New York State Board of Charities Correspondence

Volumes arranged chronologically; unbound files chronologically, then alphabetically within each letter file.

This series consists of disbound volumes and unbound files of incoming and outgoing administrative correspondence.

The correspondence consists of: transmittal letters or cover letters sent with routine institutional reports; these letters often contain statistics on admissions, discharges, and expenditures; responses to inquiries from the board about the number of certain types of patients (e.g. insane persons, epileptics) in each institution; requests for or comments on the board's reports, some from out-of-state institutions; comments on social welfare policy, also often from out-of-state; requests for blank forms; comments on or requests for copies of bill proposals; and comments by the president of the board on legal action to be taken against institutions refusing inspection.

A few volumes contain correspondence dealing mostly with one subject, such as: responses from institutions to the board's request for a census of epileptics in connection with the opening of the Craig Colony for Epileptics (volume 48); responses from institutions to the board's request for a census of insane persons in connection with the establishment of the Binghamton State Asylum for the Chronic Insane (volume 13); arrangements for exhibits by individual institutions at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago (volume 38); and responses to circulars on record keeping and on corporal punishment policy (volume 55).

Incoming correspondence through 1896 was mostly directed to the secretary of the board; most later correspondence was directed to the Inspector of Charities. Private institutions were the most frequent correspondents. Among the individual correspondents represented in this series are: Theodore W. Dwight; Josephine Shaw Lowell; William Rhinelander Stewart; John Gray; Charles Loring Brace; John Ordronaux; Louisa Lee Schuyler; Frank Sanborn; Frederick Wines; Isabel Barrows; Samuel J. Barrows; and Zebulon R. Brockway.

Microfilm is available for use at the New York State Archives or through interlibrary loan.

Volumes indexed alphabetically; unbound files not indexed.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of this material.