Records of the Alumnae Association, 1899 – | Wheelock College Archives

The collection is organized into six series, each of which has sub-series.

16A.  Alumnae Association Organization & Administration.

          Series I: Bylaws, Constitution and Legal Documents

          Series II:  Correspondence

          Series III: History of Alumnae Association

16B.  Alumnae Association Organizational Records

          Series I: Meeting Minutes, Reports

          Series II:  Executive Board Records

16C.  Alumnae Association Financial/Fund Records

          Series I:  Lucy Wheelock Child Center

          Series II:  General Financial Records

          Series II:  Alumni and Endowment Fund

16D.  Alumnae Association Events and Programs

          Series I:  Annual Luncheon

          Series II:  Lectures/Seminars/Exhibits

          Series III: Alumni and Reunion Weekend

          Series IV: Anniversaries

          Series V:  Other Events

16E.  Reunions, Class Activities & Clubs

          Series I:  Class of 1889-1955

          Series II:  Alumnae Clubs

16F.  Alumnae Biographies & Collections

          Series I:  Alumni Research Project

          Series II:  Biographies and Collections (Class Of 1889 – Class Of 1987)

          Series III:  Alumnae Oral History Projects

The Wheelock College Alumni Association began in 1892 as the Wheelock Alumnae Association with Ella Smith Wheelock (sister-in-law of College founder Lucy Wheelock) as President. Alumni of the School, which was founded in 1888, supported child care programs including a settlement house and the South End Kindergarten (Boston, Mass.), later known as the Lucy Wheelock Kindergarten. In 1899 the Association became the Lucy Wheelock Kindergarten Alumnae Association (L.W.K.A.A.) and committed itself to funding a demonstration kindergarten. In 1922 it started the Kindergarten Endowment Fund, which led to the opening in 1939 of the Lucy Wheelock Child Centre in Roxbury, Mass. It closed in 1955.

The transition of the School to a College as well as the death of the founder redirected the alumni development efforts to more closely match those of the College. In 1950 a new charter was written supporting the work of Wheelock College, an Alumni Fund replaced the dues structure, and Harriet Angell Cousens became the first Executive Secretary. This position became the Director of Alumni Affairs in the 1970's. The Association supported and sponsored events and programs such as the anniversary celebrations, Founder's Day, May Week and building and capital campaigns.

The Association offers ongoing professional development programs, social events, class reunions and networking opportunities through local clubs and regional chapters. Today it publishes the Wheelock Magazine which continues a tradition started by the Carrier Pigeon and the Alumnae Newsletter.

A history of the association entitled Yesterday and Today by Anne Friedman was published in 1992.