The American Service Institute was founded in 1941 as a result of research published by Philip Klein and collaborators entitled A Social Study of Pittsburgh: Community Problems and Social Services of Allegheny County. The study recommended that an advisory agency be formed to act as an interpreter between existing social and civic agencies. The American Service Institute (ASI) was formed from the combination of 3 organizations the, International Institute of Pittsburgh, International Institute of McKeesport and the American Citizenship League. The organizations focused on a combination of naturalization procedures for individuals as well as community related group work. The ASI was a product of the three earlier organizations with the stated purpose, "to assist in the ethnic, cultural and economic assimilation into the community of new Americans residing in Allegheny County; to encourage their participation in community life, as individuals or as groups; to cooperate with individuals and with nationality organizations in relating themselves to public and private social and civic agencies; and to give technical assistance to residents of Allegheny County who desire to become naturalized citizens of the United States." To fulfill these objectives, ASI worked through the organized structure of the community (i.e., social agencies, schools, churches, civic groups) to promote better understanding and appreciation among people of all cultural and national backgrounds, as well as encourage fuller participation in community life. The organization was supported almost solely by the Community Chest of Allegheny County, only a fraction of the ASI budget came from fees for services. ASI did not intend for itself to be an agency that provided individual service, but in their first year they assisted 1,140 people with the naturalization process. After those initial months government funds for naturalization programs made it possible to lessen the number of individual cases for which ASI was responsible. In 1960 a study was requested by the Community Chest of Allegheny County and the Allegheny County Health and Welfare Association to assess the role of the American Service Institute. As a result of the study the ASI was asked to terminate its services to the community and its contract with the Community Chest expired on December 31, 1961. All active immigration and naturalization case files were transferred to the Community Chest Information Services, which later became part of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the United Way.
From the description of Records of the American Service Institute, ca.1920-1961, bulk: 1941-1961. (University of Pittsburgh). WorldCat record id: 30264889
