Virginia Merges Kletzer papers, circa 1903-1975

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Kletzer, Virginia, 1887-1982
Title
Virginia Merges Kletzer papers
Dates
circa 1903-1975 (inclusive)
Quantity
5 cubic feet, (5 record cartons)
Collection Number
Mss 2681
Summary
Papers of Virginia Kletzer include correspondence, minutes, reports, surveys, publications, and other documents related to various organizations engaged in health and social services, and involved with children and youth. A substantial quantity of the material relates to the National Congress of Parents and Teachers. The collection also includes a small number of personal papers, including correspondence and ephemera. Kletzer (1887-1982) worked as a secretary and librarian at the Portland Academy in Portland, Oregon, and later volunteered her time to multiple organizations and panels, including the Parent Teacher Association, the Commission for Children in Wartime, the Oregon division of the American Cancer Society, the Volunteers of America, the Portland Federation of Women's Organizations, and the Portland Council of Girl Scouts.
Repository
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Virginia Merges Kletzer, nee Margaret Virginia Merges, was born in Plattsmouth, Nebraska, in 1887. In 1900, her family relocated to Portland, Oregon. In 1906, she graduated from the Portland Academy, then worked as the school's secretary and librarian. In 1911, she and William Kletzer were married; they later had three children. After her marriage, she left the workforce. Later in life, she volunteered her time to multiple organizations. From 1933 to 1937, she served as president of the Parent Teacher Association, and was active in that organization's campaign for school lunch standards. During World War II, she was involved with the Commission for Children in Wartime and was a member of the national advisory committee on child labor for the U.S. Children's Bureau. From 1948 to 1958, she served as the executive secretary of the Oregon division of the American Cancer Society; she then continued to serve on the organization's boards and executive committees. She also served on the boards of the Volunteers of America, the Portland Federation of Women's Organizations, the Tri-County Day Care Committee, and the Portland Council of Girl Scouts, among several others. She received numerous awards from several of the organizations she volunteered with. She died in 1982.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Papers of Virginia Kletzer include correspondence, minutes, reports, and other materials of and relating to the National Congress of Parents and Teachers, circa 1903-1959; and reports, surveys, publications, letters, application forms, and other documents related to various organizations engaged in health and social services, and involved with children and youth, circa 1930-1969, including the American Cancer Society and American Legion. Also included are a small quantity of personal papers, including correspondence and ephemera, and a datebook for 1942, mostly blank, with entries related to Kletzer's professional activities.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

Virginia Merges Kletzer papers, Mss 2681, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Restrictions on Use

The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

Gift of Mrs. Clark Spurlock, January 1983 (Lib. Acc 16225).

Related Materials

Also held at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library are the Virginia Kletzer photographs collection, Org. Lot 252, and an oral history interview with Kletzer, SR 9393, which is available online in OHS Digital Collections at https://digitalcollections.ohs.org/sr-9393-oral-history-interview-with-virginia-m-kletzer.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Human services--Oregon--Societies, etc.
  • Social service--Oregon--Societies, etc.
  • Teachers--Oregon

Personal Names

  • Kletzer, Virginia, 1887-1982

Corporate Names

  • National Congress of Parents and Teachers

Form or Genre Terms

  • administrative records
  • correspondence
  • printed ephemera
  • reports