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Women's Resource Center Records

Notifications

Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

In the early 1970s the Swarthmore College Women's Liberation Movement began to work towards the creation of a space explicitly for women on campus. In 1973, the Swarthmore Women's Coalition published a proposal for a Women's Center. The Women's Center opened unofficially on February 16, 1974, and was in full operation the following month, located in two rooms on the second floor of Bond Hall. However, the Women's Center continued to struggle to obtain funding. In 1975, the Center was officially named Alice Paul Women's Center in honor of the well-known suffragist and Swarthmore Class of 1905. In the early 1980s, the Center moved to a new location in one of the Lodges on the south campus. In the early 1990s, the Center changed its name, becoming the Women's Resource Center and became explicitly "nonpartisan." in an effort to become more inclusive.

The folder titled "Early History and Founding Documents" contains documents relevant to the founding of the Women's Center on campus. The Swarthmore College Women's Center Organization Statement can be found in the folder titled "Women's Center Proposal, surveys, and letters."

The collection is organized into seven series.

  1. Series 1, meeting notes and student records, includes meeting minutes, budget proposals and notes from buisness meetings, and the records of student groups affiliated with the Women's Center.
  2. Series 2, log books, includes log books kept at the Women's Center between 1989 and 1993, and also between 2007 and 2010. These log books were written in by students staffing and spending time at the WRC, and often functioned as journals for the students who wrote in them.
  3. Series 3, founding documents, includes the original Women's Center proposal, as well as surveys about the possibility of a women's center and other early documents.
  4. Series 4, student papers, relevant to women's issues or gender studies, which had been collected in the WRC library before the 2013 fire.
  5. Series 5, publications, consists mostly of issues of Common Speaking, the publication of the Women's Center.
  6. Series 6, correspondence and miscellaneous, includes letters received and sent by the Women's Center, photographs from the 1994 WRC scrap book, and articles about Alice Paul (for whom the Center was originally named).
  7. Series 7, women's studies notes, includes syllabi, readings, and student papers from the 1994 and 1995 women's studies capstone class.

Acc. SCA 2013.019

In June 2013 the building which houses was the Women's Resource Center was struck by lightening. The collection is composed of materials salvaged from the Women's Resource Center fire which destroyed most of the materials stored on the third floor including the book collection.

The surviving records were removed from burned binders and folders, rehoused, and organized. In some cases, there are two copies, both the original and a scanned print-out, due to the damage sustained by the originals. When doing research, the copies should be used to preserve the originals.

Publisher
Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Finding Aid Author
FHL staff
Finding Aid Date
2014
Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

Copyright has not been assigned to Friends Historical Library. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in to the Director. Permission for publication is given on behalf Friends Historical Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by reader.

Collection Inventory

Archival Resource Key. Meeting Notes, Steering Committee, 1975.
Box 1
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Copy of Meeting Notes, Steering Committee, 1975.
Box 1
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Meeting Notes, 1978, 1978.
Box 1
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, Meeting Notes, WC Blurb, Newsletter, 1982-1988.
Box 1
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. WC Meeting Notes, 1987.
Box 1
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Business Meeting Minutes, 1989-1990.
Box 1
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Meeting Notes and Student Records, 1993-1994, 1993,1994.
Box 1
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Budget Proposals and Notes, 1986.
Box 1
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Student Group Records: WARIOR, 1993-1994.
Box 1
Scope and Contents

WARIOR, which stood for Women Against Racial Ignorance, An Organized Rebellion, was a feminist multi-cultural studies group, which aimed to "provide a forum in which women may comfortably explore issues of race and gender" and held bi-weekly discussions centered around pre-selected readings. It existed in the early 1990s and was affiliated with the Alice Paul Women's Center at the time.

Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Notes and Lists of Topics for Consciousness Raising Groups, 1975.
Box 1
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Women's Center Library: Notes, Letters, and Questionnaire, 1974.
Box 1
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Board Election Materials, 1995-1996.
Box 1
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. List of Books Lent Out from WC Library, 1974-1989.
Box 2
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Copy of List of Books Lent Out from WC Library, 1974-1989.
Box 2
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. WC Library Notebook, 1990-1992.
Box 2
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. WRC Log Book, removed from binder, 1989-1990, 1989-1990.
Box 2
Physical Description

2 folders

Archival Resource Key. Copy of WRC Log Book, removed from binder, 1989-1990, 1989-1990.
Box 2
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. WRC Log Book, removed from binder, 1991-1992, 1991-1992.
Box 2
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Copy of WRC Log Book, removed from binder, 1991-1992, 1991-1992.
Box 2
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. WRC Log Book, removed from binder, 1992-1993, 1992-1993.
Box 2
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Workbook/Log of Open House Hours, 2007 and; n.d.
Box 2
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. WRC Log Book, from melted binder,2009-2010, 2009-2010.
Box 2
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Copy of WRC Log Book, removed from binder,2009-2010, 2009-2010.
Box 2
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Women's Center Proposal, surveys, letters, 1973-1975 & n.d.
Box 2
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Early History and Founding Documents, 1970s.
Box 2
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Confirmation of Alice Paul Women's Center and response to attack on student, 1984, 1986.
Box 2
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. History Student Papers, 1975-1991.
Box 3
Physical Description

2 folders

Archival Resource Key. Linguistics Student Papers, 1976-1990.
Box 3
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Literature Student Papers, 1972-1988.
Box 3
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Labor and Economics Student Papers, 1976-n.d.
Box 3
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Women and Education Student Papers, n.d.
Box 3
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Women's Studies and Gender Studies Student Papers, 1976-1994.
Box 3
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Non-Swarthmore History Student Paper, 1971.
Box 3
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Common Speaking Policies, n.d.
Box 4
Scope and Contents

Common Speaking was the name of the publication of the Alice Paul Women's Center. This file contains issues of Common Speaking printed between 1981 and 1988.

Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Common Speaking Submissions, n.d.
Box 4
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Phoenix Article and Student Publication on Presseisen v. Swarthmore College case, 1977.
Box 4
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Copies of and Notes about Common Speaking, 1981-1988.
Box 4
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Student and Staff-written Reflections, circa 1982.
Box 4
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Common Speaking Submissions, weekly WC event listings, 1984.
Box 4
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Alice Paul Women's Center Newsletters, 1987-1989.
Box 4
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Student Publication, Woman Spirit Rising: Alternatives to Patriarchy, 1988.
Box 4
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Common Speaking Issue and Submissions, 1990, n.d.
Box 4
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Alice Paul clippings, 1912-1977.
Box 4
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Letters Received and Sent by Women's Center, 1973-1984.
Box 4
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Pamphlets, Issues of Ms., 1973-1990.
Box 4
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. WC Spring Semester Schedule, 1976-1977.
Box 5
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Articles from State/National Groups about Women's Athletics, 1975.
Box 5
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Copies of Faculty Lectures, 1976, 1988-1989.
Box 5
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Issue of "Resistance News", 1982.
Box 5
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Collection of News Articles about Alice Paul, 1985, 1989, n.d.
Box 5
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. APWC Internship Notes, 1987-1991.
Box 5
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. WC Correspondence, 1988-1989.
Box 5
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Resources -Articles about Sexual Assault and Rape, 1990.
Box 5
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Collection of questionnaires about Women's Center, circa 1991 or 1992.
Box 5
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Photos removed from scrapbook, 1994.
Box 5
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Alumni Records, 2005.
Box 5
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Phoenix Article on WRC Fire, 2013.
Box 5
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Summer Community Learning Project, n.d.
Box 5
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Graffiti Notes from W.C. Bathroom, n.d.
Box 5
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Miscellaneous: Women and Work Syllabus, decoration, n.d.
Box 5
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Women's Retreat Materials, 2000-2001.
Box 6
Physical Description

1folder

Archival Resource Key. Calendars and Internal Correspondence , 2006-2008.
Box 6
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Survivor's Week Materials , 1997.
Box 6
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Resources - Reproductive Rights .
Box 6
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Rape Culture Project Materials, 1974-1976.
Box 6
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Women's Studies Capstone Notes, 1991-1995.
Box 7
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Women's Studies Captstone, Part 1, 1994.
Box 7
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Women's Studies Captsone, Part 2, 1994.
Box 7
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Women's Studies, Part 1, 1995.
Box 7
Physical Description

1 folder

Archival Resource Key. Women's Studies, Part 2, 1995.
Box 7
Physical Description

1 folder

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