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Kalamazoo Society for Crippled Children and Adults Collection

 Collection
Identifier: RH-A-3530

Scope and Contents

Documents regarding the internal affairs of the Kalamazoo Society for Crippled Children and Adults, including audits, by-laws, and detailed notes from meetings. Material from other sources include photocopies of newspaper clippings; photographs and a detailed history of the society.

Dates

  • Creation: 1930s-1980s

Creator

Biographical / Historical

The Kalamazoo Society for Crippled Children was created by the Kalamazoo Rotary Club in 1924 under the original name of the “Crippled Children’s Committee.” Its creation stemmed out of a recognized need in the Kalamazoo community for physicians specializing in children’s disabilities. To counter this need, the Crippled Children’s Committee began hosting clinics staffed by guest physicians. Being recognized as extremely relevant in the community, it was decided that the Committee could operate as an entity separate from the Rotary Club. No longer affiliated with the Rotary Club, the Committee recruited Easter Seals, an organization dedicated to helping people with disabilities, as a sponsor, and changed its name to the “Kalamazoo Society for Crippled Children.” The “and Adults” would come later.

In addition to providing the original clinics, the Kalamazoo Society for Crippled Children and Adults (KSCCA) ran special school programs for children, which included Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and academics. These programs were housed at Western Michigan University. Later, the KSCCA was absorbed by Kalamazoo Public Schools. This transition allowed the KSCCA to expand the scope of its operations.

Stability for the KSCCA ended when the organization’s newly acquired housing, located on 301 W. Cedar St., proved a great financial strain. Advised to do so for legal reasons in 1974, The KSCCA dissolved its relationship with Easter Seals, and reorganized as independent. The KSCCA was still in operation at the time of publication of the history included within the collection. According to the history, the KSCCA relocated from Cedar St. to Stadium Drive.

For more information regarding the Kalamazoo Society for Crippled Children and Adults, direct attention towards the donors file and folder within collection designated “History.”

Extent

1 boxes : The collection amounts to .5 cubic feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The collection is composed of documents and photographs dealing both with the internal operations and external works of the Kalamazoo Society for Crippled Children and Adults. The materials contained within date from the 1930s to the 1980s.

Physical Description

The collection amounts to .5 cubic feet. Contained within the collection are documents regarding the internal affairs of the Society. These include audits, bylaws, and detailed notes from each meeting. Concerning the Society’s external actions, the collection holds photocopies of newspaper clippings describing various facets of the Society, from outstanding members to community events. Also included are photographs of varying size related to the news stories. The collection also includes a detailed history of the Society. All materials within the collection appear to be in very good condition.

Title
Kalamazoo Society for Crippled Children and Adults Collection Finding Aid
Status
Completed
Author
Christopher Miller
Date
2012-04-06
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the Western Michigan University Archives & Regional History Collections Repository

Contact:
Charles C. and Lynn L. Zhang Legacy Collections Center
1650 Oakland Drive
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5307 US
(269) 387-8490