The Ward M. Canaday Center for Special Collections The University of Toledo

Finding Aid

Alliance Française of Toledo Records, 1962-1999

MSS-143

Size:  4.5 linear feet (plus oversize).

Provenance: Gift of Christopher Malhoit, president of the Toledo Chapter of Alliance Française, on behalf of Alliance Française.

Access:  Open

Related Collections:  Betty Mauk Papers, MSS-135

 

Copyright: The literary rights to this collection are assumed to rest with the person(s) responsible for the production of the particular items within the collection, or with their heirs or assigns.  Researchers bear full legal responsibility for the acquisition to publish from any part of said collection per Title 17, United States Code.  The Ward M. Canaday Center for Special Collections may reserve the right to intervene as intermediary at its own discretion.

 

Completed by:  Magdalena Delicka and Benjamin Grillot, Spring 2000.

 

Historical Sketch

 

The origins of The Alliance Française in the United States are rooted in Alliance de Paris, an organization dedicated to the promotion of French language and culture, founded in Paris in 1883.  The first chapter of the Alliance de Paris in the United States emerged in 1888 and by 1902 there were 33 chapters across the country.  These 33 chapters, deciding they were large enough to form their own organization, united in 1902 to form the Federation of Alliance Française aux États-Unis.  The organization grew quickly and by the mid 1960s had reached over 200 chapters.

           

Nationwide, the organization's official mission was "to increase understanding of the French language, literature, history and culture among people in the United States and to encourage cultural exchange, mutual understanding and friendship."  This goal was achieved in a variety of ways including cultural events, language instruction, and foreign exchange programs.  Alliance Française has branched out into cyberspace and their website can be found at http://www.afusa.org/.

 

The roots of Alliance Française in Toledo can be traced to a singular, dynamic individual -Mrs. Betty Mauk.  In the late 1950s, Mrs. Mauk and several other French-speaking Toledoans began to meet regularly to converse in French and promote French culture.  As this group became larger and increasingly formal, they decided in 1967 to be officially incorporated into the national Alliance Francaise.  Membership continued to grow quickly reaching 200 individuals by 1967 and 250 by 1969. 

 

Under the leadership of Mrs. Mauk, Alliance Francaise of Toledo offered the community lectures, films, a French library, trips to France, and programs devoted to French culture.  In 1967, setting a precedent of cultural activity that they would continue for years to come, the group sponsored a troupe of French actors to perform Turcaret, an 18th century French play.

 

Throughout the late sixties, Alliance Française offered private language instruction at all levels:  beginner, intermediate and advanced.  As the organization expanded, so did the demand for their services.  In the late 1960s, Alliance Française organized a school where French language courses could be taught to the general public.

 

Mrs. Mauk was also known for her ardent support of the revitalization of Toledo's downtown riverfront.  During the 1970s when the aging Habor and Bridges Building was demolished, she approached the director of Toledo's Urban Renewal program with a plan for a riverfront park.  After much lobbying, hard work and persuasion, her dream became a reality and Promenade Park was born. To the delight of many native Toledoans, she sold homemade French crepes at the riverfront concession stand.  Betty also converted a downtown tailor shop near the park into Alliance office space.

 

The vision and ideals upon which Alliance Française was founded continue to guide the organization today.  Alliance Française donates scholarship money to outstanding French language students for travel to France, organizes lectures with internationally known speakers, and plans cultural events to be enjoyed by its members and the city at large.  The club's membership has remained steady and they plan to continue their efforts to educate Toledoans about French culture and language well into the next century.  

 

 

Scope and Content Note

 

The Alliance Française of Toledo Records has been separated into eight series:  Administrative Materials, Correspondence, Cultural Events, Financial Materials, Legal Materials, Photographs, Printed Materials and School Materials.  The fourth box contains oversized items from each of these series.

 

The first series, Administrative Materials, documents the operational proceedings of the organization and is subdivided into seven sub-series:  1) Affiliate Organizations 2) Annual Meetings 3)Board Meeting Minutes 4)Contacts 5)Membership Materials 6)Message Books and  7)Volunteers.

 

The Affiliate Organizations sub-series contains office files with interaction between the Alliance Française of Toledo and the National Federation of Alliance Française, the International Institute of Greater Toledo, and the Toledo Area International Trade Organization.

 

The second sub-series, Annual Meetings, is comprised of materials from the annual meetings of Alliance Française aux États-Unis (the national organization).  Board Meeting Minutes contain the minutes of board meetings held by the Alliance Française Board of Trustees and Contacts includes lists of individuals with whom there was an important affiliation. 

