Subseries A. Biographical and personal, 1937-1997 (#1.1-4.13, PD.1, T-433.1 - T-433.5, E.1)
Scope and Contents
Subseries A, Biographical and personal, 1937-1997 (#1.1-4.13, PD.1, T-433.1 - T-433.5, E.1), contains clippings, biographical sketches, interviews, personal and professional contacts, awards, resumes, health and education information, and diaries. Most diaries chronicle the relationships Whitman had with her parents, her three husbands and her children; they discuss in great detail the death of her parents, her intense and conflicted relationship with Morton Sacks (whom she called Moon). They also document her declining health and struggle with leukemia and well as her estrangement from her children. Some diaries include copious notes on traveling, detailed recollections of dreams, ideas and drafts of poems, and research notes. Audiotapes of interviews with Whitman broadcast on local public or university radio stations are also found in this subseries. The subseries is arranged alphabetically. Folder titles appearing in quotation marks were created by Whitman.
Dates
- Creation: 1930-1998
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1940-1996
Language of Materials
Materials in English. Some materials in Yiddish, Hebrew, Greek.
Access Restrictions:
Access. Collection is open for research. An appointment is necessary to use any audiovisual material.
Extent
13.55 linear feet ((32 + 1/2 file boxes) plus 5 folio folders, 4 folio+ folders, 1 oversize folder, 11 photograph folders, 63 audiotapes, 3 videotapes, and electronic records.)6.34 Megabytes (4 files)
Physical Location
Collection stored off site: researchers must request access 36 hours before use.
Creator
- From the Collection: Whitman, Ruth, 1922-1999 (Person)
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.