This collection contains the records of the Conway Shakespeare Club, which is one of the older organizations in the city of Conway, Arkansas. The club was organized in 1894, when Professor F.S. Key of Hendrix College brought together eight women for the purpose of studying Shakespeare’s Plays.
The club affiliated with the Arkansas Federation of Women’s Clubs in 1898. In 1928, the club helped established the Conway Junior Shakespeare Club, and the two organizations worked together closely (Note: The Junior Shakespeare Club disbanded in April 1989, and their records are held by the UCA Archives). As the years passed, the club expanded its programs beyond the strictly literary, though that continued as a central program theme.
Perhaps the most significant accomplishment of the club was its persevering work toward creating a public library. Even during the depression, the club continued to purchase books for their library. The club continues to function with thirty members today.
Arrangement: The collection is arranged in four series.
Series I – Organizational materials
Series II – Minutes
Series III– Yearbooks – Conway Shakespeare Club
Series IV– Yearbooks – Conway Junior Shakespeare Club
There is an additional box after Series IV, Box 1 that contains duplicates of the yearbooks in the previous series. Note: When requesting materials, please specify collection number [M95-7], series number, box number, and the file number.
Series I
Box 1
File 1 – Club History materials
File 2 – Constitutions and By-Laws
File 3 – Financial records, 1958-1975, 1994
File 4 – Correspondences, 1934-1995
File 5 – State and National Federation materials
File 6 – Memorabilia, 1911-1997
File 7 – Correspondence: Memorial made by Marvin and Connie DeBore, in memory of their daughter, Sandy, 1998-1999
File 8 – The Shakespeare Globe Trust, March 1999
File 9 – Photographs
File 10 – Shakespeare Club’s 120th Anniversary of its founding and Shakespeare’s 450th Birthday Tea – April 19, 2014
File 11 – Correspondence – 2012-2016
End of Box 1
End of Series I
Series II
Box 1
File 1 – Minute Books, 1921-1932
File 2 – Minute Books, 1932-1936
File 3 – Minute Books, 1936-1940
File 4 – Minute Books, 1940-1946
File 5 – Minute Books, 1946-1950
End of Box 1
Series II
Box 2
File 1 – Minute Book, 1950-1956
File 2 – Minute Books, 1956-1959
File 3 – Minute Books, 1960-1966
File 4 – Minute Books, 1966-1973
File 5 – Minute Books, 1973-1988
End of Box 2
Series II
Box 3
File 1 – Minute Book, 1988-1998
File 2 – Shakespeare Club Minutes, 1999-2003, 2005
File 3 – Shakespeare Club Minutes
-Sept.-Dec. 2009, Jan-Dec. 2010, Jan.-Dec. 2011, Jan.-Dec. 2012
File 4 – Shakespeare Club Minutes
-Jan.-Dec. 2013, Jan.-Dec. 2014, Jan.-May 2015, May 2016
End of Box 3
End of Series II
Series III
Box 1
File 1 – Yearbooks, 1908-09 thru 1930-31
File 2 – Yearbooks, 1931-32 thru 1940-‘41
File 3 – Yearbooks, 1941-42 thru 1950-‘51
File 4 – Yearbooks, 1951- 52 thru 1960-‘61
End of Box 1
Series III
Box 2
File 1 – Yearbooks, 1961-62 thru 1970-‘71
File 2 – Yearbooks, 1971-’72 thru 1980-‘81
File 3 – Yearbooks, 1981-’82 thru 1990-91
File 4 – Yearbooks, 1991-’92 thru 2000-‘01
File 5 – Yearbooks, 2000-2001 thru 2009-2010
File 6 – Yearbooks, 2010-2011 thru 2013-2014, 2015-2016
End of Box 2
End of Series III
Series IV
Box 1
File 1- Conway Junior Shakespeare Club Constitution, organized c. 1925
File 2- The Conway Junior Shakespeare Club Yearbooks, 1926-1940
File 3- The Conway Junior Shakespeare Club Yearbooks, 1940-1950
File 4- The Conway Junior Shakespeare Club Yearbooks, 1950-1960
File 5- The Conway Junior Shakespeare Club Yearbooks, 1960-1970
File 6- The Conway Junior Shakespeare Club Yearbooks, 1970-1980
File 7- The Conway Junior Shakespeare Club Yearbooks, 1980-1989
End of Box 1
End of Series IV
End of Collection
NOTE: There is an additional box of duplicate yearbooks/material at the end of this collection