The National Council of Catholic Women was established on March 4, 1920, under the guidance of John Burke, as an initiative of the Lay Organizations Department of the National Catholic Welfare Conference (NCWC). Burke wrote a letter to the 114 bishops of the United States, and requested that they each send one to three women diocesan representatives. Nearly two hundred women gathered that first weekend, and officially voted on the constitution and the executive committee.
As the first federation of Catholic women's organizations, the NCCW was able to provide a unified voice for the thousands of independent Catholic women's organizations that existed in the United States, to offer resources for united actions, to ensure official Catholic representation in national movements, and to stimulate the local efforts of the women's organizations.
NCCW has operated under an Executive Director and a Board of Directors, first under the auspices of the NCWC, and then from 1966 until the present as an association within the National Council of Catholic Bishops. From 1920 until 1966, the primary role of the NCCW was to act a spokespeople and volunteers in the Catholic Action Projects. After the Second Vatican Council decree granted them association status, the organization embarked on a renewed course of action, set by the guidelines of the Second Vatican Council to the Church at large, and focusing on contemporary societal issues for Catholic women.
The organization 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.
Throughout the tenure of this organization, a primary focus has been the study and promotion of Catholic principles through a system of national committees which guide their counterparts on the diocesan and parish level. These committees included Home and School Association, Immigration, Social Action, Rural Life, and many others. Working with the groups on a regional and local level, the groups were able to publish a variety of informational kits to help these organizations train participants and get national recognition and help. Through the National Home and School Association, the organization published and distributed materials to educators and members, and supported several publications and newsletters, including the Catholic School Journal, the Catholic High School Quarterly, Crossroads, Docete, and their own NHSS Bulletin. This branch of the organization was also tasked with arranging the Family Life Conventions, and supporting the popular Catholic Hour radio show of the NCCW's fraternal organization, the National Council of Catholic Men.
NCCW was involved with and in several national and international organizations, most dealing with social issues such as poverty, the status of woman, the racial divide, health and education concerns, and Native American life educational programs. Their national and international information Kits were used in convention meetings and study clubs throughout the world. They were instrumental in facilitating the Job Corps and WICS programs in the United States.
Some of their publications include Monthly Message, 1929-1963; WORD, 1964-1971; Catholic Women, 1975-2000; Colloquy, 1988-1993; and Bulletin Board, 1994-1998. They also spearheaded and supported publications from commissions that operated under the guidance of NCCW including; Church Community Commission Newsletter; Community Affairs Commission Newsletter; the International Affairs Commission Newsletter; the Family Affairs Commission Newsletter; and the News of the Hill Newsletter.
The NCCW celebrated their 75th anniversary in 1995 by commissioning Ruth O'Halloran to write a history of the organization, and this work remains the only major source of information on the foundation and expansion of NCCW.
The National Convention took place annually from 1920 until 1942, when the delegates elected to host the event every two years. NCCW continues to hold biennial national conventions, assemblies, and regional training institutes. It provides representation for American Catholic women at national and international meetings concerned with the moral and religious welfare, and produces numerous publications, including the monthly magazine Catholic Woman and various news sheets.
The NCCW records were processed according to the principles of MPLP (More Product, Less Process), which means that while the first four series are organized to the folder level the remaining series need further work to increase access. This is especially true for the ninth series, audiovisual materials.
Series 1: Administrative History (1918-1970) contains records, meeting minutes, and historical documents relating to the foundation and expansion of the organization. These records were pulled from various sources for a history of the organization written for the Golden Jubilee, and are divides into four subseries.
Series 2: Board of Directors and Executive Minutes and Related Materials (1920-1985) is divided into five sub-series. This series contains the minutes from the Board of Director’s Meetings with the files organized first as multi-year volume subseries and then as annual volume subseries. This includes meeting minutes and meeting reports from the Joint Moderator's Meetings and the Joint Meetings of the Board and National Chairman.
Series 3: Convention Proceedings and Related Materials (1920-1996) is divided into six sub-series. This series contains typescripts, research materials and published versions of the NCCW National Convention proceedings. The National Convention took place annually from 1920 until 1942, when it was decided to meet every two years. These files provide an extensive record of the conventions, including speeches, resolutions, meeting minutes, financial reports and election proceedings.
