On November 21, 1868, under the guidance of Dr. Ebell, sixty-two people, mostly teachers, alumni, and students from the Albany Female Academy (known today as the Albany Academy for Girls) met in the school to form the Albany Chapter of the Dana Natural History Society. The Society was named in honor of Dr. James Dwight Dana a famous geologist, mineralogist, and zoologist from Yale College. This collection contains materials such as newspaper clippings, member written articles, histories, documents from meetings and proceedings, scrapbooks, photographs, letters, awards, and other ephemera.

Parker Dunn was a winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor. The bridge over the Hudson River was named in his memory. An American Legion Post was named for Parker Dunn.

The Helping Hand Seal and Stamp Club, later the Women’s Stamp and Seal Club, was formed in 1936 by two friends, Mrs. George J. Skinner and Mrs. William Weigman. This collection includes minute books, photographs, newspaper clippings, programs, copies of stamps, constitution, and by-laws, correspondences, member information, meeting announcements, AIHA pamphlets, poems by members, Albany Academy history, award ribbons, a Loving Cup inscribed “Women’s Seal and Stamp Club of Albany,” NY Grand Award arch 26, 1946, three ink stamps, one “Elm Tree” die, painting of the “Elm Tree.”