Sons of the American Revolution, Empire State Society Records

Collection Type
Records
Year Start
1890
Year End
1992
ID

SC22749

Quantity

115 Boxes (30 cubic feet)

Access

Records are open to research upon signing an agreement concerning photoduplication and publication of contents

Acquisition

Received from the Empire State Society S.A.R., September 18, 2003

Processed By

Finding aid compiled by Aimee Morgan, Student Assistant, University at Albany, August 2004

History and Organization Note:

The Sons of the American Revolution Empire State Society was organized on February 11, 1890 and legally incorporated in early 1895.  The Society's official headquarters were maintained in New York City until 1981, when a Certificate of Change of Location shifted them to Schenectady.

The national Sons of the American Revolution (S.A.R.) was officially established as a union of existing state societies on April 20, 1889, the 100th anniversary of George Washington's inauguration as the first president.  The first of these state societies, the Sons of Revolutionary Sires, began in California in 1875.  The Sons of the American Revolution  was chartered by an act of Congress on June 6, 1906. 

S.A.R. is a "lineage organization" open to men who can prove themselves direct descendants of individuals who provided qualifying service to the United States of America during the Revolutionary War.  Revolutionary War participants whose descendants qualify for S.A.R. membership include soldiers, sailors, and other military personnel; signers of the Declaration of Independence; members of a Committee of Safety or Correspondence; and members of any colonial legislature or congress. Potential members must document their connection to their Revolutionary War ancestor or prove that they are close relatives of a previously-accepted S.A.R. member.  In addition to proving their lineage, members must be citizens of good repute in the community and personally acceptable to the Society.  The original age requirement of 21 years was eventually lowered to 18; later, the Society created a special category of junior membership for individuals under the age of 18.  Applicants must be accepted by a state society in order to be members of the national Sons of the American Revolution

The goals of the Empire State Society are the same as those of the national organization.  These goals fall under three broad categories:  historical, patriotic, and educational.  Goals related to history include commemorating and providing memorials for the people and events of the American Revolution, preserving Revolutionary-era records, and supporting research and presentations on the period from 1750-1800.  The S.A.R.'s patriotic goals include inspiring the community with the founding principles of the United States, maintaining and extending the institutions of American freedom, carrying out the promises in the preamble to the U.S. Constitution, and honoring veterans.  Its educational goals include sponsoring essay and oration contests for high school students, informing the public about the Revolutionary War, and assisting with genealogical study.

Currently sixteen local chapters of the Empire State Society exist within three regions of New York State – Western, Central, and Metropolitan. Affiliation with a local chapter is optional for individual members; members of the state Society without a local affiliation are referred to as members-at-large.

The Empire State Society is governed by a board of managers, which meets several times each year.  Statewide officers include the president, four regional vice-presidents, secretary, treasurer, registrar, chancellor, chaplain, and historian.

Scope and Content Note:

This collection provides evidence of statewide and local S.A.R. activity in New York State.  It is organized into seven series:  Administrative Records, Financial Records, Correspondence, Membership Records, Ancestor Card Files, Chapter Records, and Awards, Newsletters, and Miscellaneous Files.

The first series, Administrative Records, includes the incorporation papers of the Empire State Society, constitutions and by-laws, yearbooks, and policy and procedure documents.  There are extensive files of minutes from board of managers meetings and annual meetings.  Also included are copies of the society's annual reports to the national S.A.R. from 1973 through 1981.

The second series, Financial Records, includes treasurer's reports, correspondence, and other treasury documents.  There are records of annual dues payments by members, as well as bank records and tax documents.

The third series consists of society correspondence, both incoming and outgoing, produced from 1931 to 1992.  Although correspondence appears in many files throughout this collection, this series consists of chronological correspondence files maintained separately.  Most outgoing correspondence was produced by society officers.

The fourth series, Membership Records, consists of several subseries. The bulk of the series consists of approved membership applications.  Most of these applications are in bound volumes; each volume contains between 100 and 300 applications. The applications are arranged by state membership number, which is a unique number assigned to each member at the time his application was approved. There are also two boxes of bound membership registers.  These registers list each member in membership number order, along with data such as mailing address, date of first membership, and date of death or withdrawal from the society. Another subseries is the membership card file. The cards in this collection duplicate information that is found in the membership applications and membership registers; however, since it is organized alphabetically by member's last name, it allows for easy searching for individual members in cases where the state membership number is not known. Other membership files found in this collection include membership rosters, lists of member transfers to and from other state societies, information on resignations and suspensions, lists of life members and dues-exempt members, and obituaries and death notices of members.

