Tissue Culture Association records - Scope and Content Note
Series I contains the files of the Tissue Culture Association’s (TCA) presidents. Included are correspondence, constitutions and by-laws, reports and a variety of administrative files including administrative calendars, handbooks, and rosters of officers and committee members. Correspondence dates from the early years, beginning in 1940 when TCA was the Tissue Culture Commission and continues until 1985. Correspondence covers a wide range of topics illustrating the breadth of interests and activities of the Association including the education program, publications, committees, such as public affairs, terminology, placement and nomenclature and the special committee on litigation. Of interest is the series of correspondence concerning the proposed reorganization of the Association that never in fact materialized but resulted in the creation of the American Society for Cell Biology. Copies of the constitutions and by-laws and their revisions begin with the 1949 constitution and are extant through 1984. In addition there are copies of the documents of incorporation and the president’s annual reports for the years 1969 to 1977.
The second series comprises the records of the secretary of the society and are divided into two sub-series: correspondence and membership. There is a significant amount of correspondence, beginning in 1946 with that of the first secretary, Margaret Murray and continuing through the late 1970s. Membership files include a substantial number of membership application files dating from the early 1960s to the mid 1970s as well as member files which include correspondence, invoices and memos, and member rosters beginning in 1947 and continuing until 1982.
Treasurer’s records make up the third series and include correspondence, the annual reports of the Secretary-Treasurer, audits, budgets, expense reports, financial statements, and tax forms. Series IV contains records of the business office. Records date from 1978–1984 and primarily consist of the correspondence of the Executive Director, William Momberger. Also included are disbursement and receipt records for 1982–1984, and miscellaneous files on taxes, unemployment insurance and a surety bond.
Series V, Committees, is comprised of files from a variety of TCA committees. Files for both standing committees and ad hoc committees provide a view of the varied interests and activities of the organization. Files span the years 1951–1985 and include correspondence, reports, memos, and minutes and rosters.
Series VI is made up of files pertaining to the societies Branches and Divisions for the years 1963-1997. Those Branches and Divisions for which documents are extant are: California, Central States, Michigan, Midwestern, Montreal, National Capitol Area, New York, Northeast, Rocky Mountain, Texas, Honor Fell Division, Invertebrate Division, Organic Culture Division, Plant Division. These contain constitutions and by-laws, reports, and correspondence. Also included in this series are files on proposed clubs and sets of rosters.
The seventh series, Meetings, is divided into four sub-series: Executive Council, Annual Meetings, Decennial Review Conference, and Miscellaneous Conferences and Audio Tapes. Files for the first sub-series, Executive Council, contains agendas, minutes and supporting documents for the meetings of the Executive Council for the years 1947–1985. The next sub-series, Annual Meetings, is comprised of files for the annual meetings from 1946–1986. Included are organizational materials including files of the program committees, local committees and exhibits committees along with printed programs, abstracts, reports, minutes, correspondence, and catalogues. The third sub-series, Decennial Review Conference contains the planning documents for three conferences, 1956, 1966, and 1976, along with the minutes, reports, budgets, correspondence, abstracts, directories, and session papers of the actual events. The final sub-series contains files of individual conferences and meetings. Included are document files and audiotapes.
The eighth series, Publications, is made up of three sub-series: Bibliography & Index, Bulletins, Manual, Newsletter, and Miscellaneous Publications, and In Vitro. The first sub-series contains correspondence files with October House, the publisher, as well as general correspondence and printed bibliographies. Included is the first bibliography published in 1953 and continuing until 1966. Also included are correspondence files for the Index of Tissue Culture for the years 1965–1977. The second sub-series contains published copies of the bulletin dating from 1947–1967, correspondence, minutes, manuscripts, and questionnaires pertaining to the TCA Manual, and miscellaneous publications. Also included are copies of the TCA Newsletter beginning in 1968 along with correspondence, memos, and reports connected with that publication. The third sub-series, In Vitro, contains documents relating to the TCA journal, In Vitro. Along with copies of the publication are copies of individual articles, correspondence, subscription ledgers, budgets, page proofs, and sales figures.
