Women's History Resource Guide (RG 21 - RG 23)

General Index to Women's Resources at the PA State Archives

Also see RG and MG Subject Indexes for more information

Record Group 21
Records of Proprietary Government
Digitized

Under the First Frame of Government drawn up by William Penn in 1682, the Provincial Council was to consist of seventy-two popularly elected members with the Governor presiding over the body and also having three votes. The Council was to govern in the absence of the Governor, appoint judges, create courts of justice, regulate trade with the Indians, and issue municipal regulations. The Council could also call and dismiss the Assembly at will and held the exclusive right to initiate legislation. The Assembly, on the other hand, possessed the right to approve or reject bills passed by the Provincial Council and to propose amendments. The Council was also to serve as the highest court of the Province.

Numerous objections were raised to the implementation of the First Frame of Government and these were addressed in the Second Frame of Government, adopted in April, 1683. Under the Second Frame, the Provincial Council consisted of three members from each county with the total membership not being allowed to exceed seventy-two or fall below eighteen. The triple vote of the Governor provided for in the First Frame was abolished but he was now given veto power. The Governor could perform no public act "except in the presence of the Council," and the Council retained control over the Assembly and legislation as stipulated in the First Frame of Government. When William Penn returned to England in 1684, he turned the government over to the Provincial Council and its president, Thomas Lloyd. William Penn subsequently grew dissatisfied with the performance of the Council and stripped it of its executive powers. In December 1686, he appointed a five-man commission. Dissatisfied once more, Penn heeded the advice of Thomas Lloyd and appointed John Blackwell Deputy Governor in July 1688. When Blackwell was removed two years later, the government returned to the hands of Provincial Council President Thomas Lloyd. Lloyd was appointed Deputy Governor of the Province in 1691. Benjamin Fletcher replaced Lloyd in April, 1693 after Penn lost the government of the colony. During Fletcher's tenure, the Council became an appointed rather than an elected body. Once he resumed authority in 1694, William Penn appointed William Markham as his Deputy Governor.

Markham found himself at odds with both the Council and the Assembly. Consequentially, Markham acted without the Council for an entire year. When Markham finally recalled the Council in September 1696, he decided to recognize the body as appointed rather than elected. Markham needed money for defense, but the Assembly denied the Deputy Governor. Markham eventually granted greater powers to the Assembly in exchange for their cooperation in what came to be known as " Markham's Frame of Government." This frame took away some of the Council's powers, giving both the Council and Assembly the right to propose legislation. Both houses needed to consent in order for legislation to pass. Although the Governor in Council could still call the Assembly at any time, the right of adjournment passed to the Assembly.

On October 28, 1701 William Penn's new Charter of Privileges was adopted. It remained until the overthrow of the proprietary government in 1776. The Charter of Privileges contained no reference to the Council as a legislative body and, therefore, the Council was excluded by implication from the legislative process. Membership was appointive and tenure was at the Proprietor's pleasure. Consequently, the best known and most conservative inhabitants of the Province and of devoted friends of the Proprietor comprised the Council. In the Governor's absence, the Council could exercise all of his powers except those relating to legislation. Advice and consent of the Council was still necessary for the Governor to act on matters of government, but this restriction was no longer in force after 1763.

All of the Provincial Council records in the custody of the State Archives were microfilmed under the sponsorship of the National Historical Publications Commission and may be located by consulting the Guide to the Microfilm of the Records of the Provincial Council, 1682-1776, in the Pennsylvania State Archives by Donald H. Kent and Martha L. Simonetti (Harrisburg: 1966). Index information cards for each document that were filmed at the time give the title and description of the item, the endorsement of the Council, if any, and the place or places where the record has been published. For related types of materials on the Provincial Council see also the Logan Papers (Manuscript Group 379), Richard Peters Papers (Manuscript Group 498), Shippen Family Papers (Manuscript Group 595), Penn Manuscripts (Manuscript Group 485), Miscellaneous Collection (Manuscript 425), and Provincial Council Papers (Manuscript Group 1040) at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania located at 1300 Locust Street in Philadelphia. Rough minutes of the Provincial Council for the period May 15, 1693 to August 13, 1717 will be found in the collections of the American Philosophical Society and these were microfilmed as part of the Library of Congress and the University of North Carolina joint State Microfilm Records Project that was completed in 1950. Israel D. Rupp, writing under the pen name of "A Gentleman of the Bar," published a book entitled Early History of Western Pennsylvania in 1849 that contains an appendix relating to Indian affairs in the Provincial period. This appendix contains transcripts of instructions of the Governor and Council to the delegates attending Indian conferences, journals containing minutes of conferences, messages from the Governor and Council to the Indians, and peace treaties.

• Commissioners of Indian Trade Accounts, 1758-1766. {Series #21.2}
  • Grouped by fort or town and arranged thereunder chronologically by date of entry. Indian trade accounts kept by Treasurer John Reynolds for the Commissioners of Indian Trade. Information provided in the cash summary tables is date of entry, location of trade, and amount. Information provided on individual trader accounts is date of entry, name of trader or merchant, amount on interest, and amount to Province of Pennsylvania. Trader and merchant names include Mary Coates, Margaret Coates, Mildred Roberts, Joseph Richardson, William Fisher, Rachel Pemberton, Mary Sorrell. Mary Taggart, Beulah Paschal, Elizabeth Paschal, Sarah Hasell, Thomasina Hasell, Hannah Growden, Margarett Hyatt, Ann Ohill, Mary Richardson, Elizabeth Griffitts, Elizabeth Warner, Anna Warner, Hannah Allen, Barbara Gheer, Mildred Roberts,
• Minutes of the Provincial Council, 1682-1775. Digitized Rolls 570-595 {Series #21.8}
  • Minutes of the proceedings of the Provincial Council of Pennsylvania covering the period from March 10, 1682/3 to December 9, 1775. It is believed that the earliest records and minutes of the Provincial Council were kept on loose sheets of paper and only later recorded in books as evidenced by the frequent long intervals of dates and blank spaces left for documents. The published minutes are indexed externally, alphabetically by name and subject in General Index to the Colonial Records of Pennsylvania in 16 Volumes and the Pennsylvania Archives in 12 Volumes prepared and arranged by Samuel Hazard (Philadelphia: 1860). In the forth volume of the collection, Native American men are described as "women". This illustrates the influence of Anglo American gender roles amongst the American Indians of the period.
• Miscellaneous Papers, 1664-1775. {Series #21.9}
  • Miscellaneous correspondence, agreements, proclamations, land grants, deeds, receipts, memoranda, depositions, assignments, warrants, surveys, returns of survey, patents, wills, minutes, ledgers, lists and reports. Information provided varies with type of document. Subjects touched upon include the agreement between the English and the Dutch at New York in 1664, Quit Rent Act of 1705/6, the Pennsylvania-Maryland boundary dispute, the Militia Bill, Indian treaties, the French and Indian War, and Connecticut claims. Includes cases and testimonies of women.

Record Group 22
Records of the Department of Education
Partially Digitized

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction was established under the Constitution of 1874. It replaced the Office of Superintendent of Common Schools, which had been created in 1857 to assume the duties relating to the administration of public schools originally lodged with the Secretary of the Commonwealth by the Free School Act of 1834. By 1876, the officials working under the Superintendent were commonly known as the Department of Public Instruction. The powers and duties of this Department greatly increased in 1923 when the State Library and Museum, the State Board of Censors, the Public School Employees' Retirement Board, the Pennsylvania Historical Commission, and the various State professional examining boards were made administrative units of Public Instruction.