The fifth series is the ancestor card file. Compiled from genealogical information listed on membership applications, this file consists of one card for each Revolutionary War ancestor claimed by a society member. Each card contains basic biographical data, including dates of birth and death, when known.  The cards also list the membership numbers of each society member who has traced his lineage to that ancestor.  This allows for easy cross-reference to the membership applications, where more complete genealogical information and narrative descriptions of ancestors' war service may be found.

Records of local chapters comprise the sixth series.  There are rosters listing members by chapter and folders for many individual chapters, including some which are no longer active. Also included is some information on multi-chapter conferences and meetings held by the Central and Western regions.

The final series contains files on newsletters, awards, and miscellaneous society projects and events. The newsletter files are fairly scant, with few issues of the official S.A.R. newsletter. Awards included in this series are the Patriot Medal, the Good Citizenship Medal, and the ROTC Medal. This series also contains files on the Society's property in the Village of Larchmont, the Odell House project, and the society's registry of Revolutionary War veteran grave sites.

Overall, this collection provides extensive documentation of the organization and administration of the Empire State Society. Information on member lineage and Revolutionary War ancestors also makes it a valuable genealogical resource.

Box and Folder List:

Series I: Administrative Files, 1895-1988

Box

Folder

Contents

1

1

Certificate of Incorporation, 1895

1

2

Incorporation Documents, 1895-1953

1

3

Certificate of Change of Location, 1981

1

4

Yearbook, 1908-1909

1

5

Yearbook, 1911-1912

1

6

Constitution and Signatures, 1890

1

7

Constitution and By-laws, 1940

1

8

Constitution and By-laws, 1961

1

9

Constitution and By-laws, 1982

1

10

National Charter, Constitution and By-laws, 1967

1

11

National Charter, Constitution and By-laws, 1976

1

12

Constitution, Amendments, 1962

1

13

Constitution, Amendments, 1965

1

14

Constitution, Proposed Amendments, 1963

1

15

Constitution, Proposed Amendments, 1966

1

16

Constitution, Proposed Amendments, 1980

1

17

Memorandum on Records and Procedures, 1965

1

18

Manual of Procedure, 1971

1

19

Guidelines and Procedures for State Presidents

1

20

S.A.R. Protocol, 1979

1

21

National Annual Congress Papers, 1942-1963

1

22

National Annual Congress Papers, 1969-1971

1

23

National Trustees' Meeting, Minutes, 1982

1

24

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1933

1

25

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1938

1

26

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1939

1

27

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1940

1

28

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1943

1

29

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1944

1

30

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1945

1

31

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1946

1

32

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1947

1

33

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1948

1

34

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1949

1

35

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1950

1

36

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1951

1

37

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1952

1

38

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1953

1

39

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1954

1

40

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1956

1

41

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1957

2

1

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1958

2

2

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1961

2

3

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1962

2

4

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1963

2

5

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1964

2

6

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1965

2

7

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1966

2

8

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1967

2

9

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1968

2

10

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1969

2

11

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1970

2

12

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1971

2

13

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1972

2

14

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1973

2

15

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1974

2

16

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1975

2

17

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1976

2

18

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1977

2

19

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1978

2

20-21

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1979

2

22

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1980

2

23

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1981

2

24

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1982

2

25

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1984

2

26

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1985

2

27

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1986

2

28

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1987

2

29

Board of Managers, Meeting Minutes, 1988

3

1

Board of Managers, Meetings, Order of Business

3

2

Annual Meeting, Minutes, 1897

3

3

Annual Meeting, Minutes, 1924, 1942-1944, 1946

3

4

Annual Meeting, Minutes, 1947-1964

3

5

Annual Meeting, Minutes, 1965-1971

3

6

Annual Meeting, Minutes, 1980-1983

3

7

Annual Report, 1971

3

8

Annual Report, 1972

3

9

Annual Report, 1973

3

10

Annual Report, 1974

3

11

Annual Report, 1975

3

12

Annual Report, 1976

3

13

Annual Report, 1977

3

14

Annual Report, 1978

3

15

Annual Report, 1979

3

16

Annual Report, 1980

3

17

Annual Report, 1981

3

18

Annual Report, 1982

3

19

Annual Report, 1983

3

20

Report of the Vice President, 1969

3

21

Standing Committees, 1979-1980

4

1

Minutes, 1891-1897

5

 

Minutes, Bound Volumes, 1906-1911

5

 

Minutes, Bound Volumes, 1912-1917

6

 

Minutes, Bound Volumes, 1918-1921

6

 

Minutes, Bound Volumes, 1922-1932

7

 

