MS – 197 Greater Springfield and Clark County Association Records

Introduction

The records of the Greater Springfield and Clark County Association were accessioned into the Wright State University Archives and Special Collections department in August 1980, as part of the James Leffel and Co. collection. They were donated by J. Robert Groff, President and General Manager of the Leffel Co., and one of the founders of the GSCCA. The collection consists of five Hollinger boxes and seven oversize scrapbooks of newspaper clippings. The span dates for the collection are 1944-1954.

There are no restrictions on the use of this collection.

Brief Agency History

The Greater Springfield and Clark County Association was incorporated in May 1944 as a result of the collective efforts of many civic and community leaders in the Springfield, Ohio area. The purpose of this non-profit organization was to foster and promote the social, cultural, civic, and general welfare of Springfield and Clark County.

The Association mobilized local efforts to get various physical needs met such as improved water and sewer systems, a railroad grade elimination project for Main Street, better school and hospital facilities, and a variety of bond issues and levies passed. The GSCCA reached a membership of 8,000 and remained vigorously active for just over a decade.

Scope and Content

The records of the Greater Springfield and Clark County Association contain a variety of materials. These include meeting minutes, brochures, committee reports, pictures, and newspaper clippings. Holdings are scattered or nonexistent for all or parts of some years.

Series I is primarily composed of meeting minutes. These are arranged in chronological order by year. First are the Board of Directors meetings, including treasurer’s reports and committee reports for the years 1944-1954. The executive committee meetings are next. The early executive committee was referred to as the strategy committee and ran from 1945-1952. The past presidents meeting minutes follow and consist of one folder for the years 1950-1952.

Series II contains the correspondence and efforts of the various committees of the GSCCA. File folders are in chronological order and are grouped together according to committee or project. The projects included in this series are: a bond issue campaign – 1945, hospital renovation costs – 1950, sewer bond campaign – 1951, home beautification contests – 1950-1954, main street grade elimination project – 1945-1954, citizens committee – 1948, various school committees, levies, and promotions – 1945-1953 including various letters from officials, and the water project 1944-1946, 1950-1952, which was headed by J. Robert Groff.

Series III is miscellaneous. Included are the constitution and by-laws, correspondence of GSCCA presidents, Winwood and Groff from May-Dec. 1945, membership lists for 1944-1951, contribution lists 1944-1951, various brochures put out by the GSCCA, a script from the town meeting which was broadcast May 25, 1948 and sponsored by the GSCCA, and scattered financial records for 1953-1954.

Series IV consists of newspaper clipping files and seven scrapbooks. The scrapbooks, covering the period May 1945 to May 1949, are a collection of articles clipped from the Springfield News - Sun. These clippings pertain to events or members of the GSCCA. The files consist of the following: The town meeting 1948, Main street grade elimination project, Home beautification contests, Water project news, and various clippings from 1953-1954.

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