In keeping with its responsibility for the administration the State's educational policies, the Department of Public Instruction supervised the public school system, distributed State subsidies to school districts, administered teachers' colleges and vocational-education programs, issued licenses for certain professions, and operated the State Library. Several administrative units were eventually separated from the Department. In 1945, the Historical Commission, the Museum and the State Archives were merged to form an independent agency, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. The State Board of Censors was abolished in 1956 once the act creating it was declared unconstitutional by the State Supreme Court. In 1963, the professional examining boards transferred to the jurisdiction of the Department of State. In 1969, the name of the Department of Public Instruction changed to the Department of Education.

• Annual Reports of Private Secondary Schools, 1971-1972. {Series #22.8}
  • Annual reports relating to pupils, subjects, general data, and enrollment for private secondary schools, filed with the Department of Education for the period 1971-1972. Information furnished includes name of the school, county, address, signature of administrator and date, date received by the Bureau of Statistics, number of days in the school year, length of school day in hours, number of class periods in average school day, length of average class period in minutes, number of teachers, enrollment by subject and grade, distribution of twelfth-grade graduates by age, number of graduates who applied for admission to a degree granting institution by gender, and a chart showing distribution of total graduates by post-high school activity.
• Annual Reports of Public Secondary Schools, 1971-1972. {Series # 22.10}
  • Information furnished for each school includes name of the administrative unit, county, name of school or intermediate unit, address, name and signature of principal with telephone number, signature of administrator and date, date received by the Division of Statistics, opening and closing date of school year for teachers and pupils, number of days in school, length of school day in hours, number of class periods in average school day, length of average class period in minutes, number of graduates who applied for admission to a degree granting institution by gender, and a chart showing distribution of total graduates by post-high school activity. Categories for post-high school activities include various types of post-secondary institutions and programs, as well as types of occupations, all broken down by race and sex.
• Higher Education General Information Surveys on College Enrollments, 1960-1971. {Series #22.11}
  • Information furnished by each institution includes name of the institution, signature of administrator and date, and date received by the Bureau of Statistics. Reports filed from 1960 to 1968 include full-time and part-time enrollments, and freshmen full-time student enrollments broken down by gender. Reports filed from 1969 to 1971 include full-time and part-time enrollments and credit hours registered, broken down by gender for undergraduates, graduate students, non-degree students, and first-time freshmen.
• Reports of Degrees and Other Formal Awards Conferred, 1962-1965, 1968-1972. {Series #22.14}
  • Annual reports submitted by each institution of higher education relating to degrees, certificates, and diplomas conferred. The reports for 1962 to 1965 are broken down into two categories: Associate's Degrees, Certificates and Diplomas, and Bachelor's and Higher Degrees. Information furnished includes name and location of the institution, name of administrator and date, and date received by the Bureau of Statistics, and type and number of degrees conferred, by gender, for each program. The reports for 1968 to 1972 are broken down by type of institution. Information furnished includes name and location of the institution, name of administrator and date, and reporting date, type and number of degrees conferred, by gender, for each field of study.
• Directories and Reports of the Vocational Education Management Information System, 1970-1979. {Series #22.15}
  • Reference directories to secondary and post-secondary schools in Pennsylvania that offered Vocational Education programs and reports providing analysis of such programs. The directories specify the types of programs offered, course offerings, total enrollment, and enrollment by grade level at each school, by region, county, and school district. The reports provide a descriptive analysis of Vocational Education programs by providing data that includes total enrollment, enrollment broken down by race, gender and grade, course offerings, program duration, and cooperative opportunities.
• Administrative Correspondence, 1972-1978.{Series #22.16}
  • Correspondence of the Commissioner of Higher Education who headed the Office of Higher Education. File headings include correspondence to presidents of state colleges and universities, 1972-77; Gladys S. Hardy, 1976-1977; Lincoln University Special File, 1977-1978; Edward C. McGuire, 1977; Violet R. Smith, 1977; hearing transcripts re: Violet R. Smith, 1977; trust fund, 1974-1977; and Harold C. Wisor, 1977.
• Committee Studies, 1969-1976. {Series #22.17}
  • Series contains minutes, studies, reports, and conference records of special committees within the Office of Commissioner of Higher Education. Subjects include campus unrest; coordinators of Higher Education Eastern Seaboard Enclave; classification and compensation study; degree programs; employee performance and development guide; Master Plan For Higher Education; institutional master plan; and Task Force on Two-year Post-Secondary Education in Pennsylvania. This series includes information on early women in higher education.
• Minutes of the Board of Normal School Principals, 1920-1931.{Series #22.18}
  • A record of meetings of the Board of Normal School Principals. A typical agenda includes the date, time and location of the meeting and a list of those members attending the meeting. Topics discussed include admission requirements, committee appointments, committee reports; course of study, curricula, finances, length of school year, redistricting, summer school sessions, and school vacation dates. As normal schools had high female attendance rates, this collection includes information on women in higher education.
• Minutes of the Board of Presidents of State Teachers' Colleges, 1931-1977. {Series #22.19}
  • A record of meetings of the Board of Presidents of State Teachers Colleges. A typical agenda includes the date, time and location of the meeting and a list of those members attending the meeting. Topics discussed include athletics, committee appointments, budget, committee reports, curriculum, enrollment, faculty, fees, finances, salaries, school year calendar, and standards. Includes information on women in higher education.
• Minutes of the Board of State College and University Directors, 1971-1975. {Series #22.20}
  • A record of meetings of the Board of State College and University Directors. A typical agenda includes the date, time and location of the meeting and a list of those members attending the meeting. Topics discussed include budgets, capitol projects, committee appointments, committee reports, faculty, fees, legislation, programs, purchasing, residency requirements, salaries. Includes information on women in higher education.
• Minutes of the Board of Trustees of State Colleges and the State University, 1954-1965, 1971-1977. {Series #22.21}
  • A record of meetings of the Board of Trustees of State Colleges and Universities. Information provided from agenda formats varies for each of the thirteen state owned schools. A typical agenda includes the call to order that gives the date, time and campus location of the meeting. Also frequently listed are the name of the members and guests invited to attend the meeting. Reports discussed include the President's report on the budget, and those submitted by the Athletic Committee, Budget and Finance Committee, Institutional Development Committee, Personnel Committee and the Public Relations Committee. Common topics include faculty appointments, retirement, accreditation, building development, gifts, grants, tuition fees, and student assistance. Includes information on women in higher education.
• Specialized Correspondence, 1965-1977. {Series #22.22}
  • Specialized correspondence of the Commissioner of Higher Education. Topics include Baskin's private dorms, Bridgewater Case (Clarion State College), California State College student problems, Commonwealth university system, faculty development, Fund for Improvement of Post-Secondary Education, Indiana University presidential search, Millersville conference originals, moratorium on branch campuses, off-campus centers study (Heald-Hobson), Open College Study, Penn-Jersey common market, Prison education, Servicemen's Opportunity College, Speeches, State College Missions, Tenure, West Chester presidential search, and Westchester State College censure. Includes information on affirmative action and women's education.
• Annual Reports of High Schools, 1898-1919. {Series #22.96}
  • Annual reports filed by high schools with the Department of Public Instruction. Information contained in the reports includes the number of months in the year that the school was open, the number of who were pupils enrolled broken down by gender, the number of students who graduated, the number of teachers employed, and the number of pupils studying each subject.
    