Series 4: Executive Director's Correspondence (1983-1998) contains the office correspondence of Executive Director Annette Kane. The correspondence broadly relates to NCCW history, and the contract for Ruth O'Halloran to write an institutional history for the 75th anniversary celebration. There is also correspondence relating to the organization's stance on abortion and birth control, health care, homosexuality, and donation information.
Series 5: National Home and School Association, National Home and School Service (1948-1966). This series contains correspondence, form letters, pamphlets, bulletins, publicity photographs, inter-office memos, program kits, National Catholic Education Association materials, biographies and photographs of Katherine O'Neill, miscellaneous meeting minutes, invoices, news releases, handbooks, conference speeches, newsletters (Catholic School Journal, Catholic High School Quarterly, Crossroads, Docete, NHSS Bulletin), Family Life Convention agendas, programs, and printed Catholic Hour scripts (the radio program presented by NCCW's counterpart, the National Council of Catholic Men).
Series 6: National Organization Affiliations (1964-1969) is divided into three sub-series. This series contains materials that relate to NCCW's involvement with and in several national organizations, most dealing with social issues such as poverty, the status of woman, the racial divide, and Native American life educational programs.
Series 7: International Organization Affiliations (1919-1984) is divided into seven sub-series. It contains information pertaining to NCCW's involvement with and in international organizations. Materials include invitations, programs, personal correspondence, personal observations, proposal drafts, telegrams, news releases, newspaper clippings, resolution and position papers, paper drafts, and reports outlining education and health concerns in the individual countries under consideration.
Series 8: Publications, Form Letters and Information Kits (1919-2000) is divided into two sub-series. This two-part series contains publications distributed by committees and commissions that seem to be under the umbrella or direct supervision of NCCW offices, as well as notebooks of form letters distributed by NCCW, and copies of Information Kits that were used in convention meetings and study clubs. The first sub-series contains NCCW Publications and Information Kits. The NCCW publications include Monthly Message, 1929-1963; WORD, 1964-1971; Catholic Women, 1975-2000; Colloquy, 1988-1993; and Bulletin Board, 1994-1998. It also includes Form Letters, 1963-1969 and several Handbooks and Information Kits, 1966-1992. The second sub-series contains publications from commissions that operated under the guidance of NCCW including; Church Community Commission Newsletter; Community Affairs Commission Newsletter; the International Affairs Commission Newsletter; the Family Affairs Commission Newsletter; and the News of the Hill Newsletter. The News of the Hill Newsletter documentation includes correspondence regarding its origins as well as research materials used to create working drafts of the newsletter.
Series 9: Audiovisual Materials (c. 1920s-1997) contains photographs, filmstrips, slides and slide positives, lantern slides, cuts, acetate recordings and several audio and video cassettes, generally related to convention presentations/speeches, including Margaret Mealey and Mother Teresa. Most of the cassettes are captioned. Please direct inquiries for this series to the audiovisual archivist at archives@mail.lib.cua.edu
Series 10: Diocesan Affiliate Card Files (c. 1940-1960) contains rolodex-type cards that are bundled by region and diocese. The information available on each card varies, but the listed categories are contact name, address, phone number, number of members, dues, diocese name, etc.
Series 11: Scrapbooks (1925-1971) is a collection of materials from events and promotions bound primarily by subject.
The National Council of Catholic Women Records consists of 11 Series:
Twenty-five years or living persons.
National Catholic School of Social Service (NCSSS) Records
This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.
The collection was acquired in multiple deposits from the years 1972-2001 through donations by the National Council of Catholic Women and the National Catholic Welfare Conference, now known as the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
Processing by William John Shepherd in 1992 and 2011, Suni Johnson in 2000, and Cecilia Cho and Lauren Kanne in 2011. EAD markup completed in 2011 by Cecilia Cho, Lauren Kanne, and W.J. Shepherd. Revised in 2012 by W.J.Shepherd
This series consists of a range of records of historical importance to the foundation and growth of the organization, pulled from various locations in preparation for the NCCW's Golden Jubilee in 1970.
