Guide to the Alice Madeleine Laborde papers MS.F.038
Finding aid prepared by Alix Norton, 2013; updated by Sarah Glover, 2021.
Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine Libraries
(cc) 2021
The UCI Libraries
P.O. Box 19557
University of California, Irvine
Irvine 92623-9557
spcoll@uci.edu
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine Libraries
Title: Alice Madeleine Laborde papers
Creator:
Laborde, Alice
Identifier/Call Number: MS.F.038
Physical Description:
2 Linear Feet
(2 records cartons)
Date (inclusive): 1973-1984
Date (bulk): 1977-1982
Abstract: Alice Madeleine Laborde was a founding faculty member of the French and Italian studies department at UC Irvine. Laborde acted
as Associate Professor and specialized in the study of 18th century French literature. In 1977 she filed a lawsuit against
the University of California alleging that the University's repeated decisions not to promote her to full professor were due
to unlawful discrimination against her sex. The district court found that Laborde had established a case of prima facie discrimination,
but that the University's decision not to promote her was due to her "inadequate" scholarship, and not her sex. In 1982, the
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed this judgment. This collection contains Laborde's complete file of materials relating
to her legal cases against UCI. It includes transcripts of legal proceedings for all cases; detailed court decisions rendered
in favor of UCI; correspondence between Laborde and her lawyers, her colleagues, graduate students, and several departments
and committees; reviews of Laborde's scholarly works; analyses of faculty demographics and promotions at UCI; details of Therese
Ballet Lynn's similar lawsuits against the University; article clippings and publications; and Laborde's professional files.
Language of Material: Collection materials are in English and French.
This collection is only minimally processed but is open for research, except for the following restrictions: material in box
2, "Personnel Action" folder contains personnel files and is restricted for 50 years from the latest date of the materials.
Property rights reside with the University of California. Copyrights are retained by the creators of the records and their
heirs. For permission to reproduce or to publish, please contact the University Archivist.
Alice Madeleine Laborde papers. MS-F038. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California. Date
accessed.
For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this
collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.
Gift of Marie-Christine Berens, daughter of Alice M. Laborde, 2012.
Collection Scope and Content Summary
Alice Madeleine Laborde was a founding faculty member of the French and Italian studies department at UC Irvine. Laborde acted
as Associate Professor and specialized in the study of 18th century French literature. After publishing numerous books and
articles and teaching for several years, she applied for the position of full Professor at UCI. Each year she applied, she
was denied promotion by the University. In 1977 she filed a lawsuit against the University of California alleging that the
University's repeated decisions not to promote her to full professor were due to unlawful discrimination against her sex.
The district court found that Laborde had established a case of prima facie discrimination, but that the University's decision
not to promote her was due to her "inadequate" scholarship, and not her sex. In 1982, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed
this judgment.
This collection contains Laborde's complete file of materials relating to her legal cases against UCI. It includes transcripts
of legal proceedings for all cases; detailed court decisions rendered in favor of UCI; correspondence between Laborde and
her lawyers, her colleagues, graduate students, and several departments and committees; reviews of Laborde's scholarly works;
analyses of faculty demographics and promotions at UCI; details of Therese Ballet Lynn's similar lawsuits against the University;
article clippings and publications; and Laborde's professional files.
Related materials can be found in the following collection:
Subjects and Indexing Terms
French -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- California -- Irvine
box 1
Box 1 1973-1984
Series Scope and Contents Summary
This box contains legal documents, 1980-1982; legal documents and correspondence, all decisions in favor of UCI, 1975-1984;
legal documents and correspondence including strategies and events leading to court case, 1973-1982; Therese Ballet Lynn vs.
UCI, discrimination case materials, 1977-1981; and Lynn's published book: Recherches sur l'ambiguite et la satire au Moyen
Age, 1977.
box 2
Box 2 1973-1984
Series Scope and Contents Summary
This box contains Evidence for HEW, 1980; restricted personnel records; data on male/female faculty composition at UCI, 1978;
OCR analysis of faculty data at UCI, 1980; Laborde professional records including biography and CV, academic reviews, evaluations,
recommendations, correspondence, applications, and other materials; other charges of discrimination at UCI, 1980; newspaper
clippings on equal rights issues, 1977-1982; and correspondence between Laborde's lawyers and Yvonne Burke, a newly appointed
female UC regent, 1982.