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Register of the Records of the
SAINT ANDREW'S SOCIETY OF PHILADELPHIA
1749-1979
22.5 linear feet
MSS Group 142
by
Laura A. Szumanski
February 1998
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
"We will sing you a song of St. Andrew's men, Who meet in the City of Penn; They tell funny stories, they love a good joke, And they chat and they sing and they smoke."
--James Ronaldson, Verses Dedicated to the St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia, 31 October 1870.
Though the members of the St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia may have indeed enjoyed a few good chats, songs, and smokes with one another over the years, their organization was and is far more than a social club. Named in honor of Andrew, patron saint of Scotland, the Society is reported to have been founded in 1747 at the Tun Tavern, originally located at the corner of King Street (later Water Street) and Wilcox Alley (later Tun Alley) in Philadelphia, a site later destroyed with the construction of Interstate 95. The earliest written records of the group, however, date from 1749. According to its charter, the St. Andrew's Society was created for the "sole purpose" of providing "relief [for] distressed Scottish immigrants" throughout the city (Cameron and Hubbard 5). As such, the Society formed a Committee of Assistants in order to pool the available resources of members so that indigent Scots could be assisted collectively and in an orderly manner.
The Assistants of the St. Andrew's Society (along with official Physicians designated by the group) aided needy Scots in Philadelphia for over two hundred years, particularly during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Throughout this decade, members paid not only for the rent, food, clothing, and hospital expenses of local Scots, but also found work for many unemployed individuals--some thirteen million hours of labor in total (Todd 123). In addition, the Society has maintained several burial lots (at Laurel Hill and Woodlands Cemeteries) in which destitute Scots with neither family nor friends in the United States have been interred. Since 1958, however, the monies of the Society have been channeled in an additional direction. This year marked the establishment of the Foundation of the St. Andrew's Society, a committee devoted to awarding scholarships for American university students to study in Scotland and for Scottish students to study in the United States. Since 1981, these scholarships have been made available for young women as well as men.
The membership of the St. Andrew's Society is restricted to male Pennsylvania residents of either Scottish birth or descent; members have included some of the most prominent figures in Philadelphia's (and America's) history. Five members of the St. Andrew's Society signed the Declaration of Independence: Philip Livingston, Thomas McKean, George Ross, James Wilson, and Thomas Witherspoon. Educated professionals from all fields (including clergymen, lawyers, physicians, bankers, university professors, and assorted merchants and craftsmen) have continually been welcomed into the Society, bringing with them not only substantial wealth but social status as well. Andrew Carnegie, Jay Cooke, and Robert Pitcairn were all members. Honorary members included Alexander Hamilton, former Presidents William Howard Taft and Warren G. Harding, and General Douglas MacArthur of the United States Army. Annual dues and member donations have been invested over the years, ensuring that both the Assistants Committee and the Foundation of the St. Andrew's Society have had sufficient funding with which to conduct their charitable works.
St. Andrew's men have long relished the social dimension of their group. Each year a grand banquet is held to commemorate St. Andrew's Day on or around November 30. For much of the nineteenth century, this Annual Dinner took place at Augustin's in downtown Philadelphia. A more recent site was the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel located at Broad and Walnut Streets in Center City Philadelphia. Originally, the Society met approximately four times per year for dinner meetings at locations such as the old Bunch of Grapes Tavern, Indian Queen Tavern, and Three Crowns Tavern. Though the meeting places changed, the tradition of the quarterly meeting continued into the twentieth century. In addition, the Society has maintained both a Library and Historical Committee throughout its existence. The St. Andrew's Society Library contains a wealth of Scottish literature and history books. In 1956, member Ulysses Grant Beath oversaw the publication of a catalogue of the library's holdings. The Balch Institute Library possesses a copy of this work. The Historians of the Society, moreover, published four impressive volumes on the history of the organization. Three of these works contain the biographies of St. Andrew's members who died between the years of 1749 and 1937. The fourth and most recent book, a history of the St. Andrew's Society (drawing upon the information recorded in the organization's minute books), was published in 1947 in commemoration of the two-hundredth anniversary of the founding of the Society. The Balch Institute Library owns these books as well.