• Annual Reports of School Districts, 1897-1919. {Series #22.97}
  • Annual reports filed by each school district with the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Information given includes the number of schools in the district, the number of years in the course of study; the number of scholars, the district tax rate, treasurer's receipts, the number of months in the year the school was open, the number of pupils enrolled by gender, the number of students graduating, the number of teachers employed, and the number of pupils studying each subject.
• Applications for Teaching Certificates, 1866-1922. {Series #22.98}
  • Applications for permanent, provisional, temporary, special, and temporary special continuation teaching certificates submitted to the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The type of information given varies with the forms utilized. Application forms for provisional college certification provide the name, age, address, county of residence, and college of the candidate; the college courses that he or she studied; the date that the diploma was issued; and the dates that the application was received and the certificate granted. Application forms for permanent certification, on the other hand, usually only indicate the name, address, semesters of teaching experience, and school district of the applicant; the date that the application was received; and the date that certification was granted. As teaching was one of the few professions open to women, this collection includes information on women in higher education.
• Correspondence of the Postwar Education Committee of the State Council of Education and the Postwar Planning Commission, 1943-1947.{Series #22.99}
  • This Series contains correspondence, memoranda, reports, and plans and procedures that outline the organization, responsibilities, activities and goals of the Postwar Planning Commission and the Postwar Education Committee. Topics addressed by the documents include funding, literacy, vocational training, education, memorials, counseling, employment, school facilities, and readjustment of veterans and civilians to a peacetime economy. Includes information on women and education.
• Minute Books of the State Board of Education, 1911-1920. {Series #22.105}
  • Minutes documenting the meetings of the State Board of Education. A typical record includes the date, time and location of the meeting, a list of the names of those members attending the meeting, and a summary of the discussion. Topics discussed include admission requirements, committee appointments, curricula, appropriations, expenses, investigations, lighted school rooms, graduation requirements, conditions of school buildings, legislation, physical education, vocational education, and federal education reports and plans. Includes information on women and education.
• Minutes, Correspondence, and Exhibits Relating to the Investigation of the Department of Public Instruction by the Joint Legislative Committee on Finances, 1932-1934. {Series #22.106}
  • Minutes, correspondence, and exhibits relating to the investigation of the Department of Public Instruction by the Joint Legislative Committee on Finances. Areas investigated by the committee include the nature of the departmental organization, the functions performed, and staff salaries; teacher salaries; teacher preparation colleges; the overabundance of students being trained to be teachers; costs of maintaining school buildings; and school funding. Exhibits include summaries of duties of the department and the bureaus, financial information, organizational charts, employee and salary rosters, reorganization proposals, reports, publications, purchasing procedures, teacher placement and education summaries, curricula, enrollment, and graduation and tuition information on colleges and universities. Suggestions to improve education and reduce spending discussed by the committee and the department included cutting personnel, closing colleges dedicated to training teachers, cutting salaries, reorganizing the Department, and reorganizing public schools. Includes information on women and education.
• Miscellaneous Reports, 1955-1971. {Series #22.109}
  • This Series is comprised of reports filed with the Superintendent of Public Instruction relevant to elementary, secondary and higher education in Pennsylvania. Topics covered by the reports include curricula, state colleges and universities, special education, vocational education, the Master Plan of Higher Education, library standards, and Project Upward Bound. Includes information on women and education.
• Records Examinations for Permanent Certificates, 1897-1919. {Series #22.113}
  • This Series contains the record of the examination results of applicants for teaching certificates filed with the Department of Public Instruction. Information contained on the forms includes the names of the members of the examining committee including the chairman and secretary; the number of applicants; the number of applications approved; the names, and sometimes, the address of the applicants; the number of terms each applicant taught; each applicant's examination score as well as their percentage marks in each of several subjects including spelling, reading, writing, arithmetic, history, government, hygiene, algebra, geography, and pedagogy; and finally, either the number of the certificate issued or the date the certificate was issued to each successful applicant. As teaching was one of the few professions open to women, this collection includes information on women in higher education.
• Twenty Five Year Reports of County and District Superintendents, 1900-1925. {Series #22.121}
  • Reports submitted by the county or district superintendent at the request of the Department of Public Instruction to correlate with similar reports that had been completed in 1877 and 1900. The purpose of the reports was to call attention to noteworthy achievements, specific epochs of change and progress, important dates, outstanding personages, and other information showing what had been accomplished and the nature of future needs. Information discussed in the reports includes enrollment and teacher statistics, the status of school facilities and equipment, district organization, growth of high school (secondary) education, teacher training, curriculum development, and funding for education. Some of the reports also include information on parochial schools, academies and colleges. Includes information on women in higher education.
• Records of Equal Rights Program Activities, 1965-1977. {Series #22.24}
  • Program activities of the Office of Equal Education Opportunity. Files include memoranda, correspondence, testimonies, reports, agenda, news clippings, grant applications, press releases, minutes, service purchase contracts, general invoices, programs, and registration forms. Subjects in the files include Afro-American Mandate, 1968; Allenberry seminars and conferences, 1966-1970; Ethnic Heritage, 1975-1976; Higher Education Conference program and report, 1965-1966; Human Relations Committee-PDE, 1970-1972; Intergroup Curriculum Projects, 1974-1975; Key Clubs, 1974-1977; PDE Advisory Committee, 1975; Philadelphia Fellowship Commission College Conference, 1966-1968; Recruitment Clinics, 1972-1973; Rhodes - Legislation, 1974-1975; Sexism - Bureau reports, 1973; Sexism - Implementation and Evaluation Committee, 1971-1976; State Board Report re: School Desegregation, 1975; and Vocational Education Segregation, 1976.

State Board of Censors (Motion Picture)
Created in 1915, the Board of Censors was composed of three members appointed by the Governor in order to examine and supervise the examination by others of all films, reels or views exhibited or used in Pennsylvania to ensure compliance with proper moral standards. The Board was specifically charged with preventing the display of any such motion picture film judged to be sacrilegious, obscene, indecent, or immoral or such as might tend, in the judgment of the Board, to debase or corrupt community morals. The Board was abolished in 1956.

