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Center for Hearing and Speech Records

 Collection
Identifier: A3043

Scope and Contents

The records are divided into three series: Administrative series, Publicity series, and the Services series. The Administrative series, 1926 to 2001, is arranged into three subseries which are each arranged alphabetically: Board of Directors Meetings, 1926-2001; Reports, 1960-1990; and Subject Files, 1924-2010. The Publicity series, 1895-1996, is arranged alphabetically. The Services series, 1936-1952, is also arranged alphabetically.

The Board of Directors Meetings subseries, 1926-2001, contains meeting minutes, some agenda, treasurer reports, reports from staff and committees, and other documents used during board meetings. This series also includes minutes and reports presented at the organization’s annual meetings. Correspondence and memos among board members and director, voting proxies, and reports that are not part of the minutes appear after 1971. There may not be minutes for each meeting of the year. There are no meeting materials for the years 1969 to 1970, nor for 1991 to 1998.

The meeting minutes provide information on the types of services and activities sponsored by the League. For example in the 1946 annual meeting report is a narrative about Girl Scout Troop #74, which was organized for the hearing impaired, admitting hearing girls as well. The League worked with the Mission Free School to coordinate the troop. The report also reveals the work of various committees: Evening Entertainment, Sewing Club, Bible Class, and Outings.

The Reports subseries contains statistical data on clients in various formats and financial data for the years 1960 to 1990. The Financial Review Reports span from 1981 to 1983, including monthly, quarterly, and year-end reports on expenses, income, program service fees, and units of service. The Mobile Unit Statistics vary in format from 1968 to 1990, and include both monthly and multi-year reports that provide demographic information on clients such as age and race, the location of tests, statistical test results, and service cost analysis graphs (1980-1983).

The PIE Reports span from 1974 to 1990. These are quarterly reports with pie charts that rank percentage of services rendered, referral sources, and income sources. The report also includes the amount of cash received for the quarter, client demographics, and breakdowns by location of service, either Manchester Road or downtown office. The Statistical Log reports are often titled “monthly” but the information is quarterly. Information in the reports includes client demographics, sources of referrals for service, services provided, and the total number of clients and appointments. Some of the reports divide the report by location at which the client was served.

The Units of Service reports span from 1976 to 1989. The reports record professional staff time units and they vary through the years from monthly to quarterly to annual. Some reports are summaries for the Center as a whole, some are monthly summaries by staff name. The Zip Code reports span from 1980 to 1990, but are multi-year. These reports account for the number of clients served within the United Way list of zip codes for the St. Louis region.

The Subject Files subseries, 1924-2010, covers a wide variety of topics relating to the organization. Significant items include the 1924 articles of incorporation, by-laws, constitutions, and legal documents relating to property. There is a very small amount of correspondence. Older materials include meeting programs saved by staff and/or members who attended national hearing association conferences, a few of which were held in St. Louis. General files on personnel date from 1960 to 1975, and illustrate the organization’s growth. There are several files of forms and correspondence with the United Way, from whom the Center received a significant portion of its annual budget.

The Publicity series, 1895-1996, consists of newsclippings, brochures, form letters mailed to local organizations, radio scripts, and events flyers. The earliest item is a brochure from The Gallaudet Society of St. Louis dated 1895. The newsclippings collected by staff relate to the League/Center’s activities and also to topics of general interest to the hearing impaired from local and national papers. Brochures are either produced for the Center, distributed by the Center, or belong to other St. Louis agencies.

Three publicity scrapbooks contain primarily newsclippings but also brochures and League event flyers spanning from 1920 to 1949 (no materials for 1940 to 1943). The earliest scrapbook, Vol.1, holds clippings that relate to the founding of the League, early letters, and brochures.

The Services series, 1936-1952, includes sources presumably used by the League in carrying out its classes and programs to the hearing impaired community. There are two small booklets published in 1946 relating to hearing aids: Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Or So You Have a Hearing Aid (by George J. Stuber) and My G. I. Hearing Aid (by Sgt. Dave Watson). Most of the series contains publications regarding lip reading exercises. There is only one file on sign language and an undated outline of a program offered by the Center.

