Call Number:

Ms. Coll. 1414

Repository:

University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts

Extent:

0.6 linear_foot (2 boxes)

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

Jeremy Duncan Nicholson papers related to LGBT issues at the University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia, Ms. Coll. 1414, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania

Date:

1976-1984 (inclusive)

Creator:

Nicholson, Jeremy Duncan

Form:

Bylaws (administrative records), Promotional materials, Correspondence, Financial records, and Minutes (administrative records)

Abstract:

Jeremy Duncan Nicholson (born 1948) was a community organizer for the gay and lesbian community at the University of Pennsylvania and in Philadelphia, from roughly 1975 to 1982, when he was a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania. This collection includes material from several organizations of which Nicholson was a part, such as the Christian Association of the University of Pennsylvania (CA), the Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force (PLGTF), Gay Peer Counseling (GPC), Gays at Penn, and Philadelphia community health organizations, including Lavender Health and the Eromin Center.

Jeremy Duncan Nicholson was a community organizer for the gay and lesbian community at the University of Pennsylvania and in Philadelphia, from roughly 1975 to 1982, when he was a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania. Born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands in 1948, Nicholson graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Master of Arts degree in 1982.

Nicholson held several positions on the board of the Christian Association of the University of Pennsylvania (CA) between 1977 and 1982, including treasurer, chairperson of the Finance and Investments Committees, vice president, and president. The CA supported the development of several of the LGBT organizations that appear in this collection. The CA was founded in 1891 as an ecumenical Protestant campus ministry at the University of Pennsylvania with a focus on social justice, including advocating for equal rights for women and the LGBT community.

Nicholson co-founded Gay Peer Counseling (GPC) in 1975, serving as the organization's director from 1978 to 1981. GPC, also referred to as Gay and Lesbian Peer Counseling in some cases in this collection, was founded with the support of the CA. It was the first gay and lesbian counseling center in the Delaware Valley.

Nicholson also co-founded the Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force (PLGTF) and served as the organization's treasurer from 1978 to 1980, developing several proposals for funding, which are included in the collection. The PLGTF was founded in 1978 to support the legal anti-discrimination efforts of the gay and lesbian community at the University of Pennsylvania and in Philadelphia. He was a member of the initial board of Lavender Health, a sexual health organization, as well as serving as that organization's secretary from 1980 to 1981; in addition to working as a counselor at the Eromin Center, a mental health organization, from 1979 to 1981.

Works Cited:

The Christian Association of the University of Pennsylvania. History. (https://upennca.org/history). Accessed on 2019 September 12.

This collection documents Jeremy Duncan Nicholson's involvement in the gay and lesbian community at the University of Pennsylvania and in Philadelphia, from roughly 1975 to 1982, when he was a graduate student. The collection includes material from several organizations of which Nicholson was a part, such as the Christian Association of the University of Pennsylvania (CA), the Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force (PLGTF), Gay Peer Counseling (GPC), Gays at Penn, and Philadelphia community health organizations, including Lavender Health and the Eromin Center. The collection also includes limited materials from other organizations, which include Saint Mary's Church in Hamilton Village, the Gay Community Center of Philadelphia (GCCP), the Gay Switchboard of Philadelphia, Architects-in-Museums, and the University City School for Asian Youth.

The collection is arranged in four series: I. Christian Association (CA); II. Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force (PLGTF); III. Gay Peer Counseling (GPC); and IV. Related and other organizations. Series I includes administrative files of the Christian Association, such as bylaws, lists of members of the Board and the Executive Committee, minutes from committee meetings, internal correspondence and memos, financial correspondence and budgets, and other documents related to the general operations of the organization. Detailed communication with regard to the financial holdings of the CA and its status as a non-profit organization can be found in correspondence between the CA leadership and executives from area investment banks and the Internal Revenue Service, in addition to balance sheets and the treasurer's report. The series also includes plans for community outreach, such as the CA's Community Action Plan.

Series II documents the history and operations of the Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force (PLGTF), including the mission and goals of the organization, duties and responsibilities of board members, names of board members, board meeting minutes and agendas, year-end reports and accomplishments, budgets and financial information, event announcements and outreach, and publications and promotional materials. The series also contains letters to the Board of Directors and individuals from Executive Director Rita Addessa as well as letters from Board Member Jim Littrell.

Series III contains the internal correspondence and policies, external correspondence, and requests for financial support of Gay Peer Counseling (GPC). Much of this series is hand-written and undated. The series also includes training syllabi for potential peer counselors, strategic planning, and informational pamphlets. It also includes flyers for Gays at Penn, a related student organization.

Series IV includes material from some related and other organizations, such as Lavender Health, the Eromin Center, Gay Community Center of Philadelphia, Gay Switchboard of Philadelphia, Architects-in-Museums, and the University City School for Asian Youth. These documents include general information about the organizations, community outreach, and, in the case of the University City School for Asian Youth, information with regard to fundraising.

The collection will be of value to researchers interested in the history of gay and lesbian community organizations and partner organizations at the University of Pennsylvania and in Philadelphia, particularly the Christian Association of the University of Pennsylvania (CA), the Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force (PLGTF), and Gay Peer Counseling (GPC), especially with respect to organizational structure, internal communication, community outreach, and funding and financial support.