The South Dakota Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (SDAFCS) collection is a key resource documenting the history and development of home economics and family and consumer sciences organizations. Focused on the National Association of Extension Home Economists, the South Dakota Home Economics Association, and the SDAFCS, the collection includes newsletters (1941–1999), meeting minutes, conference programs, awards documentation, scrapbooks, financial reports, and correspondence.
The newsletters cover events, scholarships, officer elections, honorary memberships, and sponsored programs. Meeting minutes and program materials document the associations' activities, including updates on by-law revisions and organizational changes. Notably, the collection contains correspondence from Eva Dawes, the first president of the South Dakota Home Economics Association, offering insight into the organization's early history. Additionally, it includes lists of officers, council and charter members, honorary members, and award recipients.
The collection also features policy revisions from 1971 to 1996 and a strategic plan for the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (1995–2000). This archive highlights the growth, governance, and influential figures within these associations, offering a comprehensive view of the evolution of family and consumer sciences in South Dakota and nationally.
The organization underwent several name changes over the years, and materials were arranged according to the organization's name at the time. As a result, the collection is organized into the following categories:
National Association of Extension Home Economists
National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences
South Dakota Cooperative Extension Association
South Dakota Home Demonstration Agents Association
South Dakota Home Economics Association
South Dakota Association of Extension Home Economists
South Dakota Association of Family and Consumer Sciences