Dates

  • 1895-2010
  • Majority of material found within 1920-1996

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

For permission to publish, quote from, or reproduce material in this collection, please contact the Archives Reference Desk at archives@mohistory.org. Copyright restrictions may apply. The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming to the laws of copyright.

Historical Sketch

The Center for Hearing and Speech was originally known as the St. Louis League for the Hard of Harding. The League formed at a meeting held on 12 October 1920 at the Central Institute for the Deaf. In 1924, the League formally incorporated. The founding members outlined the league’s objectives in the first constitution: 1) To promote social intercourse among its members; 2) To assist the deafened and hard of hearing in the matter of procuring and retaining employment; 3) To provide free and part scholarships in lip reading; 4) To aid and further in each and every way possible any helpful work among the deafened and hard of hearing; 5) To maintain offices and rooms for the business of the organization and the convenience of its members; 6) To encourage any other activities that may be to the general interest and benefit of the deafened and hard of hearing.



The League consisted of members who paid annual dues. From the membership, a Board of Directors (with six to twelve members) and officers were elected to oversee the general management, funds, and property of the League. Later, the League hired office staff, including an executive director who reported to the Board of Directors. The League held board and general membership meetings throughout the year. An annual member meeting provided League members the opportunity to vote for the Board of Directors and its officers. Since its founding, the month of the League’s annual meeting changed from October to May to January and back to May once again.

In 1964, the League changed its name to the St. Louis Hearing and Speech Center and increased the maximum number of Board of Directors from 12 to 21. The Center added audiologists and speech pathologists to its staff, including an audiologist dedicated to its new mobile testing unit that debuted in 1969. The mobile unit visited pre-schools, schools, community centers, social service agencies, and industrial sites in an effort to identify, and then assist, individuals with hearing loss. The organization altered its name once again and is presently known as the Center for Hearing and Speech.

From its founding, the League placed emphasis on social activities such as group outings, bible class, sewing club, bridge, and evening parties. This aspect of the center’s original purpose continued into the 1990’s with members’ social opportunities including themed luncheons, dinners, and specials events. To promote communication and activities with its members, the League began publishing League Life in 1924 (see the MHS Library).

Operating club rooms was also an important aspect of the League’s social objective. It has had several homes over the years, beginning with the Central Institute for the Deaf. By 1924, the League incorporated and had a room in the Ohio Building. Its quarters increased in size when it moved into the Academy of Science Building in 1927, and again when it moved to 5099 Westminster Place around 1930. In 1934, the League purchased its own 16 room headquarters at 4527 Westminster Place. The League remained here until 1960 when it moved to 3600 N. Grand. With its earlier name change and added professional staff and services, in 1973, the Center moved its headquarters to 9526 Manchester and it also opened a satellite office at 601 N. Grand. In 1980, the satellite office moved downtown to 915 Olive Street; it closed about 1986. In 2000, the Center opened a location in St. Peters to serve St. Charles County.

Extent

5.3 Cubic Feet ( (12 boxes; 3 oversize folders))

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

The records are divided into three series: Administrative series , Publicity series, and the Services series. The Administrative series, 1926 to 2001, is arranged into three subseries which are each arranged alphabetically: Board of Directors Meetings, 1926-2001; Reports, 1960-1990; and Subject Files, 1924-2010.

Physical and Technical Requirements

There are no physical or technical restrictions.

Donor Information

The collection was donated by the Center for Hearing and Speech in 2010 (accession number 2010-152).

Separated Materials

The donation also included newsletters and books (see the MHS Library) and photographs (see MHS Photograph Collection).

Processing Information

Processed with funding from The Stuart Foundation, Inc. by Kristina Perez, 2018.

Title
Inventory of the Center for Hearing and Speech Records
Status
Completed
Author
EAD by Kristina Perez using ArchivesSpace.
Date
2018
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the Missouri Historical Society Library and Research Center Repository

Contact:
225 S. Skinker Blvd.
St. Louis MO 63105 United States
314-746-4510