• Applications for Examination, 1915-1951. {Series #22.25}
  • This Series contains the applications submitted by motion picture film companies requesting the Board of Censors to review their films. The application gives the title of the film; the name of the manufacturer; the names of the leading actors and actresses; the number and length of reels; the style of film and indicates whether the film was approved without changes, approved with eliminations, or condemned outright. If the film was approved with eliminations, an Eliminations Form is attached and lists the specific changes that needed to be made. There is often also present a Memorandum of Changes form that reveals when requested eliminations or changes were made and when the Board approved the film. Some applications have copies of the script attached. This series illustrates notions of gender and sexuality present within the period.
• Daily Minutes, 1939-1956. {Series #22.26}
  • Minutes documenting the daily activities of the Board of Censors reviewers. Information contained in the minutes provides the name and manufacturer of the motion picture films reviewed, whether they were approved without change, approved with eliminations, or condemned. If the film was approved with changes or condemned the reason and required revisions were listed. The minutes also list contacts with film manufacturers who appealed the review of films by the Board of Censors. This series illustrates notions of gender and sexuality present within the period.
• General Correspondence, 1924-1956. {Series #22.27}
  • Correspondence received and sent by the Board of Censors chairman and members. Also included are a few legal briefs, press releases and movie reviews. The correspondence were received by or sent to Abraham Levy, Special Deputy Attorney General, citizens, clergy, motion picture companies, officials from Pennsylvania state government agencies, and officials from agencies in other states such as Ohio, New York and Maryland. Subjects include censorship; news clippings; clergyman and women's clubs; television censorship; condemned motion pictures; complaints; and soviet films. Correspondence discuss the review of motion picture films by the board, revisions to make the movie appropriate for release, denial for release of the film, opinions from agency officials and other states regarding the film' s content. Films include "The Birth of a Baby," "She Shoulda Said No," etc...
• Legal Briefs, 1915-1921, 1928-1940. {Series #22.28}
  • This Series contains appeals, replies, briefs, orders and correspondence filed by motion picture companies, the State Board of Censors, the attorney general and the court in matters regarding the denial of the release of a film by the Board of Censors. This series illustrates notions of gender and sexuality present within the period.
• Reports, 1925-1951. {Series #22.29}
  • Annual reports submitted by the Board concerning prosecutions of violations; the sale of substituted approval seals; budget allotments; the number of movies and reels examined; the number of films certified, modified, with number of eliminations, or disapproved; list of appeals taken to court; and number of field inspections. This series illustrates notions of gender and sexuality present within the period.
• Rules, Procedures and Forms, 1915-1956. {Series #22.30}
  • This Series contains a wide variety of documents providing insight into the Board's operating procedures. Among the materials present are Fines, 1919-1947, that list the fines assessed to movie theaters for showing films that were not edited to meet the Board's requirements or did not show the Board's seal of approval and Certificates of Censorship, 1915-1951, that are the official forms sent to the manufacturer to indicate if a film has been approved, approved with eliminations, or not approved. Information included is the film's title, name of manufacturer, number of reels and date certificate was issued; Action on "Soundies", no date, list of films with sound that were reviewed by the Board and includes the film's title, leading actor and actress, and what action was taken; Record of Violations, 1939-1949, lists fines issued to each manufacturer giving the film's title, location where shown, date of the incident, and violation; Rule and Regulations, 1915-1950, contains copies of acts, rules, mission statements, legal briefs and correspondence used to direct the Board; Procedures and Forms, 1915-1956, contains copies of forms, sample letters, certificates, affidavits, violation notices, monthly reports and procedures; Inspector's Report on Eliminations, 1915-1951, contains the report submitted by the inspector after reviewing a film including the film's title, manufacturer, and requested eliminations; Violations of Censorship, 1927-1929, contains reports, correspondence and affidavits reporting violations and requests regarding the violation. Information includes the film's title, the name of the manufacturer, and the date and location of the incident and the violation. This series illustrates notions of gender, fertility, and sexuality present within the period.

Record Group 23
Records of the Department of Public Welfare

The Departments of Public Assistance and Welfare merged in 1958 to form the Department of Public Welfare. As the primary state agency concerned with the social welfare and financial needs of the citizens of the Commonwealth, the Department of Public Welfare administers a wide range of services which include: public assistance, medical assistance, aid to the handicapped, mental health and retardation programs and institutions, State hospitals, and the licensing and inspection of nursing homes, day-care centers and hospitals.

The department can be traced directly back to the Board of Public Charities, which was created in 1869 to inspect all charitable and correctional institutions in the Commonwealth, and the Board's Committee on Lunacy, which was established in 1883 to examine places for the confinement of the insane. In 1921, the Board of Public Charities and the Committee on Lunacy were abolished, and the Department of Public Welfare was created to coordinate and administer welfare programs. In 1923, the name of the Department of Public Welfare was changed to the Department of Welfare. Supervision over penal and correctional institutions was transferred in 1953 from the Bureau of Penal Affairs to the Department of Justice.

In 1937, the Department of Public Assistance was created to administer a centralized relief program. The State Emergency Relief Board, established in 1932 to handle unemployment relief and work relief, was abolished and its powers and duties, along with those of the Welfare Department's Bureau of Assistance, were transferred to the new agency.