Minutes, Bound Volumes, 1932-1945

8

 

Minutes, Bound Volumes, 1945-1951

8

 

Minutes, Bound Volumes, 1951-1957

9

 

Minutes, Bound Volumes, 1956-1962

10

 

Annual Meeting Notices, Bound Volume, 1908-1945


 

Series II: Financial Records, 1915-1987

Box

Folder

Contents

11

1

Treasurer's Reports, 1915

11

2

Treasurer's Reports, 1940s

11

3

Treasurer's Reports, 1950-1961

11

4

Treasurer's Reports, 1972-1973

11

5

Treasurer's Reports, 1974-1980

11

6

Treasury Documents, 1972

11

7

Treasury Documents, 1973

11

8

Treasury Documents, 1974

11

9

Treasury Documents, 1975

11

10

Treasury Documents, 1976

12

1

Treasury Documents, 1978

12

2

Chapter Treasurers, Roster, 1971

12

3

Treasury Correspondence

12

4

Duties of the Treasurer

12

5

Dues, 1975

12

6

Dues, 1976

12

7-9

Dues, 1977

12

10

Dues, 1979

12

11

Dues, 1980

12

12

Dues, Miscellaneous

12

13

Dues, Correspondence

12

14

Dues, Notices

12

15

Dues, Paying Members by Chapter

12

16-17

Petty Cash, Receipts

13

1

Bank Deposits

13

2

Bank Signatures and Account Data

13

3

Cash Receipts and Cash Disbursements, 1956-1957

13

4

Taxes, Federal

13

5

Taxes, New York City

13

6

Taxes, New York State Unemployment

13

7

Tax Exempt Forms

13

8

Tax Exempt Organization Certification Forms

13

9

Certificate of Type of Not-for-Profit Corporation, 1973

13

10

Revised Schedule of Fees, 1972

13

11

Unemployment Benefits, Experience Rating Changes

13

12

Budget Statements, 1984-1987

13

13

Insurance

13

14

Bonds and Capital Investments

13

15

Financial Problems Report, 1958

13

16

Investment Accounts, 1971

13

17

Expense Account 1985-1986

14

 

Financial Ledger, 1930-1947


 

Series III: Correspondence, 1931-1992

Box

Folder

Contents

15

1

1931

15

2

1933

15

3

1934

15

4

1935

15

5

1941

15

6

1944

15

7

1951

15

8

1953

15

9

1954-1961

15

10

1967

15

11

1969

15

12

1970

15

13

1971

15

14

1972

15

15

1973

15

16

1974

15

17

1975

15

18

1976

15

19

1977

15

20-21

1978

15

22

1979

15

23

1980

15

24

1981

15

25

1982

16

1-2

1983

16

3

1984

16

4

1985

16

5

1986

16

6-8

1987

17

1-2

1988

17

3-4

1989

17

5-6

1990

17

7

1992


 

Series IV: Membership Records, 1890-1990

Box

Folder

Contents

18

 

Applications, Members 1-200

19

 

Applications, Members 201-400

20

 

Applications, Members 401-600

21

 

Applications, Members 601-800

22

 

Applications, Members 801-1000

23

 

Applications, Members 1001-1200

24

 

Applications, Members 1201-1400

25

 

Applications, Members 1401-1600

26

 

Applications, Members 1601-1800

27

 

Applications, Members 1801-2000

28

 

Applications, Members 2001-2200

29

 

Applications, Members 2201-2400

30

 

Applications, Members 2401-2600

31

 

Applications, Members 2601-2800

32

 

Applications, Members 2801-3000

33

 

Applications, Members 3001-3200

34

 

Applications, Members 3201-3400

35

 

Applications, Members 3401-3600

36

 

Applications, Members 3601-3800

37

 

Applications, Members 3801-4000

38

 

Applications, Members 4001-4200

39

 

Applications, Members 4201-4400

40

 

Applications, Members 4401-4600

41

 

Applications, Members 4601-4800

42

 

Applications, Members 4801-5000

43

 

Applications, Members 5001-5200

44

 

Applications, Members 5201-5400

45

 

Applications, Members 5401-5700

46

 

Applications, Members 5701-6000

47

 

Applications, Members 6001-6300

48

 

Applications, Members 6301-6600

49

 

Applications, Members 6601-6800

50

 

Applications, Members 6801-7000

51

 

Applications, Members 7001-7200

52

 

Applications, Members 7201-7400

53

 

Applications, Members 7401-7600

54

 

Applications, Members 7601-7800

55

 

Applications, Members 7801-8000

56

 

