James Bruen collection : Rochester Jaycees and the effort to admit women / James T. Bruen

ArchivalResource

Bruen, James T. James Bruen collection : Rochester Jaycees and the effort to admit women / James T. Bruen

James Bruen collection : Rochester Jaycees and the effort to admit women / James T. Bruen

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/69019447

As president of the Rochester Jaycees (1971-1972), James Bruen received requests from women to join the male-only civic service organization. Women saw the career benefits that they could gain from belonging to an organization that offered "leadership training through community service". Bruen corresponded with the US Jaycees, the New York State Jaycees, and many other local chapters regarding female admission. As the first Jaycee chapter in the country to admit women, against the national organization's bylaws, the Rochester Jaycees lost their charter. Other local chapters proceeded to admit women, also losing their membership in the US Jaycees. The Rochester, Philadelphia, and New Orleans Jaycee chapters entered into a lawsuit against the US Jaycees regarding the admission of women, which ended in the U.S. Supreme Court accomplishing little for female admission. A later U.S. Supreme Court case arose from Minnesota, Roberts v. U.S. Jaycees (1984), overturning the previous decision and requiring the US Jaycees to admit female members. The collection includes lawsuit documents, correspondence with many persons and organizations, meeting and committee notes, publications, newspaper articles, and other items, mostly relating to the Rochester Jaycees.

0.73 cubic ft. : 1 photograph , 1 phonograph record (33 1/3 rpm)

Rochester Museum & Science Center