Guide to the Barbara Omolade Papers
RG 15.7

Summary Information

Repository

Sarah Lawrence College Archives

Creator - Creator

Omolade, Barbara, Dr.

Creator - Author

Swerdlow, Amy

Title

Barbara Omolade Papers

ID

RG 15.7

Date [bulk]

Bulk, 1978-1980

Date [inclusive]

1978-1985, 2004 (bulk 1978-1980)

Extent

0.5 linear feet 1 document box

Language

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Biographical note

Sociologist and educator Dr. Barbara Omolade received her bachelor’s degree from Queens College, her master’s degree from Goddard College, and her PhD from the City University of New York. She has worked extensively for women’s and activist organizations and in academia including the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, The Center for the Elimination of Violence in the Family, the Women’s Action Alliance, Empire State College Center for Labor Studies, the City University of New York, and the City College of New York Center for Worker Education.

During Dr. Omolade’s tenure at the Women’s Action Alliance, Sarah Lawrence College hosted the Summer Institute in Women’s History for Leaders of Women’s Organizations in 1979. The Institute was sponsored by the Women’s Action Alliance and worked in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution and the Women’s History Program at the College. Omolade served as coordinator of the Women’s History Project at this time and worked directly with Gerda Lerner, the director of the Institute. Through lectures, seminars and workshops, the goal of this Institute was to facilitate integration of women’s history into programs and organizations that assist women. The faculty of the Institute included Alice Kessler-Harris, Gerda Lerner, and Amy Swerdlow. Faculty were assisted by teaching assistants and guest lecturers.

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Scope and Contents note

The papers are organized in four series:

Series I. The Summer Institute in Women’s History for Leaders of Women’s Organizations, 1979

Series II. Women’s History Week

Series III. The Summer Institute for High School Teachers

Series IV. Reference

This collection contains mostly administrative records relating to the 1979 Summer Institute in Women’s History and to a lesser extent, the 1978 Summer Institute for High School Teachers and the establishment of Women’s History Week. Reports, evaluations, applications, correspondence, press releases and clippings make up the bulk of these papers. There is also a small series of reference materials relating to the institutes and Women’s History Week, including proclamations from various states and cities formally acknowledging Women’s History Week.

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Series description

Series I. The Summer Institute in Women’s History for Leaders of Women’s Organizations

This series includes blank and completed applications (restricted), seminar and workshop outlines, planning agenda and minutes, Institute proposals, budget material, and faculty and participant lists (restricted). In addition there are “appendices” with material that is believed to have been used during the planning process. This material consists of documentation about other women’s history and women’s activist organizations and movements, outreach lists, speeches, clippings, and correspondence.

Series II. Women’s History Week

This series contains correspondence, state and city proclamations, and a general folder that includes calendars of events for Women’s History Week from around the country and brochures, newsletters, and clippings about the week. Many items are about activities in Illinois. The majority of correspondence is to and from Barbara Omolade regarding efforts to establish a national Women’s History Week.

Series III. The Summer Institute for High School Teachers

This series has two folders. The first contains materials from Sarah Lawrence College’s high school teacher’s program. The second folder is from a similar program held at Stanford University. The Stanford material includes an evaluation of the program and a blank application. The Sarah Lawrence folder also includes a blank application for admission to the program as well as two appendices with program calendars, lecture schedules, seminar course outlines, and excerpts from an internal evaluation. A year-end report by Amy Swerdlow can also be found in this folder.

Series IV. Reference

This series contains reference materials such as conference brochures, newsletters, guides, and a resource catalog. The newsletters are published by the National Federation of Press Women, New Directions for Women, The Coalition of Labor Union Women, Women of Westchester, and the Women’s History Institute.

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Related Materials

See also

Women’s History Graduate Program Records, National Women’s History Week Papers, and the Congressional Union Records.

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Controlled Access Headings

Corporate Name(s)

• Sarah Lawrence College. Women's History.
• Women's Action Alliance.

Genre(s)

• Annual reports
• Application Forms
• Brochures
• Clippings (information artifacts)
• Correspondence
• Minutes
• Speeches

Geographic Name(s)

• Bronxville (N.Y.)

Personal Name(s)

• Lerner, Gerda, 1920-2013

Subject(s)

• Women's History Week

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Collection Inventory