Guide to the South Bay Second Wave Feminist Oral History Project MSS.2006.06.30

Finding aid funded by the generous support of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).
SJSU Special Collections & Archives
© 2009
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
San José State University
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0028
special.collections@sjsu.edu
URL:


Language of Material: English
Contributing Institution: SJSU Special Collections & Archives
Title: South Bay Second Wave Feminist Oral History Project
creator: San Jose State University, Special Collections & Archives
Identifier/Call Number: MSS.2006.06.30
Physical Description: 4 boxes (2 linear feet)
Date (inclusive): 2006-2010
Abstract: The South Bay Second Wave Feminist Oral History Project, 2006-2010 (bulk 2006) consists of fourteen digital recordings and thirteen transcriptions documenting the experiences of women in politics in San José and Santa Clara County. The interviewees include: Blanca Alvarado, Leona Egeland Siadek, Joan Goddard, Susan Hammer, Janet Gray Hayes, Linda J. LeZotte, Zoe Lofgren, Dianne McKenna, Madison Nguyen, Karen Offen, Sally Reed, Lu Ryden, Lee Sturtevant, and Susanne Wilson.
Language of Material: Languages represented in the collection: English

Processing Information

Processed by:
Elizabeth Lopez
Date Completed:
2010
Encoded by:
Elizabeth Lopez
Reviewed by:
Danelle Moon and Erin Louthen

Access

The collection is open for research. Access to the Donor Agreements in Box 4, Folder is resricted.

Publication Rights

Copyright is assigned to the San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Special Collections & Archives 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. Copyright restrictions also apply to digital reproductions of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.

Preferred Citation

South Bay Second Wave Feminist Oral History Project, MSS-2006-06-30, San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives.

Processing Information

Collection processed and EAD encoded by Elizabeth Lopez. Reviewed by Danelle Moon. Series II added to collection by Victor Rodriguez II, June 2016.

Project Information

This finding aid was created as part of the Survey and Cataloging Project, a two-year San José State University Library grant project funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. The project began in 2008. The Project Director is Danelle Moon. The Project Archivist is Erin Louthen.

Project History

The South Bay Second Wave Feminist Oral History Project was funded by a CSU Research Grant from 2005-2006. This oral history project resulted in thirteen digital recordings and complete transcriptions documenting the experiences of women in politics in San José and Santa Clara County. The interviewees include: Blanca Alvarado, Joan Goddard, Susan Hammer, Janet Gray Hayes, Linda J. LeZotte, Dianne McKenna, Madison Nguyen, Sally Reed, Lu Ryden, Leona Egeland Siadek, Lee Sturtevant, Susanne Wilson, and Zoe Lofgren.
In this time period, San José and Santa Clara County become known as the "Feminist Capital" of the nation, starting with the mayoral success of Janet Gray Hayes, who became the first elected female mayor in the United States of a city of 500,000. Her political ascendancy represented a watershed for female office holders in the U.S., and this key victory opened a floodgate for female participation in almost every level of California government, from the Mayor's office to the California Assembly, and eventually Congress. As a result Santa Clara County and specifically the city of San Jose became know as the "Feminist Capital of the Nation." This combined with the success of other female candidates across the U.S. led a number of national magazines to run stories on the role of women, feminism, and politics. Time, People, U.S. News and World Report, and even some international papers carried stories highlighting the success of these female candidates. Gray Hayes was featured in a number of articles, alongside Diane Feinstein of San Francisco, Jane Byrne of Chicago, Isabella Cannon of Raleigh, North Carolina, Carole McCellan of Austin, Texas, and Margaret Hance of Phoenix, Arizona. In 1979 the U.S. News and World Report ran a story highlighting the recent victories of women in politics across the U.S. According to this report 750 cities had female mayors out of 18,800 municipalities-women were making clear inroads into politics at all levels. From 1975 to 1979 the number of women in public office increased from 4.7% to 10.9%, with the largest increase at the local and state levels.
These pioneering women worked directly and indirectly for equal rights and equal participation in the political process. Some of them played a key role as the first recognized political figures in San José and the larger Bay Area, while others worked as activists and lobbyist for the Equal Rights Amendment, the environment, civil rights, including outlawing marital and date rape, and reproductive rights. Each narrator was asked to reflect on her political and social experiences from the 1960s to the present, with the objective to document women's experience through the political process, as politicians, and as non-governmental lobbyists and activists. This project provides a deeper understanding of the important role that women have played in Bay Area politics, and will advance historical understanding of the important events, activities, and resulting policies that transformed the political landscape and opened up new opportunities for women, despite the failure to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.

