Selected historical records of the Big Brothers of America, Inc., were deposited in the Social Welfare History Archives by Thomas O'Brien, Executive Director, in August, 1966. Archives staff processed 3.75 linear feet of papers in 1967 and 1968. An additional shipment of records was received in 1973 and 1975.
Open for use in Social Welfare History Archives reading room.
Please contact the Archivist for copyright information.
Unpublished inventory available. Please contact Archives for more information.
Publications from the Big Brothers of America and local Big Brother agencies are filed in the Social Welfare History Archives pamphlet collection.
The Big Brother movement began in 1904 at the suggestion of Ernest K. Coulter, clerk of the Children's Court in New York City. Approximately forty members of the Men's Club of the Central Presbyterian Church of New York City each agreed to take a personal interest in one boy who had been brought into the Children's Court. As the program continued to expand, the need arose for more volunteers and for a central headquarters to which boys could be systematically referred. On October 1, 1909, the New York organization incorporated and formally adopted the name "Big Brother Movement." The project also expanded to other religious groups. The Jewish Big Brothers of New York was organized in 1907 and the Catholic Big Brothers of New York was established in 1918.
The success of the Big Brother idea led to the formation of other Big Brother organizations throughout the United States and Canada. Some were affiliated with Catholic, Jewish, or Protestant groups and others were non-sectarian. By 1917, forty Big Brother groups had been incorporated. In the same year, an International Advisory Council was formed at the first annual conference of the Big Brother and Big Sister societies. The Council subsequently established the Big Brother and Big Sister Federation. The Federation adopted the following goals: preventing delinquency through personal, individual, and intensive effort; founding Big Brother and Big Sister agencies in the United States and internationally; dispersing information and advice to existing groups; publishing "theses and education papers" related to the field of Big Brother and Big Sister work; and sponsoring conferences, training courses, and seminars. The Federation dissolved in January, 1937. Because no formal national office for the Big Brother movement existed from 1937 through 1946, inquiries sent to the Federation were normally routed to the office of the Big Brother Movement of Greater New York, of which Joseph McCoy was the general secretary.
In 1940, a National Study and Planning Committee, which was chaired by Kenneth Rogers of Toronto and Joseph McCoy of New York, surveyed Big Brother and Big Sister agencies to collect information about the existing organizations. The committee also planned the structure and functions of a proposed national organization. In the fall of 1945, the Temporary National Big Brother Committee was formed. Joseph McCoy, Kenneth Rogers, Charles Berwind (Philadelphia) and George Casey (Philadelphia) were leaders in the promotion of a national Big Brother organization. The committee decided to conduct a study of fifteen Big Brother agencies in the United States and Canada to determine the extent, techniques, and results of Big Brother services in various cities and to assess interest in a permanent national committee or organization of Big Brother groups. In 1946, the Big Brother Association of Philadelphia hosted a conference at Camp Wyomissing at which the study report presented. Big Brothers of America was incorporated on December 24, 1946, and its office opened in Philadelphia in February, 1947. Charles Berwind was elected president. Initial financing was provided through membership dues of the local Big Brother agencies and by gifts made through Charles Berwind and G. Ruhland Rebmann Jr., who were both active in the Philadelphia Big Brother Association.
The national Big Brother organization established a council of delegates comprising two representatives from each of the local Big Brother groups. At the annual meetings, the council of delegates elected the board of directors, which consisted of not less than thirty and not more than one hundred members who had been selected by the nominating committee, the president, or member agencies. In practice, Big Brothers of America, Inc., tried to have each local group nominate one of its non-professional members or officers to the national board of directors. The board also included directors-at-large or honorary directors who were prominent in business, finance, and social circles. It was hoped that their national influence would publicize Big Brother work. A few of these honorary directors were Thomas C. Clark, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court; Stuart Garson, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada; Luther W. Youngdahl, Governor of Minnesota and United States District Court Judge; Thomas C. Hennings, Jr., United States Senator from Missouri; and Kenneth Johnson, Dean of the New York School of Social Work.