• Administrative Correspondence, 1963, 1969-1970. {Series #23.1}
  • Correspondence of the Secretary of Public Welfare relating to such varied topics as chiropractic care, alcoholism, the chaplain program for state institutions, juvenile delinquency, housing, foster grandparent programs, family planning, model cities, out-of-state travel requests, organizational charts, daycare, Opportunities Industrialization Centers, and women's issues. The search room finding aid lists the titles on each folder.
• Correspondence Relating to Birth Control and Planned Parenthood, 1958-1959. {Series #23.2}
  • On December 16, 1958, the State Board of Public Assistance issued a directive granting welfare case workers the discretion to refer clients to birth control clinics. The language of the directive was: "In those instances where a case worker has reason to believe, or has been informed by a client, that there is a need for maternal health advice or therapy, and where there are not religious restrictions on the part of either the worker or the client, proper referrals may be made to either the client's doctor or maternal health center. Where a case worker, because of religious convictions may not make such a recommendation, the case worker's supervisor shall see that information relative to such service shall be conveyed to the family concerned." On January 27, 1959, the Board deferred enacting the Directive. The Series consists of letters from constituents (clergy, nurses, doctors, and social workers) for and against this ruling and responses from the Secretary of Public Welfare Harry Shapiro, who did not support the directive and left the agency in January 1959; Ruth Grigg Horting, who replaced Shapiro as Secretary of Public Welfare; and Rev. Dr. Jesse Reber, Chairman of the State Board of Public Assistance.
• News Releases, 1955-1964, 1972-1974. {Series #23.4}
  • News releases issued by the Governor's Office and the Office of Public Information of the Department of Public Welfare. Topics include annual budgets, building projects at state schools and hospitals, medical coverage for the aged, new studies initiated by the Department, new committees formed, welfare fraud, contracts to vendors, public events connected with mental health month and women's issues.
• Speeches, 1955-1962. (2 folders) {Series #23.5}
  • Transcripts of speeches delivered by Secretaries of Public Welfare Harry Shapiro (1958) and Ruth Horting (1959-1962) to such audiences as the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Institutional Nursing Conference, the Association for Retarded Children, Governor's Committee on Children and Youth, the Joint Appropriations Committee, the Family Rehabilitation Program, Subcommittee on Problems of the Aged and Aging, Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, and the United States Senate among others. Topics include the status of Pennsylvania's mental health care system, feminization of poverty, nurse staffing for state hospitals, and problems facing mentally retarded and/or delinquent children.
• State Institution Files, 1959-1971. {Series #23.6}
  • Files of Deputy Secretary of Public Welfare Norman V. Laurie containing meeting packets and minutes of the State Board of Public Welfare for December 3, 1970 and for January 7, February 4, and March 23, 1971. Also present are miscellaneous documents pertaining to meetings held through August 12, 1971. In addition, there are reports on medical inspections of youth development centers (1964), Fayette County's medical clinics, juvenile delinquency, the Juvenile Court Judges Committee, and on various children's homes or institutions including the Glen Mills School, Christ Home, Carlisle Day Care Center, and the Farm School for Girls.
• State Supervised Hospitals' History File, 1914-1973. {Series #23.10}
  • Primarily reports of inspections of hospitals that received state funding. Included in this Series are correspondence, copies of disaster plans and personnel policies, inspection reports, notes of inspectors, fire inspection reports, hospital by-laws, and photographs. Inspection reports provide the following information: the date the hospital was organized, names of owners of the hospital, names of the medical and administrative staff, and assessments of the quality of the social service department, business office, nurses' station, and the surgical and obstetrical departments. Correspondence often provides information concerning code violations and the corrective measures taken. Among the many hospitals mentioned are Rolling Hill, Shadyside, Tri-County, Carlisle, Kane Summit Stetson, F.W. Black Community, Adrian and Allegheny Valley. This series includes information on Pennsylvania women's hospitals.
• Women Nurses' Payroll Book, 1917-1923. {Series #23.48}
  • This Series was a predecessor to the Payroll Record Books, 1924-1938 & undated {Series #23.43}. Entries list name of employee, position, dates worked, pay per month, actual amount paid, and signature of payee.
• Daily Report Books of Male and Female Wards, 1879-1956. {Series #23.21}
  • Reports on morning and afternoon activities in the patient wards. Each category records the number of patients engaged in an activity. Activities listed for persons under the "occupied" category include: out on parole, riding, attending church in town, to the conservatory, out walking, in airing court, sewing room, laundry, kitchen, ward work, reading and writing, sewing, indoor and outdoor games, and other. "Unoccupied" categories include: sickness, unwillingness or unfavorable weather. Other categories are: in bed during the day; wet and dirty during the day; wet and dirty during the night; secluded; restrained; or at chapel. Later volumes starting in the 1920s include restraint and seclusion divided by gender, ball games, dances, chapel, movies, farm and garden, domestic work, and O.T. (occupational therapy) in ward or shop.
• Public Information Motion Picture Films, 1948-1976. {Series #23.340}
  • Films are 16mm print reels documenting the public information activities of the Department of Public Welfare. The printed 1979 Film Catalog provides information on the dates some reels were produced and descriptions of their content. Subjects include child behavior, brain damaged children, mental retardation, behavior therapy, depression, fertility, birth, motherhood, learning, senility , mental hospitals, mental health, psychosis, psychiatry, shyness, and stress. Some titles include:
    • • "Walk Down Any Street"
      • "Who is Sylvia?"
      • "Responsibility"
      • "A Study of Maternal Attitudes"
      • "Phoebe"
      • "The Trouble with Women"
      • "Lisa"
      • "The New Girl"
      • "Family Circus"
      • "From Six to Nine"
• Female Attendants' Payroll Books, 1890-1917. {Series #23.23}
  • Records documenting salaries and wages paid to employees at Danville State Hospital. Information provided includes name of employee, types of work, dates worked, pay per month, amount, and signature of payee. Types of positions documented include attendant, supervisor, assistant supervisor, night watch, nurse and attendant.
• Female Admission Registers, 1884-1923. {Series #23.24}
  • These volumes document the admissions of female patients into Danville State Hospital. Information given about each patient includes name, age, marital status, color (white, black, mulatto) and occupation; county of residence and country or state of birth; number of children and number of siblings; admission number, any previous admission numbers, census of hospital at the time of admission, and admission date. Commitment information includes name of payee, by whom committed (friends, court, or overseer of the poor); whether an insane convict or criminally insane; bodily condition; name of physical disorder, if any; name of mental disorder; supposed cause of insanity; complications (epileptic, suicidal, homicidal, idiot, paralytic, imbecile); duration of attack in years, months and days; and number of attacks and age of first attack. Register also provides information on the date of discharge and reason (death, restored, improved, not improved); cause of death; the number of years, months, days in hospital; the names of relatives also suffering symptoms of insanity; and remarks.
• Alphabetical Register of Female Patients, [ca. 1886-1926] {Series #23.16}
  • Grouped by the first letter of last name. Alphabetical register of female patients giving name of patient, register number in Female Admission Registers, 1884-1923 {Series #23.24}; name, address, and county of the person to be notified; the name address and county of the person who was financially responsible for the patient; the date of discharge and any remarks.
• Record Book of Female and Male Epileptics, 1887-1891. {Series #23.44}
  • Grouped by gender, and thereunder arranged chronologically by date of seizure. A monthly tally of patients suffering from seizures. Information given includes lists of names of male or female patients and month and year of the attack. Each month has check marks for each seizure suffered during the month. At the end of the month the check marks are totaled. The first 22 pages of this volume are missing.
• Minutes of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors, 1885-1945. {Series #23.104}
  • The minutes of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors document administrative decisions concerning the daily operations of the hospital. Information given includes names of the members of the committee, the number of patients on the census, expenses paid, and general discussions of hospital affairs. Of interest to scholars studying women's history is a resolution in the 1885 volume stating that "the number of diseased women is so few that the appointment of a female physician ...is not needed; and when such cases do occur, the females would prefer...a male physician, because they insist that they are more sympathetic and, in their treatment, more considerate of their feelings, than female physicians."
• Day and Night Report Books, 1936-1937. {Series #23.71}
  • Reports on the daily and nightly activities of female patients. Information given includes names of patients who were transferred or admitted, names of patients who had seizures or required special attention, the total number of patients on the census, the names of attendants, and the date and time of day covered by the report.
• Female Patients' Clothing and Property Book, 1890-1903. {Series #23.83}
