Swedish Journalists Society of America Chapter Records

The Swedish Journalists Society of America was founded on August 6, 1919 by twelve Swedish journalists in Chicago. It was first named the "Swedish Journalists Society in Chicago", but this name was altered, as well as the bylaws, during the first annual meeting on January 7, 1920. The Society grew rapidly with a majority of members belonging also to the Swedish American Journalists Union. Basically, the Journalists Society and the Journalists Union were one and the same.

The Swedish Journalists Society's purpose, according to their bylaws (ca. 1920), states: "Through all appropriate means to benefit the members in their social and economical interests, to provide a societal link between the members, to voice their concerns and questions pertaining to their employment needs ... to bring about a fund to be called 'The Swedish Journalists Benefit', which would be separate from the society's general account and used solely for no other purpose than cases of distress, benefiting either the member or his family". [Translated from "Stadgar for Svenska Journalistforbundet i Amerika", by J. Jones.] Occasionally, concerts and other events were held to support this fund.

In the fall of 1920, a 290 page yearbook was published called "Blackfisken" (The Octopus), and in 1943 "Julbrasan" (The Christmas Hearth), a Christmas paper, was published. In 1945 a scholarship to the University of Chicago was established for students of Swedish descent.

These records primarily document the activities during the dwindling membership which led to the Society's demise in 1972.