CHICAGO (August 23, 2006) - The Polish Women's Alliance of America (PWAA) recently donated its early insurance files to the Newberry Library, one of the country's leading resources for family history and genealogical research.
"The records document the Polish immigrant experience in the United States," said Jack Simpson, curator of local and family history at the Newberry Library, "and will be a rich source for Polish-American family history."
Polish immigrant women in Chicago founded the PWAA as an insurance and annuity organization in 1898. At that time, there was no independent Polish nation, as the former Kingdom of Poland was occupied by Russia, Germany and Austria-Hungary. In the absence of a Polish state, exiles and immigrants in the U.S. created institutions to promote Polish independence and preserve Polish culture and language.
"We are very pleased to have placed these archives with the Newberry Library as it will strengthen the Polish and Polish-American presence in mainstream American life," said Barbara Miller, PWAA's treasurer. "The connection with the Newberry will provide broad opportunities for study, research and further understanding of the Polish-American experience."
Simpson added, "The records of the PWAA are of great value to genealogy researchers because they provide information about female immigrants, a group that can be difficult to research. The PWAA insurance files typically provide a member's birthplace and her parents' names, and will be a great source for Polish-American genealogy."
The PWAA's gift is currently being cataloged and will be ready in winter 2006. Contact the Newberry's genealogy office to find out more at (312) 255-3512 or genealogy@newberry.org.
Celebration at the Newberry Library
The Polish Women's Alliance of America (PWAA) is hosting a luncheon at the Newberry on Thursday, September 7 at 11 am to celebrate the gift of the PWAA's archival records to the Library. There will be a program by Newberry local and family historian Grace DuMelle, followed by a luncheon and a tour of the Library, with a special viewing of Kosciuszko's original letters to Thomas Jefferson. Call the Polish Women's Alliance at (847) 384-1206 for tickets ($50/person).
ABOUT THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY
The Newberry Library is an independent library open to the public for research and reference in the humanities. One of the largest independent research libraries in the United States, the Newberry holds an extraordinary collection of more than 1.5 million books, 5 million manuscript pages and 300 thousand historic maps. As one of the world's leading repositories of a broad range of books and manuscripts relating to the civilizations of western Europe and the Americas, the Library's mission is to acquire and preserve research collections of such materials, and to provide for and promote their effective use by a diverse community of users.