19 January
1962. Records created during its brief existence consist mainly of
general correspondence divided into chronological files and
alphabetically by subject, organizations, and countries. There are also
alphabetical card indexes of applicants. Top of page | Individual Department Index Rural Life Bureau. 1930-1938. 1 1/4 feet; 1 box. Donor: NCWC/USCC, 1972. Founded within the Social Action Department in 1920 under
Edwin
O'Hara, later Bishop of Kansas City, the bureau sought to enrich the
spiritual
and material well-being of rural people. O'Hara founded the National
Catholic Rural Life Conference in 1923, which was based in the
mid-west, first at
St. Paul, MN, then at Des Moines, Iowa. This conference, whose archives
are
housed at Marquette University, eventually made the NCWC Rural Life
Bureau
obsolete. Records at CUA consist of general correspondence, surveys,
and
printed material. Top of Page | Individual Department Index Social Action Department (NCWC).
1919-1974. 90 feet; 71 boxes [total inclusive of all parts]. Donor:
NCWC/USCC, 1972-1980. A finding aid to the records of the Social Action Department is available at http://libraries.cua.edu/achrcua/socact.html. An original department of the NCWC established as a
clearinghouse to promote, interpret, and apply Catholic social thought
with special focus on industrial, international, and interracial
relations as well as rural life, communism, social work and charities.
Principal tools in this effort were the papal encyclicals and the
statements of the American bishops on social and economic matters. Soon
after its creation, the department began to sponsor addresses and
lectures, publish books and pamphlets, and conducted conferences and
institutes. The department's three directors, Msgr. John A. Ryan,
1919-1945; Rev. Raymond A. McGowan, 1945-1954; and Msgr. George G.
Higgins, 1954-1967, were all especially interested in industrial
relations. The department was re-organized and renamed as Social
Development, and
is currently known as the Department of Social Development and World
Peace. The records begin with general departmental files, 1920-1950,
followed by various bodies sponsored by the department, including the
National Social Action Conferences, 1938-1939; Inter-American Seminars
on Social Studies, 1942-1946; and the Inter-American Catholic Social
Action Confederation,
1948-1952. These are followed by material on intercreedal cooperation,
1938-1948, then the files of assistant directors Fathers John Hayes,
George
Higgins, and John Cronin, 1942-1959. Next are files on organizations
and
topics of special interest, 1930-1959, followed by those of assistant
director, Father Raymond McGowan, 1925-1954, whose influence was
evident in almost every sphere of the department's activity. Next come
records of the department's field secretary, Linna E. Bressette,
1921-1955, and those of the Catholic Conference on
Industrial Problems, 1922-1951, followed by those of the CCIP's
successor, the National Social Action Conference, 1956-1957. There are
also records related to labor schools, 1936-1944; priests 1937-1946,
and files of the Catholic Association for
International Peace (CAIP), Family Life,
and Rural Life bureaus. Photographs dated
1936-1952, miscellaneous oversized items, and printed materials round
out the collection. Top of page | Individual Department Index UN Affairs, Office of. 1946-1972. 29 feet; 23 boxes. Donor: NCWC/USCC, 1972, 1991. Following the 1945 San Francisco Conference which drafted a
charter for the United Nations, the NCWC decided on a policy of
cautious promotion of an 'imperfect' UN. In 1946, NCWC established a UN
Office in New York City which was conceived as a vehicle for promotion
of Catholic principles and programs as well as a clearinghouse for
intelligence to give the insular American church a more international
outlook. The director of this office was Catherine Schaefer and she
would hold this position for 26 years, the lifetime of the office. General correspondence and subject files including the
American
Hierarchy, the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations (WUCWO),
the
Catholic Association for International Peace (CAIP), and the
International
Catholic Coordinating Committee for UNESCO. Additional material
consists
of annual reports, NC News press releases, and publications Newsnotes,
Vantage, and Noticias de las Naciones Unidas. Top of page | Individual Department Index Youth Department. 1929(1929-1968)1975. 105 feet; 84 boxes. Donor: NCWC/USCC 1972, 1977, 1991. In February of 1937, the NCWC Administrative Board instituted a Catholic Youth Bureau with a Priest Director under the Executive Department. It was elevated to department status in November of 1940. Vincent Mooney, CSC, was the first director followed by Charles E. Bermingham, 1945-1948, and Joseph Schieder, 1948-1961. The Youth Department served as a clearinghouse of information and as a liaison with national Catholic youth groups such as the National Council of Catholic Youth, the National Federation of Catholic College Students (NFCCS), and the National Newman Club Federation. The National Council of Catholic Youth had a diocesan section which became known as the National Catholic Youth Organization Federation (CYO). The National Newman Club Federation, later to become the primary part of the National Newman Apostolate, and the NFCCS formed the college and university section of the Youth Department. The NFCCS had been founded in 1937 as a counter to campus communist clubs while the first Newman Club had been founded in 1883. However, the Federation of College Catholic Clubs, founded in 1915, was renamed the National Newman Club Federation in 1938. Other Catholic youth groups, such as the National Catholic Camping Association, joined the Youth Department later. With the reforming impact of the Vatican II Council and the reorganization of the NCWC in 1966, the Youth Department was downgraded to a division, known as Youth Activities, and placed under the Department of Christian Formation, the once and future Education Department. Records consist of the several component parts of the Youth
Department including the National Newman Apostolate, 1929-1967; the
NFCCS, 1941-1968; the National Council of Catholic Youth (NCCY)/CYO,
1933(1940-1968)1974;
National Catholic Camping Association (NCCA), 1950-1963; and the
International
High School Student Program, 1959-1966. The Newman files contain
correspondence, minutes, reports, membership and financial records of
the National Newman Club Federation, 1929-1967; the National Newman
Chaplain's Association,
1952-1965, the John Henry Cardinal Newman Honor Society, 1934-1965; and
the National Newman Foundation, 1959-1971. NFCCS records include
National
Congress Minutes, 1943-1968, Subject files, 1953-1968, and
publications,
1941-1964. NCCY/CYO records include diocesan affiliation files,
1954-1962,
subject files, 1955-1963, convention records, 1949-1967, and
publications
such as Youth and Program Service,
1941-1975.
NCCA records include subject files, 1950-1962, financial files,
1953-1957,
and publications, 1961-1962. The High School Student records are
confidential
case files, 1959-1966. See also the NCWC/USCC Education Department
for Youth Activities Files, 1958-1973. For questions or comments, please contact: E-mail: archives@mail.lib.cua.edu
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