Thus, the members of the St. Andrew's Society have celebrated a shared Scottish heritage for over two-hundred fifty years. In 1840, the body of celebrated Revolutionary War hero General Hugh Mercer (a member of the Society and Surgeon General of the Continental Army under George Washington until killed at the Battle of Princeton in 1777) was exhumed by the Society and re-buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery. His sword (carried at the Battle of Princeton) is among the most precious relics possessed by the St. Andrew's men, in addition to a number of Scottish and American flags, two rams' head snuff boxes, and the Society's loving cup and quaich. Each of these artifacts is lovingly exhibited with great pride at the Annual Dinner honoring St. Andrew's Day, symbols of the Society's rich history and valuable contributions to the Scots of Philadelphia.
The current address of the St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia is the Racquet Club, located at 215 South Sixteenth Street in downtown Philadelphia.
References:
Beath, Robert B., et. al. An Historical Catalogue of the St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia with Biographical Sketches of Deceased Members, 1749-1907. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia, 1907.
. Historical Catalogue of the St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia with Biographical Sketches of Deceased Members, Volume II, 1749-1913. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia, 1913.
Beath, Ulysses Grant. The St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia Catalogue of Books in the Library. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia, 1956.
Cameron, Robert Moore, and Cortlandt VanDyke Hubbard. An Historical Sketch of the Saint Andrew's Society of Philadelphia and the Relics, Flags, and Insignia of the Society. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia, 1983.
Croskey, John Welsh, William Ives Rutter, Jr., et. al. Historical Catalogue of the St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia with Biographical Sketches of Deceased Members, Volume III, 1913-1937. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia, 1937.
Gardner, Edgar S., et. al. The First Two Hundred Years (1747-1947) of the Saint Andrew's Society of Philadelphia. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia, 1947.
Ronaldson, James. "Verses Dedicated to the Saint Andrew's Society." 31 October 1870. MSS 142, Series 1, Subseries 4, Box 14, Folder 7.
Todd, Reverend G. Hall. "Saint Andrew's Society of Philadelphia." In Invisible Philadelphia: Community Through Voluntary Organizations. Jean Barth Toll and Mildred S. Gilliam, eds. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Atwater Kent Museum, 1995.
PROVENANCE
The records of the St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia were deposited by the Society at the Balch Institute in 1996.
PROCESSING NOTE
Routine preservation measures have been taken with much of the loose correspondence in the collection. Staples and other metal clips were removed and replaced with Plastiklips plastic fasteners wherever possible. The earliest papers of the Society (dating from 1749 to the early 1800s), though left entirely untreated, are housed individually between sheets of acid-free paper. Note that the pages containing the signatures of the signers of the Declaration of Independence remain in very poor condition. Severely torn papers dating from the mid-to-late 1800s and throughout the twentieth century have been repaired with Filmoplast-P transparent archival tape. The most brittle papers in this collection, dating from the late 1920s and early 1930s, were photocopied onto acid-free paper and then discarded. The photocopies remain in the collection. Each of the bound volumes of the manuscript collection has been wrapped in a durable, acid-free container. All are stored in larger, acid-free Paige-sized Hollinger Boxes.
Three items were formally preserved before accessioning. They are as follows: the Articles of Incorporation (1796), St. Andrew's Society Charter (1809), and amended Society Charter (1872).