Related Material

Susan Hammer Papers. San José State University Archives Collection.
Janet Gray Hayes Papers. San José State University Archives Collection.
Dianne McKenna Papers. San José State University Archives Collection.
Glenna Matthews Oral History Collection, San José State University.

Scope and Content

The South Bay Second Wave Feminist Oral History Project, 2006-2010 (bulk 2006), consists of fourteen digital recordings and thirteen transcriptions documenting the experiences of women in politics in San Jose and Santa Clara County. The interviewees include: Blanca Alvarado, Leone Egeland Siadek, Joan Goddard, Susan Hammer, Janet Gray Hayes, Linda J. LeZotte, Zoe Lofgren, Dianne McKenna, Madison Nguyen, Karen Offen, Sally Reed, Lu Ryden, Lee Sturtevant, and Susanne Wilson. The core collection also includes documentation on the development of the project, research files, oral release forms and other supporting documentation required by the Human Subjects-Institutional Review Board at SJSU.
The project was funded by a CSU Faculty Research Grant from 2005-2006. Danelle Moon, Director at the SJSU Special Collections and Archives, served as the principal investigator for the project. Graduate student assistants, Majorie Bryer, Jane Cooper, Karen Clementi, Amy Fonseca, and Aime McNamara provided research assistance and participated in the interview process. Special Collections staff transcribed the interviews with the exception of Linda LeZotte's transcript, which was funded by the City of San Jose.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into two series: Series I. Recordings and Transcriptions; and Series II. Interviewee Documentation and Research.

Bibliography

Flammang, Janet A. "Female Officials in the Feminist Capital: The Case of Santa Clara County," Women's Political Quarterly 38 no. 1 (March 1985).
Flammang, Janet A. Women's Political Voice: How women are Transforming the Practice and Study of Politics (Temple University Press, 1997).
Matthews, Glenna. Silicon Valley, Women, and the California Dream: Gender, Class, Opportunity in the Twentieth Century (Stanford University Press, 2003).
Philip J. Trounstine and Terry Christensen. Movers and Shakers: The Study of Community Power (St. Martin's Press, New York, 1982).

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Equal rights amendments -- United States
Women politicians -- Santa Clara County (Calif.) -- Interviews
Second-wave feminism -- Santa Clara County (Calif.)
Oral histories -- Santa Clara County (Calif.)
San Jose State University, Special Collections & Archives
Alvarado, Blanca
Egeland Siadek, Leona
Goddard, Joan
Hammer, Susan
Hayes, Janet Gray
LeZotte, Linda J
Lofgren, Zoe, 1947-
McKenna, Dianne
Moon, Danelle
Nguyen, Madison
Offen, Karen
Reed, Sally
Ryden, Lu
Sturtevant, Leisa (Lee)
Wilson, Susanne

 

Series I. Recordings and Transcriptions

Series Scope and Content Summary

Series I consists of fourteen digital recordings and thirteen transcriptions documenting the experiences of women in politics in San Jose and Santa Clara County. The interviewees include: Blanca Alvarado, Joan Goddard, Susan Hammer, Janet Gray Hayes, Linda J. LeZotte, Zoe Lofgren, Dianne McKenna, Madison Nguyen, Karen Offen, Sally Reed, Lu Ryden, Leona Egeland Siadek, Lee Sturtevant, and Susanne Wilson. All of the interviews took place at the homes or offices of the interviewees, and the interviews of Susanne Wilson took place over the course of the Summer of 2006. Of those interviewed, Blanco Alvarado, Susan Hammer, Janet Gray Hayes, Linda J. LeZotte, Dianne McKenna, Maidson Nguygen, Lu Ryden, Susanne Wilson, and Zoe Lofgren were elected officials in local government, and Lofgren is currently a member of Congress. Leona Egeland Siadek was elected to the California State Assembly, serving between 1974-1980, and Sally Reed served as the Assistant City Manger of San Jose and went on to become the Santa Clara County Board Executive. Joan Goddard was a labor activist and librarian, while Lee Sturtevant, a labor activist, worked behind the scenes in the local democratic party in San José.

