Papers of Caroline Lexow Babcock and Olive E. Hurlburt, 1906-1961
Overview
Correspondence, reports, speeches, etc., of Caroline L. (Caroline Lexow) Babcock and Olive E. Hurlburt, suffragists.
Dates
- Creation: 1906-1961
Language of Materials
Materials in English.
Access Restrictions:
Access. Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright. Copyright in the papers created by Caroline Lexow Babcock 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
2.92 linear feet (7 file boxes)The papers of Caroline Lexow Babcock include material about her work for the Women's Peace Union of the Western Hemisphere, woman's suffrage in New York in the period 1906-1915, movements to abolish conscription and capital punishment, and the campaign for world government. Babcock's and Olive E. Hurlburt's work for the National Woman's Party is well documented. This collection also includes correspondence with and material about Harriot Stanton Blatch and Elinor Byrns.
A large part of this collection deals specifically with the controversy within the National Woman's Party between 1938 and 1946, which culminated in the lawsuit of 1947. The controversy was caused by an ideological split between Alice Paul, Anita Pollitzer, and their supporters ("conservative group") and a dissenting faction which included Babcock, Laura Berrien, Doris Stevens, Anna Wiley, Gertrude Crocker, Dorothy Granger, Alma Lutz and Olive Hurlburt ("action group" or "constitutionalist group").
Under Alice Paul's leadership, the "conservative group" favored an international scope for the campaign for equal rights and funneled funds from the National Woman's Party treasury into the World Woman's Party. The "action group" considered a concerted national drive for the passage of the ERA to be the proper concern of the National Woman's Party and deplored the siphoning off of support at home for campaign purposes abroad.
The papers about the split were collected by Babcock in her capacity an Executive Secretary of the National Woman's Party (1938-1946). They include correspondence and other materials on the controversial Convention by Mailoof 1945, the National Council meetings of September and October 1945, the two National Conventions sponsored by the two opposing factions in January 1947, and the subsequent lawsuit.
The papers of Olive E. Hurlburt document her work with the Michigan branch of the party from 1936 to 1947.
Also received with collection miscellaneous published material re equal rights and birth control, removed to subject file; publications of the Women's Bureau, catalogued separately.
BIOGRAPHY
Caroline Lexow Babcock was Executive secretary of the National Woman’s Party, 1938-1945. She also worked for the Woman's Peace Union of the Western Hemisphere, woman’s suffrage in New York, 1906-1915, movements to abolish conscription and capital punishment, and the campaign for world government.
Olive E. Hurlburt worked with the Michigan branch of the National Woman’s Party, 1936-1947.
Physical Location
Collection stored off site: researchers must request access 36 hours before use.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Accession numbers: 271, 312, 496, 797, 80-M26
The papers of Caroline Lexow Babcock and Olive E. Hurlburt were deposited with the Schlesinger Library in March and July 1961 and November 1962 by Caroline Lexow Babcock.
CONTAINER LIST
- Box 1: 1-12
- Box 2: 13-30
- Box 3: 31-45
- Box 4: 46-70
- Box 5: 71-89
- Box 6: 90-103
- Box 7: 104-117
Processing Information
Processed: May 1976
By: Joellen Wlodkowski
Subject
- Blatch, Harriot Stanton, 1856-1940 (Person)
- Lutz, Alma (Person)
- Schwimmer, Rosika, 1877-1948 (Person)
- Stevens, Doris, 1888-1963 (Person)
- Title
- Babcock, Caroline L. (Caroline Lexow), 1882-1980. Papers of Caroline Lexow Babcock and Olive E. Hurlburt, 1906-1961: A Finding Aid
- Author
- Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
- Language of description
- eng
- EAD ID
- sch00431
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.