  • A record of the belongings of female patients in the care of the Western Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane at Dixmont. Information provided regarding each patient's property includes the name of the patient, the date of admission and the items on their person at that time, dates and names of additional items that were acquired, where the additional items were acquired, and where the property was stored. Also present are receipts for items that were placed in the safe or were transferred to another institution.
• Hydro-Therapy Reports, 1913-1923. {Series #23.91}
  • The reports contained in the volumes are arranged in chronologically by year and thereunder alphabetically by patient's surname. Reports contained in folders are loose papers arranged in reverse date order by date of treatment. These records document hydro-therapeutic treatments performed at the Dixmont Hospital. The volumes record treatments for female patients while the loose folders record treatments for both the male and female wards. Information given includes the patient's name, date of treatment, type and extent of treatment given, and remarks noting how the patient responded to the treatment. Monthly reports detail the type and number of treatments applied to patients.
• Record of Condition of Female Patients When Received, 1876-1904. {Series #23.119}
  • Record of the physical condition and outward physical appearance of female patients at the time of their arrival. Information found includes the patient's name, the date they were received, the cleanliness of their clothing and hair, their physical condition such as whether they had bruises or carried lice, and the name of supervisors and assistants.
• Superintendent's Reports, 1928-1932. {Series #23.126}
  • Monthly reports prepared for members of the Executive Committee by the Superintendent detailing hospital activities. Information found includes tables showing admissions, discharges and deaths; statistical data on the male and female departments; and a breakdown of the productive output of the Arts and Crafts Department, Farm and Garden Department, and Male Industrial Department. This series includes information on Pennsylvania women's hospitals.
• Account of Clothing Issued to Female Patients, 1851-1862. {Series #23.136}
  • A record of clothing issued to female patients. Information given includes each patient's name, registration number, admittance date and a list of the clothing items issued to her.
• Annual Reports of the Harrisburg State Hospital, 1851-1921. {Series #23.145}
  • Annual Reports of the trustees and superintendent of the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital. Information provided for each year includes a list of hospital officers (board of trustees, superintendent, physician, assistant physician, steward, matron, and treasurer), a narrative report by the superintendent, a summary statement of receipts and expenditures, and the steward's annual statement. Reports after 1852 include a report by the physician of the female department. Statistical charts at the end of each report document admissions and discharges for the year. Statistical information includes the number of patients each age category admitted; the nativity, residence, occupation and civil condition of those admitted; how they were supported (private or indigent); the assumed cause of insanity, the form of disease and complications of those admitted; and the number of attacks, admissions, and the duration of insanity before entrance to the hospital. Additional information on disease and recovery includes the age and nativity of those recovered; the number of discharged recovered; the duration of the disease before treatment; the duration of treatment; and the form, cause and total duration of the disease among those who recovered. This series includes information on female patients.
• Daily Registers, 1851-1969. {Series #23.156}
  • A daily record of the number of patients at the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital and Harrisburg State Hospital. Information given includes the date and day of the week, the average number of males and females admitted per day, the average number of males and females who were admitted, paroled and discharged per month and the number of patients who recovered or died during the month. The registers from 1880-1895 only list female patients while registers from 1881-1905 and 1905-1930 list only male patients.
• Electroshock Treatment Record Book, [ca. 1941-1958]. {Series #23.158}
  • A record of patients treated with electroshock therapy at the Harrisburg State Hospital. Information found includes the patient's name, date of treatment, and the voltage administered. A large majority of the patients listed in the electroshock therapy books are female.
• Medical Case Book, 1851-1867. {Series #23.177}
  • Medical case book for male and female patients at the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital. Information given includes name, age, sex, occupation, marital status, appearance of the patient upon admission, and physical characteristics and temperament. Also included is a description of the mental disorder; the manner and period of the attack, any changes produced in the patient's temper or disposition, and whether the patient exhibited any failure of memory or understanding, symptoms of epilepsy, paralysis, tremulous movements of the tongue, defects in articulation, or weakness or unsteadiness of gait. The case book also usually gives what was believed to be the predisposing cause of the attack, notes whether the patient had experienced any former attacks, reveals whether the most recent attack had been preceded by any premonitory symptoms such as restlessness, unusual elevation or depression of spirits, or any deviation from ordinary habits and conduct. Finally, any previous treatment are noted and whether the was subject to personal restraint.
• Medical Case Books of the Female Department, 1880-1922. {Series #23.178}
  • Case books for female patients at the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital and Harrisburg State Hospital give the patient's name, age, sex, occupation, marital status, the appearance of the patient upon admission, habits and temperament, the appearance of the eyes, any unusual expressions, any peculiarity in the form of the head, and the physical state of the vascular, respiratory, and abdominal organs. The pulse, tongue, skin, were urine were tested and the presence of bruises or other injuries noted. Also included is a description of the mental disorder; the manner and period of the attack, a minute account of the symptoms and the changes produced in the patient's temper or disposition, whether the malady displayed itself in illusions or irrational conduct, morbid or dangerous habits or propensities, and whether it had occasioned any failure of memory or understanding or was connected with epilepsy, paralysis, tremulous movements of the tongue, defects in articulation of speech, or weakness or unsteadiness of gait. Possible predisposing causes are given such as former illnesses or whether the present illness had been preceded by any premonitory symptoms such as restlessness, unusual elevation or depression of spirits, or any remarkable deviation form ordinary habits and conduct. Previous treatments are noted as well as whether the patient subject to personal restraint. During the first month after admission, entries were to be made at least once in every week or, in certain cases, when the nature of the case required it. In all cases, an accurate record was to be kept of the medicines administered and other remedies employed, the outcome of the treatments, and any injuries or accidents.
• Medical Journals, 1922-1936. {Series #23.180}
  • Weekly journals documenting the total number of male and female patients who were sent to the Harrisburg State Hospital and the conditions for which they were admitted. Information given for each week includes the date, the total number of both indigent and private patients in the hospital, and the number of patients who were employed, restrained, secluded and under medical treatment, violent or had died.
• Register of Female Patients, 1852-1884. {Series #23.198}
  • Partially indexed externally in the Index to Register of Patients, 1851-1881 {Series #23.167}. Register of female patients admitted to the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital. Information given includes the patient's name, registration number, admission date, civil condition, age, nativity, place of residence and occupation. Also recorded is the duration of attack prior to admission, type of commitment and financial arrangement, the apparent cause and form of the disease, the nature of any complications and the outcome, the date of discharge, the total period of residence at the hospital and any remarks.
• Ledger of Patient Accounts, 1851-1866. {Series #23.172}
  • A record of patient accounts for the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital. For each account the name of the individual responsible for payment is given together with the patient's name, the amount of the payment for room and board, and the amounts charged for items purchased. The ledger also lists unsettled accounts for those patients who left the hospital. A folder at the back of the ledger contains several items relating to the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital such as blank circulars, several receipts, and a statement of stock operations for the months October - December 1887 and January - July 1888, and two copies of Women's Act No. 466.
• Miscellaneous Manuals, Reports and Related Printed Materials, 1934-1967. {Series #23.344}
  • Titles of the publications include "Illegitimacy and its Impact on the Aid to Dependent Children Program," by United States Department of Health Education and Welfare, (1960); "Pennsylvania Laws Relating to the Handicapped," by the Governor's Committee for the Handicapped, (undated); "Origin and Development of Public Assistance in Pennsylvania," by the Department of Public Assistance (1958); "Relief Population of Pennsylvania," (1936); "Public Assistance in Pennsylvania," by the Joint State Government Commission (1951); "Bureau of Personnel Report" (1966); "What's New About Welfare in Pennsylvania," (undated); and others.
• Institutional Population Records, [ca. 1882-1920]. {Series #23.345}
