Papers of Carmen Delgado Votaw, 1972-2014
Overview
Professional correspondence, minutes, bylaws, reports, speeches, conference materials, clippings, fact sheets, etc., of Puerto Rico-born feminist, Carmen Delgado Votaw.
Dates
- Creation: 1972-2014
Creator
- Votaw, Carmen Delgado (Person)
Language of Materials
Materials in English and Spanish; some with English translations.
Access Restrictions:
Access. Collection is open for research. An appointment is necessary to use any audiovisual material.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright. Copyright in the papers created by Carmen Delgado Votaw is held by the President and Fellows of Harvard College for the Schlesinger Library. Copyright in other papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the authors' heirs or assigns.
Copying. Papers may be copied in accordance with the library's usual procedures.
Extent
2.50 linear feet ((6 file boxes) plus 1 folio+ folder, 1 supersize folder, 2 photograph folders, 1 supersize photograph folder, 1 DVD)The bulk of material documents Carmen Delgado Votaw's professional work relating to women, children and Hispanics, with a number of organizations including the National Conference of Puerto Rican Women, the Inter-American Commission of Women, International Women's Year (1975), and the United Nations Decade for Women (1976-1985). Materials for these organizations include meeting minutes, reports, bylaws, speeches, conference material, correspondence, clippings, photographs, etc. Additional organizations that are documented in the collection include the Girl Scouts of America, the Alliance for Children and Families, the Overseas Development Council, and the Pan American Liason Committee of Women's Organizations. These folders contain similar materials, but are much fewer in number. Other materials include professional correspondence maintained by Votaw; speeches given at various conferences, workshops, and events; and flyers and pamphlets, etc. There are few personal items in the collection, including a Votaw/Delgado family tree, and awards and recognitions received by Votaw. Folder titles were created by the archivist. The collection is arranged alphabetically.
Most of the photographs in this collection are or will be digitized and available online.
BIOGRAPHY
Feminist and civil rights leader Carmen Delgado Votaw was born in Humacao, Puerto Rico, in 1935. She studied at the University of Puerto Rico and graduated from American University in Washington, DC, with a bachelor of arts in international studies. Active in the Overseas Education Fund of the League of Women Voters, she helped promote participation in community development for women in the United States and Latin America. In the mid-1970s, she was appointed to the Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year and served subsequently on the National Advisory Commission of Women, a Presidential appointment. She also served as United States delegate to the Inter-American Commission of Women and as president (1978-1980). Active in the National Organization for Women, the National Women's Political Caucus, the National Conference of Puerto Rican Women, and the Girl Scouts, Votaw was also president of the Pan American Liaison Committee of Women's Organizations. She died in 2017.
Physical Location
Collection stored off site: researchers must request access 36 hours before use.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Accession numbers: 2007-M72, 2008-M44, 2009-M7, 2010-M65, 2010-M169, 2011-M242, 2014-M184
The papers of Carmen Delgado Votaw were given to the Schlesinger by Carmen Delgado Votaw between August 2007 and November 2014.
Processing Information
Processed: October 2022
By: Mark Vassar, with assistance from Yolande E. Bennett.
Creator
- Votaw, Carmen Delgado (Person)
Subject
- National Women's Political Caucus (U.S.) (Organization)
- United States. National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year (Organization)
- National Organization for Women (Organization)
- Title
- Votaw, Carmen Delgado. Papers of Carmen Delgado Votaw, 1972-2014: A Finding Aid
- Author
- Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
- Language of description
- eng
- EAD ID
- sch02152
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.