University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Archives Department.

Polish Legion of American Veterans. Wisconsin State Dept. Ladies' Auxiliary.

Records, 1937-1979.

Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 55

2.4 cubic ft. (3 archives boxes, 1 small archives box, and 4 volumes)


ABSTRACT: Records of the ladies' auxiliary of the Wisconsin unit of the Polish Legion of American Veterans, the largest organization of American veterans of Polish ancestry in the U.S. The collection includes records of both the Wisconsin State Department and individual posts throughout the state, consisting of correspondence and memoranda; financial records, primarily cash books; minutes of monthly meetings, national meetings, and state conventions; rosters and monthly reports of local posts and of the State Department; and correspondence and other records concerning veterans' hospital aid and volunteer projects.

ACCESS RESTRICTIONS: There are no access restrictions on the materials, and the collection is open to all members of the public in accordance with state law. However, the researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright which may be involved in the use of this collection (Wisconsin Statutes 19.21-19.39).

SCOPE AND CONTENT: The collection provides a comprehensive overview of the activities of this organization primarily from the mid-1960s through the 1970s.

The records consist of several folders of correspondence and memoranda, with printed form letters and memos from the national PLAV organization; financial records, including cash books for the general and hospital funds, and notes for the annual audit; minutes of State Department monthly meetings, 1946-1969, and of national meetings and conventions; and minutes, notes, delegates lists, and mandates from the biennial state conventions. There are some records of individual committees, such as the Americanism Committee, which sponsors the annual essay contest, Child Welfare Committee, VAVS (Veterans Administration Voluntary Service) Committee, and others. Pertaining to the veterans' hospital aid projects are correspondence, receipts for funds and gifts donated, cards, minutes of meetings, and reports of volunteer work accomplished for each of the eight hospitals assisted by the PLAV. Records of the individual posts within the state consist of rosters of members and reports of monthly meetings, which were submitted to state headquarters in Milwaukee. There is also a small file of programs and brochures commemorating both State Department and post anniversaries.

ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY: In 1923 the first Wisconsin post of the Polish Legion of American Veterans, Woodrow Wilson Post #11, was founded on Milwaukee's South Side. The purposes of the PLAV were patriotic and anti-communist in nature, as well as fraternal, civic, and social. Two years later, in 1925, Post #11 formed a ladies' auxiliary, which eventually became the nucleus for the Wisconsin State Department Ladies' Auxiliary. The first national officer, Laura Gorski with Anna Kucharczyk Heleniak and others, organized additional posts in conjunction with PLAV chapters. On 27 October 1937 the first meeting of the State Department was held, to guide the work of the individual posts.

In 1979 there was eleven PLAV Ladies' auxiliary posts, and a Gold Star Mothers Chapter in Wisconsin, dedicated "to work for the disabled veteran." Among the projects undertaken by the posts were volunteer work at veterans' hospitals, fund-raising for gifts and small purchases for patients at hospitals both in and out of state, sponsorship of annual essay contests for eighth-graders and queen competitions, and promotion of the welfare of children. Social events also form a portion of the activities of each post.

COLLECTION CITATION: This collection should be cited as:

Polish Legion of American Veterans. Wisconsin State Dept. Ladies' Auxiliary. Records, 1937-1979. Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 55. Wisconsin Historical Society. Milwaukee Area Research Center. Golda Meir Library. University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee.


RELATED COLLECTIONS:

Polish Legion of American Veterans. Kobus-Molenda Post No. 49 (South Milwaukee, Wis.). Records, 1965-1979. (Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 54 and Milwaukee Tape 9)

Polish Legion of American Veterans. Post 172 (St. Francis, Wis.). Records, 1973 and 1980. (Milwaukee Small Collection 138)

Polish Legion of American Veterans. Richard Jakubiak Post No. 67 (Milwaukee, Wis.). Records, 1968-1977. (Milwaukee Small Collection 101)

Polish Legion of American Veterans. Wisconsin State Dept. Records, 1947-1979. (Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 53)


ACQUISITION: Presented by the Polish Legion of American Veterans, Wisconsin State Department Ladies' Auxiliary, via Rosemarie Broskowski of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1981 (accession number M81-361).

PROCESSING: Processed by Menzi Behrnd-Klodt in April 1982.