 

The fifth sub-series, Membership Materials, is composed of rosters, account books, lists and summary reports.  These items authenticate membership in Alliance Française in different ways.  Message Books, the next sub-series, consists of telephone and interoffice messages recorded in these volumes.  The last or seventh sub-series, Volunteers, has chronicled the activities of the organization's volunteers.

 

The second series of the Alliance Francaise of Toledo Records is Correspondence.  It, too, has been separated into six additional categories by the type of correspondence and the organization where it was sent.  Where appropriate, the letters have been separated into French and English to facilitate research.  The sub-series are:  Administrative, Alliance Francaise of the United States, Board of Trustees, General Correspondence, Legal, and Personal.

 

The next series, Cultural Events, documents the many varied activities sponsored, organized and attended by Alliance Française members.  Included here are pamphlets, playbills, advertisements, budget materials, correspondence and reports.   They are arranged into three sub-series, Cultural Events - General, Cultural Events - Project/Trip Sponsoring, and Cultural Events - Specific.  Cultural Events - General is arranged chronologically and contains general subject files kept by the organization.  The second sub-series, Cultural Events - Project/Trip Sponsoring, consists of trips and projects sponsored by the Alliance Française.  The third sub-series has information on specific cultural events relative to the organization.

 

Financial Materials details the financial status of the organization.  Treasurer’s reports, financial statements and budget information constitute the fourth series and are arranged alphabetically then chronologically.  Additional financial materials can be found in the Oversize materials box.

 

Legal Materials is a small series with just three folders.  The formal Code of Regulations and the legal paperwork surrounding the organization's official incorporation can be found here.

 

Photographs, series six, are arranged chronologically by the event named in the folder title.  Additional large-scale photos are in the Oversize materials box.

 

The seventh series consists of Printed Materials.  Included in this series are three sub-series: Pamphlets, Newspaper Clippings, and Newsletters.  Pamphlets are informational brochures or fliers created by the organization for purposes of self-promotion.  Newspaper Clippings are cuttings from various local newspapers relating to the activities of Alliance-Française. These materials date to the earliest days of the organization.  The Newsletter sub-series contains copies of the Newsletter published by Alliance Française.  Arrangement is alphabetical by folder title and chronological inside each folder.

 

The final series is comprised of School Materials and denotes activities of the school whose purpose was to provide French language instruction and promote French culture in Northwest Ohio.  It contains correspondence, financial materials, administrative materials, essays, resumes and student lists. 

 

A fourth box with oversize materials has many items from the original eight series, including oversize scrapbooks with news clippings, photographs, financial documents and ephemera.

         

