Skip to main content

National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis: South St. Louis County Chapter records

 Collection — Box: 1
Identifier: S4530

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of the records of the South St. Louis County Chapter of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. The records contain minutes from 1941-1961 and a manual for chapters from January 1, 1961.

Dates

  • Creation: 1941-1961

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Open for use in the Kathryn A. Martin Library, Archives and Special Collections.

Conditions Governing Use

This collection may be protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and to obtain all necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials. Researchers may quote from the collection under the fair use provision of the copyright law.

Biographical / Historical

The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis was founded by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938, as a national successor to the Warm Springs Foundation President Roosevelt established in 1927. The purpose of the foundation was to provide funds for polio research, education, and patient aid. It was supported by private donations to what was throughout the 1950s an annual fund-raising drive called the March of Dimes. By the mid 1950s most large cities held televised twenty-four-hour telethons in which celebrities would urge viewers to give. The telethons were augmented by door-to-door collections performed by individuals and community groups. Between 1937 and 1957 the March of Dimes collected approximately $500 million, and 1956 alone the March of Dimes raised $52 million. In 1958, the war against polio largely won, the organization changed its name to the National Foundation and broadened its interests. Over the years, the name "March of Dimes" became synonymous with that of the charity and was officially adopted in 1979. March of Dimes is an American health charity whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.

The March of Dimes Minnesota Chapter has evolved over the decades, and it now has regional divisions. The South St. Louis County Chapter is now part of the Northland Minnesota Division at 130 W. Superior Street, Suite 100, in Duluth.

Extent

6.00 Linear Inches

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The collection consists of the records of the South St. Louis County Chapter of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. The records contain minutes from 1941-1961 and a manual for chapters from January 1, 1961.

Physical Location

This collection is located at the University of Minnesota Duluth Archives. For more information about this collection or to make an appointment, contact us at libarchives@d.umn.edu or 218-726-8526.

General

This collection is part of the Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections, which are housed in the University of Minnesota Duluth Archives at the Kathryn A. Martin Library.

Title
Guide to the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis: South St. Louis County Chapter records
Author
Finding Aid Authors: P. Maus.
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Collecting Area Details

Contact The University of Minnesota Duluth Archives and Special Collections Collecting Area

Contact:
Kathryn A. Martin Library
University of Minnesota Duluth
416 Library Drive
Duluth MN 55812-3001
(218) 726-8526