New York State Board of Charities Correspondence
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Overview of the Records
New York State Archives
New York State Education Department
Cultural Education Center
Albany, NY 12230
26.7 cubic feet
30 microfilm rolls 35mm
Arrangement
Volumes arranged chronologically; unbound files chronologically, then alphabetically within each letter file.
Scope and Content Note
This series consists of disbound volumes and unbound files of incoming and outgoing administrative correspondence.
The correspondence consists of: transmittal letters or cover letters sent with routine institutional reports; these letters often contain statistics on admissions, discharges, and expenditures; responses to inquiries from the board about the number of certain types of patients (e.g. insane persons, epileptics) in each institution; requests for or comments on the board's reports, some from out-of-state institutions; comments on social welfare policy, also often from out-of-state; requests for blank forms; comments on or requests for copies of bill proposals; and comments by the president of the board on legal action to be taken against institutions refusing inspection.
A few volumes contain correspondence dealing mostly with one subject, such as: responses from institutions to the board's request for a census of epileptics in connection with the opening of the Craig Colony for Epileptics (volume 48); responses from institutions to the board's request for a census of insane persons in connection with the establishment of the Binghamton State Asylum for the Chronic Insane (volume 13); arrangements for exhibits by individual institutions at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago (volume 38); and responses to circulars on record keeping and on corporal punishment policy (volume 55).
Incoming correspondence through 1896 was mostly directed to the secretary of the board; most later correspondence was directed to the Inspector of Charities. Private institutions were the most frequent correspondents. Among the individual correspondents represented in this series are: Theodore W. Dwight; Josephine Shaw Lowell; William Rhinelander Stewart; John Gray; Charles Loring Brace; John Ordronaux; Louisa Lee Schuyler; Frank Sanborn; Frederick Wines; Isabel Barrows; Samuel J. Barrows; and Zebulon R. Brockway.
Alternate Formats Available
Microfilm is available for use at the New York State Archives or through interlibrary loan.
Other Finding Aids
Available at Repository
Volumes indexed alphabetically; unbound files not indexed.
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of this material.
Access Terms
Stewart, William Rhinelander, 1852-1929.
Brockway, Z. R. (Zebulon Reed), 1827-1920
Sanborn, F. B. (Franklin Benjamin), 1831-1917.
Brace, Charles Loring, 1826-1890.
Barrows, Samuel J. (Samuel June), 1845-1909.
Lowell, Josephine Shaw, 1843-1905
Dwight, Theodore W. (Theodore William), 1822-1892