This sub-series contains correspondence relating to the organization of the Golden Jubilee event, as well as research materials, finished scripts, and a program booklet for the event.
This sub-series contains biography files, arranged alphabetically, of notable Catholic women and men that appeared in NCCW printed materials, local newspapers, or that took part in convention proceedings. There are also biographies of religious women and a collection of short thumbnail biographies.
This sub-series contains documents recounting the formation of the NCSSS, the purchase of Clifton and its appraisal before the building was sold and NCSSS was absorbed by Catholic University. Materials include photographs of faculty and students, promotional brochures and class graduation booklets. This material points to the importance of the NCSSS to the NCCW during the early years of the latter's existence.
This series contains the minutes from the Board of Director’s Meetings, with the files organized first as the multi-year volume subseries and then as the annual volume subseries. This includes meeting minutes and meeting reports from the Joint Moderator's Meetings and the Joint Meetings of the Board and National Chairman.
This series contains typescripts, research materials, and published versions of the NCCW National Convention proceedings. The National Convention took place annually from 1920 until 1942 when it was decided to meet every two years. These provide a complete record of the conventions including speeches, resolutions, meeting minutes, financial reports and election proceedings.
This subseries consists of original typescripts and photocopies of the convention proceedings from 1920-1939, published copies of the convention proceedings from 1937-1968, and research and related materials for the convention proceedings from 1942-1993.
This series contains the office correspondence of Executive Director Annette Kane. Broadly the correspondence relates to NCCW history, the contract for Ruth O'Halloran to write an institutional history that was completed for the 75th anniversary. Further, correspondence relates to the organization's stance on abortion and birth control, health care, homosexuality and donation information.
This series contains correspondence, form letters, pamphlets, bulletins, publicity photographs, inter-office memos, program kits, and National Catholic Education Association materials, biographies and photographs of Katherine O'Neill, miscellaneous meeting minutes, invoices, news releases, handbooks, conference speeches, newsletters (Catholic School Journal, Catholic High School Quarterly, Crossroads, Docete, NHSS Bulletin), Family Life Convention agendas, and programs, printed Catholic Hour scripts (the radio program presented by NCCW's counterpart the National Council of Catholic Men).
This series contains materials that relate to NCCW's involvement with and in several national organizations, most dealing with social issues such as poverty, the status of woman, the racial divide, Native American life educational programs.
Most of this sub-series deals with WICS and NCCW involvement in the Job Corps including applicant screening instructions, applications, field assignments and reports, program drafts, handbooks, correspondence, reports, training program agendas and meeting minutes. This also contains the By-laws and Articles of Incorporation for WICS.
This is a small sub-series that includes invitations, published magazine articles on the status of women, bulletins, booklets, position papers, conference proceedings, handwritten notes, fact sheets and photographs. Also includes a copy of the 1970 "Report of the President's Task Force on Women."
This sub-series includes booklets, testimony, meeting minutes, newsletters, member lists, news clippings and community study kits.
This series contains information pertaining to NCCW involvement with and in international organizations. Materials include invitations, programs, personal correspondence, personal observations, proposal drafts, telegrams, news releases, newspaper clippings, resolution and position papers, paper drafts, and reports outlining education and health concerns in the individual countries under consideration.
This sub-series is filed alphabetically by country in Latin and Central America and Mexico. Groupings contain information about missionary involvement, new releases, pamphlets, photographs, speech transcripts, letters of introduction, travel itineraries and notes containing personal observations. The materials relating to Mexico include correspondence from Mary Hawks and Father Burke as well as protests in reaction to the expulsion of priests in the 1920s. These materials include brittle newsletters and news clippings in Spanish.
This subseries consists of Spanish and/or English language publications from Mexico and Buenos Aires, 1960s. This includes Irma Piepho's personal notes from conferences held in Buenos Aires. In addition, this subseries contains conference materials, scripts, and typescripts of the proceedings from the Catholic Inter-American Cooperation Program (CICOP) Conference, 1971. The cassette tape recordings from CICOP are currently located in the Mixed Media Series.
