Records of the Co-operative House

Collection

Identifier: UCOH

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Records of the Co-operative House consists of documents dated 1940 to 1969 and 1995 to 2007. Scrapbooks, reunion reports, and one book comprise the collection. The scrapbooks contain details of members of the house and the reunion reports record memories of life in the house as well as later events in members' lives. The scrapbooks are available for viewing in Mountain Scholar, CSU's digital repository.

Dates

1940-1967, 1995-2007, 2013 and undated

Restrictions on Access

There are no access restrictions on this collection.

Restrictions on Use

Not all of the material in the collection is in the public domain. Researchers are responsible for addressing copyright issues.

History

In 1940, the Fort Collins branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) opened the Co-operative (Co-op) House as an economical housing alternative for female students attending Colorado State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. The house, located at 503 Remington Street, housed 18 to 19 women and a housemother. It was to serve as a "working scholarship" for students as the low rent reduced their expenses and made it possible for many of them to afford college. In exchange, the women ran the house themselves under the supervision of a housemother.

In 1971, the AAUW decided to sell the house and invest the money in a scholarship fund.

In 1995, four former residents of the Co-op House, Nancy McCracken, Carol McMillen, Diana Sanderson-Mori, and Judy Brumbach Farmer, planned a reunion of the house alumnae. Fifteen Co-op women attended the first reunion in Denver, Colorado. Following the reunion's success, Co-op reunions took place biennially in Colorado.

Extent

8 linear feet (4 flat boxes, 1 document case)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

In 1940, the Fort Collins branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) opened the Co-operative House as an economical housing alternative for female students attending Colorado State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. In exchange, the women ran the house themselves under the supervision of a housemother. The AAUW decided to sell the home and invest the money in a scholarship fund in 1971. The collection is comprised of scrapbooks, reunion documents, and one book. The scrapbooks are available for viewing in Mountain Scholar, CSU's digital repository.

Arrangement

The collection consists of 2 series in 4 flat boxes and 1 document case:

Series 1: Scrapbooks, 1940-1967

Series 2: Reunion records, 1995-2007, 2013

Acquisition

The Records of the Co-operative House was donated by Karen McIntosh on behalf of the American Association of University Women in May 2018.

Processing

Processing was completed in July 2018. The scrapbooks were given no preservation treatment but were housed in acid-free boxes. The reunion records were rehoused in acid-free folders and box.