Records of Women United for United Nations, 1946-1978
Overview
Correspondence, minutes, membership lists, etc., of the Women United for United Nations, created to disseminate information about the U.N. and to mobilize interest and support nationally.
Dates
- Creation: 1946-1978
Language of Materials
Materials in English.
Access Restrictions:
Access. Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright. Copyright in the records created by Women United for United Nations as well as copyright in other papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the authors' heirs or assigns.
Copying. Records may be copied in accordance with the library's usual procedures.
Extent
1.96 linear feet ((1 carton, 1 folio box) plus 1 oversize scrapbook, 11 slides)This collection consists of correspondence, minutes, membership lists, news releases, pamphlets, clippings, and photographs. Most of the material was organized as an "official history" by Women United for United Nations (WUUN) members; their scheme, as described in #1, has been retained in #1 6, with supplementary material in #7-21.
There are also two folders (#22-23) of correspondence concerning WOMAN (World Organization of Mothers of All Nations), an organization founded in 1951 by Dorothy Thompson in an effort to mobilize women to work for peace and disarmament. The correspondence between DT and Rose P. Parsons, founder and chair of WUUN, reflects the WUUN's concern that WOMAN was being used for the purposes of Soviet bloc propaganda. WOMAN had a particularly active chapter in the Federal Republic of Germany.
HISTORY
In the spring of 1946, the representatives of some 30 women's organizations accredited to the nongovernmental section of the United Nations met informally to discuss how best to disseminate information about the activities of the U.N. In January 1947, Women United for the United Nations was formed and began publicizing the work of the U.N. It distributed catalogs of documentary films, produced a monthly bulletin entitled "U.N. News for Women Broadcasters," promoted coverage of the U.N. in the press, and in 1948, in conjunction with the American Association for the United Nations, established an Information Center for the U.N. Women United for United Nations was also instrumental in gaining national support for the United Nations International Children's Emergency Relief Fund (UNICEF) and inaugurating its successful program to sell greeting cards. Among its many other activities, Women United for United Nations sought to mobilize interest in the U.N. through a series of community pilot projects. These projects heightened public awareness of the importance of the U.N. by sponsoring speakers, panel discussions, films, and other educational programs.
Physical Location
Collection stored off site: researchers must request access 36 hours before use.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Accession numbers: 70-70, 78-M200
The records of Women United for the United Nations were given to the Schlesinger Library by Women United for United Nations in June 1970 and November 1978.
Processing Information
Preliminary inventory: February 1986
By: Anne Engelhart
- Title
- Women United for United Nations. Records of Women United for United Nations, 1946-1978: A Finding Aid
- Author
- Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
- Language of description
- eng
- EAD ID
- sch00982
Repository Details
Part of the Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute Repository
The preeminent research library on the history of women in the United States, the Schlesinger Library documents women's lives from the past and present for the future. In addition to its traditional strengths in the history of feminisms, women’s health, and women’s activism, the Schlesinger collections document the intersectional workings of race and ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class in American history.