Applications, Members 8001-8200

57

 

Applications, Members 8201-8400

58

 

Applications, Members 8401-8600

59

 

Applications, Members 8601-8800

60

 

Applications, Members 8801-9000

61

 

Applications, Members 9001-9200

62

 

Applications, Members 9201-9400

63

 

Applications, Members 9401-9600

64

 

Applications, Members 9601-9800

65

 

Applications, Members 9801-10000

66

 

Applications, Members 10001-10100

67

 

Applications, Members 10101-10200

68

 

Applications, Members 10201-10400

69

 

Applications, Members 10401-10600

70

 

Applications, Members 10601-10800

71

 

Applications, Members 10801-11000

72

 

Applications, Members 11001-11100

73

 

Applications, Members 11101-11200

74

 

Applications, Members 11201-11300

75

 

Applications, Members 11301-11500

76

 

Applications, Members 11501-11700

77

 

Applications, Members 11701-11900

78

 

Applications, Members 11901-12000

79

 

Applications, Members 12001-12100 (unbound)

80-81

 

Supplemental Application Papers

82

 

Miscellaneous papers removed from applications #11001-11300

83

 

Miscellaneous Membership Applications

84

 

Membership Registers, Bound, Members 1-2000

84

 

Membership Registers, Bound, Members 2001-4000

84

 

Membership Registers, Bound, Members 4001-6020

85

 

Membership Registers, Bound, Members 6021-8000

85

 

Membership Registers, Bound, Members 8001-10000

86

 

Membership Card File, A-Chap

87

 

Membership Card File, Char-E

88

 

Membership Card File, F-Hill

89

 

Membership Card File, Hillm-Loom

90

 

Membership Card File, Loop-Pep

91

 

Membership Card File, Per-Sk

92

 

Membership Card File, Sm-Warb

93

 

Membership Card File, Ward-Z

94

 

Membership Card File, Miscellaneous

95

 

Membership Card File, Miscellaneous

96

1-2

Membership Approvals and Status Changes, 1960-1961

96

3-4

Membership Approvals and Status Changes, 1961-1962

96

5

Membership Approvals and Status Changes, 1963-1965

96

6-7

Membership Approvals and Status Changes, 1968-1972

97

1

Membership Approvals and Status Changes, 1972-1973

97

2

Membership Approvals and Status Changes, 1973-1976

97

3

Membership Approvals and Status Changes, 1985

97

4

Membership Committee Reports

97

5

Membership Requests, Correspondence

97

6-9

Miscellaneous Transmittal Forms and Approval Forms

97

10-13

Reinstatements

98

1

Reinstatements

98

2

Transfers, In

98

3

Transfers, Out

98

4

Transfers, Within

98

5

Notice of National Approvals to Chapters, 1971-1972

98

6

Supplemental Applications

98

7

Resignations

98

8

Member List

98

9

New Member Lists, 1969-1971

98

10

New Member Lists, 1982-1983

98

11

Exempt Members

98

12

Life Members

98

13

Life Members, Roster, 1970

98

14

Member Roster Report, 1970-1971

98

15

Members at Large Rosters

98

16

Suspended Members

98

17

Registrar's Reports

98

18

Membership Committee Report, 1972-1973

98

19

Membership Records, Corrections, 1972-1973

98

20

Address Changes

98

21

Obituaries and Death Notices

98

22

Membership Cards

98

23

Miscellaneous Application Forms

99

1

Membership List, 1981

99

2-7

Supplemental Applications and Related Documents

99

8

Application Worksheets


 

Series V: Ancestor Card File

Box

Contents

100

A-B

101

C-Di

102

Do-G

103

H-J

104

K-Mo

105

Mu-Ri

106

Ro-S

107

T-Wh

108

Wi-Z


 

Series VI: Chapter Records, 1896-1986

Box

Folder

Contents

109

1

Chapter Rosters, 1971

109

2

Chapter Rosters, 1973

109

3

Chapter Rosters, 1974

109

4

Chapter Rosters, 1978

109

5

Chapter Rosters, 1986

109

6

Chapters, Admiral George Brown Capital District

109

7

Chapters, Binghamton

109

8-9

Chapters, Buffalo

109

10

Chapters, Columbia County

109

11

Chapters, East Hampton (inactive)

109

12

Chapters, Fort Johnstown

109

13

Chapters, French

109

14

Chapters, General Israel Putnam

109

15

Chapters, General William Floyd

109

16

Chapters, Huntington

109

17

Chapters, Jamestown (inactive)

109

18

Chapters, Lemuel Cook (inactive)

