Annalee Stewart Collected Papers

Annalee Kyger Stewart was born on February 17, 1900 in Bloomington, Illinois. She earned a degree from Illinois Wesleyan University in 1921, and did graduate studies at Boston University School of Theology, Colgate-Rochester Divinity School, and Union Theological Seminary in New York City. She was awarded an honorary degree "Doctor of Humanities" from Illinois Wesleyan University in 1967. Stewart was Director of Religious Education at the Centre Methodist Church (Malden, Massachusetts) from 1937-1943, and Director of Girls' Activities during the summers of 1930-1939 for the Conference on Religious Education (Northfield, Massachusetts). Stewart later did legislative work in Washington (D.C.) for the Women's Committee to Oppose Conscription, and served as the Director of International Relations of the National WTCU.

She became involved with the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) in 1924, when she chaired the Youth Mass Meeting at the W.I.L. Conference in Washington (D.C.). She took part in the Chicago Branch in the 1940s. From 1946 through 1950, Stewart was WILPF's National President, its Legislative Secretary in 1949-1964, 1966 (Oct.-Dec.), and its Legislative and Branch Liaison in 1964-1966. Stewart was also a member of the Fellowship of Reconciliation (1924- ) and the War Resisters League. She traveled extensively throughout the United States and Europe, as well as in many other countries around the world, speaking for world peace.

Stewart was one of the first ordained women ministers of the Methodist Church in the United States, and the first woman to be a guest chaplain for the U.S. House of Representatives. She was married to Dr. Alexander Stewart, who at one time worked for the Commission on World Peace of the Methodist Church. They had two daughters and one son. Annalee Stewart died in November of 1988 in Middlesex, Massachusetts.

This small collection of personal papers contains biographical information, correspondence (1945-1972), notices of Stewart's speaking engagements and appearances, information about her involvements, text of and notes for sermons, a personal notebook, and a folder of reference material. Correspondents include: Eleanor Fowler, Barbara Reynolds, Raymond Wilson, and members of the Stewart family. Most of Stewart's extensive reference collection on threats to peace, world disarmament and development, human rights, and the United Nations was routed elsewhere within the Peace Collection, or sent to the Friends Historical Library (Swarthmore College) and the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace (Stanford University).

The Swarthmore College Peace Collection is the official repository for these papers.

Gift of Annalee Stewart and daughter(?), 1976 [76A-127], 1977 [acc. 77A-094], 1999 [acc. 99A-047]

Processed, and checklist created, by Anne M. Yoder, Archivist, August 2014.

Women's International League for Peace and Freedom Records (DG 043)

Items removed: Photos and negatives to Photograph Collection;

Oversize newspaper advertisement "We Have Seen the Anguish of Vietnam" to Oversized Items Collection: Newspaper Ads (#0098)

Newsletters to the Periodical Collection

Use

None.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], in the Annalee Stewart Collected Papers (CDG-A), Swarthmore College Peace Collection

Publisher

Swarthmore College Peace Collection

Creator

Stewart, Annalee, 1900?-

Subject

Women clergy -- United States -- History -- Sources

Women pacifists -- United States -- History -- Sources

Lobbyists -- United States -- History -- Sources

People

Stewart, Annalee, 1900?-

Language Note

Materials are in English.