Folder List

Box	Folder	S1. Administrative Materials
		A. Affiliate Organizations
1	1	Chapters in the United States, 1985-1989
	2	Federation of Alliance Française, United States, 1982-1996
	3	International Institute of Greater Toledo, 1988-1990
	4	Toledo Area International Trade Organization (TAITA), 1988-1991
		B. Annual Meetings
	5	Annual Meetings, Alliance-Française, Toledo, 1982-1999
	6	Annual Meetings, Alliance-Française, United States, 1983-1997
		C. Board Meeting Minutes
	7	Board Meeting Minutes, 1969-1978
	8	Board Meeting Minutes, 1978-1981
	9	Board Meeting Minutes, 1982-1987
	10	Board Meeting Minutes, 1988
	11	Board Meeting Minutes, 1989
	12	Board Meeting Minutes, 1990
		D. Contacts
	13	Contacts
		E. Membership Materials
	14	Membership Account Book, 1975-1985
	15	Membership List, Alliance Française - United States, 1983-1988
	16	Membership Materials - Misc., 1980-1992
	17	Membership Payments and Donations, 1982-1992
	18	Membership Rosters, 1968-1969
	19	Membership Rosters, 1984-1993
	20	Membership Summary Reports, 1988-1993
		F. Message Books
	21	Message Books, 1986-1987
	22	Message Books, 1988-1990
		G. Volunteers
	23	Alliance-Française Toledo Volunteers, 1989-1991
		II.  Correspondence
		A. Administrative
2	1	Alliance Française Toledo Correspondence, Administrative, 1984-1988
	2	Alliance Française Toledo Correspondence, Administrative, 1989
	3	Alliance Française Toledo Correspondence, Administrative, 1990-1996
	4	AFT Correspondence (French), Administrative, 1985-1990
		B. Alliance Française - United States
	5	Alliance Française USA Correspondence (English), 1982-1995
	6	Alliance Française USA Correspondence (French), 1989-1997
		C. Board of Trustees
	7	Board of Trustees Correspondence, 1984-1992
		D. General Correspondence
	8	General Correspondence, 1965-1977
		E. Legal
	9	Legal Correspondence, 1984-1990
		F. Personal
	10	Personal Correspondence (English), 1988-1993
	11	Personal Correspondence (French), 1987-1993
		III. Cultural Events
		A. Cultural Events Files - General
	12	Cultural Events, 1962-1977
	13	Cultural Events, 1979-1983
	14	Cultural Events, 1984-1987
	15	Cultural Events, 1988
	16	Cultural Events, 1989
	17	Cultural Events, 1990
	18	Cultural Events, 1991-1994
	19	Cultural Events, 1995
	20	Cultural Events, 1996
	21	Cultural Events, 1997-1999
		B. Cultural Events - Project/Trip Sponsoring
	22	Concourse Nationale de France, 1986-1997
	23	Local Project Sponsoring, 1986-1996
		C. Cultural Events - Specific
	24	30th Anniversary Celebration, 1997
	25	Bastille Day Celebration, 1989
	26	Bicentennial of the French Revolution - School Registrations, 1989
	27	Christmas Party, 1997
	28	International Heritage Festival, 1997
	29	"Jacques Brel" play at the Rep, 1997
	30	Nouveau Beaujolais Celebration, 1997
	31	Renoir Exhibit Trip, 1997
		IV. Financial Materials
3	1	Billings for Translations, 1990-1991
	2	Budget Information, AF - Toledo, 1987-1991
	3	Financial Materials, 1967-1982 (1 of 2)
	4	Financial Materials, 1967-1982 (2 of 2)
	5	Financial Statements, AF - USA, 1988-1995
	6	Invoices, 1989-1990
	7	Travel, 1989-1996
	8	Treasurer's File, 1973-1975
	9	Treasurer's Reports, 1983-1989 (1 of 2)
	10	Treasurer's Reports, 1983-1989 (2 of 2)
	11	Treasurer's Reports, 1990-1994
		V. Legal Materials
	12
	13	Building and Grounds, 1984-1990
	14	Code of Regulations, 1982-1988
		Incorporation Materials, 1966-1988
		VI. Photographs (See Also: VIII. Oversize)
	15	French Photographs, 1981 & n.d.
	16	Photographs, 1986
	17	Photographs, 1989
	18	Photographs, Christmas, 1990
	19	Photographs, Christmas, 1991
	20	Photographs, Friends' Meeting, 1991
	21	Photographs, 1991
	22	Photographs, Mardi Gras, 1993
	23	Photographs, Miscellaneous, 1993
	24	Photographs, Christmas, 1994
	25	Photographs, French Students Visiting, 1994
	26	Photographs, Le Piaf Fete, 1994
	27	Photographs, 1994
	28	Photographs, Soiree au Restaurant, 1994
	29	Photographs, Entre Amis, 1995
	30	Photographs, 1995
	31	Photographs, Beaujolais Party, 1998
		VII. Printed Materials
		A. News clippings
	32	News clippings, 1967-1980
	33	News clippings, 1984-1997
		B. Newsletter
	34	Newsletter, 1974-1997
		C. Pamphlets
	35	Bicentennial of the French Revolution - Pamphlets, 1989
		VIII. School Materials
	36	Experiment in International Living, 1971-1972
	37	French Courses, 1969-1998
	38	Payments to Teachers, 1988-1990
	39	Private Lesson Payments, 1989-1990
	40	Resumes in English, 1984-1988
	41	Resumes in French, 1982-1987
	42	Scholarship Materials, 1988-1995 (RESTRICTED)
	43	School Correspondence, 1985-1995
	44	School Income Reports, 1988-1990
	45	School Related Materials, 1988-1990
	46	Student Essays, 1992
	47	Student Lists, 1984-1990
	48	Teacher Information, 1986-1989
	49	Teacher - M. Jacques Navarro, 1971
	50	Teacher - Mlle. L. Annichini, 1969
	51	Teacher's Time Sheets, 1987-1988
		IX. Oversize
		Items distributed among 3 oversize boxes: 4, 5, and 6.
4,5,6		III. Cultural Events: Ephemera - Mardi Gras, 1993;  Scrapbook, Cultural Events, 1985-1987; Scrapbook, Cultural Events, 1987-1988; Scrapbook, Cultural Events, 1989-1990
		IV. Financial Materials:  Cash Receipts and Disbursements Journal, 1975-1981; Financial Information, 1980-1982; Financial Information, 1982-1983
		VI. Photographs: Photographs, Assorted, n.d.
		VII. Printed Materials: Scrapbook, News clippings, 1959-1977
		VII. Ephemera: Medallions, Commemorative Coins