Association of MIT Alumnae records

This collection contains correspondence, bylaws, annual reports, minutes of meetings, directories and records that document the administration and activities of the Association of MIT Alumnae (AMITA). The collection includes documents from the 1907 incorporation of the Association in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

There are good records from the founding years of the organization, including minutes of association meetings and summary annual reports, from 1903 to 1936. Ellen Swallow Richards, the first woman to graduate from MIT was an active participant in the early years of the organization, and this collection documents her work. A folder of programs and souvenirs showing the MIT Women's Association part in MIT's June 1916 dedication of the Cambridge campus and reunion is in box 4. This includes a ribbon pin "MIT Women's Association" worn by celebration attendees. As part of the celebration, a directory of MIT women was published.

Part of the collection consists of completed questionnaires from several surveys of alumnae conducted between 1906 and 1972. Individual survey responses are closed for 75 years, but there are a number of responses from the 1906 survey open for use.

Later in 1964 and 1973, the Association sponsored two important symposium events and there is good documentation of planning and ideas behind the events. A “Symposium on American Women in Science and Engineering” was held in October 1964 to acquaint women with professional and career perspectives. Student delegates from over 200 colleges were invited to hear speakers from industry, education, and government.

There are also planning and program files created by AMITA members for the June 1973 Centennial Celebration honoring the 100th anniversary of the first woman to earn a degree at MIT, Ellen Swallow. An exhibit "100 Years of the 'New' Woman" was prepared by AMITA president, Susan Schur, was part of the celebration and there are biographical notes and files about the exhibit and the MIT alumnae featured.

The only born-digital files in the collection are related to an event held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the “Ad Hoc Committee on the Role of Women Students at MIT report” in 2022 May. It consists of an MP4 video and PDF files.