YMCA of Greater Omaha Records

The records of the YMCA of Greater Omaha include material from the organization’s founding in the 19th century through the 21st century. Material documenting board meetings from the 1880s to the early 21st century is nearly complete. Also included are: newsletters and newspapers, fundraising material, membership information, marketing material, photographs (bulk 1970s-1990s), scrapbooks, and a small amount of media formats including VHS videotapes. The scrapbooks contain newspaper clippings as well as ephemera such as broadsides and booklets. In addition to the activities of the boards of directors, fundraising, and membership, other topics with at least sporadic documentation include programming, long range planning, summer camps, athletic teams such as basketball and football, and others. Programming material includes contemporary athletic activities, after school programs, social services, and other programming, while the early material documents programs for recent immigrants, evening education, athletics, and similar. While the primary audience for the YMCA's programming was men, women were admitted to some programs, such as night school. The collection includes subject files maintained by the Metro Office in the late 1960s-early 1990s, records of the now closed Miller Park branch, and records of the Council Bluffs YMCA from before its merger with the YMCA of Greater Omaha in 1972.

The collection is currently being arranged and described.

Photographs, scrapbooks, newsletters, and other materials from the collection are currently being digitized. Selected materials are available in the YMCA of Greater Omaha Collection in Islandora (https://repository.unomaha.edu/islandora/object/unomaha%3Aymca) with more added on an ongoing basis.

New material added in November and December 2016, from Maple St., Mills County, and Southwest YMCA branches:

The YMCA of Greater Omaha accrual from the Maple St. YMCA (the branch was originally known as the West branch when it opened in 1965) is primarily photographs, but also includes documents about the branch and building’s construction and history. Notable documents include programs from the branch’s dedication in 1965, construction documents, advertisements or posters on newspring, and three super8 films only identified as relating to the YMCA West branch. The photographs are primarily from the 1960s and 2000s, but there is some representation from throughout the Maple St. Y’s history. The photographs document building renovations, Indian Guides (a father son YMCA program similar to the Boy Scouts), camps, playground building day, and other activities at the branch.

The YMCA of Greater Omaha accrual from the Southwest YMCA includes photographs of Indian Guides activities (circa 1980s), a program from the branch’s dedication (1997), and memories of the Y shared by members for the YMCA’s 150th anniversary. Objects related to the Indian Guides loaned by members to the branch and loaned to Archives & Special Collections for photographing include a boy’s Indian Guides vest, an Indian Guides necklace with medallions, a board showing examples of knots, and a wooden Indian Guides craft project.

The YMCA of Greater Omaha accrual from the Mills County YMCA includes photographs, news clippings, and board minutes (2015-2016) from the branch’s first ten years. The photographs document children’s sports teams, Mills County YMCA employees, and events such as the annual Support Our Community hamball and salad meal. Also received were YMCA of Greater Omaha annual reports from 2007-2009.