This collection contains records and items related to Isabel Lawrence, faculty member and first female president of St. Cloud State University, acting or permanent. Items in this collection date from approximately 1879 to 1950, the majority of which were created between 1890 and 1920. The first two series contain documents that belonged to Lawrence and were kept by former faculty member and friend of Lawrence, Albertina C. Anderson. The papers contain drafts of articles and addresses by Lawrence, some of her personal notes on several topics including developmental psychology and literature, and writings by students and other faculty members that may have come into her possession. The third series contains articles of clothing that belonged to Lawrence and were kept by Mrs. Blanche Anderson.

These records are arranged in four series:

Series 1: Records Created by Isabel Lawrence

This series contains a variety of typed and handwritten records. Much of it is drafts of essays, articles, and addresses by Lawrence discussing child and adolescent development and teaching methods, including a handwritten draft of a commencement address. Other records include personal notes on developmental psychology, literature, teaching methods, and lesson plans.

Series 2: Records Created by Other Writers

This series contains records that were not created by Lawrence but likely came into her possession and were found in the same donation. Records include, but are not limited to, writings by 1897 graduates Benhof E. Benhardus and Vernon E. McCombs, criticisms by faculty of practice teachers in St. Cloud State's model school, and records from other normal schools and teachers colleges in New York and Chicago.

Series 3: Clothing Belonging to Isabel Lawrence

This series contains clothing belonging to Isabel Lawrence that had been kept by Mrs. Blanche Anderson and were transferred to the University Archives by Mrs. Alice Wick, wife of former SCSU president Robert Wick. Included here are two dresses, a mesh top-coat, a fur handwarmer, five pieces of lace, and a 1987 letter from then University Archivist Marie Elsen to Blanche Anderson.

Series 4: Tribute and Other Material

This series contains mostly material related to Lawrence's retirement from St. Cloud State in May 1921. Letters were solicited from alumni and most letters received were bound into two volumes.  Other letters were left loose.  The bound letters are organized by graduating class and give tribute to Lawrence.  The letters congratulate Lawrence upon her retirement, share memories of her when the alum had attended St. Cloud State, and updates on their own lives.  There is a folder with Lawrence's 1936 obituary and other tribute material related to her death.

This collection contains various materials arranged by type of material found. Within each major subdivision, the specific materials are arranged chronologically. Most of the material focuses on the St. Cloud branch of the American Association of University Women, including: annual reports, monthly bulletins, secretary notes, executive board meeting notes, special projects conducted by the chapter, public outreach programs, and a number of scrapbooks cataloging the events of the chapter.

The collection contains several histories written about the Minnesota Division of the American Association of University Women and the St. Cloud Branch. These histories strive to highlight the goals and contributions of the association.

The annual reports contain forms attributed to the activities of the National A.A.U.W and the St. Cloud branch. The reports give an annual summary of club activities as well as various subcommittee and group reports within the chapter.

The monthly bulletins and newsletters contain information concerning the activities of the St. Cloud branch from 1934-1960, some bulletins are undated. The bulletins list dates for committee meetings, sponsored events, guest speakers, fundraiser reports, and other activities of the chapter.

The secretarial minutes are six volumes containing the secretary’s minutes of the St. Cloud branch meetings from 1922-1958. Included in some of the volumes are the minutes from the first meeting in 1922, the association’s “constitution”, treasurer’s reports, attendance records, and bulletin records.

The collection contains the minutes from the meetings of the executive board of the St. Cloud branch, from 1935-1950 and from 1959-1966. The executive board minutes contain the discussion of past events, discussion of other committee activities, budget proposals, and approval for activities to be held by the chapter.

The collection contains a study guide for A.A.U.W. members concerning the development of the public education system, focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of Minnesota’s public school system. The collection also contains several studies conducted by the St. Cloud branch focusing on Oriental culture, and focusing on the relationship between the law and the citizen. These studies involved guest speakers, suggested reading lists, and seminars. The study on the law and the citizen included a dramatization of court procedures of the Probate and Juvenile Court.

The collection in box 4 includes membership lists, president’s records, and club officer lists covering the years from 1938-1954; the box also contains the notes and correspondence of the Economics and Legal Status of Women committee who were petitioning for the Equal Rights Amendment from 1940-1945. The collection also contain a number of pamphlets from events sponsored or held by the St. Cloud branch of the A.A.U.W. These programs include: “The Art of India”; “Dimensions”, a program developed to foster appreciation of art in the St. Cloud area that also included a Japanese Arts Festival; notifications of Hostess Day; and a flyer for the production of “Pinocchio” by the Music and Drama Club of St. Cloud.

The collection contains a number of yearbooks from the Minnesota Division as well as the St. Cloud branch. These yearbooks cover roughly from the 1920s to the 1990s.  Along with the yearbooks are a number of charter and bylaws, legislative policies, and membership booklets in the collection.

The scrapbooks in the collections are in chronological order and roughly cover the period 1928-1988. They contain various newspaper clippings of the St. Cloud chapter’s activities in the community and photographs. Also there are accounts of visits to state conventions, programs, bulletins, clippings from speakers, and clippings covering various social events and issues discussed by the chapter.

This collection contains the records of the Associated Women Students (A.W.S.). Included is one meeting minutes book, the club's constitution, yearly handbooks, scrapbooks, photos and clippings, and their history.

Women's Recreation Association records contain documents, promotional items, and administrative files related to the operation of organization, as well as records associated with the planning, execution, and review of the events that the organization created and ran for female students. The majority of the records range from the early 1950s through the mid-1970s. Depending on the event or subject, files may contain student organization notes, promotional fliers, and rosters for the students that participated in the highlighted events.

The records are arranged in two series.

Series 1: Administrative Files

The records in this series highlight specific events or sports that the organization sponsored, as well as copies of the yearly constitutions and photographs from a variety of the events and sports offered by the organization.

Series 2: Scrapbooks

This series contains scrapbooks from the WRA that cover an academic year and showcase the diffrerent events and sports the organization organized and hosted, as well as a scrapbook for the Orchesis Modern Dance group that the WRA organized.

Athletic Media Relations records contains promotional material created for each St. Cloud State intercollegiate sport, 1920s-2010+.  The records are primarily from the 1960s and on.  Depending on the sport, materials contained are press releases, media guides, programs, schedules, and score sheets.  Some sports, such as hockey, are rich with information; others, such as cross country and skiing, are not as well documented.

The records are arranged in three series.

Series 1: Administrative Records

Records here did not deal with specific sports.  Included are press releases that did not deal with a specific sports or several sports within each release, bound programs for athletic contests, and other miscellaneous material.

Series 2: Biographical Files

This series contains biographical information on athletes and coaches while at St. Cloud State and date primarily from the 1970s and on.  Records here include forms filled out by athletes and coaches containing biographical information, press releases, clippings, and photographs.  Some files simply contain photographs, while others may contained a great deal of information on the person.

Series 3: Sports

This series includes intercollegiate sports. Depending on the sport, materials contained are press releases, media guides, programs, schedules, and score sheets.  Some sports, such as hockey, are rich with information; others, such as cross country and skiing, are not as well documented.