Beautify San Antonio Association Records, 1951-2004
1951-2004
48 bound scrapbooks; 4 ft. 4 in. of printed material; 1 audio reel
Organized in 1951 as an arm of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, the mission of the Beautify San Antonio Association was to "clean, repair, plant, and freshen" the city of San Antonio by implementing public anti-litter awareness programs, coordinating annual Clean-Up, Paint-Up, and Fix-Up days, hosting various clean-up projects around San Antonio, and awarding monthly Beautification Awards to area businesses and individuals. Scrapbooks, administrative files, photographs, and an audio tape that document the activities of the Beautify San Antonio Association from its inception in 1951 through 2004.
2008-04
English
Administrative History
Organized in 1951 as an arm of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, the mission of the Beautify San Antonio Association was to "clean, repair, plant, and freshen" the city of San Antonio by implementing public anti-litter awareness programs, coordinating annual Clean-Up, Paint-Up, and Fix-Up days, hosting various clean-up projects around San Antonio, and awarding monthly Beautification Awards to area businesses and individuals. From 1951 through 1969, the association also participated in the National Cleanest Town Competition, winning seven first prizes for cleanest town within its population bracket. The organization was largely the brainchild of its founding member, O.P. Schnabel (1896-1987), an insurance salesman with the Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company. After returning from a trip to Switzerland in 1948 where he was struck by the cleanliness of Swiss cities, Schnabel began the first San Antonio Clean-Up, Paint-Up, and Fix-Up day. Schnabel continued to be the organization's most visible and vocal member, known affectionately as "Old Push Broom" for his passionate stance against litter and littering. Schnabel subsequently became involved in larger state and national programs against littering, acting a consultant for both Keep Texas Beautiful and Keep America Beautiful organizations.
Scope and Content
Scrapbooks, administrative files, photographs, and an audio tape that document the activities of the Beautify San Antonio Association from its inception in 1951 through 2004. A large part of the collection is comprised of scrapbooks created by the organization as part of the National Cleanest Town in America Competition from 1951 through 1969. Each scrapbook contains correspondence, newsletters, newspaper clippings, promotional materials, broadsides, and photographs that document various clean-up projects around the city of San Antonio, and public anti-litter campaigns spearheaded by the organization. There are also meeting minutes, bylaws, charter and newsletters that illuminate the administration of the Beautify San Antonio Association from the 1950s through the 1990s.
Arrangement of the Papers
Records are organized into three series: scrapbooks, administrative files, and assorted files. Some of the original scrapbooks were unbound and the contents re-organized into correspondence, newspaper clippings, printed material, and photographic subseries.
Preferred Citation
[ #, Folder title], Beautify San Antonio Association Records, 1951-2004, San Antonio Municipal Archives.
Some materials may be restricted for conservation. Please see archivist for more information.
Index Terms
PersonsSchnabel, O.P. (Otto Phillip).
Organizations
Beautify San Antonio Association.
Keep Texas Beautiful.San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.
Subjects
Landscape protection – Texas –San Antonio.
Urban beautification –Texas –San Antonio.
Places
San Antonio (Tex.).
Processing Information
This collection was processed with financial assistance from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Detailed Description of the Collection
Scrapbooks 7Volume 1, 1951 [unbound] 7Correspondence, 1950-1951 7Newspaper clippings, 1950-1951 7Photographs and promotional material, 1951 8 Volume 1, 1953 9 Volume 2,1953 1Volume 1 [Unbound], 1954 2Volume 1, 1955 10Volume 2, 1955 11Volume 1, part 1, 1956 12Volume 1, part 2, 1956 13Volume 2, part 1, 1956 14Volume 2, part 2, 1956 15Volume 1, 1957 16Volume 2, 1957 17Volume 1, 1958 18Volume 2, 1958 19Volume 1, part 1, 1959 20Volume 1, part 2, 1959 22 Volume 2, part 1, 1959 23Volume 2, part 2, 1959 24Volume 1, part 1, 1960 25Volume 1, part 2, 1960 26Volume 1, part 1, 1960 27Volume 1, part 2, 1961 28Volume 2, 1961
29
Volume 1, part 2, 1961 3Volume 1, 1962 4 Volume 2, 1962 30Volume 1, part 1, 1963 32Volume 1, part 1, 1963 31Volume 2, part 1, 1963 33 Volume 2, part 1, 1964 33Volume 2, part 2, 1964 34Volume 1, part 1, 1965 35Volume 1, part 2,1965 36Volume 2, part 1, 1965F01-A55-U12-S05Volume 1, 1966F01-A55-U12-S05Volume 2, 1966F01-A55-U12-S05Volume 1, 1968F01-A55-U12-S05Volume 2, 1968F01-A55-U12-S05Volume 3, 1968F01-A55-U12-S05Volume 1, 1969 5Section 1, 1973 38Sections 2-6, 1973 40Volume 11985-1986 40Volume 11988 6Unbound scrapbook material 6Photographs, 1988 6 Newspaper clippings, 1988 6 Brochures, 1988 6Photographs, 1989 6Newspaper clippings 61989 61989-1990 6Brochures, 1989 6Supplemental material, 1990 6Governor's Community Achievement Awards entry, 1991-1992 6Newspaper clippings, 1990-1991 6 Photographs, 1990-1991 6Printed material, 1990-1991 6Bulletins, 1991-1992 6 Newspaper clippings, 1991-1992 6Photographs, 1991-1992 401992 40 1993-1994 401994-1995 401995-1996 6Unbound scrapbooks 6Newspaper clippings, 1996-1997 6Photographs, 1996-1997 7Assorted printed material, 1996-1997 7 Newspaper clippings, 1998-1999 7Assorted printed material, 1998-1999 7Photographs, 1998-1999 411999-2000 412000-2001 412001-2002 41 2003-2004
Administrative files 7Bylaws, 1994 7Monthly newsletters 71974-1976 [The Beautifier] 71977-1979 7 1980-1985 71988 71989-1992 7 1994-1998 [The Brush Broom Report] 7General membership meeting minutes 71975-1979 71980-1984 71985-1989 71990-1991 7 1995-1998 7Board of Directors meeting minutes, 1973-1990 7Executive Committee 7Meeting minutes, 1979-1991 7Membership roster, 1994Assorted materials 7Keep America Beautiful Day, 1973 7Photographs of Patio of States construction, 1976 Awards 8Governor's Achievement Award Contests, 1985, 1989-1992 8Awards program, 1980-1985 8Shirley Jones, 1984-1999Photographs 81978-1980 8 1984 8 1998-1999 8Undated 8O.P. Schnabel, 1971-1999Radio Advertisements—GSD&M, State Department of Highways 8Cut #1: Johnny Dee w/out tag [1/4 in. reel-to-reel audio tape], undated 8Cut #2: Johnny Rodriguez/Spanish w/out tag [1/4 in. reel-to-reel audio tape], undated 8Cut #3: Johnny Rodriguez/English w/out tag [1/4 in. reel- to-reel audio tape], undated