Libraries
Identity elements
Reference code
Level of description
Title
Date(s)
- 1959-1987 (Creation)
Extent
6.00 Linear Feet, 4.00 Boxes
Name of creator
Biographical history
Florence Gerken was born to Mattie (Craker) and Wilbert D. Gerken in Reedsburg, Wisconsin, on August 31, 1896. She received her B. A. from the University of Wisconsin in 1921. Mason worked in the library, Extension Division, University of Wisconsin at Madison from 1919 to 1926. In 1929, she became a librarian at the American Standards Association in New York and worked there until becoming librarian at the Consumers Union in Mount Vernon, New York, in 1939. Mason became the assistant to director there in 1959. In 1961, she became assistant to the President of International Organization of Consumers Unions (IOCU), The Hague, Netherlands. In 1963, Mason was appointed IOCU special correspondent to the United Nations.
She was married to Howard Hastings Fuller from October 6, 1920, until his death in June 1930. She was married to William A. Gluesing from November 17, 1937 until they divorced in January 1949. She married Alphonso Linwood Mason on February 12, 1949. She died in September 1990 at the age of 95.
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
This collection documents Florence Mason's work with the International Organization of Consumers Unions (IOCU), the United Nations, and the development of consumer associations in various countries. It is contained in 4 boxes consisting of 92 file folders. The material is divided into 2 series: 1) IOCU, 2) Subject Files.
The majority of the material is contained in the IOCU series. It contains annual reports, information on consumer associations in foreign countries ( India, Japan, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom, etc.), proceedings from five world congresses, and speeches and papers from various members of the organization, including Anwar Fazal, former IOCU president, and Ruth Simmons-Vermeer, former special agent for Asia and Pacific. The series spans the years 1964-1987 and is housed in 46 file folders.
The Subject Files are arranged alphabetically and contain papers on the following topics: consumer education; how to establish educational programs; tips and suggestions on consumer protection; environmental concerns; personal papers including notes and drafts of letters; printed material; speeches from individuals involved with the consumer movement in the U.S. and abroad, such as Foo Gaik Sim and Rhoda H. Karpatkin; and the United Nations, including UNICEF information on the state of the world's children and information on the Law of the Sea. The series dates from 1959 to 1987 and is contained in 46 file folders.
Printed material has been removed from the collection and filed with other publications in the Consumer Movement Archives. The printed material contains items from IOCU, Consumers Union, government departments, UNICEF, the United Nations, and Consumers' Association.
System of arrangement
The papers are housed in 4 document boxes and are contained in 92 file folders. They are divided into 2 series: 1) IOCU, 1964–1987; 2) Subject Files, 1959–1987. Printed material has been transferred from the collection and filed with other publications in the Consumer Movement Archives.
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
All materials are open for research.
Physical access
Technical access
Conditions governing reproduction
The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.
Languages of the material
- English
Scripts of the material
Language and script notes
Finding aids
Acquisition and appraisal elements
Custodial history
Immediate source of acquisition
Florence Mason donated these materials in 1988.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
Mason was a staff member of Consumers Union and special correspondent at the United Nations for the International Organization of Consumers Unions. Materials reflect workings of these organizations and consumer advocacy at international and national levels.
Accruals
Related materials elements
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related archival materials
Related descriptions
Specialized notes
- Citation: Preferred Citation: [Item title], [item date], Florence Mason papers, Box [number], Folder [number or title], Richard L. D. and Marjorie J. Morse Department of Archives and Special Collections, Kansas State University Libraries.
Alternative identifier(s)
Archon Collection ID
Description control element
Rules or conventions
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Sources used
Archivist's note
Consumer Movement Archives student employee Kylee Schultz organized the collection in 1990. Format migration to an archival collection management system by graduate assistant Edward Nagurny in May 2015.