At the 1949 annual meeting, the council of delegates authorized the board of directors to elect an executive committee to meet when the board was not in session. The executive committee was given all the powers of the board, except the right to amend the constitution and bylaws. In 1950, Charles Berwind appointed a technical planning committee, which was chaired by Joseph McCoy. The committee was charged to: develop a questionnaire to be circulated to various member organizations in order to suggest improvements; devise suitable statistical report forms for use by the Big Brothers of America, Inc. and local agencies; study record forms in use by local Big Brother organizations and develop a standard set of forms; and to prepare a manual of procedures for the formation of new Big Brother organizations.
The administration of the Big Brothers of America, Inc., which was incorporated by an Act of Congress in 1958, remained basically the same though the 1960s. However, the increase in the number of Big Brother agencies by the late 1950s made the national board too large and resulted in a regional demarcation in the election of members to the board of directors. The United States and Canada were divided into seven regions, and the election of the members of the board of directors was done proportionally by the number of member agencies (corporate members) in a region. According to the Big Brother Bulletin, Vol. XVII, No. 2, Summer, 1967, the national Big Brother organization comprised 113 member agencies in the United States and Canada. By 1971, there were 208 local organizations. The Big Brothers of America, Inc. promoted Big Brother work through Big Brother Weeks; by assisting and guiding in the formation of new Big Brother groups; and by helping existing Big Brother agencies to maintain acceptable standards of service and work.
Additional information is available on the Big Brothers Big Sisters
The Big Brothers of America records document the promotion of the BBA program, recruiting and training of volunteer workers, and service standards. Although the records date from 1912 to 1970, the bulk of the material dates from 1946 to 1959. The records contain an incomplete set of minutes and papers of the board of directors from 1949 to 1963; the council of delegates from 1949 to 1954; and the executive committee from 1952 to 1970. Other records include: correspondence, reports and speeches from annual meetings between 1932 and 1956; correspondence on requests for information, establishing Big Brother organizations, and juvenile delinquency; a small amount of financial records; and annual reports dating from 1954 to 1968. The records also document studies and special projects. These include: questionnaires and related records from studies undertaken in 1940, 1946, and 1950; material for Big Brother Weeks from 1950 through 1953; and records of the Technical Planning Committee dating from 1947 to 1958.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the University of Minnesota Libraries. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
Financing the work of the national organization, relationships with Community Chests, establishment of an Executive Committee, hiring Felix Gentile as executive director, duties of the executive director, and notification of men of their election to Board of Directors. There is no material for 1950. Charles Berwind is prominent in the folder.
Financing the national organization, notification to members of the Board of Directors of their election to the board, lists of members of the boards of directors for 1956-1957. Charles Berwind is prominently represented in the folder.
Lists of national and local boards of directors of Big Brother groups. Arranged alphabetically by state and province.
Formation of national organization, financing national office, and hiring Felix Gentile as executive director. G. Ruhland Rebmann and Benjamin Hedges are prominently represented in the folder.
Financing the national organization, planning for Big Brother Week, work of the national office, public relations, and formation of local Big Brother agencies.
Financing the national organization, Big Brother Week, relationship of Big Brother groups to communities, and work of the national office. Felix Gentile is prominently represented in the folder.
Formation of an Executive Committee, appointment of area directors, Technical Planning Committee and 1950 Survey of local Big Brother groups, publicity for Big Brother Week, educational scholarships for Little Brothers, financing the national organization, relationships with Community Chests, formation of local Big Brother organizations, and hiring an executive director. Charles Berwind and Joseph McCoy are prominently represented in the folder.
Reports of the president and executive director. Arrangements by the Technical Planning Committee for regional conferences, financing the national organization, formation of local Big Brother organizations, work of the national office, standards in Big Brother work, and publicity for Big Brother work. Felix Gentile and Charles Berwind are prominently represented in the folder.
Executive committee and general committee meetings
Standards of membership in the Federation. Rowland Sheldon and George Casey are prominent correspondents.
Recruitment of volunteers, qualities of successful Big Brothers discussed. Speeches include: "Melvin’s Big Brother" by Milton Goldberg; "Training the Volunteer in Casework with Boys" by Donald S. Leaf; "Training the Volunteer for Work with Boys" by Reg D. Stott; and "Big Brothers Are Not Born" by Nochem Winnett.
