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Finding Aid to the Madeline Mixer Papers
larc.ms.0424
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Table of contents
Title: Madeline Mixer papers
Date (inclusive): 1958-2010, undated
Date (bulk): 1962-1998
Creator:
Mixer, Madeline H.
Source:
Codding, Christine
Extent:
35.96 Cubic Feet
(33 cartons and 1 manuscript box)
Collection number: larc.ms.0424
Accession number: 2018/006
Repository:
Labor Archives and Research Center
J. Paul Leonard Library, Room 460
San Francisco State University
1630 Holloway Ave
San Francisco, CA 94132-1722
(415) 405-5571
larc@sfsu.edu
Abstract: The Madeline Mixer Papers contain materials created and collected primarily during Madeline Mixer's tenure (1962-1995) as
the director of the U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau Region IX office. The focus of Mixer's work as director was on
working women, and especially women working in nontraditional occupations. The collection includes materials generated by
the Department of Labor and other federal departments, and the national Women's Bureau based in Washington, D.C. There are
extensive materials from Mixer's regional office in San Francisco, including correspondence, and statistical information on
women in trade apprenticeships, and nontraditional occupations. Other materials pertain to the education and counseling of
girls and women at the K-12 and college level to break down traditional gender-assigned work, and raise awareness of trade
occupations and careers in math and science for women. There is also information on federally-funded mega construction projects
and compliance with affirmative action requirements, and a significant amount of materials that document the work of national,
state, and local commissions on the status of women. Also included are documents and publications from Tradeswomen, Inc.,
and two cartons contain various published reports and papers pertaining to women's work. Topics include household occupations,
part-time employment, childcare, technology, sexual harassment and discrimination, and working mothers. Three cartons contain
materials from women-focused organizations.
Physical Location: Collection stored offsite: advance notice required for use.
Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English.
This collection is open for research.
Some materials are in the public domain; transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed
by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be
restricted by terms of gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks.
Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility
for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Christine Codding in 2018; accession number 2018/006.
[Identification of item], Madeline Mixer Papers, larc.ms.0424, Labor Archives and Research Center, San Francisco State University.
Processed by Luca Facchin and Eva Martinez.
The collection is arranged in the following four series: Series 1: Biographical; Series 2: U.S. Federal Departments; Series
3: Research Files; and Series 4: Audio-Visual.
Madeline Mixer was born in 1928 in San Diego, California; she often stated that she was raised by a feminist mother who campaigned
for sufferage for women.
Mixer began working for the Women's Bureau of the Department of Labor in 1962 when she was hired to open the Region IX office
in San Francisco, which oversaw the bureau's work in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and the Pacific Territories. Beginning
in the 1970s, Mixer initiated a campaign to get women into higher paid nontraditional occupations by opening the door to trade
apprenticeships. Though she faced much push back from the male-dominated, blue-collar, skilled trade organizations, she helped
establish training and education programs to introduce women to the trades and prepare them for apprenticeships, including
the Women in Apprenticeship program sponsored by Advocates for Women.
In 1980, she worked with women in the skilled trades to found Tradeswomen, Inc., one of California's first organizations for
women in the trades. In 1989, the organization created a quarterly publication,
Tradeswomen Magazine, that covered topics such as networking, safety, affirmative action, employment discrimination, and sexual harassment. In
1993, she founded a donor-advised fund with the San Francisco Foundation to assist women entering the trades who needed tools
and clothing.
Mixer retired from the Women's Bureau in 1995, after 33 years of service. However, in her retirement she continued to help
tradeswomen. In 1999, she helped a group of women start the publication
Pride and a Paycheck, which encouraged and supported women pushed out of the welfare system to seek employment in industrial, construction, and
other blue-collar jobs.
Mixer died in 2018 at the age of 90.
The Madeline Mixer Papers contain materials created and collected primarily during Madeline Mixer's tenure (1962-1995) as
the director of the U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau Region IX office.
The Women's Bureau was established in the U.S. Department of Labor on June 5, 1920, to "formulate standards and policies which
shall promote the welfare of wage-earning women, improve their working conditions, increase their efficiency, and advance
their opportunities for profitable employment." It also gave the Bureau the authority to investigate and report to the U.S.
Department of Labor upon all matters pertaining to the welfare of women in industry. The focus of Mixer's work as director
was on working women, and especially women working in nontraditional occupations.
The collection includes materials generated by the Department of Labor and other federal departments, and the national Women's
Bureau based in Washington, D.C. There are extensive materials from Mixer's regional office in San Francisco, including correspondence,
and statistical information on women in trade apprenticeships, and nontraditional occupations. Other materials pertain to
the education and counseling of girls and women at the K-12 and college level to break down traditional gender-assigned work,
and raise awareness of trade occupations and careers in math and science for women. There is also information on federally-funded
mega construction projects and compliance with affirmative action requirements, and a significant amount of materials that
document the work of national, state, and local commissions on the status of women.
Also included are documents and publications from Tradeswomen, Inc., and two cartons contain various published reports and
papers pertaining to women's work. Topics include household occupations, part-time employment, childcare, technology, sexual
harassment and discrimination, and working mothers. Three cartons contain materials from women-focused organizations.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Building trades -- Employees -- Labor unions -- California.
Women construction workers -- United States -- California.
Women -- Employment.
Women -- Employment -- California.
Women -- Employment -- United States.
Codding, Christine
United States. Women's Bureau.