MARC RECORD SEARCH TERMS: The following terms were used in the online bibliographic MARC record to this collection:

MILWAUKEE MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION 55 BOX FOLDER
Address Lists, undated 1 1
Americanism Committee, 1963-1979 1 2
Child Welfare Committee, 1967-1979, undated 1 3
Correspondence and Memos, 1966-1979, undated 1 4-6
Financial Records, General Records and Audits, 1967-1979, undated 1 7
Financial Records, Cash Book, 1937-1962 [volume 1] 1 8
Financial Records, Cash Book, 1955-1963 [volume 2] 1 9
Financial Records, Cash Book, 1961-1970 [volume 3] 2 1
Financial Records, Cash Book, 1969-1976 [volume 4]
Financial Records, Hospital Fund, Cash Book, 1963-1970 [volume 5] 2 2
Financial Records, Hospital Fund, Cash Book, 1963-1975 [volume 6] 2 3
Financial Records, Hospital Fund, Cash Book, 1969-1976 2 4
Gold Star Mothers, Reports, 1965-1975, undated 2 5
Minutes of Meetings, Minute Book, 1946-1957 [volume 7]
Minutes of Meetings, Minute Book, 1957-1966 [volume 8]
Minutes of Meetings, Minute Book, 1966-1969 [volume 9]
Minutes of Meetings, Minutes, 1969-1977 6 1
Minutes of National Meetings and Conventions, 1954-1979 6 2
Miscellaneous, Notes and Address Lists, 1973-1974 2 6
Records of Individual Posts, Rosters of Members, Post #11, Woodrow Wilson Post, 1971-1978 2 7
Records of Individual Posts, Rosters of Members, Post #26, Walter J. Muszynski Post, 1971-1978 2 8
Records of Individual Posts, Rosters of Members, Post #33, Thaddeus Kosciuszko Post, 1971-1977 2 9
Records of Individual Posts, Rosters of Members, Post #34, George Washington Post, 1971-1978 2 10
Records of Individual Posts, Rosters of Members, Post #49, Kobus-Molenda Post, 1971-1978 2 11
Records of Individual Posts, Rosters of Members, Post #67, Richard Jakubiak Post, 1976-1978 2 12
Records of Individual Posts, Rosters of Members, Post #172, St. Francis Post, 1971-1977 2 13
Records of Individual Posts, Rosters of Members, Post #177, Green Bay Post, 1975-1978 2 14
Records of Individual Posts, Rosters of Members, Post #178, Krakow Post, 1972-1978 2 15
Records of Individual Posts, Rosters of Members, Post #181, Du Bay Post, 1974-1977 2 16
Records of Individual Posts, Rosters of Members, Post #182, Sgt. Elmer Podlasinski Post, 1973-1975 2 17
Reports of Monthly Meetings, Post #11, Woodrow Wilson Post, 1966-1979 2 18
Reports of Monthly Meetings, Post #26, Walter J. Muszynski Post, 1966-1979 2 19
Reports of Monthly Meetings, Post #33, Thaddeus Kosciuszko Post, 1966-1979 2 20
Reports of Monthly Meetings, Post #34, George Washington Post, 1966-1979 2 21
Reports of Monthly Meetings, Post #49, Kobus-Molenda Post, 1966-1978 3 1
Reports of Monthly Meetings, Post #67, Richard Jakubiak Post, 1976-1979 3 2
Reports of Monthly Meetings, Post #172, St. Francis Post, 1969-1979 3 3
Reports of Monthly Meetings, Post #177, Green Bay Post, 1975-1979 3 4
Reports of Monthly Meetings, Post #178, Krakow Post, 1964-1979 3 5
Reports of Monthly Meetings, Post #181, Du Bay Post, 1974-1979 3 6
Reports of Monthly Meetings, Post #182, Sgt. Elmer Podlasinski Post, 1974-1976 3 7
Programs and Anniversary Brochures, 1958-1978 3 8
Rosters of Members, and Officers, State Dept., 1967-1969, 1975-1977, undated 3 9
State Conventions, Records, 1959-1979 6 3
State Conventions, Records, 1971 3 10
State Conventions, Records, 1973 3 11
State Conventions, Records, 1975 3 12
State Conventions, Records, 1977 3 13
State Department and Committee Reports, 1968-1978 3 14
VAVS Committee, 1968-1979 3 15
Veterans Hospital Aid Projects, Birmingham, Alabama, 1970-1979 3 16
Veterans Hospital Aid Projects, Fort Meade, South Dakota, 1966-1970 4 1
Veterans Hospital Aid Projects, Madison, Wisconsin, 1965-1979 4 2
Veterans Hospital Aid Projects, Muskogee, Oklahoma, 1967-1978 4 3
Veterans Hospital Aid Projects, St. Cloud, Minnesota, 1967-1971 4 4
Veterans Hospital Aid Projects, Tomah, Wisconsin, 1966-1979 4 5
Veterans Hospital Aid Projects, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 1970-1979 4 6
Veterans Hospital Aid Projects, Wood, Wisconsin, 1967-1971 4 7
Veterans Hospital Aid Projects, Wood, Wisconsin, 1972-1979, undated 5 1-2

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Last edited on Wednesday, November 28, 2001.
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