Alice Simon collection on the Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol of America
Collection 3497
1966-1993(1.75 Linear feet ; 13 boxes)
Table of Contents
Summary Information
- Repository
- The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
- Creator
- Simon, Alice, 1909-1998
- Title
- Alice Simon collection on the Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol of America
- ID
- 3497
- Date
- 1966-1993
- Extent
- 1.75 Linear feet ; 13 boxes
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Sarah Leu.
- Sponsor
- This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
- Language
- English
- Language note
- Most materials are in English, but some, including the early convention programs, are in Slovak or Czech.
- Abstract
- The Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol of America (now Sokol USA), was established in 1896 as a non-sectarian fraternal benefit society that offered insurance and social and athletic programs to its members. The Alice Simon collection on the Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol of America, 1966-1993, contains minutes, newsletters, correspondence, photographs, bylaws, printed material, and various objects related to the Slovak Gymnastic Union of America.
Background note
In 1862 in the Czech region of Europe, Miroslav Tyrs and his father-in-law founded the Sokol movement. An all-age gymnastics organization based on the Ancient Greek idea "a sound mind in a sound body," Sokols used lectures and outdoor activities to train people physically, morally, and intellectually. Sokols aimed to be apolitical, but they contributed heavily to the development of Czech nationalism. When immigrants from Eastern Europe settled in the United States in the 19th century, several Czech and Slovak immigrant communities opened Sokols as places of moral, physical, and social training and as a way to build community and foster American patriotism. A national organization for the Slovak-based Sokols, the Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol of America (now Sokol USA), was established in 1896 as a non-sectarian fraternal benefit society that offered insurance and social and athletic programs to its members.
Local branches of Sokol USA are called lodges. Alice Simon was a lifelong resident of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and an employee of the Connecticut National Bank until her retirement in 1974. She was a gymnast and officer of the Bridgeport Women's Lodge No. 3W of the Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol of the USA (now Sokol USA).
Scope and content note
The Alice Simon collection on the Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol of America, 1966-1993, contains minutes, newsletters, correspondence, photographs, bylaws, printed material, and various objects related to the Slovak Gymnastic Union of America.
A large portion of materials is from Sokol Woodlands, a Sokol USA-sponsored summer camp in Barrville, NY that was in use until 2008. Woodlands materials include programming material, minutes, financial notes, manuals, pamphlets, newsletters, manuals, and ephemera dating from the late 1960s to the 1980s. There is also a large portion of materials relating to the national organziation, Sokol USA, including bylaws, printed matter, rules and guidelines, history, and other materials. Objects in the collection include badges/patches and a plaque. There are a few programs from conventions (annual meetings of the Slovak Gymnastic Union of America/Sokol USA) and slets (exhibition events for members to show off their athletic skills). Other items in the collection include some travel materials relating to the Czech region of Europe. Some materials are in Slovak.
Administrative Information
Publication Information
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania ; 2017.
1300 Locust StreetPhiladelphia, PA, 19107
215-732-6200
Related Materials
Related materials
Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol Lodges No. 93 and No. 66W (Bethlehem, Pa.) printed matter and photographs, 1922-1976 (bulk 1965-1975), collection 4087
Controlled Access Headings
Subject(s)
- Slovak Americans--Societies, etc.
- Sokol U.S.A.
- Women gymnasts--United States.
Collection Inventory
| Box | ||||
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Sokol Woodlands 1966-1970s |
1 | |||
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Sokol Woodlands 1970s-1980s |
2 | |||
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Bridgeport Women's Lodge No. 3W 1970s-1993 |
3 | |||
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Sokol USA 1970s-1980s |
4 | |||
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Sokol Gymnastic Union of the U.S.A. convention minutes 1974, 1978, 1982 |
5 | |||
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Sokol Gymnastic Union of the U.S.A. bylaws 1978 |
6 | |||
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Slet programs 1948, 1983, 1985 |
7 | |||
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Badges and patches 1985, undated |
8 | |||
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Plaque 1934 |
9 | |||
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