Order Sons of Italy in America - Frank Della Noce papers

Thecollection is divided into six series as follows: 1) Biographical, 2) National OSIA, 3) State OSIA, 4) Local OSIA, 5) Non-OSIA, and 6) Photographs. The records are mostly in Italian with a significant minorityin English. The collection covers the period 1915 to 1971. The bulk of materials is for the years 1920 to 1944.

Series I, Biographical information, contains two brief sketches written in 1964 when Della Noce received the American of the Year Award.

Series II, National materials, contains rarely found reports and minutes from the 1923, 1937 and 1939 Supreme Conventions. Minutes of a 1940 Supreme Council Plenary Session are alos present. Under sctivities are the program book for a 1922 testimonial dinner honoring Giovanni Di Silvestro, and a 1927 memo on the Loan to Italy campaign. Two booklets containing the Constitution and a general Laws date back to 1915 and 1923.

The State section, Series III, is the largest and focuses exclusively on the Maryland Grand Lodge. Most important it contains minutes of the grand conventions and special meetings, 1920-1955, and gand council minutes, 1920-1956. A rather rare record in the OSIA Archives, officer and delegate attendance books, are present in this series. Correspondence, 1921 to 1939, details Maryland Grand Lodge activities, and its communications with the Supreme lodge during the years 1928-1939. Information on committees and projects, 1922-1971, includes the Ameritan Award progam, Amnesty Program for Ex-Members, Columbus Day celebrations, dances, Junior Lodge Program, Membership, and the Sons of Italy home. The latter, referred to as the Italian Gerdens, was purchased in 1931 and a drawing of the floor plan is included in the collection. Lastly, Mortuary Fund Commission records, financial reports and membership applications, 1921-1941, round off this series. These records provide an unusal insight into the early days, i.e., pre-1950, of a grand lodge. When studied in conjunction with the 'Collection of the Grand Lodge of Maryland" and the "Papers of Arnold Broccolino" a good overall picture of the Marylan Grand Lodge emerges.

SeriesIV offers records on eight Local lodges in maryland, 1923-1964, as well as one in West Virginia. Non-OSIA materials in Series V include files on miscellaneous songs, writings and events. Lastly, Photographs, Series VI, contains six photographs of grand lodge leaders in the 1920s, a 1929 event, and a 1960 photo of Louis Milio.

The original arrangement of the files at the time of their transfer to the IHRC has been largely maintained. Series and subseries categories were artificially established in processing the material but drew heavily upon pre-existing groups.