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
The records of the St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia span the years between 1749 and 1979, with the most detailed information dating between 1864 and 1940. The twelve bound journals housing the Society's meeting minutes form the core of the entire collection, allowing researchers to view the day-to-day operations of the organization over an extensive period of time (1864 through 1969). Because the meeting minutes highlight only the most important activities of the various St. Andrew's Society Subcommittees (i.e. Treasurer's Committee, Audit Committee, Assistants Committee, Library Committee, Historical Committee, Annual Dinner Committee), collectively they provide an exceptional overview of the group's functions and thus form the best basis for research. The rest of the collection's bound journals (financial records, Assistants Committee volumes, and Library Committee meeting minutes/accessions records) are far more specific in nature. They, along with the bulk of the collection's loose correspondence, are perhaps best used to supplement the more general material found in the meeting minutes.
A number of items are of particular visual interest. Such materials include the earliest papers of the St. Andrew's Society, namely the signatures of three of the signers of the Declaration of Independence (Philip Livingston, Thomas McKean, and James Wilson) and the Society's Articles of Incorporation (1796). In addition, the Society's charter (1809) and its amended version (1872) warrant attention. As mentioned previously, while the Articles of Incorporation and both charters were formally preserved before they were accessioned at the Balch Institute, the signatures of the Declaration signers were not and remain in poor condition to date.
Of additional interest in this collection are several membership certificates from the mid-1800s (signed and dated), a stationery book, two scrapbooks containing the Society's annual dinner programs, fourteen metal printing plates, and eleven original copies of local newspapers dating from 1785 to 1928.
SERIES DESCRIPTIONS
The records of the St. Andrew's Society are divided into five series. They are arranged as follows:
Series 1: General Administrative Records:
Subseries 1: Earliest Papers: In Box 1 of this subseries, eight folders contain the earliest written records of the St. Andrew's Society. They date from 1749 until the early 1800s and, though not extensive in nature, detail various incomes (member dues) and expenses (charitable and Annual Dinner) of the Society on several occasions. The Articles of Incorporation adopted in 1796 are housed within Folder 1. In Half-sized Box 2 is a binder housing four original letters and an envelope bearing the signatures of Philip Livingston, Thomas McKean, and James Wilson, signers of the Declaration of Independence. The contents of this binder are in poor condition.
Subseries 2: Meeting Minutes: Detailed minutes of the St. Andrew's Society's quarterly meetings are contained in twelve bound journals, spanning the years 1864 to 1969. Two additional supplemental volumes, Volume 13 and Volume 14, are located in this series as well. Both of these journals, written by Secretaries Robert Burns Beath and Craig Dorsey Ritchie, were written in the attempt to account for pre-1864 minutes lost by then-Secretary George Young. The Beath volume covers the years between 1749 and 1911 while Ritchie's contains material from 1844 through 1862. Though both volumes are not nearly as complete as the minute books dating after 1864, they nonetheless provide highly relevant information such as the time, date, and location of each meeting, in addition to lists of members present or absent and major topics of discussion/ meeting agendas. Volumes 1 through 14 are housed in Boxes 4 through 8. In Box 3 of this subseries, nine folders contain loose meeting minutes dating from 1845 to 1862, pre-dating the first bound volume by two years.
The minutes of the Society's quarterly meetings list the various functions of the organization, both charitable and social. The quality of their contents (as opposed to their legibility) varies only slightly from Secretary to Secretary. The most recent minutes are typewritten while the earliest are handwritten ornately. At the annual meeting of the Society (usually held in late October), officers were elected. At each quarterly meeting, however, new members were proposed and voted upon. Pertinent information concerning the election of both officers and members is found in the meeting minutes. Also, the various sub-committees of the St. Andrew's Society (i.e., the Treasurer's Committee, Audit Committee, Assistants' Committee, Library Committee, Historical Committee, and Annual Dinner Committee) regularly briefed the entire Society whenever necessary. Their activities are described in the minutes as well. In addition, the meeting minutes describe any proposed amendments, bylaws, or resolutions to be voted on/adopted at the meetings.
An additional small volume, Volume 44, is located in Box 4 and should be read alongside Volume 3. It contains the order of a church service held on 3 December 1899 at Second Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia in honor of the feast of St. Andrew. Both prayers and sermons are found within this book.
