Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Los Angeles Chapter Records,
1931-2002
Processed by Jane Glicksman
Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research
6120 South Vermont Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90044
Phone: (323) 759-6063
Fax: (323) 759-2252
Email: archives@socallib.org
URL: http://www.socallib.org/
© 2003
Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research. All rights reserved.
Register of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Los Angeles Chapter Records,
1931-2002.
Collection number: MSS 076
Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research
Los Angeles, California
Contact Information:
- Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research
- 6120 South Vermont Avenue
- Los Angeles, CA, 90044
- Phone: (323) 759-6063
- Fax: (323) 759-2252
- Email: archives@socallib.org
- URL: http://www.socallib.org/
- Processed by:
- Jane Glicksman
- Date Completed:
-
July 31, 2003
- Encoded by:
- Jane Glicksman
© 2003 Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Register of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Los Angeles Chapter Records,
Date (inclusive): 1931-2002
Collection number: MSS 076
Creator:
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
Extent:
9 letter boxes, one legal half box
4 linear feet
Repository:
Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research
Abstract: These are the records of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Los Angeles Chapter. The collection contains
materials relating to the activities of the local membership and the administration of the Los Angeles executive board. The
bulk of the collection contains the correspondence, agendas, meeting minutes and publicity materials generated during the
1970s and 1980s, during which time the Los Angeles branch was particularly active.
Language:
English.
Administrative Information
Provenance
Donated to the Library by the Yablon Center
Access
The collection is available for research only at the Library's facility in Los Angeles. The Library is open from 10 a.m. to
4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Researchers are encouraged to call or email the Library indicating the nature of their research
query prior to making a visit.
Publication Rights
Copyright has not been assigned to the Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research. Researchers may make single
copies of any portion of the collection, but publication from the collection will be allowed only with the express written
permission of the Library's director. It is not necessary to obtain written permission to quote from a collection. When the
Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research gives permission for publication, it is 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 the reader.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Los Angeles Chapter Records, Southern California
Library for Social Studies and Research, Los Angeles, California.
Organizational History
The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) was founded in 1915 at the First International Congress, held
in The Hague, Netherlands. The delegates, representing more than 1,000 women from Europe and the United States, assembled
to protest the First World War and to chart a course toward permanent world peace. The United States delegates were led by
Jane Addams, a social reformer and the founder of Chicago's Hull House and the Women's Peace Party, an American peace organization.
Addams would later become WILPF's first president as well as the first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom is one of the oldest and largest international women's peace and justice
organizations in the world. It was founded on the principle that peace is achieved through economic and social justice, and
it has continued to work for measures to remove the economic causes of war, for universal disarmament and for equal rights.
In a policy statement delivered at its Third International Congress of 1921, WILPF declared its mission to "transform the
economic system in the direction of social justice." [WILPF website: Principles and Policies: http://www.wilpf.org/history/about3.htm]
Throughout its history, WILPF took stands on nuclear disarmament and the Vietnam War and sponsored or participated in the
International Year of the Child, the U.N. Seminar on World Disarmament, the International Women's Year and Stop the Arms Race
(STAR).
The WILPF International Office is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and is composed of 37 countries from Europe, Asia, Africa
and Latin America. The United States Section, WILPF's national organization, is based in Philadelphia. The Jane Addams Peace
Association, or JAPA, promotes WILPF educational programs and is also located in Philadelphia. WILPF's Legislative Office,
based in Washington, DC, monitors national legislation, political activities and participates in lobbying efforts. The United
Nations Bureau in New York City conducts programs and seminars in its capacity as a non-governmental organization, or NGO.
The United States Section is further composed of local branches and chapters, currently about 100. At the branch level, members
elect local and national officers, hold monthly executive meetings and chapter meetings and choose their own action priorities.
The National Board, comprised of branch officers, elects committee chairs and appoints members to the Executive Committee.
Although the basic structure of WILPF has remained constant since its inception, the composition and naming conventions of
its various national divisions have changed over the years, reflecting the nature and number of its membership. At one time,
the California branch was formally subdivided into two state branches: the Northern and Southern California Branches. The
California state branch was part of the Western Region, which was represented by Washington State, Utah, Colorado, Arizona,
Oregon and California. Currently, California consists of the following local chapters: Berkeley-East Bay, Fresno, Los Angeles,
Sacramento, Monterey County, Peninsula-Palo Alto, San Francisco, San Jose and Santa Barbara. Each branch has a branch president,
a secretary and a treasurer who represent their branch at regional and national board meetings.