Correspondence re arrangements for annual meeting. George Grossman, Benjamin Hedges, and Charles Berwind are prominent correspondents.
Reports of the President, Charles Berwind, and Executive Vice President, Benjamin Hedges. Finances, work of the national office, relationship of Big Brother work to professional social work agencies, public relations, and extension of Big Brother work.
Letters inviting local Big Brothers and other persons interested Big Brother work to attend the annual meeting.
Nominations to the Board of Directors and designation by local agencies of their representatives to the Council of Delegates.
Topics include: interaction between Big Brothers and Little Brothers, relationship between professional and volunteer workers, recruitment of Big Brothers with the ideal characteristics, relationship of Big Brother groups to social work agencies. Includes a report of the meeting of the Technical Planning Committee. Documents from Workshop Forums include: "What Constitutes Good Intake Policy in a Big Brother Agency?" by John E. Teger; "Screening of Big Brothers" by W. E. Richardson; "Psychiatric Service in Big Brother Work" by Juergen de Riel; "Psychiatric Service in Big Brother Work" by Robert G. Hinckley; "Supplementary Services—Do They Help the Big Brother With the Boy?" by Noah Pitcher; and "Public Relations—Coordination of National and Local Interpretation Programs" by George Grossman. Speeches include: "Youth Conservation Through Big Brother Work" by A. Whittier Day; "Big Brothers Make Good Citizens" by Kenneth D. Johnson; and "Our National Organization" by Joseph McCoy.
Correspondence re arrangements for annual meeting and letter of condolence to Mrs. Eduard Lindeman after the death of her husband.
Invitations to local Big Brothers and other persons interested in Big Brother work to attend annual
Nominations to the Board of Directors and designation by local agencies of their representatives to the Council of Delegates.
Topics include: selection of volunteers, relationship of professional and volunteer workers, ending Big Brother-Little Brother relationship, characteristics of good Big Brothers, and training of Big Brothers. Speeches include "The Urgency of Citizen Participation," by Eduard C. Lindeman. Group discussion workshops include: "Evaluation of the Use of Volunteers in Casework Setting" by Thomas Cairns; "The Boy with Problems" by Joshua Epstein; "Selection of the Man" by Noah Pitcher; and "Preparation of the Man" by Juergen de Riel. Includes a report of the proceedings of the Technical Planning Committee
Correspondence re arrangements for the annual meeting. Felix Gentile is a prominent correspondent.
Address by Charles Berwind; report of the Executive Director, Felix Gentile; report of the Technical Planning Committee; and report of the Committee on Evaluation of Minimum Standards. Group Discussions include: "Camp Operations" by Mac Ramsey; "Maintaining Agency Records" by Juergen de Riel; "Evaluation of Plans for Local Agency Expansion During the Next Five Years" by Milton L. Goldberg; "Survey Method as a Device for Evaluating and Improving Programs" by Eric Hirschfeld; "Interpretation of Program to the Community" by W. E. Richardson; "Recruiting and Orientation of Big Brothers" by Leonard Metz; and "What New Directions are Indicated" by John E. Mangrum. Speeches include "Red Buttons" by Louise A. Child and "Who Cares" by Martha M. Eliot, M.D., Chief of the United States Children's Bureau.
Correspondence inviting local Big Brothers and other persons interested in Big Brother work to attend the annual meeting.
Nominations to the Board of Directors and designation by local agencies of their representatives to the Council of Delegates.
Correspondence re arrangements for annual meeting. Felix Gentile is prominently represented in the folder.
Reports by Charles Berwind and Felix Gentile. Discussion groups and leaders include: "What Distinguishes Big Brother Work from other Community Welfare Services?" by Milton L. Goldberg; "How Much Information Do You Require Before Accepting a Man as a Big Brother?" by Paul Wilson; "How Active Are You in Getting Little Brothers from Schools, Courts, Churches, Social Agencies, Guardians, and Other Sources...How Active Are You in Getting Big Brothers Throughout Your Community?" by W. E. Richardson; "What Orientation Do You Give the Big Brother to Prepare Him for his Assignment?" by Joseph McCoy; "What Specific Activities Do You Engage in to Make Your Community Increasingly Conscious of the Value of Big Brother Work?" by Joseph Ryder; and "How Do You Evaluate the Effectiveness of Big Brother Work in Your Community?" by Thomas Cairns. Also includes a speech by Albert Deutsch: "Some New Looks at Juvenile Delinquency."
