Guide to the Westminster College Girls' Glee Club minutes

The Westminster College Girls' Glee Club was a student organization that existed for thirty-seven years between 1917-1956. College Archives has photographs taken of the Girls' Glee Club in 1917-1918, 1920-1921, 1929-1930, and the "Westminster College Women's Glee Club" in 1954. In addition, the Girls' Glee Club is listed in other college records as having existed in 1918-1921, 1926-1927, 1929-1933, 1935, 1939-1942, 1946, and 1948-1956. The Club appears in the first school yearbook in 1919 and is last listed in 1956. There is no reference to its disbanding in the student newspaper The Parson in 1956 or 1957.

During most its history the club was known as the "Girls' Glee Club" and in fact the 1956 yearbook is the only yearbook where it was listed as the "Women's Glee Club." Throughout the club's existence the members functioned primarily as a choral group singing at college events and local community functions. They differed from the schools official choir in that the Glee Club was an outreach program meant to raise awareness of the school and foster goodwill among community members.

There are also several photographs in college archives of the Boys' Glee Club (1917-1918) and the Boys' Glee Club Quartette (1918). College records of this group's existence are fewer, but there is evidence that it was a club in 1918-1921, 1939, 1942, and 1949-1950.

As of the 2013/2014 school year, Westminster College's choral and vocal groups include the following:

• Westminster Chamber Singers, described as an elite 30-voice touring choir. Formed in 1996 under the leadership of Dr. Christopher Quinn, the group is open to students only by audition;
• Westminster's Griffin5 (or "G5"), a men's vocal group drawn from members of the Chamber Singers;
• Westminster Chorale, open to all students, faculty, and staff; and
• Opera Studio, which gives young singers the chance to learn the art of singing on stage

This collection consists of a one-volume spiral notebook containing the Westminster College Girls' Glee Club minutes, dating from September 1945 to June 9, 1946. Club business and brief descriptions of several club activities are found in the minutes. Some of the club's activities included singing and performing at various on- and off-campus functions such as the Ladies Board [Women's Board] "apron sale", the Young Women's Christian Association, and the Westminster College 1946 commencement exercises.

Loose materials found interleaved within the pages of the notebook were removed and filed separately. These ephemeral materials include programs and handouts from the Young Women's Christian Association, First Methodist Church service and Westminster College's May Fair 1946.

The book begins rather abruptly as though records may have existed in previous years. The minutes give no indication of the club's dissolution, which indicate that the club may have existed for several years following the last entry.

Restrictions on Access:

Open to public research.

Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Twenty-four hours advance notice is encouraged.

Restrictions on Use:

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.

Permission to publish material must be obtained from the director of the Giovale Library.

Preferred Citation:

Westminster College Girls' Glee Club minutes, 1945-1946, ACC-034, Giovale Library Archives, Westminster College, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Arrangement:

The minutes are arranged chronologically in the notebook. Materials removed from the notebook are arranged chronologically in a separate folder.

Processing Note:

Processed by T. Christopher Wharton in June 2003.

Creator:

Westminster College (Salt Lake City, Utah : 1902-1983). Girls' Glee Club

Language:

Collection materials are in English.

Quantity:

0.1 linear feet; 1 volume

Language of the Finding Aid:

English.

Author of the Finding Aid:

Finding aid written by T. Christopher Wharton in June 2003; expanded with biographical note written April 2012 by Sarah Shaw.

EAD Creation Date:

2012 April 18 by Sarah Shaw

Standard:

Describing Archives : A Content Standard (DACS)

Subarea:

Related Material:

Related collections and photographs in Giovale Library Archives:

• Westminster College Women's Glee Club scrapbook, 1938, 1952-1956 (ACC-132)
• Photograph of the Girls' Glee Club of 1917-1918
• Photograph of the Girls' Glee Club of 1920-1921
• Photograph of the Girls' Glee Club of 1929-1930
• Photograph of the Westminster College Girls' Glee Club of 1954, with Elizabeth Simpson, director

Corporate Names:

First Methodist Church (Salt Lake City, Utah)--Publications
Westminster College (Salt Lake City, Utah : 1902-1983)--Choral organizations
Westminster College (Salt Lake City, Utah : 1902-1983)--Students--Societies, etc.
Westminster College (Salt Lake City, Utah : 1902-1983). Girls' Glee Club--Archives
Woman's Board of Westminster College--Events
Young Women's Christian Association--Events

Subject Terms:

Choral societies--Utah--Salt Lake City
Young women--Societies and clubs

Form or Genre Terms:

Handouts
Minutes
Programs

Geographical Names:

Salt Lake City (Utah)--History--Sources