WelcomeThe YMCA, founded in London in 1844, is the oldest and largest social institution in the United States, where it has been active since 1851. The Kautz Family YMCA Archives collects the historical records of its national organization, the YMCA of the USA and also holds records of the Minneapolis and Greater New York YMCAs, as well as those of Y's Men International, a service club in partnership with the YMCA. The collections document the evolution of the YMCA from its Protestant evangelical origins, including its contributions to Civil War relief, the invention of basketball and volleyball, public health campaigns in China, rural reconstruction in India and Korea, teaching English as a second language, and much more. |
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Reaching for Gold: The YMCA and the Olympic Movement in China In 1908, a YMCA leader in China posed the question, "When would China host the Olympics?" A century later, in August 2008, the XXIX Olympiad is set to open in Beijing. On display at the Elmer L. Andersen Library Gallery through the end of September, "Reaching for Gold" tells the story of the origins and development of the Olympic dream in the Far East by looking at the YMCA's introduction and promotion of athleticism in China. You can also explore the exhibit online.
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Guide to Resources on YMCA Work in ChinaMaterial documenting the YMCA's extensive work in China is among the most heavily used in the YMCA Archives collections. This work, which began in the late 1890s and continued until the revolution in 1949, spanned over two dozen cities across the country, and is documented by books, hundreds of photographs, and about 50 cubic feet of records including reports, minutes, correspondence, building and financial records, pamphlets, blueprints, and maps. An online guide to China-related resources in the Archives is now available, including links to a database of over 700 digitized photographs, the finding aid for records of YMCA International Work in China, and more.»Go to the Guide to Resources on YMCA Work in China» |
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YMCA Archives is on Facebook If you use Facebook, you can become a "fan" of the YMCA Archives. Check out our Facebook page, and leave us a message on the "wall."
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The Archives are located at the University of Minnesota and are part of the University Libraries' Archives and Special Collections Department.
Address: Elmer L. Andersen Library, 222 21st Avenue South, Suite 318, Minneapolis, MN 55455
Phone: 612.625.3445 Email: ymcaarch@umn.edu
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