Biographical Note:
Kiwanis International was established by professional organizer Allen S. Browne in Detroit, Michigan, on January 21, 1915. Originally known as the Benevolent Order Brothers, the group took its present name from the Indian term "Nunc Kee-wan-is," meaning "we make a big noise." Organized for the purpose of reciprocal business, the club was owned by Browne and he derived his income from the dues paid by members. Wanting to branch out into social and civic work, and increasingly disgruntled with Browne’s leadership, in May 1919, delegates at the annual convention in Birmingham voted to disassociate from Browne. They bought him out for the sum of $17,500. The Alabama-Florida district of the club was formed in the fall of 1918. Five years later the two states were split. Today the Alabama chapter has more than 130 clubs statewide. The Mobile chapter was established and opened for membership on June 4, 1919.

Scope and Content:
Consists of two scrapbooks prepared by the Kiwanis Club of Mobile. The first contains photographs and annual reports that date from June 1944 to November 1967. The Club first issued those reports as small pamphlets. They were later printed on standard paper and emerged in booklet form. Some of the information in the reports include the Club’s budget, its membership lists, and names of absentees and leaders. They also enumerate contributions made to a variety of projects, organizations, and charities. In addition, these reports outline the group’s mission for the upcoming year and give an overview of their accomplishments the previous year. The photographs depict special events and a variety of Kiwanis Club functions. Many of them were used in publications. The second scrapbook is made up largely of newspaper articles, which date from January 5, 1966, to April 10, 1967. The clippings highlight various club activities and the works and achievements of various Kiwanis members. Along with the clippings are correspondence, thank you cards, announcements, flyers, and newspaper ads. The correspondence is limited and usually consists of someone asking to either join the club or cease being a member.

Provenance:
Gift of the Mobile Medical Museum, 2007. The creator appears to have been William J. O’Connor because most of the correspondence was written to or from him.

Arrangement:
Arranged chronologically by page.

Access Restrictions:
None.

Preferred Citation:
Kiwanis Club of Mobile Scrapbooks, The Doy Leale McCall Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama