University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Archives Department.

Cream City Business Association.

Cream City Business Association records, 1979-1989.

UWM Manuscript Collection 204

1 cubic ft. (3 boxes)



ABSTRACT:  Collection consists of the records of the Cream City Business Association, an affiliation of metropolitan Milwaukee gay and lesbian business owners and service providers that was in existence from 1981 to 1989. Collection includes meeting agendas and minutes of the executive committee and board of directors, newsletters, administrative correspondence, business directories, and committee files. 

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 richest sources of information in the collection are the minutes of the executive committee (1981-1987) and board of directors (1980-1989), the CCBA Newsletter (1981-1988), and the administrative correspondence (1981-1988).  Information regarding the development of CCBA in late 1980 and early 1981 is found in the board of directors' minutes.  The newsletter and business directories list CCBA member businesses in the metropolitan Milwaukee area.  The monthly newsletter also contains meeting minutes, calendars of activities, the president's column, financial reports, local and national news stories, and features on local gay and lesbian businesses.  The collection includes the results of member surveys conducted in 1981, 1982, and 1984.  News clippings include features on the CCBA, gay professionals, and the "gay economy."

ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY:  In August 1980, a group of fifteen people gathered at a meeting of the Gay Peoples Union to hear the vice president of the Business Association of Milwaukee, an association of gay and lesbian business owners, speak on the topic of "Gay Businesses in Milwaukee." When the speaker failed to show, some of the attendees met separately and discussed forming an alternative group of Milwaukee gay and lesbian business and professional people. After several planning meetings, the Cream City Business Association held its first public meeting in May 1981 with thirty-seven people in attendance. The first issue of CCBA's monthly newsletter appeared in the same month.  The group incorporated in August of the same year.  Initial committees focused on investments, research and referral, special programs, the CCBA foundation, membership, and housing and restoration. From the start, CCBA was a member of the National Association of Business Councils.  Throughout its existence, the CCBA held monthly meetings and programs, published a newsletter, and held an annual meeting with an awards ceremony. Presidents included Ralph Navarro (1980-1984), Marc Haupert (1984-1986), Jerry Johnson (1986-1987), Karen Gotzler (1987-1988), and Gary Gussick (1988).  In 1984, CCBA boasted that it was the largest, active lesbian and gay organization in Wisconsin, and that it had more than 200 members.  CCBA played a major role in establishing the Governor's Council on Gay/Lesbian Concerns, developing the Cream City Association Foundation (now the Cream City Foundation), and expanding coverage of Milwaukee's LGBT community by the local media.

COLLECTION CITATION: This collection should be cited as:

Cream City Business Association. Cream City Business Associaton records, 1979-1989. UWM Manuscript Collection 204. University Manuscript Collection. Archives. UWM Libraries. University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee.

RELATED COLLECTIONS:

Cream City Foundation. Cream City Foundation records, 1982-2001. (UWM Manuscript Collection 205)

Milwaukee Gay/Lesbian Cable Network. Milwaukee Gay/Lesbian Cable Network records, 1987-1994. (UWM Manuscript Collection 206)

ACQUISITION: PrideFest donated the collection to the Archives in November 2003 (accession 2003-035). Scott Gunkel donated additional material in February 2004 (accession 2003-062).

PROCESSING: Michael Doylen processed the collection in February 2004.

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

UWM MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION 204 BOX FOLDER
Advisory Committee, 1986 1 1
Annual Meeting, 1985 1 2
Articles of Incorporation, 1981 1 3
Board Manual, 1987 1 4
Board of Directors, Agendas and Minutes, 1980-1983 1 5
Board of Directors, Agendas and Minutes, 1984-1986 1 6
Board of Directors, Agendas and Minutes, 1987-1989 1 7
Board of Directors, Ad Hoc Committee to Meet with Resigned Members, 1986 1 8
Brochures, undated 1 9
Business Enhancement Committee, 1985-1986 1 10
Business Network, 1987-1988, undated 1 11
By-Laws, 1983-1986, undated 1 12
By-Laws Committee, 1986 1 13
CCBA Newsletter, 1981-1983 1 14
CCBA Newsletter, 1984-1985 1 15
CCBA Newsletter, 1986-1988 1 16
Contract Review, 1986 1 17
Correspondence, 1981 2 1
Correspondence, 1982-1983 2 2
Correspondence, 1984-1988 2 3
Cream City Investment Club, 1984-1986, undated 2 4
Cream City Special Edition, 1983-1984 2 5
Dinner Meetings, 1987, undated 2 6
Directories, 1983-1987 2 7
Executive Committee, 1981-1987 2 8
Financial Statements, 1981-1988 2 9
Forms, undated 2 10
Franklin Center Ad Hoc Committee, 1987, undated 2 11
Goal Setting, 1981-1982, undated 2 12
Histories, undated 2 13
Housing and Development Committee, 1983 2 14
Letterhead (Blank), undated 2 15
Membership Application (Blank), undated 2 16
Membership Committee, 1983-1987 2 17
Membership Information, 1985-1986, undated 2 18
Membership Surveys, 1981-1984 2 19
Metropolitan Business Association/CCBA Ad Hoc Committee, 1982 2 20
News clippings, 1979-1986, undated 3 1
Other LGBT Business Associations, 1985-1986, undated 3 2
Photographs, undated 3 3
Position Descriptions, 1986-1987 3 4
Public Relations Committee, 1984-1986 3 5
Secretarial Service Ad Hoc Committee, 1986 3 6
Women's Planning Committee, 1986-1987, undated 3 7

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URL: http://www.uwm.edu/Libraries/arch/findaids/uwmmss204.htm
Last edited on June 20, 2007.
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