Records of the United States Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services, 1943-1985
Overview
Minutes, reports, directives, etc., of the United States Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services, as well as biographies and photographs of women in the armed services, recruiting literature, etc.
Dates
- Creation: 1943-1985
Language of Materials
Materials in English.
Access Restrictions:
Access. Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright. Copyright in the records created by the United States Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services as well as 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
1.88 linear feet ((4+1/2 file boxes) plus 1 folio+ folder)Collection includes minutes, reports, directives, and recommendations of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services. Also included are information about the various services, photographs of women in the services, biographies of the commanders, as well as recruiting and publicity material. Additional material received between 1967 and 2008 (accession numbers 1178--2008-M163) was added to the collection in April 2017. These materials are housed in #18-39. All other files remain in the same order.
HISTORY
The Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services (DACOWITS) was established in 1951 by Secretary of Defense, George C. Marshall. The Committee is composed of civilian women and men who are appointed by the Secretary of Defense to provide advice and recommendations on matters and policies relating to the recruitment and retention, treatment, employment, integration, and well-being of highly qualified professional women in the Armed Forces. Historically, DACOWITS' recommendations have been very instrumental in effecting changes to laws and policies pertaining to military women. The Committee provides an annual report to the Secretary of Defense with information gathered through installation visits, business meetings, relevant reports and survey data, and input from individual Service members
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Accession numbers: 55-94, 57-62, 58-19, 58-55, 59-45, 1178, 1273, 1343, 1556, 1570, 70-93, 71-85, 2008-M163. Accession numbers 1178--2008-M163 were added in April 2017.
These records were given to the Schlesinger Library by Lieutenant Colonel Elizabeth Ray, Executive Secretary, and other members of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services between September 1955 and May 1959, by Louise L. Wright between June 1967 and August 1971, and by Minnie C. Miles in April 1969. One folder was transferred from the Anna Chennault papers in September 2008
SEPARATION RECORD
Donors Louise L. Wright, Minnie C. Miles
Accession numbers: 1178--71-85
The following items have been transferred to the Schlesinger Library book division:
- Activities of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services, June and December 1967, June and December 1968, June and December 1970
CONTAINER LIST
- Box 1: 1-5
- Box 2: 8-17
- Box 3: 18-28, 30
- Box 4: 31-38
- Box 5: 39
Genre / Form
Geographic
Topical
- Title
- United States. Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services. Records of the United States Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services, 1943-1985: A Finding Aid
- Author
- Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
- Language of description
- eng
- EAD ID
- sch00946
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.