William J. McCarthy Collection
Provenance
Collected by William J. McCarthy and Mario Gonzales, and donated by McCarthy on May 6, 2002.
Scope and Content
The collection includes organizational papers, by-laws, reports, correspondence, membership directories, forms, flyers, bulletins, advertisements etc. related to McCarthy’s participation in several LGBTQ organizations: The Times Squares Square Dance Club; Gay Friends and Neighbors, a gay neighborhood association with chapters in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens; Sundance Outdoor Adventure Society Inc.; and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Veterans of Greater New York (formerly Gay Veterans Association, renamed in January 1994). Approximately six inches of material was contributed by Mario Gonzales, a past president of the Times Squares Square Dance Club, at McCarthy’s request. Relevant folders note if material is from Gonzales’s files. The collection also contained newsletters (removed to the organization files), and Times Squares group and individual photographs (removed to the Visual Collection).
History or Bio
William J. (Mac) McCarthy participated in several LGBTQ organizations and collected material from and about these organizations from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s. The bulk of this collection relates to the Times Squares Square Dance Club, organized in the early 1980s by McCarthy and several other members of Sundance Outdoor Adventure Society, a gay outdoors club that McCarthy was active in. Initially an informal group, meeting for square dance parties at member homes, the group eventually began holding organized classes at Fancy Dancer, a dance studio at 40th St. and 7th Ave. in Times Square. By the summer of 1985, the group had settled on the name Times Squares and joined the International Association of Gay Square Dance Clubs (IAGSDC). As of the processing of this collection, the Times Squares continues to hold regular classes, square dances and other events, and continues to actively participate in the IAGSDC. The bulk of the material related to the Times Squares is dated from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s.
Folder List
Box 1
1. [Times Squares bylaws and corporate seal]
2. [“Chronological Survey of Actions of the Board of Directors (of the Times Squares) Setting Precedents and Policies,” 1986-1991]
3. [Election procedures and forms (1991); statements of candidates for 1990 Board of Directors]
4. [Treasurer report, 1994; balance sheets for several events, classes, etc., 1992-2002]
5. [Meeting minutes, agendas, notes (from William J. McCarthy’s files), 1985-1999 (Bulk 1986)]
6. [Meeting minutes, agendas, notes (from Mario Gonzalez’s files), 1992-1994]
7. [Correspondence, forms, flyers, etc. (from William J. McCarthy’s files), 1986-2002]
8. [Correspondence, forms, flyers, etc. (from Mario Gonzalez’s files), 1989-1993]
9. [Times Squares membership directories and lists, 1985-2001]
10. [Times Squares’ square dance classes — advertisements, flyers, class rosters, form letters, etc. 1984-1993]
11. [“Fly-in” events sponsored by the Times Squares — registration and housing forms, flyers, brochures, etc. 1985-1997]
12. [Flyers, invitations, etc. for various events (fundraisers, award dinners, etc.), 1984-2001 (Bulk 1987-1997)]
13. [“Peel the Apple” IAGSDC (International Association of Gay Square Dance Clubs) annual convention hosted by the Times Squares — final report, registration forms, brochures, etc. 1989]
14. [William J. McCarthy’s square dance awards and diploma]
15. [Newsletter and periodical articles about the Times Squares]
16. [Times Squares members obituaries and memoriams]
17. [Times Squares Pride Day participation — correspondence, forms, etc. 1990-2002 (Bulk 1990-1991)]
18. [Events sponsored by other gay square dance groups — correspondence, registration and housing forms, flyers, etc. 1986-2001]
Box 2
19. [IAGSDC bylaws and history profiles of member clubs]
20. [IAGSDC minutes of executive board meeting, 1993; agenda for executive board meeting, 1994]
21. [IAGSDC financial reports 1989-1994; correspndence and notes related to the 1993 IAGSDC dues assessment; notated agenda, from Mario Gonzalez’s files, for the 1994 IAGSDC executive board meeting]
22. [IAGSDC reports on annual conventions in 1987 and 1994]
23. [IAGSDC flyers and convention programs, 1985-1999]
24. [IAGSDC directories and events calendar, 1987-1995]
25. [IAGSDC forms]
26. [“Square dance orientation and information for the beginning gay square dance club” by Art Smith, written for the IAGSDC]
27. [General information about square dancing]
28. GFN [Gay Friends and Neighbors — bylaws, notes, flyers, correspondence (from William J. McCarthy’s files) 1985-1986, most undated]
29. Sundance [flyers, notes, forms, clippings, brochures (from William J. McCarthy’s files), 1986-1991, some undated]
30. GVA [Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Veterans of Greater New York (originally Gay Veterans Association) — constitution, meeting agendas and minutes, forms, committee descriptions, short history and member lists]
31. GVA [Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Veterans of Greater New York (originally Gay Veterans Association) — correspondence, flyers, programs, press releases and clippings]