Scope and Content
Vivien Myerson, member of the National Board and past president (1973-75) of the Los Angeles branch, donated the files from
the Los Angeles office, which constitute most of the material in the collection. Myerson was among a corps of women in the
Los Angeles chapter who were most active in the organization and who served as committee chairs and officers at both the local
and national levels. The bulk of the materials emanating from the offices of the president of the Los Angeles Chapter were
created or collected by Dorothy Hampton and Lois Hamer, branch presidents during the 1960s; Miriam Goldsmith, Vivien Myerson
and Sarah Shuldiner who held the office in the 1970s; and Pearl Letz, Blanche Spindel and Carol Cutler, active in that capacity
during the 1980s. In addition to meeting minutes, correspondence, pamphlets and flyers generated by the Los Angeles branch,
the local office also accumulated papers generated by Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) national
office and Western Region. Materials collected by other activists in the organization have also been integrated into the WILPF
collection. Many of these materials consist of policy statements and action alerts issued through the national newsletter,
Peace and Freedom, as well as the
Legislative Bulletin and
Legislative Alert, which emanated from the WILPF Legislative office in Washington, DC.
Arrangement
The collection is divided into four series:
1. LOS ANGELES CHAPTER RECORDS,
2. UNITED STATES SECTION,
3.WESTERN REGION,
4.PHOTOGRAPHS AND MEMORABILIA.
Series 1 is further subdivided into three subseries: Office Files; Programs and Seminars; Newsletters. Series 2 is also subdivided
into three subseries: Executive Board Office Files; Conferences and Programs; Legislative Office.
Arrangement
The records have been arranged chronologically, with the earliest dates leading. Undated material, if any, can be found at
the end of each folder.
Separated Material
Issues of
Peace and Freedom, WILPF's national publication, have been added to the Library's periodicals collection.
Related Material at the Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research
Title: Winfield (Orilla) Papers,
Date: 1948-1953,
Physical Description:
1 legal folder
Title: Women for Legislative Action,
Date: 1952-1977,
Physical Description:
6 linear feet
Title: Women Strike for Peace Records,
Date: 1960s-1970s,
Physical Description:
5 linear feet
Title: Women Strike for Peace - Newsletters,
Date: 1967-1989,
Physical Description:
.5 linear feet
A copy of the collection register is kept in the first box of the collection (1/0).
Photographs and Memorabilia are housed in a legal-size document case.
Series 1.
Los Angeles Chapter Records,
1931-2001
Physical Description:
4 letter boxes
Scope and Content Note
This series contains all the materials generated or distributed by the Los Angeles office, including literature collected
from other organizations. Most of the records in this series document the activities stemming from monthly chapter meetings,
which formed the heart of the local organization. Chapter meetings were structured around a featured speaker or presentation
to rally support for national initiatives as well as to raise funds for the local branch. The series also contains printed
flyers and brochures created to raise awareness of particular issues and to publicize local events.
This series is further subdivided into three subseries: A. Office Files, B. Programs and Seminars and C. Newsletters.
Subseries A.
Office Files,
1932-2000
Physical Description:
20 folders
Scope and Content Note
This subseries contains meeting minutes documenting the activities of the Los Angeles board. Minutes were recorded for executive
board meetings and for general meetings, which were held separately.
Correspondence files chronicle the local chapter's involvement in local and national political and social issues. Of note
is a letter dated 1950 that reveals the branch's actions in support of a proposed constitutional amendment giving equal rights
to women. Interestingly, the national organization did not consider this issue a priority at that time.
Files containing the branch by-laws, position papers and rosters show the development and structure of the local organization
in the state of California and its links to the national organization. Dorothy Hampton, Lois Hamer, Vivien Myerson and Sarah
Shuldiner held the offices of branch president in 1964, 1969, 1973 and 1977, respectively; Hampton, Hamer and Myerson also
served as executive board members at the national level. The writings files contain reports and essays about a variety of
issues, some of which appear to have been created as submissions for publication in the chapter newsletter. Of note is the
testimony of California state branch president Sylvia Saiger at the Vietnam Hearings, which were conducted by congressmen
George E. Brown Jr. and Edward R. Roybal in 1967.
Box-folder 1/1-1/10
Meeting minutes,
1950-1986
Box-folder 1/1-1/8
Executive Board,
1951-1986
Box-folder 1/9-1/10
General meetings
1950-1984
Box-folder 2/5
Circular letters,
1967-1980
Box-folder 2/6
By-laws, constitution and rosters,
1949-1950, 1953-1954, 1957, 1959, 1973, 1979, 1985
Box-folder 2/7
Position statements and petitions,
1973-2000
Box-folder 2/8-2/10
Writings,
1960, 1967, 1970, 1983, n.d.
