Ester F. Bentley papers, circa 1880s-2000s, bulk Bulk, 1960-1990

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Summary

Creators:
Bentley, Ester F.
Abstract:
This collection contains photographs, correspondence, awards, clippings, ephemera and memorabilia from lesbian activist, community organizer and social worker, Ester F. Bentley.
Extent:
8.2 linear feet (14 boxes, 1 record carton, 2 flat boxes and 1 media box)
Language:
and Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Ester F. Bentley Papers (Collection 1981). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains photographs, correspondence, awards, clippings, ephemera and memorabilia from lesbian activist, community organizer and social worker, Ester F. Bentley. The collection documents Bentley's professional career in community organizing in California, and includes research and reports that Bentley wrote and/or contributed to. The collection also includes material related to Bentley's advocacy work, in which she was specifically focused on issues affecting LGBTQ Catholic communities. Also included are material from organizations such as Women Against Violence Against Women, Coalition of Older Lesbians and Old Lesbians Organizing for Change. The collection also includes personal material such as photographs, correspondence and Bentley's writing and poetry.

Biographical / historical:

Ester Bentley was a life long advocate of womens and lesbian and gay rights. Bentley was born in Louisville, Kentucky on October 24, 1915. She completed her Bachelor's of Science at Catherine Spalding College in 1941. During the war years, Bentley worked as the Director of U.S.O. in programs for war workers and their families. Bentley went on to complete her Master's in Social Work at the National Catholic School of Social Service at Catholic University of America in 1949. Following the completion of her degree, Bentley became the Director of the Kentucky Society for Crippled Children. Bentley moved to California in the 1960s and became the District Director for Community Planning and Development in San Bernardino, California. Bentley also served as the Executive Director of the Girl Scout Council in Santa Ana, California. In the 1960s, Bentley acquired her Real Estate License from the Scadron Business College in San Bernardino, California and continued her work in community organizing as a consultant. From 1966 to 1974, Bentley served as a field consultant and supervised students in the UCLA School of Social Welfare. After retiring, Bentley became very involved in both Catholic ministries and gay and lesbian organizations. Bentley was also a founding member of the Coalition of Older Lesbians (COOL). Ester Bentley died on January 20, 2004, at the age of 88 in Los Angeles, California.

Acquisition information:
Provenance unknown, 2013. This collection is part of an outreach and collection-building partnership between the June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives, the UCLA Center for the Study of Women (CSW) and the UCLA Library.
Processing information:

Processed by Stacy Wood, 2013.

Description enhanced and further physical processing completed by Jessica Tai, 2017.

The June L. Mazer Lesbian Archive at UCLA is an outreach and collection-building partnership between the June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives, the UCLA Center for the Study of Women (CSW) and the UCLA Library. These collections expand the pool of primary source materials available to researchers and to the community at large. This partnership was initiated by CSW and is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to inventory, organize, preserve, and digitize more than eighty Mazer collections pertaining to lesbian and feminist activism and writings.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into five series.

  • Series 1: Photographs, circa 1880s-2000s
  • Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1940s-2000s
  • Series 3: Personal Material and Memorabilia, 1931-circa 2000s
  • Series 4: Professional Material, 1930-1986
  • Series 5: Community Engagement Material, 1956-circa 2000s

Physical / technical requirements:

COLLECTION CONTAINS AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS: Audiovisual materials in this collection will require assessment and possible digitization for safe access. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.

Physical location:
Stored off-site at SRLF. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Open for research. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.

Terms of access:

Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library Special Collections. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Ester F. Bentley Papers (Collection 1981). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA.

Location of this collection:
A1713 Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575, US
Contact:
(310) 825-4988
AskLSC@library.ucla.edu
Website