Invitations to local Big Brothers and other persons interested in Big Brother work to attend the annual meeting.
Nominations to the Board of Directors and designation by local agencies of their representatives to the Council of Delegates.
Items for inclusion in the president’s report and resources for discussion leaders. Topics include the philosophy of Big Brother work, work of the national Big Brother organization, and promotion of Big Brother work.
Reports by Charles Berwind and Felix Gentile. Discussion groups and leaders include "What Do You Expect of the National and What Are the Responsibilities of Affiliates?" by national personnel, Felix Gentile and Margaret M. Hanley, and local personnel, Joseph McCoy and Milton Goldberg; and "Big Brother Case Clinic" and "I Am a Big Brother." Includes speech, "The Therapy of Friendship," by William C. Menninger, M.D. Other topics include the recruitment and training of Big Brothers and duties of national Big Brother executives.
Planning and background materials
The file contains a photograph of conference attendees at the White House circa 1921-1923.
Correspondence from persons wanting information on Big Brother movement for setting up local Big Brother groups. Effect of World War II on Big Brother work, need for a centralized Big Brother national office, philosophy of Big Brother work, prerequisites for setting up local Big Brother groups, and Big Brother work with African American youth. Joseph McCoy and Charles Berwind are prominently represented.
Routine correspondence re requests for information on Big Brother work. Philosophy and purposes of Big Brother work. Joseph McCoy, Gilbert Gendall, and Donald Jenks are prominent correspondents.
Routine correspondence re requests for information on Big Brother work. Joseph McCoy is a prominent correspondent.
Routine correspondence re requests for information on Big Brother work. Philosophy and promotion of Big Brother movement, duties of national office, procedures in New York Big Brother organization, steps in setting up local Big Brother agencies. Joseph McCoy is a prominent correspondent.
Routine correspondence re requests for information on Big Brother work. Philosophy of Big Brother work, procedures in New York Big Brother organization, matching Big Brothers and Little Brothers, and steps to take in organizing local Big Brother agencies. Joseph McCoy is a prominent correspondent.
Topics include, the philosophy of Big Brother work, summer camps, juvenile delinquency and procedures and services in Big Brother work. Also, volunteer workers in the Bureau of Rehabilitation and National Training School for Boys. The Bureau was set up in 1930 to aid in the rehabilitation of men and women placed in correctional institutions in and around Washington, D. C. Also includes a speech by James V. Bennett (Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons) before the Big Brother League on the value of Big Brother work: "Big Brother Goes to Bat." Joseph McCoy, Gilbert Gendall, and Donald Jenks are prominently represented.
Routine correspondence. Philosophy and procedures in Big Brother and Big Sister work. Joseph McCoy, Gilbert Gendall, and Donald Jenks are prominent correspondents.
Routine correspondence. Philosophy and procedures in Big Brother work, need for a Big Brother agency in Atlanta, juvenile delinquency, motivation for volunteer work, publicizing Big Brother work, and Big Brother work with African American youth. Joseph McCoy and Donald Jenks are prominently represented.
Routine correspondence. Work of the national office and Big Brother work in Waukegan, Illinois. Joseph McCoy, Gilbert Gendall, and Donald Jenks are prominent correspondents.
The Chicago Big Brother Association was administered by the United Charities of Chicago. Topics include: the Temporary National Big Brother Committee, a study of Big Brother organizations to determine the need for a national office, ending Big Brother work and attempts reestablish it. Gilbert Gendall, Donald Jenks, and Mrs. Frances Higgins (administrative assistant of the United Charities of Chicago) are prominent correspondents.
Routine correspondence. Topics include the philosophy and procedures in Big Brother work. Donald Jenks is a prominent correspondent.
Routine correspondence and correspondence re an individual
case.
Routine correspondence and correspondence re an individual
case.
Routine correspondence. Topics include the philosophy and procedures in Big Brother work and Big Brother-sponsored summer camps for Little Brothers. Joseph McCoy and Donald Jenks are prominent correspondents.