Box-folder 2/8
Jane Addams fact sheet, biography by Orilla Winfield,
1960 and n.d.
Box-folder 2/9
Report: "The Possibilities of Developing the United Nations into a World Political Community," by Sylvia Major,
1964
Box-folder 2/10
Assorted essays and reports,
1967, 1970, 1983, n.d.
Subseries B.
Programs and Seminars,
1960-1990
Physical Description:
14 folders
Scope and Content Note
The Los Angeles chapter held monthly meetings and organized activities in response to national calls to action as well as
to other social and political issues germane to local community and state issues. This series contains a variety of materials
generated in support of these monthly events and special programs, such as press releases, photographs, clippings, study guides
and other literature, demonstrating most vividly the processes involved in developing grassroots organizations.
Folder 11 includes records created in conjunction with appearances by: David Roberti, California state senator, 27th district;
Paul Schrade, director, Western Region 6, United Auto Workers Union; Joseph Friedman, chairman, Southern California American
Civil Liberties Union Committee for Amnesty; and others. Materials include correspondence, photographs, press releases and
clippings. Course materials created to support education and outreach programs include role-playing exercises, bibliographies,
handouts and other printed materials. The Los Angeles office collected pamphlets and additional printed materials from other
organizations, including the "American Experiments in Disarmament and the London Conference of 1930," by William I. Hull.
Box-folder 2/11
Chapter meetings,
1971-1974, 1979
Box-folder 2/12-2/14
Course materials,
ca. 1960 and 1977
Box-folder 2/12
Assorted class materials: nuclear disarmament, peace action, resources for secondary school teachers,
1961, 1977, n.d.
Box-folder 2/13
Role-playing script, "Operation Living Room, Economic Conversion,"
ca. 1960
Box-folder 2/14
Role-playing script, "Operation Living Room, Nuclear Disarmament,"
ca. 1960
Box-folder 2/15
General events and publicity,
1972-1996, n.d.
Box-folder 3/5
Event flyers,
1966-1992, n.d.
Box-folder 3/6
Event programs,
1960-1992
Box-folder 3/8-3/9
Other organizations,
1969-1990
Box-folder 3/8
Reprints and pamphlets,
1969-1979
Box-folder 3/9
Program flyers and leaflets,
1969-1990, n.d.
Subseries C.
Newsletters,
1936-2001
Physical Description:
1 letter box (6 folders)
Scope and Content Note
This subseries contains the
Bulletin, the newsletter published monthly by the Los Angeles chapter. The
Bulletin was one of the branch's most powerful organizing tools and, except for monthly meetings and special programs, was the primary
outlet for raising awareness of issues and action campaigns. Articles, reports and fact sheets provided direction as well
as clarification on specific issues and campaigns.
In addition to news items about various chapter members, upcoming meetings and events, the
Bulletin also featured submissions from other small WILPF groups in and around Southern California, as well as
Action Alert and
Legislative Update, memos of legislative and congressional activities both at the local and national levels.
Of note is an early Los Angeles branch publication,
Peace Brevities, which was issued in 1936. This can be found in Folder 4/1.
Box-folder 4/1-4/7
Los Angeles Branch
Bulletin, 1936-1969
Box-folder 4/1
1936,(
Peace Brevities),
1960-1969 (incomplete)
Series 2.
United States Section,
1931-2002
Physical Description:
3 letter boxes
Scope and Content Note
The material in this series primarily contains literature generated by the national organization and circulated to the local
branches through the efforts of its various committees and offices. The Policy Committee generated statements and resolutions
for approval by the United States Section National Board. WILPF "Principles and Policies" and its constitution were updated
at national meetings. The Program and Action Committee spearheaded initiatives and coordinated national and international
campaigns, special events and seminars and scheduled national demonstrations in support of WILPF initiatives. These in particular
reveal the evolution of the peace, disarmament and social action movement in this country. The
Program and Action Letter documented the activities deriving from various WILPF initiatives and contained suggestions for implementation at the local
level in the organization. The Literature Committee issued leaflets, fact sheets, discussion papers and study guides to encourage
participation in WILPF political and social programs. Membership brochures and branch education packets, which were distributed
to branches throughout the country, contained sample press releases, WILPF position statements and meeting agendas, enabling
local branches to plug into national campaigns through community outreach. Brochures, such as "Principles and Policies" and
"About WILPF," dating from the 1950s, provide valuable insight on the history, philosophies and organizing principles of the
League.
