Louise Hasbrook Brooklyn Navy YMCA collection
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Abstract
The Brooklyn Navy YMCA, founded in 1899 and located at 167 Sands Street near the Brooklyn Navy Yard, was the first permanent branch of the Navy YMCA. It closed its doors in 1964, having served an estimated 47 million military personnel. Louise Hasbrook worked as a secretary at the Brooklyn Navy YMCA beginning in 1934. In 1959, she was promoted to the position of administrative assistant and secretary to the Executive. The Louise Hasbrook Brooklyn Navy YMCA collection spans the period 1925 to 1986 and contains various items compiled by Hasbrook during her time as a secretary and administrative assistant at the Brooklyn Navy YMCA. The materials document the activities of the Brooklyn Navy YMCA from 1925 until its closing in 1964; there is also a small number of items pertaining to Louise Hasbrook's subsequent employment outside the Brooklyn Navy YMCA and her personal interests. Items include reports, newspaper clippings, programs, newsletters, correspondence, photographs, certificates, and various ephemera.
Biographical Note
Louise Hasbrook worked as a secretary at the Brooklyn Navy YMCA beginning in 1934. In 1959, she was promoted to the position of administrative assistant and secretary to the Executive, where she dealt with policy relating to personnel, payroll, business operations, and general administration.
Historical Note
The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) was founded in London in 1844 by George Williams, a sales assistant in a draper's shop, as a way to help struggling young men find solace from the streets through Bible study and prayer. The first United States YMCA branch was established in Boston in 1851, and soon the organization underwent an explosive outgrowth in popularity, with branches being established in major cities across the country. New York City's branch was established in 1852, and Brooklyn's in 1853.
Gradually the YMCA transformed on a national scale into a seminal social institution offering dormitories, athletic facilities, and summer camps. Along with these new functions, the YMCA also took on a greater involvement in social issues and began advocating for social equality and performing relief work. In reflection of its progressive social stance, the YMCA also began welcoming women, children, and all ethnic groups into its community.
During the Civil War (1861-1865), the YMCA extended its activities to the U.S. Armed Forces, with YMCA members giving over one million Bibles to soldiers. In response to the Navy's request to continue offering services in peacetime, in 1899 the YMCA established its first permanent branch of the Navy YMCA in Brooklyn, located at 167 Sands Street near the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Facilities were also erected on the premises of the Navy Yard itself in 1902, and throughout the first half of the twentieth century the Brooklyn Navy YMCA flourished as a haven offering religious, social, and entertainment services to members of the armed forces. It closed its doors in 1964, having served an estimated 47 million military personnel.
Sources:
- Bayless, Pamela. The YMCA at 150: A History of the YMCA of Greater New York, 1852-2002. New York: YMCA of Greater New York, c2002.
- YMCA of the USA. "History of the YMCA Movement." Accessed July 8, 2010. http://www.ymca.net/about_the_ymca/history_of_the_ymca.html
Scope and Contents
The Louise Hasbrook Brooklyn Navy YMCA collection spans the period 1925 to 1986 and contains various items compiled by Hasbrook during her time as a secretary and administrative assistant at the Brooklyn Navy YMCA. The materials document the activities of the Brooklyn Navy YMCA from 1925 until its closing in 1964; there is also a small number of items pertaining to Louise Hasbrook's subsequent employment outside the Brooklyn Navy YMCA and her personal interests. The collection is arranged in eight folders and one oversize box. Items include reports; newspaper clippings; dinner programs; issues of the Armed Services News, Army Navy YMCA Bulletin, and Armed Services YMCA newsletters; maps showing the location of the Brooklyn Navy YMCA and locations of all Armed Services branches of the YMCA and USO Clubs in the United States; programs for the 1945 Girls' Service Organization Recognition Night and the commissioning of the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt; correspondence; informational pamphlets; wedding announcements; an agreement for the installation of an emergency alarm service; a certificate of cccupancy; a notice pertaining to President Eisenhower's commendation of the Brooklyn Navy YMCA; a listing of naval officers; a recommendation letter for Louise Hasbrook from her employer at the YMCA; and photographs of dances, receptions, senior naval officers, the Brooklyn Navy YMCA building at 167 Sands Street, and various officers and YMCA employees. The oversize box contains commendations and certificates for the Brooklyn Navy YMCA from the Unites States Navy Department, the United States War Department, the American National Red Cross, and the United States Citizens Service Corps. Items unrelated to the Brooklyn Navy YMCA include a booklet, brochure, and postcards pertaining to the Lyndhurst Castle at Tarrytown, N.Y.
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Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
Reproduction rights for photographs have not been evaluated. Please consult library staff for more information.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Louise Hasbrook Brooklyn Navy YMCA collection, ARC.042, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Louise Hasbrook, 1988.
Other Finding Aids
Item-level descriptions and digital versions of images from the collection are available for searching via the image database in the library. Please consult library staff for more information.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Minimally processed to the collection level.
The collection combines the accessions 1988.021 and V1988.038.