Subseries 3: Membership Records: Nine volumes in the St. Andrew's Society collection were labeled by the Society as simply "Membership Records." Volume 15 begins in 1786 while Volume 23 ends in 1964. There is a notable gap between the years 1843 and 1849. These records contain extensive lists of member names and each person's financial account with the Society. In particular, these volumes detail paid/unpaid dues per each quarterly meeting. Volumes 20 through 23 are the most detailed of all, providing members' business and/or residential addresses. Though Volumes 24 through 26 were not labeled "Membership Records" by the Society, they contain miscellaneous supplemental information pertaining to that found within the Membership Records. Volume 24 is a membership catalogue from 1877 to 1895 and lists Society members along with the names of recent resignees and deceased individuals. Volume 25 contains similar material and details the years between 1896 and 1936. Volume 26 is an index of former members from 1907 to 1909. Volume 27 contains samples of the Society's stationery (such as meeting announcements and dinner invitations) and is dated at 1911. All of these volumes (15 through 27) are housed in Boxes 9 through 11.
Subseries 4: Miscellaneous Papers and Articles (Concerning Meeting Minutes and Membership Records): Boxes 12 and 13 of this subseries house loose papers relevant to both the meeting minutes and membership records. Folders 1 though 5 of Box 12 contain papers that are labeled simply as "general." They range from copies of proposed amendments and resolutions to members' address changes and general Society inquiries directed to officers from members. They span the years between 1844 and 1930. Folders 6 and 7 contain officer election information between 1839 and 1930. Folders 8 and 9 contain papers related to new member applications and membership proposals from 1858 to 1930.
In Box 13, Folder 1 contains letters of acceptance from newly-elected candidates for membership between 1868 and 1929 while Folder 2 contains letters of resignation from Society members from 1851 to 1930. Folder 3 contains formal printed meeting announcements from 1867 to 1923. Folder 4 contains material regarding membership certificates, medals, and the Society's flags, dating between 1841 and 1930. Folders 5 through 7 contain miscellaneous papers including the various lectures and addresses given at meetings and dinners. They date from 1913 to 1973. Lastly, Folder 8 contains property deeds for the Society's office from 1921 and 1930. In general, most of the papers in this entire subseries date from the 1920s and early 1930s.
In Over-sized (Extra Large Map) Folder 1 is the Society's charter, dated 7 February 1809. In Over-sized (Map) Folder 2 is the Society's amended Charter, dated 2 February 1872. Over-sized Folder 3 contains eleven newspapers from the following years: 1785, 1786, 1788 (2), 1794, 1801, 1804, 1812, 1821, 1833, and 1928. These are the Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser, General Advertiser, Poulson's American Daily Advertiser, Political and Commercial Register, Philadelphia Mercantile Advertiser, United States Gazette, and the Inverness Courier and General Advertiser. Over-sized Folder 4 houses a map of Scotland from the Philadelphia Inquirer Magazine, dated 4 June 1950.
Over-sized Boxes 14, 15, and 16 contain various over-sized articles belonging to the Society. The contents of Box 14 are as follows: Folder 1 contains Society ribbons, Folder 2 contains the undated epitaph of Margaret Scott, Folder 3 houses a 1793 membership certificate, and Folder 4 contains photocopies of the Ross, Wilson, and Witherspoon signatures. The originals are dated 1767, 1776, and 1780, but it is not known when the copies were made. In Folder 5 is a red book containing a letter donated by Gordon Byron Bingham of Cleveland, Ohio to the Society in 1949. It was written in 1835 from William Davidson to his mother in Scotland. In Folder 6 are two photocopies of newspapers advertising St. Andrew's Society meetings in 1848 and 1849. It is unknown when these copies were made. Folder 7 houses Verses written by James Ronaldson in honor of the Society and dates from 1870. Two poems dedicated to the Society by W. Bridges in 1874 are housed in Folder 8. Folders 9 and 10 contain two undated stone rubbings on parchment paper.