The Legislative Office, located in Washington, DC, published a variety of materials and advisories, including
Legislative Bulletin and
Legislative Alert. These memos served to introduce members to national legislative activity, raise awareness of WILPF-sponsored initiatives
and to provide governmental points of contact at the national and local levels.
This series also contains files created in conjunction with national conferences, board meetings and internationally sponsored
programs, including the United Nations Seminar on Soviet-American Women and International Women's Year.
The series is divided into 4 subseries: Subseries A. Executive Board Office Files, Subseries B. Conferences and Programs,
Subseries C. Legislative Office, Subseries D. Jane Addams Association.
Subseries A.
Executive Board Office Files,
1930-2002
Physical Description:
21 folders
Scope and Content Note
This subseries contains the organization's constitution and by-laws, minutes and resolutions from national board meetings
and membership directories. In addition, the series contains position statements, pamphlets, brochures and educational materials
that would be distributed to the branches as well as for fundraising and membership drives. Of note in Folder 5/5 is a circular
sent to members during the Herbert Hoover presidency proposing drastic reductions in naval warships.
Box-folder 5/1-1/5
Administrative files,
1963-2000
Box-folder 5/1
Constitution, by-laws, annual reports,
1965-2000
Box-folder 5/2
National Board meeting minutes and reports,
1973, 1974-1976, 1982
Box-folder 5/3
Essays and writings,
1963, 1970, 1975-1976, 1981, 1989, n.d.
Box-folder 5/5
Circular letters,
1958-1998, n.d.
Box-folder 5/6-5/7
National policies and resolutions,
1930-1980
Box-folder 5/6
"Principles and Policies,"
1930-1973
Box-folder 5/7
Position papers and resolutions,
1937, 1960, 1962-1963, 1972-1974, 1976-1977, 1979, 1987
Box-folder 5/8-5/9
Branch outreach and education,
1963-1976
Box-folder 5/8
Leadership manuals,
1970-1972, 1976
Box-folder 5/9
Study guides,
1961, 1963, 1973, 1976, n.d.
Box-folder 5/10-6/2
Literature and publications,
1930-2002
Box-folder 5/10
Reports and reprints,
ca. 1930-1981, n.d.
Box-folder 5/11
Special publications,
1985-1999, n.d.
Box-folder 5/12
Histories and fact sheets,
1960-1985, n.d.
Box-folder 5/13
General and membership brochures,
1954-1981, n.d.
Box-folder 5/14
Brochures, WILPF International,
1959-1984, n.d.
Box-folder 6/1
Leaflets and flyers,
ca. 1929-2002
Box-folder 6/2
Other organizations,
1962-1975, n.d.
Subseries B.
Conferences and Programs,
1960-1983
Physical Description:
15 folders
Scope and Content Note
This subseries includes correspondence, notes, event programs and flyers created in connection with national conferences and
board meetings. The subseries also includes the records of national and international congresses and seminars sponsored by
WILPF International members. The Program and Action Committee organized national and international initiatives, such as Stop
the Arms Race (STAR) and International Women's Year, which are also represented in this section. Folder 6/3 contains a few
issues of the
Program and Action Letter. The memos were included in the national newsletter,
Peace and Freedom, which members received through membership dues. These materials in particular amplify the issues and activities most pertinent
to the local organization. The
Program and Action Letter directed members to particular events, programs and demonstrations and provided lists of local contacts, organizing hints
and related activist organizations and activities. A small folder containing educational materials, newsletters and conference
programs from the Jane Addams Peace Association can be found at the end of this subseries.
Box-folder 6/3
Program and Action Letter,
1971, 1973, 1975-1977, 1982
Box-folder 6/4
Jane Addams Centennial,
1960
Box-folder 6/5
15th International Congress at Asilomar, California,
1962
Box-folder 6/6
UN Seminar on Disarmament, International Women's Year,
1975
Box-folder 6/7
US Section Biennial Meeting and Conference, Santa Cruz, California,
1979
Box-folder 6/8
21st International Triennial Congress, Quinnipiac College, Hamden, Connecticut,
1980
Box-folder 6/9
US-Soviet Women's Seminar, Moscow,
1980; Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania,
1981
Box-folder 6/10
US Section Biennial Meeting and Conference, Ypsilanti, Michigan,
1981
Box-folder 6/11
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT),
1978-1979; Stop the Arms Race (STAR),
1982-1983
Box-folder 6/12
Women's Encampment for Peace and Justice, Seneca Army Depot,
1983
Box-folder 6/13
22nd International Congress, Gothenburg, Sweden,
1983; International Peace Update, published at the 26th International Congress, Helsinki, Finland,
1995
Box-folder 7/1
National Conference Programs,
1966, 1968, 1978, 1983
Box-folder 7/2
16th International Congress Program, The Hague,
1966; 18th International Congress Program, New Delhi,
1971
Box-folder 7/3
International Women's Day, Brussels,
1983
Box-folder 7/4
Jane Addams Peace Association (JAPA),
n.d.
