| Creator | Massachusetts Society For Mental Hygiene (Boston, Mass.) |
| Title | Massachusetts Society For Mental Hygiene (Boston, Mass.) records |
| Dates | 1914-1942 |
| Identification | CC 3 |
| Quantity | 0.5 linear feet (1 manuscript box) |
| Collection Abstract | The Massachusetts Society for Mental Hygiene (MSMH) records, 1914-1949 (with gaps) include the annual reports and publications of the Society. The annual reports for 1914-1939 include the number of lectures given by the Society's lecture service, the number of publications distributed, a list of available publications, a list of all public conferences and speakers, with the topics of discussion and exhibits, the Society's library, and the Medical Director's and Treasurer's reports. The Medical Director's reports include classes taught, lectures given, and, beginning in 1931, an update of the Society's magazine for teachers, Understanding the Child. Publication topics include the mental health of soldiers and children, and caring for recovering mentally ill patients. |
| Historical Abstract | The formation in 1909 of the National Committee for Mental Hygiene resulted in the organization of similar societies at the state level. The Massachusetts Society for Mental hygiene, a cooperative unit of the National Committee for Mental Hygiene, was organized and incorporated in 1913 and began its public service in 1914. |
| Language | Material in English. |
| Location | Collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Archives staff for more information. |
Collection is open.
Copyright for materials resides with the creators of the items in question, unless otherwise designated.
Please contact the College Archivist with requests to publish any material from the collection.
[Identification of item: description and date], Massachusetts Society For Mental Hygiene (Boston, Mass.) Records, CC 3, Simmons College Archives, Boston, MA, USA.
Transferred from the Simmons College School of Social Work Library, 1991
Accession number: 93.004
Processed by Sheri Kelley, April 1993
Supervised by Megan Sniffin-Marinoff and Peter Carini
This collection guide was encoded as part of the LEADS project by Sarah Gluck, July 2012
The formation in 1909 of the National Committee for Mental Hygiene resulted in the organization of similar societies at the state level. The Massachusetts Society for Mental Hygiene, a cooperative unit of the National Committee for Mental Hygiene, was organized and incorporated in 1913 and began its public service in 1914. The goals included increasing awareness of the needs of the mentally ill through preventative work and educational reform. The society carried on a campaign of popular education through public lectures, the preparation and distribution of literature, and annual conferences.
All information taken from Its Aims and Purposes, The Massachusetts Society for Mental Hygiene, 1914.
The Massachusetts Society for Mental Hygiene (MSMH) records, 1914-1949 (with gaps), are arranged chronologically and include the annual reports and publications of the Society. The annual reports for 1914-1939 include the number of lectures given by the Society's lecture service, the number of publications distributed, a list of available publications, all public conferences and speakers and the topics of discussions, exhibits, the Society's library, and the Medical Director's and Treasurer's reports. The Medical Director's reports include classes taught, lectures given, and beginning in 1931, an update on the Society's magazine for teachers, Understanding the Child. The report of the medical director for 1949 lists the members of the Medical Advisory Council, the Joint Committee on Community Mental Health Programs, the Legislative Committee, the Finance Committee, and the Board of Directors and staff. There are individual Medical Director's reports for 1927, 31, and 1932.
In 1918 the Boston Conference of the Society presented the subject of Mental Hygiene and the War (the first public discussion of shell-shock)...(p.8). This heightened interest in the mental health of soldiers resulted in publications such as, How the Soldier Keeps His Nerve. This and many other publications were distributed to military training centers. Publications like, Mental Health for Normal Children, were distributed in teachers' colleges. These two publications, among others, are part of the MSMH records. The collection also includes two copies of the Mental Health Sentinel, a members subscription. This publication which was discontinued after four issues due to a lack of interest, includes the annual reports for the corresponding years.
The report of the Executive Secretary for 1943 and 1944 discuss special war projects undertaken by the Society. These included psychiatric screening of potential inductees, courses, consultation service, literature, rehabilitation, and district advisory committees.
Report of the Massachusetts Society for Mental Hygiene, 1914-1919, The Massachusetts Society for Mental Hygiene records, CC 3, The College Archives, Simmons College, Boston, Massachusetts.
These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.
Collection is arranged into 4 series:
Part of the School of Social Work Library Charities Collection.
Box 1
Box 1
Box 1
Box 1
