Metro United Way Records

This collection contains 67 boxes of records from the Metro United Way of Louisville and related charities and social service organizations dating from 1915 to 1976 and 5 reels of micorfilm. Included are committee and sub-committee minutes of Metro United Way, the Health and Welfare Council, Comunity Chest, and the social service organizations administered by these groups. There are nine boxes of Health and Welfare Council studies and research projects, and several boxes of Metro United Way fundraising materials. Also there are copies of campaign films and publications, and ledgers and scrapbooks compiled by Metro United Way. The collection contains many surveys and studies with detailed information on economic and cultural conditions in Louisville, as well as annual reports and other materials from orphans' houses and children's health service such as the Child Guidance Center. Also included are records from early charities that were later abolished or absorbed by Metro United Way; i.e., the 1910 records of the Babies' Milk Fund and the Visiting Nurses Association. The last seven boxes contain social service records from Floyd County, Indiana. A detailed container list follows however the folders are not in chronological order. When looking for information on a certain service, check the entire list as there may be several different folders in different boxes on the same topic.

The files of Metro United Way of Louisville provide insights into the development of philanthropy and social policy in Louisville throughout the Progressive Era and beyond. Previous organizations merged into the United Way included Louisville Federation of Social Agencies, the Welfare League, the Community Chest, the War Fund, and the United Appeal. The records include correspondence, publications, scrapbooks, historical files, campaign materials, and films from the Louisville office. There is also a small amount of material from the New Albany, Indiana, office. The bulk of the material is minutes from a multitude of committees and boards, with accompanying attachments, plus hundreds of locally generated reports and studies.