  • Admission records for the following treatment facilities: Allegheny City Home, 1884-1886, 1888; Burn Brae, 1884-1888; Danville State Hospital, 1883-1888; Pennsylvania Hospital for Insane (Philadelphia), 1883-1888; Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital (Harrisburg), 1883-1888; Philadelphia Hospital, 1884-1888; Pittsburgh City Farm Insane Asylum, 1884-1886, 1888; St. Francis Hospital (Pittsburgh), 1887-1888; Schuylkill County Almshouse, 1883-1888; and the "Friends Asylum" (Frankford), 1883-1888. A record of admissions, transfers, and deaths or discharges of patients maintained by institutions that cared for the mentally ill or the indigent. Each hospital's records are arranged uniquely and the records of some institutions are more extensive than are others. Information provided about generally consists of the patient's name; date of admission, transfer, death or discharge; occupation and gender; registration number; a detailed medical history; and a description of the patient's psychological state at the time of commitment. Of particular value to researchers is information found on the "Order for the Reception of a Patient" forms. Categories of data normally found on these forms include the date of admission; the patient's name, sex, age, and residence during past year; marital status, number of children, occupation or name of employer; names of living parents, the residence of any living brother or sister, and the name and residence of any other known relative; the earliest date upon which symptoms were noted, the circumstances surrounding the first onset of symptoms, the names and addresses of all medical attendants treating the patient for the preceding two years, and the name, occupation, and relationship of the person petitioning for the patient's commitment. Also found is the date of certification and the name, residence and credentials of each certifying physician, magistrate or judicial officer.
• Records of Admissions, Discharges and Deaths at State Institutions, [ca. 1882-1920]. {Series #23.348}
  • Records of patient admissions, discharges, and deaths originally sent to the Committee on Lunacy by the following hospitals: Philadelphia Hospital for the Insane, Harrisburg State Hospital, Rittersville Hospital, Danville State Hospital, Wernersville Hospital, Torrance State Hospital, Adams County Hospital, Allegheny County Hospital, Mercer County Hospital, Hillside Home, Lancaster County Hospital, Elk County Hospital, Chester County Hospital, Blair County Hospital, Easton Sanitarium, St. Francis Hospital, Retreat State Hospital, Burn Brae Hospital, Schuylkill County Hospital, and others. Types of documents include Notices of Admission that are signed by the superintendent of the hospital and the medical examiner stating the patient is mentally impaired and voluntary admission requests signed by the patient. Orders for the Reception of a Patient normally provide the name, sex, age, residence, marital status, number of children, occupation, trade or employment of the patient; names of living parents; date of admission; residence of any living brother or sister; name and residences of any other known relative; date from which insanity was supposed to have existed and the circumstances that induced such belief; names and addresses of all medical attendants treating the patient for the past two years; name, occupation, and relationship of the person petitioning for commitment of the patient; and such certification particulars as the date of certification and the name, residence and credentials of each certifying physician, magistrate or judicial officer.
• Administrative File of the Secretary of Welfare, 1955-1958. {Series #23.349}
  • Administrative files of Secretary of Welfare Henry Shapiro containing published reports, correspondence with other agencies, memoranda on hospital hearings, drawings and specifications for building construction, reports on migrant children and families, and letters concerning state hospitals with regard to such topics as chaplaincy, burning trash, budgeting, and administration of drugs. Topics covered include the Haverford Mental Health Center, personnel issues, youth camps, and programs for women.
• Reports on County Poor Relief, 1932-1939. {Series #23.353}
  • Reports compiled by field representatives of the Bureau of Assistance and submitted to the Secretary of Welfare to assist in preparing recommendations to the Directors of the Poor of each county. The reports consist of evaluations of county homes and almshouses, the number of children in foster care, and the status of children's programs. Information found consists of the names, titles, and salaries of staff; population statistics; information concerning plant and equipment; and an evaluation of the care and treatment of residents. Also present are weekly menus, newspapers articles, and reports on investigations undertaken as a result of complaints received.
• Reports, 1937-1938. (3 volumes) {Series #23.370}
  • Reports on strategies for providing public relief to destitute Pennsylvanians during the Great Depression. The report dated November 16, 1937 is a response by a Mr. de Schweintz to changes in the State strategy that were ordered by a Mrs. Emma Jeffrey Miller. The second report dated December 16, 1937 was issued by the Governor's Relief Survey Committee and a report dated January 3, 1938 is a commentary on the Governor's Relief Survey Committee Report.
• Correspondence with Dr. Henry I. Klopp, Superintendent of the State Homeopathic Hospital, Allentown, Pennsylvania, 1912-1922. {Series #23.372}
  • Correspondence received and sent Dr. Henry I. Klopp concerning the establishment of an occupational room for women at the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital, the need of a special supply account for supplies, employee wage increases, hospital rate charges, out patient clinics, and the price of animals, farm equipment and household supplies.
• Admission Book of the Insane Department of the Pittsburgh North Side City Home, 1911-1916. {Series #23.232}
  • Admission book documenting admissions to the Insane Department of the Pittsburgh North Side City Home. Information given is the patient's name, age, race, gender, social class, place of birth, marital status, former place of residence, previous register number, name of the person who ordered the commitment, the nature of the mental disorder, the date of admission, the date of discharge and/or death, and the reason for discharge where applicable.
• Admission Registers, 1925-1941. {Series #23.233}
  • Registers documenting the admission of patients into Mayview State Hospital. Information includes the patient's name, case number, age, gender, date of admission, and the name of the person who ordered the commitment. Additional information found in the register entries dated prior to September 24, 1929 is race and marital status.
• Alms House Registers, 1876-1884. {Series #23.234}
  • Registers documenting the admission of destitute people to the almshouse. Information given includes the person's name, age, gender, marital status, place of birth, any foreign countries in which they may have traveled, religious affiliation, race, occupation, former address, date of admission, date of discharge or death, the name of facility from which transferred, length of residence in the Pittsburgh area, the number and ages of any dependents, and the circumstances surrounding their arrival at the Alms House.
• Case Book of Allegheny City Farm, 1884-1887. {Series #23.236}
  • Indexed internally, alphabetically by surname of patient. Case book documenting the history of patients from the time of admission until the time of release at Allegheny City Farm. The book contains a Series of entries made on different dates charting the medical progress of patients. The entries are not made in a consistent fashion and primarily consist of observations of the results rather than descriptions of the treatments applied. Information generally given includes the patient's name, age, gender, color, place of birth, marital, status, date of admission; condition upon admittance, and the presumed cause of illness.
• Case Books of Pittsburgh City Home and Hospital, 1879-1912. {Series #23.237}
  • Case books documenting the history of patients from the time of admission until the time of release from the Pittsburgh City Home and Hospital. The books contain a Series of entries made on different dates charting the medical progress of patients. The entries are not made in a regular fashion and primarily consist of observations of results rather than descriptions of treatments applied. Information generally given includes the patient's name, age, gender, date of birth, race, place of birth, occupation, marital status, patient case number, names and nativity of parents, an assessment of the patient's physical and mental condition, and a statement of diagnosis.
• Patient History Books, 1879-1884. {Series #23.239}
  • Patient history books documenting the medical history of patients and their families. Information may include patient's name, age, gender, nativity, race, place of residence, educational level, marital status and length of time married, number of children, age of youngest child, occupation, religious affiliation, parent's place of residence and nativity, the reason for the commitment, the duration of the insanity, details concerning the attacks, personal habits, dates of admission and discharge, and the name of the person who committed the patient.
• Admission Book of the Insane Department of the Pittsburgh North Side City Home, 1911-1916. {Series #23.232}
  • Admission book documenting admissions to the Insane Department of the Pittsburgh North Side City Home. Information given is the patient's name, age, race, gender, social class, place of birth, marital status, former place of residence, previous register number, name of the person who ordered the commitment, the nature of the mental disorder, the date of admission, the date of discharge and/or death, and the reason for discharge where applicable.
• Admission Registers, 1925-1941. {Series #23.233}
  • Registers documenting the admission of patients into Mayview State Hospital. Information includes the patient's name, case number, age, gender, date of admission, and the name of the person who ordered the commitment. Additional information found in the register entries dated prior to September 24, 1929 is race and marital status.
• Alms House Registers, 1876-1884. {Series #23.234}
  • Registers documenting the admission of destitute people to the almshouse. Information given includes the person's name, age, gender, marital status, place of birth, any foreign countries in which they may have traveled, religious affiliation, race, occupation, former address, date of admission, date of discharge or death, the name of facility from which transferred, length of residence in the Pittsburgh area, the number and ages of any dependents, and the circumstances surrounding their arrival at the Alms House.