109

19

Chapters, Long Island

109

20

Chapters, Mohawk Valley

109

21

Chapters, Monroe (inactive)

109

22

Chapters, Newton Battle

109

23

Chapters, New York

109

24

Chapters, Niagara Falls

109

25

Chapters, Olean (inactive)

109

26

Chapters, Oriskany Battle

109

27

Chapters, Oswego County (inactive)

110

1

Chapters, Rochester

110

2

Chapters, Saratoga

110

3

Chapters, Schenectady (inactive)

110

4

Chapters, Staten Island (inactive)

110

5

Chapters, Stone Arabia Battle

110

6

Chapters, Stony Point

110

7

Chapters, Syracuse

110

8

Chapters, Temple Hill (Newburgh) (inactive)

110

9

Chapters, Tompkins County

110

10

Chapters, Van Dyck (inactive)

110

11

Chapters, Watertown

110

12

Chapters, Westchester

110

13

Central New York Chapters, Annual Conference, 1951

110

14

Western New York Chapters, Constitution and By-laws, 1933

110

15

Western New York Chapters, Meetings, 1933

110

16

Western New York Chapters, Annual Conference, 1944, 1947, 1949

110

17

Western New York Chapters, Annual Conference, 1951

110

18

Western New York Chapters, Annual Conference, 1952

110

19

Western New York Cha pters, Annual Conference, 1953

110

20

Western New York Chapters, Annual Conference, 1957

110

21

Society/Chapter Relations, Meeting, 1933

111

 

Gansevoort/Willett Chapter, Formation and Minutes, 1896

111

 

Western New York Regional Group Chapters, Minutes, 1933-1935

112

 

Col. Cornelius Van Dyck Chapter, Charter, Constitution, By-laws, Member   
Roster, 1918

112

 

Long Island Chapter History, 1937-1958


 

Series VII: Newsletters, Awards, Events, and Projects

Box

Folder

Contents

113

1

Newsletters

113

2

"The Correspondent" newsletter

113

3

News from the President General

113

4

"The Pangburn Letter" newsletter

113

5

S.A.R. Magazine, Changes and Updates

113

6

Basic Documents Committee

113

7

Law Enforcement Committee

113

8

Good Citizenship Bronze Medals

113

9

Good Citizenship Gold Medals

113

10-11

Good Citizenship Medal Awards, Blank

113

12

Paul K. Addams Membership Award

113

13

Patriot Medal Forms

113

14

Patriot Medal Awards and Blank Forms

113

15

ROTC Medals

113

16

Acceptance Notification Forms, Blank

113

17

Address Labels

113

18

Advertisers and Mailing Service Correspondence

113

19

Annual Dinner Invitations

113

20

Bill of Rights Commemorative Society

113

21

Census Documents

113

22

Children of the American Revolution

113

23

Commemorative Stamp, U.S. Constitution

113

24

Election Forms

113

25

General Notes / Practice Sheets

113

26

Grave Marker File

113

27-28

Grave Registry, A-J

114

1-2

Grave Registry, K-Z

114

3

Historical Dates

114

4

Hoyt Family Records

114

5

Illinois Society Membership Applications

114

6

Insignia

114

7

Landmarks

114

8

Letterhead Dispute, Correspondence and Documents

114

9

Library Materials, Preservation

114

10

Maps / Directions

114

11

Maps, Historical

114

12-13

Meeting / Event Notices

114

14

Merchandise Catalogs and Mail Solicitations

114

15

Merger Correspondence, S.A.R. and Sons of the Revolution

114

16

Odell House Agreement, Correspondence

114

17

Odell House Report

114

18

Officer and Manager Rosters

114

19

Officer Directory, 1971

114

20

Officer Nominations, 1979-1980

114

21

Oration Contest

114

22

Order Forms, Printed History of National Society

114

23

Personnel Papers

114

24

Press Releases

114

25

Resolutions

114

26

Returned Mail Instructions

114

27

Sample Letterheads, 1969-1981

114

28

Sheet Music

114

29

Statements, S.A.R. Members

114

30

Telephone Numbers

114

31

UNESCO Issues

115

1

Book Excerpts

115

2

Daughters of the American Revolution Magazine, Excerpts

115

3

Chapter Declaration Forms, Blank

115

4

Historical Documents, Copies

115

5-8

Larchmont Property Documents

115

9

Daughters of the American Revolution, Membership Applications

115

10

Membership Applications, New Jersey Society

115

11

Membership Kit, National Society

115

12

Membership Kit, Virginia Society

115

13

Newspaper Articles

115

14

Winter Family Documents