Correspondence with W. C. Ayer of the St. Louis Button Company re prevention of juvenile delinquency and promotion of Big Brother work. Donald Jenks, Felix Gentile, and George Grossman are prominent correspondents.
Routine correspondence. Formation of local Big Brother organizations. Joseph McCoy, Gilbert Gendall, and Donald Jenks are prominent correspondents.
Routine correspondence. Philosophy and procedures in Big Brother work, publicizing Big Brother work, and formation of local Big Brother agencies. Joseph McCoy and Donald Jenks are prominent correspondents.
Routine correspondence and correspondence re an individual
case.
Routine correspondence. Philosophy and procedures of Big Brother work, history of juvenile delinquency, formation of local Big Brother agencies, and recruitment and characteristics of men who make successful Big Brothers. Joseph McCoy, Gilbert Gendall, Donald Jenks, and George Grossman are prominent correspondents.
Routine correspondence. Philosophy and procedures in Big Brother work, clubs for Little Brothers, and formation of local Big Brother agencies. Joseph McCoy, Gilbert Gendall, and Donald Jenks are prominent correspondents.
Routine correspondence. Formation of local Big Brother agencies. Joseph McCoy, Gilbert Gendall, Donald Jenks, and Charles Berwind are prominent correspondents.
Routine correspondence and correspondence re an individual
case.
The National Study and Planning Committee, chaired by Kenneth Rogers and Joseph McCoy, surveyed local organizations to collect information about the nature of existing organizations and to plan for the structure and function of a national office to replace the Big Brother and Big Sister Federation, Inc. Topics include: volunteer workers, recruitment, the philosophy of Big Brother work, and the need for and functions of a national Big Brother organization - - either with or without Big Sisters.
Purposes and methods of the study.
Arranged alphabetically by state or province and city.
Chicago, Illinois Jewish Big Sisters; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Interdenominational Mission
The study was undertaken by the Temporary National Big Brother Committee in the fall of 1945- fifteen Big Brother agencies in the United States and Canada were surveyed to determine the extent, techniques, and results of Big Brother services and to learn if there was a desire for a permanent national committee or organization of Big Brother groups. Robert Wynn compiled a report on the study's findings.
In 1950, a Technical Planning Committee chaired by Joseph McCoy of the New York Big Brother Movement was set up to make a study of member organizations of the Big Brothers of America. In addition to studying the practices and structures of the local Big Brother agencies, the committee studied forms in use by each organization, hoping to develop a standard set of forms which might be adopted for use by all local Big Brother groups. The summary was prepared by Thomas Cairns. Arranged alphabetically by state, province, city, and organization.
.
Analysis of forms sent by local organizations and miscellaneous other forms collected for the project. General referral, school, health, and camp forms.
2 folders
Correspondence, newsletters, financial records, PR
"Information Regarding Agency Evaluation"
Arrangements for Big Brother Week, 1950, which was set up to publicize Big Brother work on a national level as a prelude to a recruitment and fund-raising campaign. Correspondence, newspaper clippings, news releases, pictures, and radio scripts. Thomas C. Clark, Associate Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court, received the Big Brother of the Year award.
Includes radio script and photograph of Norman Rockwell creating an illustration for national Big Brother publicity.
News releases and newspaper kit.
Radio and television kit for Big Brother Week, 1953.
Radio and television kits and other PR material.
Proposed budget for national organization; Manual of the National Budget Committee; Report on the Big Brothers of America, Inc., by the National Quota Committee and National Budget Committee; and approval of request for funds from the Chest and United Fund Areas for 1958.
24 folders containing records on the "Goettler" development campaign. Records relate to proposals, steering committee, area chairman, and meetings.
Development campaign
"Era of Growth" and Goettler campaigns: promotional, financial, and administrative materials.
Series 7 appears to be a portion of a set of alphabetical files containing topics filed under "A" through "F." The remainder of the files do not appear to have been shipped to the Archives.
5 folders
Records dealing with a $3.5 million development program.
Series 8 contains records relating to projects to promote Big Brother work and includes a small set of BBA publications. Other publicity records and publications are also filed throughout the Big Brothers of America records and in the Social Welfare History Archives pamphlet collection.
Correspondence and stories from member agencies.
Cooperative publicity program