• Case Book of Allegheny City Farm, 1884-1887. {Series #23.236}
  • Case book documenting the history of patients from the time of admission until the time of release at Allegheny City Farm. The book contains a Series of entries made on different dates charting the medical progress of patients. The entries are not made in a consistent fashion and primarily consist of observations of the results rather than descriptions of the treatments applied. Information generally given includes the patient's name, age, gender, color, place of birth, marital, status, date of admission; condition upon admittance, and the presumed cause of illness.
• Case Books of Pittsburgh City Home and Hospital, 1879-1912. {Series #23.237}
  • Case books documenting the history of patients from the time of admission until the time of release from the Pittsburgh City Home and Hospital. The books contain a Series of entries made on different dates charting the medical progress of patients. The entries are not made in a regular fashion and primarily consist of observations of results rather than descriptions of treatments applied. Information generally given includes the patient's name, age, gender, date of birth, race, place of birth, occupation, marital status, patient case number, names and nativity of parents, an assessment of the patient's physical and mental condition, and a statement of diagnosis.
• Patient History Books, 1879-1884. {Series #23.239}
  • Patient history books documenting the medical history of patients and their families. Information may include patient's name, age, gender, nativity, race, place of residence, educational level, marital status and length of time married, number of children, age of youngest child, occupation, religious affiliation, parent's place of residence and nativity, the reason for the commitment, the duration of the insanity, details concerning the attacks, personal habits, dates of admission and discharge, and the name of the person who committed the patient.
• Register of Discharges and Deaths, 1950-1958. {Series #23.240}
  • A record of persons who were discharged from or died in the Mayview State Hospital. Information found includes the patient's name, gender, case number, discharge and/or death number, condition at time of discharge, any observed results of treatment, and disposition notes regarding the discharge of patients. Totals are given for each month and year.
• Annual Reports of the Norristown State Hospital, 1882-1959. {Series #23.245}
  • Printed annual reports containing lists of expenditures and receipts and statistical breakdowns revealing the number of patients admitted and discharged, their places of birth and counties of residence, occupations, marital status, ages, and whether by friends, overseers of the Poor or the courts. Also found are breakdowns on the types and alleged causes of insanity (old age, sunstroke, scarlet fever, domestic trouble, religious excitement and others), the duration of the disease before admission, causes of deaths, and the number of private patients. In addition to the statistical tables, there are lists of the names of those patients who recovered and those that died. These lists give their age, sex, race, country of origin, form of insanity, cause of insanity, period of residence, whole duration of attack, number of attacks, and age at first attack of insanity. Some reports show expenses and income from the farm and the soap and brush factories. There are separate reports for the men's' and women's' departments and they provide the names of staff members and their occupations, pathologist and medical reports, and information on patient amusement activities and religious instruction.
• Audio Tapes and Motion Picture Films, 1961-1962, 1968. {Series #23.248}
  • The audio tapes bear the following labels: Spot Announcements for Mental Health Week, Dr. Saradure WIFI 11/61; Miss Lynch WIFI, 11/61; Dr. Magure Cast WFLN 11/61; Russian; men's club 12/61; Schell, Dipicco 12/21/61; Don Shrift 3/19/62; J. Clark-A. Tait 5/15/62; H. Ewing 6/26/62; and staff conference women's C.A.S.T. The motion picture films are labeled "What Norristown State Hospital Provides," (8mm) and "Advances in Drug Management of Schizophrenia," (16mm).
• Daily Register of Admissions, Visits, Deaths and Discharged Female Patients, 1938-1940. {Series #23.253} Daily register of admissions, deaths, and
  • Discharges of female patients at Norristown State Hospital. Information provided about each patient includes date of admission, folio patient number, name, whether a new admission or returning from a visit, whether private or indigent, the county and district of residence, date of discharge, and method of discharge for private and indigent (discharged, died, visited, eloped). There are statistical totals for each category of information and some patients are noted as being prisoners.
• Index of 1,180 Post Mortems of the Insane, 1938-1940. {Series #23.255}
  • A printed book that details the mental disease suffered by each patient who died, their age and gender, and a description of any other physical problems. Each entry also gives the weight of the brain in grams. This series includes female patients.
• Annual Reports of the Committee on Lunacy, 1885, 1887-1890. {Series #23.244}
  • Each printed volume contains narratives on cases sent to the Committee on Lunacy by county or municipal overseers of the poor during a particular year. Also present are statistical breakdowns of the patient population at both state and private hospitals and asylums and narratives describing the nature of the population in the area served, the names of managers, the value of real estate and personal property, descriptions of new buildings and their capacity, receipts and expenditures, names of attendants, number of admissions and discharges, and information concerning employees, the library and amusements, restraints, diet, worship services, and the condition of the patients. Some reports have pullout maps, drawings and architectural renderings of county and state hospital and asylum buildings. Statistical breakdowns of the patient population by occupation, gender, race, whether insane or epileptic or other, the causes of mortality, types of diseases and number of patients exposed to disease outbreaks are also found.
• Death Registers of Females, 1909-1942. {Series #23.276}
  • Registers of the deaths of female patients at the Philadelphia State Hospital. Information provided about decedents generally includes the name, register number, date of admission, form of mental disorder; age at death, race, religion, marital status, place of birth, occupation, length of time at hospital, date and cause of death, and the name of the person by whom committed.
• Discharge Registers of Females, 1907-1942. {Series #23.278}
  • Registers of discharges of female patients from the Philadelphia State Hospital. Information given about each patient includes the name, register number, date of discharge and last admission, age when discharged died, race and social condition, form of mental disorder; condition as a result of treatment when discharged, and where the patient went after release.
• General Registers of Female Patients, 1895-1908, 1920-1939. {Series #23.280}
  • Admission registers for female patients to the Philadelphia State Hospital. Information given about each patient may include the patient's name, race, date or register number of any previous admission, current register number, date of admission, date of discharge or death, place of birth, marital status and number of living children, age when admitted and at first attack, number of subsequent attacks, county of residence, occupation, educational level, form of mental disorder and supposed cause, name of the person by whom committed or removed, and the name of relatives who were also insane.
• Patient Characteristics and Statistical Register Book, 1940-1942. {Series #23.284}
  • A daily statistical register of the number of male and female patients on the census and of those paroled, escaped, and returned. Information given includes census data children, epileptics, feebleminded (not insane) patients, tuberculosis patients, and "colored" patients. For each date, two sets of entries are found, one for the Philadelphia State Hospital and the other for the Children's "camp" program. The statistical register gives information on the number of persons admitted, discharged, and died for that day and for the year.
• Admission Registers, 1900-1980. {Series #23.288}
  • Male and female admission registers for Retreat State Hospital. Information given is the patient's name, case number, date of admission, whether privately or publicly supported, and the date of discharge or death. More detailed admission information will be found in the General Registers, 1900-1968 {Series #23.293}.
• Female Admission Books, 1883-1910. {Series #23.303}
  • Record books of admissions of female patients to Warren State Hospital. Information given includes about the patient's name, date of admission, a brief narrative statement of the circumstances under which she was admitted, and a brief diagnostic statement on her condition.
• Female Case Books, [ca. 1883-1913.] {Series #23.304}
  • Case books documenting the medical history of female patients from the time of their admission until the time of their release. They contain of a Series of entries made on different dates charting the patients' progress but entries are not made regularly and primarily consist of observations rather than descriptions of treatments applied. Information generally includes the patient's name, age, marital status, native state and previous county of residence, date of admission, husband's occupation, and the presumed cause of illness. Other miscellaneous loose sheets are contained within the volumes, including correspondence from patients to their physicians and other supporting medical documentation.
• Index to Female Case Books, [ca. 1883-1913]. (1 volume) {Series #23.306}
  • A complete index to the Female Case Books, ca. 1883-1913 {#23.304}. Information given is the name of the patient and the volume and page number of the relevant Female Case Book where the patient's record may be found.
• Miscellaneous Large Photographs, undated. {Series #23.419}
  • Subjects include women's ward.

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