In Box 15, Folder 1 houses blank membership certificates while Folders 2 and 3 contain various membership certificates dating between 1855 and 1859. Folder 4 contains an additional membership certificate (Thomas Cochrane's), dated at 1881. Folder 5 contains the photocopy of a letter sent to President Warren G. Harding by the Society in 1921. Folder 6 contains a photocopy of Harding's response. Folder 7 houses an undated advertisement from the St. Andrew's Society of New York's Scholarship Program. Folder 8 contains two resolutions/commendations in honor of members Arthur DeWar and R. Tait MacKenzie, both of which are dated at 1972.
Box 16 contains a framed resolution from 1973, commemorating the establishment of St. Andrew's Week in Philadelphia for that year. In Box 17 are fourteen metal printing plates used to create images for the 1947 Society history book as well as to generate formal annual dinner announcements and invitations.
Subseries 5: Annual Dinner Records: Box 18 of this subseries houses fourteen folders pertaining to the Society's Annual Dinner on St. Andrew's Day. Folders 1 through 6 have been labeled "general" and contain papers such as the Dinner Committee's meeting minutes, general member inquiries regarding the event, and financial statements and records of the Dinner Committee. While they detail the years between 1858 and 1971, the bulk of these papers cover the 1920s and early 1930s. Folder 7 contains formal printed dinner announcements and invitations dating between 1884 and 1927. Hand-written subscriptions/collections lists from 1838 until 1872 are located in Folders 8, 9, 10, and 11. Folders 12 and 13 contains hand-written dinner toasts from 1852 though 1882. Two large scrapbooks are held in Boxes 19 and 20. They contain the Society's dinner programs from 1868 to 1950 and 1951 to 1978 respectively. Folder 14 of Box 18 contains nine additional dinner programs from 1899, 1915 (2), 1917, 1928, 1943, 1947 (2), and 1948.
Subseries 6: Miscellaneous Scottish Organizations' Papers: Box 21 of Subseries 6 contains material pertaining to Scottish organizations other than the St. Andrew's Society. Folders 1 through 5 contain general papers such as invitations to other St. Andrew's Day Dinners for St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia officers and members, solicitations and general inquiries from other Scottish groups, and various notes and telegrams from well-wishers thanking the Society or congratulating it upon the feast of St. Andrew. This information dates from 1839 to 1972 with the majority of it originating during the 1910s and 1920s.
Series 2: Treasurer's Committee/Financial Records:
Subseries 1: Cash Books: Volumes 28 through 32 are the Cash Books of the St. Andrew's Society. Each of the five bound journals gives detailed accounts of the financial statuses of the various Society committees. Listed are the expenses of the Society (including the monies distributed by the Assistants Committee and the purchases of the Dinner Committee) as well as the Society's income through membership dues and investments. Volume 28 details 1844 through 1874, Volume 29 between 1874 and 1892, Volume 30 between 1892 and 1910, Volume 31 between 1910 and 1920, and Volume 32 between 1920 and 1924. Half-sized Box 23 contains looses pages torn from the cash books. These are dated 1909 and 1956-1957. Volume 33 is entitled the Junior Fund Cash Book and covers the years between 1951 and 1978. Volume 34 was grouped with the Cash Books as well and is labeled as a gift of Samuel Kerr. It details the receipt of various Society payments for expenses between 1842 and 1869. Volumes 28 through 34 are housed in Box 22.
Subseries 2: Disbursement Books: Volumes 35 through 37 are labeled the Disbursement Books of the St. Andrew's Society. In these books, the investments of the Society are listed alongside the expenses of the Society chronologically. Volume 35 spans the years between 1911 and 1924 and is housed in Box 24. Volume 36 spans the years between 1924 and 1942 and Volume 37 between 1943 and 1948. Both volumes are housed in Box 25. Six small books are housed in this series as well, located in Half-sized Box 26. They list the expenses of the Society by date. Folder 1 contains the book that covers the years between 1840 and 1842, Folder 2 between 1888 and 1895, Folder 3 between 1902 and 1908, and Folder 4 houses three books dating between 1924 and 1930.
