Papers of Mary Dent Crisp, 1942-1999 (inclusive), 1972-1990 (bulk)

This collection documents Crisp's involvement with the Republican National Committee, her support for abortion rights and the Equal Rights Amendment, her campaign work for John Anderson, and her involvement with the National Republican Coalition for Choice and Business Executives for National Security. Very little personal material is included. The collection includes speeches, correspondence, clippings, meeting materials, memorabilia, scrapbooks, photographs, and audiotapes. The processor created most folder titles; headings created by Crisp appear in quotation marks. Videotapes were removed from the collection and have been cataloged as the Mary Dent Crisp Videotape collection, 1979-1998 (Vt-117).

Series I, Biographical and personal, 1942-1999 (#1.1-2.4, 29CB.1m-29CB.2m, FD.1, 30F+B.1-35F+B.2, PD.1-PD2.f+, T-390.1), includes articles about Crisp; biographical notes, résumés and an interview; awards; papers written during Crisp's graduate studies at Arizona State University; buttons for individuals, organizations, and causes Crisp supported; and scrapbooks of clippings (#30F+B.1-35F+B.1) providing a detailed look at Crisp's advancement in the Republican National Committee, and the 1980 Republican National Convention and its aftermath, including her work as John Anderson's campaign manager. The series is arranged alphabetically.

Series II, Speeches and writings, 1973-1998 (#2.5-12.46. F+D.1, SD.1, PD.3-PD.4, T-390.2 - T-390.6), primarily consists of speeches, speech notes, and itineraries and correspondence re: speaking engagements undertaken by Crisp on behalf of the Republican National Committee, and speeches given after she withdrew from the Republican National Committee. The bulk of the speeches were given to Republican organizations, such as the Arizona Federation of Republican Women, The National Conference of Republican County Officials, and the Montana Republican Coalition for Choice. Crisp also frequently campaigned for Republican candidates for office, and attended receptions and other fundraising events for Republican candidates, and for Republican State Committees. For additional Republican National Committee material, see Series IV. Many of the later speeches relate to her work for the National Republican Coalition for Choice. See Series V for additional material. The series also includes articles by Crisp and notes for her proposed book on the Gender Gap. It is arranged chronologically.

Series III, Correspondence, 1976-1999 (#12.47-18.11), consists primarily of professional correspondence and includes both alphabetically and chronologically arranged correspondence. Correspondents include George Herbert Walker Bush, Geraldine Ferraro, Sandra Day O'Connor, William Weld, Barry Goldwater, and other politicians. Also included are letters and cards Crisp received for her seventieth birthday (#15.8-15.9), and personal correspondence (#14.10-14.14). Much of the alphabetical correspondence concerns Crisp's role as co-chair of the Republican National Committee material, see Series IV for additional Republican National Committee material. The series is arranged with the alphabetical correspondence appearing first, followed by chronological correspondence.

Series IV, Republican National Committee, 1971-1992 (#18.12-25.11, 29CB.3m, OD.1, PD.5-PD.7), is arranged alphabetically and includes correspondence, speeches, press releases, scrapbooks, an audiotape, and photographs documenting Crisp's work on behalf of the Republican Party. The series documents Crisp's successful campaign for election as Committeewoman from Arizona (#18.13-18.14) and includes letters of congratulation (#18.14) and her acceptance speech (#18.13). Her successful campaign for reelection as Committee co-chair is documented in #19.10-19.13; these folders include clippings and letters of support and congratulation, as well as Crisp's replies. The series also includes attendees lists; flyers; correspondence; and planning, publicity, and outreach materials re: the 1978 National Women's Conferences held by the Republican National Committee in Boston, Chicago, Orlando, and Portland. Correspondence with prospective conference speakers such as Trent Lott, George Herbert Walker Bush, Silvio Conte, and Dan Quayle is located in #21.3, 21.11, 22.19, and #23.4. Also included are Crisp's testimony at a Joint Senate House Judiciary Committee Hearing on the Equal Rights Amendment (#20.1); correspondence and publicity re: the 1980 Republican National Convention (#23.18-24.2); the speech in which Crisp notes that by reversing its position on the Equal Rights Amendment, the Republican Party will "bury the rights of over 100 million American women under a heap of platitudes" (#23.22); and a memo from Bill Brock, Committee chair, reproving her for her lack of support for Reagan (#23.19). This folder also includes Crisp's memo announcing her decision not to seek reelection as co-chair. For additional speeches Crisp made for the Republican National Committee, see Series II.

Series V, Other professional, 1976-1995 (#25.12-28.4, 29CB.4m, T-390.7), primarily contains correspondence, articles, speeches, and clippings re: Crisp's work with Business Executives for National Security. The series also includes correspondence, schedules, speeches, and campaign buttons documenting Crisp's work as John Anderson's presidential campaign manager; correspondence and memorabilia (including a gavel) re: the National Republican Coalition for Choice and the National Abortion Rights Action League; and correspondence and clippings re: Crisp's work on the President's Advisory Committee for Women. Included are articles re: Bella Abzug's dismissal from that committee and Crisp's essay "Why I Resigned" explaining her subsequent decision to leave the committee (#28.1). Also included here are correspondence re: the Arizona Coordinating Committee for International Women's Year. Of particular note are letters to Crisp criticizing her support of the Equal Rights Amendment, and her replies (#27.5). For speeches given on behalf of the National Republican Coalition for Choice and Planned Parenthood, see Series II. The series is arranged alphabetically.

Most of the photographs in this collection are or will be cataloged in VIA, Harvard University's Visual Information Access database. Others, referred to as "uncataloged" photographs, are not of sufficient research interest to warrant cataloging and are simply treated as part of the documents they accompany; they are marked on the back with an asterisk in square brackets [*].