Arrangement

This series is arranged alphabetically by interviewee last name.
Box 1, Folder 1

Alvarado, Blanca: Interview #1 August 24, 2006

Box 1, Folder 2

Alvarado, Blanca: Interview #2 October 6,2006

Box 1, Folder 3

Egeland Siadek, Leona: Interview January 25,2007

Box 1, Folder 4

Goddard, Joan: Interview November 14, 2006

Box 1, Folder 5

Hammer, Susan: Interview July 11, 2006

Box 1, Folder 6

Hayes, Janet Gray: Interview April 12, 2006

Box 1, Folder 7

LeZotte, Linda J.: Interview June 26, 2006

Box 1, Folder 8

Lofgren, Zoe: Interview April 19, 2010

Box 2, Folder 1

Nguyen, Madison: Interview #1

Box 2, Folder 2

Nguyen, Madison: Interview #2 December 18, 2008

Box 2, Folder 3

McKenna, Dianne: Interview April 5, 2006

Box 2, Folder 4

Offen, Karen: Interview

Box 2, Folder 5

Reed, Sally: Interview January 13, 2007

Box 2, Folder 6

Ryden, Lu: Interview April 17, 2006

Box 2, Folder 7

Sturtevant, Lee: Interview June 27, 2006

Box 3, Folder 1

Wilson, Susanne: Interviews #1 and #2 April 10, 2006 and June 22, 2006

Box 3, Folder 2

Wilson, Susanne: Interview #3 July 5, 2006

Box 3, Folder 3

Wilson, Susanne: Interview #4 July 27, 2006

Box 3, Folder 4

Wilson, Susanne: Interview #5 August 7, 2006

Box 3, Folder 5

Wilson, Susanne: Interview #6 August 14, 2006

Box 3, Folder 6

Wilson, Susanne: Interview #7 October 19, 2006

 

Series II. Interviewee Documentation and Research

Scope and Contents

Series II includes interviewee documentation and research on the development of the project such as research files, oral release forms and other supporting documentation required by the Human Subjects-Institutional Review Board at SJSU. This series is arranged alphabetically by last name of the interviewee.
Box 4, Folder 1

Alvarado, Blanca.

Box 4, Folder 2

Boneparth, Ellen.

Box 4, Folder 3

Egeland Stadek, Leona.

Box 4, Folder 4

Gluck, Sherna.

Box 4, Folder 5

Goddard, Joan.

Box 4, Folder 6

Goddard, Joan.

Box 4, Folder 7

Hammer, Susanne.

Box 4, Folder 8

Hayes, Janet Gray.

Box 4, Folder 9

Hayes, Janet Gray: 1974-1978.

Box 4, Folder 10

LeZotte, Linda J.

Box 4, Folder 11

Lofgren, Zoe

Box 4, Folder 12

McKenna, Dianne: Oral History Release.

Box 4, Folder 13

McKenna, Dianne: Research and Donor Agreement.

Box 4, Folder 14

Morgan, Becky.

Box 4, Folder 15

Nguyen, Madison.

Box 4, Folder 16

Offen, Karen.

Box 4, Folder 17

Reed, Sally.

Box 4, Folder 18

Reed, Sally.

Box 4, Folder 19

Ryden, Lu.

Box 4, Folder 20

Sturtevant, Lee (Leisa).

Box 4, Folder 21

Wilson, Susanne.

Box 4, Folder 22

Wilson, Susanne: Scrapbook 1973-1977.

Box 4, Folder 23

Project Papers