Subseries 3: Treasurer's Committee Papers: The loose papers housed in Box 27 of Subseries 3 are the records of the Treasurer. Folders 1 through 4 contain general information from the Treasurer's Committee as well as correspondence to and from the Treasurer himself. Folder 1 dates from 1821 to 1855, Folder 2 from 1856 to 1859, Folder 3 from 1862 to 1883, and Folder 4 from 1908 to 1930. Folders 5 through 14 contain the Treasurer's Quarterly Reports. Folder 5 details the years between 1851 and 1855, Folder 6 between 1856 and 1868, Folder 7 between 1869 and 1871, Folder 8 between 1872 and 1874, Folder 9 between 1875 and 1876, Folder 10 between 1877 and 1879, Folder 11 between 1880 and 1882, Folder 12 between 1883 and 1884, Folder 13 between 1885 and 1919, and Folder 14 between 1923 and 1930.
Box 28 of this subseries houses eleven folders. Folder 1 contains the reports of the Auditor's Committee between 1851 and 1875. Folder 2 contains similar reports dating between 1877 and 1930. Folder 3 houses the reports of the Finance/Investments Committees between 1868 and 1910 while Folder 4 spans the years between 1923 and 1929. Folder 5 houses Supper Fund Committee Reports between May, 1870 and February, 1872. Folders 6 through 8 contain lists of delinquent members (those whose dues are unpaid) between 1843 and 1911. Lastly, Folders 9 through 11 contain the annual formal Summaries of Investments and Accounts of the St. Andrew's Society for many of the years between 1885 and 1933.
All of the various bills and receipts for all committees of the St. Andrew's Society (with the exception of those generated for/by the Assistants Committee) are housed within Boxes 29 and 30 of this subseries. These include bills for food, liquor, and cigars for the Annual Dinner as well as bills for the printing of newspaper advertisements for quarterly meetings and other expenses incurred by the Library and Historical Committees. Folders 1 through 13 of Box 29 span the years between 1835 and 1903. The first five folders of Box 30 contain bills and receipts generated between 1905 and 1973. The bulk of these date from the 1910s, however. Folders 6 though 10 primarily house statements and receipts from the Society's accounts at Fidelity Bank. Folder 6 contains receipts from checks drawn by the Society between 1884 and 1912. Other banking receipts are housed in Folder 7, dating from 1882 through 1929. Folders 8 and 9 contain the cashed checks of the Society from its accounts at Fidelity and the Corn Exchange. All date between 1933 and 1934. Lastly, Folder 10 contains Fidelity Bank statements for the Society's accounts between 1933 and 1934.
Series 3: Assistants Committee Records:
Assistants Committee Records: This series includes volumes, filing cards, and loose papers pertaining to the St. Andrew's Society Assistants Committee. Volumes 38 through 41 index the names of Scottish persons receiving aid from the St. Andrew's Society. Volume 38 covers the years between 1860 and 1875, Volume 39 between 1875 and 1880, Volume 40 between 1919 and 1920, and Volume 41 between 1921 and 1922. Thus, there is a large gap in the Assistants Committee Records between 1881 and 1918. Volumes 38, 40, and 41 are housed in Box 31. Volume 39 is housed in Box 32. Two small boxes, Boxes 33 and 34, contain file cards bearing the names of persons receiving assistance from 1918 throughout the 1920s and into the mid-1930s. With limited exception, the cards were arranged by the Society in alphabetical order. They remain as such. Both the cards and volumes list not only the names of the needy Scots, but the amounts of money/other assistance given them. Some of the entries bear limited descriptions of the individuals as well as the type of assistance they should receive.
