San Francisco Women for Peace records, 1943-[on-going]

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Summary

Creators:
Hamburg, Alice Grossman, Hazel
Abstract:
The San Francisco Women for Peace Records, 1943-[ongoing] contain materials from the San Francisco and East Bay branches of both Women for Peace and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. The collection documents yearly and extended campaigns for numerous issues including nuclear test bans, anti-Vietnam war protests, draft resistance, amnesty, citizen diplomacy, anti-ballistic missile bans, and conflict resolution in the Middle East and South America, as well as supporting progressive political candidates and legislature. The collection presents a panorama of the women's progressive movement in the Bay Area.
Extent:
19 cartons, 1 oversize folder 23.85 linear feet
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

The San Francisco Women for Peace Records, 1943-[ongoing] contain materials from the San Francisco and East Bay branches of both Women for Peace (WfP) and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF). The collection documents the formation of WfP in 1961, yearly and extended campaigns for numerous issues including nuclear test bans, anti-Vietnam war protests, draft resistance, amnesty, citizen diplomacy, anti-ballistic missile bans, and conflict resolution in the Middle East and South America, as well as supporting progressive political candidates and legislature. The collection presents a panorama of the women's progressive movement in the Bay Area.

The collection was compiled by Hazel Grossman, a representative for San Francisco WfP, and Alice Hamburg, a representative the San Francisco WILPF. Grossman and Hamburg co-staffed the San Francisco Women's Peace Office (WPO) from 1961 until the early 1970's, where the San Francisco WfP and WILPF shared office space. Hamburg was also active in the East Bay branches of WfP and WILPF. Materials include newsletters, correspondence, statements, flyers, and clippings documenting activities such as lobbying efforts, assemblies, walks, and boycotts. The majority of the collection consists of material from the San Francisco WfP and their national organization, Women Strike for Peace (WSP) in many locations, the WfP and WSP names were used interchangeably. There are limited records from the East Bay WfP, the national WILPF, San Francisco WILPF, East Bay WILPF, the San Francisco WPO, and incomplete sets of newsletters. The collection also includes the papers of several notable women's peace activists: Alice Hamburg, Frieda Wolff, and Frances Herring.

Researchers may be interested in the office records of the WfP and WILPH, two of the first women's peace organizations, as well as information on campaigns for nuclear test bans, protesting the Vietnam war and aiding draft resisters, women's peace conferences, and local interest work.

A glossary of the acronyms used in the finding aid follows:

  • ABM Anti-Ballistic Missiles
  • MX "Missile eXperimental", Intercontinental thermonuclear missile, the "Peacekeeper" missile
  • NCUUA National Council for Universal Unconditional Amnesty
  • WfP Women for Peace
  • EB WfP East Bay Women for Peace
  • SF WfP San Francisco Women for Peace
  • WILPF Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
  • EB WILPF East Bay Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
  • SF WILPF San Francisco Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
  • WOSADA Women Organized for a Sane Approach to Drug Abuse
  • WPO Women's Peace Office, San Francisco office of the local WfP and WILPF
  • WSP Women Strike for Peace (National organization of WfP)

Biographical / historical:

The women's peace movement coalesced in the Bay Area around the founding of the San Francisco Women for Peace (WfP) by women from the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) in 1961. The national "parent" organization of WfP, known as Women Strike for Peace (WSP), was established at the same time. The San Francisco branches of WfP and WILPF have maintained a joint office, the Women's Peace Office ("the WPO") since 1962. The two group's membership and activities often overlapped, and the organizations often joined forces on numerous yearly and extended campaigns.

Many of the women in these groups developed their organizing skills working in labor and civil rights battles of the 1930's and 1940's, as well as defending against leftist witch-hunts by the federal and California governments in the 1940's and 1950's. WSP successfully defended itself against the United States Congress Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) in 1962.

WfP began by campaigning intensely to stop aboveground atomic testing, and succeeded in only two years. Since that time, the group has struggled to achieve a Comprehensive Test Ban. The women have maintained continuous opposition to nuclear arms, holding annual Hiroshima vigils and campaigning against U.C. Berkeley's management of the Livermore and Los Alamos nuclear weapons labs. The women were among the first to protest at the Nevada nuclear weapons test site.

In the Vietnam era, WfP was continuously involved in protest throughout the war. WfP founded several coalitions and took action on their own. They planned programs, fundraised, and participated in marches, rallies and vigils. They aided draft resisters, fought for amnesty after the war, and worked for full diplomatic relations for post-war Vietnam. The San Francisco women influenced national coalitions, insisting that the entire spectrum of political affiliations be included in efforts opposing the war.

WfP has worked for peace and reconciliation in the Middle East since the late 1960's and protested U.S. intervention in Chile, Central America, and other countries. WfP were the first to participate in what became known as "citizen diplomacy" by exchanging visits with women in Vietnam and the USSR.

In the 1970's and 1980's WfP fought to redirect money from military to civilian use, and protested US intervention in Central America and Lebanon. They expanded the anti-nuclear protests to include nuclear power, supported SALT II (Strategic Arms Limitations Talks) and demonstrated against the US Navy's plan to "homeport" the cruise missile armed Missouri battleship in San Francisco.

Still active in the 1990's, although many of the women involved are octogenarians, WfP demonstrated against the Gulf War, supported housing for the homeless and fought for welfare rights, senior rights, and universal health care. The group continues to advocate for disarmament, responsible care of nuclear waste, social welfare and environmental policies.

Throughout the years, the women campaigned for progressive ballot measures and candidates in local, state, and national elections and were involved in neighborhood and city issues. WfP organized regular delegations to meet with elected officials in San Francisco and Sacramento, and maintained correspondence with their representatives and the administration in Washington. The organization has played a pivotal role in campaigns for peace, social justice, and the environment since 1961.

Acquisition information:
The San Francisco Women for Peace Records were compiled by Alice Hamburg and Hazel Grossman. Hamburg and Grossman donated the original collection The Bancroft Library in 1988, including the collected papers of Frieda Wolff and Frances Herring. Alice Hamburg also donated her personal papers. Additions were donated in 1990, 1998 and 2001. Ann Spake donated additional material in 1999.
Physical location:
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog

Access and use

Location of this collection:
University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft Library
Berkeley, CA 94720-6000, US
Contact:
510-642-6481
bancref-library@berkeley.edu
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