Collections : [New York State Modern Political Archive]

Series 1: Local 105 Minutes is composed of photocopies of union ledgers from Local 105.

The State Charities Aid Association subseries includes documents related to the activities of the SCAA in the field of mental health. It includes legal documents, reports, minutes, memos, letters, and pamphlets generated by various committees of the SCAA, reprints of articles by people belonging to or associated with the SCAA, and some state government documents and other external documents related to the work of the SCAA. Also included are reports of the Committee on Legislation, which was a special committee on legislation for the insane (1891-1895) and a letter to the mayor of New York City advocating bringing New York County into the state mental health system. The Subcommittee on After Care worked to improve the care offered to mental patients after discharge from mental institutions. Included are the subcommittee's by-laws, minutes, and one annual report. The Committee on Mental Hygiene was the principal committee of SCAA dealing with mental health issues. The records include reports of the assistant secretary, mission statement (labeled as "objects") minutes, proposal for the study of the prevalence of mental disease in New York State, training programs, memos, reports, and an excerpt from a history of mental health policies in New York. The Visiting Committees were members of the SCAA who were empowered by New York State to inspect mental institutions on behalf of the state government and report to the state's Department of Mental Hygiene on the conditions in the institutions and the quality and effectiveness of the care being offered to the mentally ill.

The Sheet Metal Worker's International Association, Local 83 collection documents the founding and daily activities of this organization from 1892-1984. In addition to the actual minutes, related materials that have been entered into the body of the minutes have been filed at the back of the folders. These related materials include correspondence, treasurer's reports and other documents referred to in the body of the minutes. The bulk of the business discussed within the minutes of Local 83 concerns grievance cases where the plaintiff was laid off unfairly.

The bulk of this sub-series contains the phone and address lists for the members of the NYRSC and its executive committee, yet there are also a few lists of delegates and alternates to the Republican National Convention. These lists were handed out during meetings so that the members of these groups could remain in contact.

This series is organized alphabetically by subject. It contains Bennet's extensive files on various personal and professional subjects and dates primarily from the 1930s through the 1950s. This series include extensive files on the Forest-Algoma and Weyerhaeuser lumber companies, files on numerous individuals whom Bennet represented as an immigration lawyer, and material on the 1938 New York State Constitutional Convention. It also includes material related to philanthropic organizations such as the National Committee on Prisons and Prison Labor and the National Bible Society.