This subseries contains information kits, handbooks, and correspondence from the Women's Ecumenical Liason Group Records. The subseries also holds materials from the Women's Role in Peace Education Conference, 1972
This sub-series contains the field notes and travel diary of Mary Donahoe. Ms. Donahoe traveled throughout Europe visiting military bases and with the aid of on site Chaplains organized the MCCW as an overseas branch of the NCCW.
This subseries contains records from the Catholic Relief Services. This includes progress reports, correspondence, deposit slips, and donation paperwork from the Works of Peace Program, Help a Child Program, and the Madonna Plan Program.
This three-part series contains publications distributed by committees and commissions that seem to be under the umbrella or direct supervision of NCCW offices, as well as notebooks of form letters distributed by NCCW, and copies of Information Kits that were used in convention meetings and study clubs.
This sub-series contains NCCW Publications and Information Kits. The NCCW publications include the News Sheet, 1920-1927; Monthly Message, 1928-1963; WORD, 1964-1971; Catholic Women, 1975-2000; Colloquy, 1988-1993; and Bulletin Board, 1994-1998. It also includes Form Letters, 1963-1969 and several Handbooks and Information Kits, 1966-1992.
This sub-series contains publications from commissions that operated under the guidance of NCCW, including: Church Community Commission Newsletter; Community Affairs Commission Newsletter; the International Affairs Commission Newsletter; the Family Affairs Commission Newsletter; and the News of the Hill Newsletter. The News of the Hill Newsletter documentation includes correspondence regarding its origins, as well as research materials used to create working drafts of the newsletter.
This series contains brittle rolled panoramic photographs recording early events of the NCCW, such as the delegates to the first National Convention, the students and faculty, and the lawns of Clifton. This series also contains filmstrips, slides and slide positives, lantern slides, cuts, acetate recordings, and several audio and video cassettes. Please direct inquiries to the audiovisual archivist at archives@mail.lib.cua.edu
This series contains rolodex-type cards that are bundled by region and diocese. The information available on each card varies but the listed categories are contact name, address, phone number, number of members, dues, diocese name, etc.
Belleville, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Davenport, Des Moines, Detroit, Dubuque, Evans, Fort Wayne, Gary, Grand Rapids, Green Bay, Indiana, Joliet, Lacrosse, Lafayette, Lansing, Madison, Marquette, Milwaukee, Peoria, Rockford, Saginaw, Sioux City, Springfield (IL), Superior, Toledo, and Youngstown
Albany, Alexandria, Amarillo, Atlanta, Baltimore, Baton Rouge, Beaumont, Boston, Bridgeport, Brooklyn, Brownsville, Buffalo, Burlington, Byzantine, Charleston, Cincinnati, Columbus, Covington, Fall River, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Hartford, Jefferson City, Johnston (AL), Lafayette (LA), Louisville, Mobile-Birmingham, Nashville, Natchez, New Orleans, Newark, Norwich, Ogdensburg, Paterson, Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Portland, Providence, Raleigh, Richmond, Rochester, Rockville, Saint August, Saint Louis (MO), San Angelo, Savannah, Scranton, Springfield (MA), Steubenville, Syracuse, Wheeling, Wilmington, Worcester
Austin, Boise, Cheyenne, Corpus Christi, Dallas (Fort Worth), Denver, Dodge City, Duluth, El Paso, Fargo, Galveston-Houston, Grand Island, Great Falls, Helena, Honolulu, Juneau, Kansas City-St. Joseph, Lincoln, Little Rock, Los Angeles, Miami, Monterey-Fresno, New Ulm, Oakland, Oklahoma City-Tulsa, Omaha, Overseas, Portland, Pueblo, Reno, Sacramento, Saint Cloud, Saint Paul, Salina, Salt Lake, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Fe, Santa Rosa, Seattle, Sioux Falls, Spokane, Springfield-Cape Girardeau (MO), Tucson, Washington (DC), Wichita, Winona, and Yakima
This series consists of wrapped packages of scrapbooks. The books contain fragile news clippings from around the nation that pertain to members of NCCW, Diocesan affiliates and affiliations, and convention articles.