Subseries C.
Legislative Office,
1964-1985
Physical Description:
4 folders
Scope and Content Note
The Legislative Office kept members informed on key legislative issues through its memos, bulletins and alerts, which also
publicize WILPF views and programs to elected officials and the general public. The
Washington Newsletter, published in the 1960s, and
Action Bulletin summarized bills and resolutions considered in Congress, analyzed issues and campaigns and tracked voting records of legislators.
Through action alerts, the office helped members generate support with local political representatives through suggested letter-writing
campaigns and other resources.
This subseries contains a few issues of the
Washington Newsletter, the
Legislative Bulletin from the 1970s,
Legislative Alerts, memos, and various reports, including the testimony of Marjorie Boehm, president of the US Section, before the House Budget
Committee, February 27, 1978.
Box-folder 7/5
Washington Newsletter,
1964-1968;
Action Bulletin,
January - August, 1968
Box-folder 7/6
Legislative Bulletin,
1971-1982
Box-folder 7/7
Legislative Report,
1973-1979;
Legislative Alert,
1977-1985, n.d.
Box-folder 7/8
Assorted memos, statements and correspondence,
1964-1985
Series 3.
Western Region,
1963-1993
Physical Description:
1 letter box (14 folders)
Scope and Content Note
This series includes materials generated by the WILPF Western Region, the Southern California State Branch, which included
local branches throughout Southern California, and various records from the Washington State and Oregon branches.
The Southern California Regional Council correspondence is mainly of council presidents Sylvia Saiger (1968-1971) and Florence
Stevens (1971-1974). Other branch materials consist of flyers, newsletters, clippings and reports submitted by member branches
from Northern and Southern California.
Box-folder 8/1
Administrative files,
1974-1975, 1993, n.d.
Box-folder 8/2-8/5
Western Region Conferences,
1980-1986
Box-folder 8/2
San Diego, California,
1980
Box-folder 8/4
Western Region Biennial, Madison, Wisconsin,
1984
Box-folder 8/5
Culver City, California,
1986
Box-folder 8/7-8/15
Southern California Regional Council,
1963-1983
Box-folder 8/7
By-laws and resolutions,
1963-1973
Box-folder 8/12-8/14
Correspondence,
1964-1974
Box-folder 8/13
Office of the President (Sylvia Saiger),
1968-1971
Box-folder 8/14
Office of the President (Florence Stevens),
1971-1974
Box-folder 8/15
Assorted branch materials,
1962-1983, n.d.
Series 4.
Photographs and Memorabilia,
1960s-1992
Physical Description:
1 legal half box (7 folders)
Scope and Content Note
This series includes photographs, clippings, commendations and awards, which were originally housed in scrapbooks. Each album
page has been photocopied and numbered; the corresponding photographs and awards themselves can be found in separate envelopes.
Many of the photographs appear to have been taken at Los Angeles Chapter meetings, Los Angeles-area demonstrations and other
events. Where applicable, the photocopies have been labeled. The series also contains two audiotapes; a radio interview on
the KOST program, "Metrospect," hosted by Roy Elwell, with L.A. Branch president Sarah Shuldiner and National Vice President,
Western Region, Vivien Myerson; and a speech given by Oakland congressman, 9th district, Ronald V. Dellums (b.1935). Shuldiner
was president of the Los Angeles branch from 1977 to 1978. Dellums' speech appears to have taken place in the late 1970s.
Two autograph books in this series contain the following quotation: "May Peace Prevail on Earth. May peace be in the United
States of America. May the United States of America's missions be accomplished." All the entries are signed in Japanese.
Box-folder 9/1
"Miriam Goldsmith Album",
1972-1992
Box-folder 9/2
"Jane Addams Album,"
n.d.
Box-folder 9/3
Gulf War Demonstration,
n.d.
Box-folder 9/4
Jane Addams photographs,
n.d.
Box-folder 9/5
Commendations,
1980, 1985, 1990
Box-folder 9/6
Audiotaped radio interview with Sarah Shuldiner and Vivien Myerson,
ca. 1977
Box-folder 9/7
Audiotaped speech, congressman Ronald V. Dellums,
ca. 1976