1908-1989
Guide to the Collection
Restrictions on Access
The Jacoby Club records are stored offsite and must be requested at least two business days in advance via Portal1791. Researchers needing more than six items from offsite storage should provide additional advance notice. If you have questions about requesting materials from offsite storage, please contact the reference desk at 617-646-0532 or reference@bryansaunders.net.
Abstract
This collection consists of the records of the Jacoby Club of Boston, which provided social services to men with alcoholism and indigent older men. The collection includes administrative and financial records of the club from 1926-1979, as well as printed material by and about the work of Ernest Jacoby and the origins and work of the club.
Historical Sketch
The Jacoby Club of Boston began in 1908 as part of the Emmanuel movement associated with Dr. Elwood Worcester of the Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Newbury Street in Boston. Along with his church duties, Worcester practiced a method of spiritual healing for a variety of neurotic disorders. Worcester felt that people with alcoholism could be helped by redirecting their attention away from their problems to a life of service and spirituality. Prayer, group support, and self-help were important components of this treatment. Ernest Jacoby, a Boston businessman born in England, began working with the group at Emmanuel Church in 1908. Jacoby gathered around him group leaders, including men with alcoholism.
The Jacoby Club split with the Emmanuel movement in 1913 and set up its own clubhouse. Its motto was, "A club for men to help themselves by helping others." There were no membership dues, and the only requirement for membership was "an expressed desire to lead an honorable life and a willingness to aid other men less fortunate."
The Jacoby Club provided social services to men with alcoholism and indigent older men. Its Saturday night meetings included food, entertainment, and lectures on topics of current interest. Ernest Jacoby died in 1934. In 1941, the Jacoby Club moved part of its services to the Ellis Memorial Center on Chandler Street in Boston. The alcoholism programs continued in the Jacoby Club rooms as meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous. In 1987, the Jacoby Club terminated its programs and turned its funds over to the Boston Foundation, an organization that continues to support the same type of services offered by the club.
Sources
McCarthy, K. "Early Alcoholism Treatment: The Emmanuel Movement and Richard Peabody." Journal of Studies on Alcohol, Vol. 45, No. 1, 1984.
The Boston "Anti-Suicide Club" Has Its Twenty-Fifth Birthday," The Boston Transcript, 20 April 1935.
Collection Description
The collection is housed in 4 record cartons. It includes the records of the Jacoby Club from 1926 to 1989, including by-laws, minutes of meetings, and yearly business records of the club; subject files, including correspondence and pamphlets on the Emmanuel movement and Alcoholics Anonymous; financial records; and printed items by or about the Jacoby Club. The collection also includes items that belonged to Ernest Jacoby, dated 1917, and a scrapbook of clippings and invitations, 1908-1954.
The Jacoby Club records contain information on the activities of an early self-help group for men with alcoholism. Because of the Jacoby Club's desire for little publicity, it is less well-known than the earlier (1840s) Washingtonian movement or the present Alcoholics Anonymous programs of "alcoholics helping alcoholics."
Acquisition Information
Gift of Ernest Jacoby (the son of the founder), 1984, with later additions, including the 1990 gift of club by-laws, minutes, and state financial reports.
Restrictions on Access
The Jacoby Club records are stored offsite and must be requested at least two business days in advance via Portal1791. Researchers needing more than six items from offsite storage should provide additional advance notice. If you have questions about requesting materials from offsite storage, please contact the reference desk at 617-646-0532 or reference@bryansaunders.net.
Detailed Description of the Collection
Correspondence and records, 1926-1979
Includes by-laws; minutes of meetings, 1944-1988; and correspondence concerning the termination of the Jacoby Club.
Subject files
Bound volumes
Jacoby Club historical materials
Titles include: The Jacoby Club by a Member; What It Is and What It Is Meant to Be; The Story of the Lonesome Man; Fighting for Others; and Lonesome Trail.
Preferred Citation
Jacoby Club records, Massachusetts Historical Society.
Access Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in ABIGAIL, the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should search the catalog using these headings.