Box 35 houses loose papers from the Assistants Committee, including requests for aid, letters of gratitude from those assisted, committee financial statements, pertinent receipts (such as those from the Machold Agency), and other information concerning charitable donations made by the Society. Folders 1 through 7 are labeled "General." Folder 1 covers the years between 1827 and 1865, Folder 2 between 1875 and 1885, Folder 3 from 1903 to 1908, Folder 4 from 1909 to 1910, Folder 5 from 1918 to 1920, Folder 6 from 1921, and Folder 7 between 1922 and 1932. Folders 8 though 12 contain various bills/receipts directed to the Committee, ranging between the years 1856 and 1921. These include those generated by the Galilee Mission and Machold Agency.
Series 4: Library Committee/Historical Committee Records:
Library/Historical Committee Records: This series contains information concerning both the St. Andrew's Library and Historical Committees. Volume 42 contains the minutes of Library Committee meetings, from 1910 to 1913 and then between 1939 and 1945. The financial status of the committee as well as recent accessions and plans for future activities are found within these records. Volume 43 is an accessions log generated by the library, dating from approximately 1910 to the mid-to-late 1970s. Both of these volumes are housed in Box 31.
Box 36 contains loose papers from both the Library and Historical Committees as their activities (namely the publishing of the Historical Catalogues) were to a great extent interrelated. These papers, housed in Folders 1 through 13, are labeled only as "General" and detail library acquisitions, historical catalogue information, and inquiries concerning the biographies of deceased members. They encompass the years between 1893 and 1979. In Folder 14 is a small book which lists the expenses of the Library Committee as well as some of the Historical Committee's areas of research. Folder 15 contains papers concerning the Foundation of the St. Andrew's Society Scholarship Fund. These run from 1959 to 1964.
Box 37 of this series contains nine folders housing the obituaries of various deceased Society members, in addition to eulogies dedicated to them, resolutions passed in their memories, and letters written to the deceased persons' family members. They were originally found arranged in alphabetical order according to the members' surnames by the Society. They remain as such. Folders 1 though 9 span "A" though "W". In Box 38, Folder 1 holds the contents of a separate binder generated by the Historical Committee which also contains brief biographies of some Society members. Folder 2 houses biographical information concerning Society member Robert Scot, generated by James F. Magee, Jr. in 1940. Similarly, Folder 3 contains biographical information concerning Society member William Young. It was produced by James F. Magee, Jr. in 1942. Folders 4 and 5 of Box 38 contain white and yellow cards which give the dates of death (as well as birth dates and dates of entrance into Society membership for some) for Society members. They were originally arranged chronologically according to date of death by the Society and remain as such. They run approximately from 1797 to 1904. Folder 6 contains other miscellaneous scraps of paper originally found with the aforementioned white and yellow cards.
Series 5: Burial Lots Committee/Scottish Memorial Records:
Burial Lots Committee/Scottish Memorial Records: Box 39 of this series includes the records of the Burial Lots Committee of the St. Andrew's Society and papers concerning the Society's activities with regard to other Scottish memorials (namely the Scottish War Memorial). Folders 1 and 2 contain the papers of the Burial Lots Committee papers and have been labeled "General." The information located here gives updates on the conditions of the Society's burial lots in Laurel Hill and Woodlawn Cemeteries and covers the years between 1900 and 1930. Folders 3 and 4 house papers dealing with other Scottish memorials, the bulk of which concern the Scottish War Memorial and span the years between 1870 and 1927 (most were written in the 1910s and 1920s). Folder 5 contains undated printed articles concerning various additional Scottish memorials. Over-sized Folder 5 houses four deeds to the burial lots at Laurel Hill and Woodlawn Cemetery. They are dated as follows: 18 November 1859, 20 September 1864, 27 February 1893, and 31 May 1905.
Separations from the Collection: Thirty-two printed items have been transferred to the Library's special print collection. Two hundred thirty-three books from the St. Andrew's Society Library were transferred to the Balch Institute Library as well. Four hundred twenty items were transferred to Photo Group 363.
The box list of the register of the records of the St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia is twenty-two pages long and is available upon request. The charge is $0.25 per page, in addition to $2.50 for shipping and handling.
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