Radcliffe College Class of 1943 Oral History Project, 1988-1993
Overview
Transcripts, audiotapes, permissions, reports, and correspondence of the Radcliffe College Class of 1943 Oral History Project.
Dates
- Creation: 1988-1993
Creator
- Radcliffe College. Class of 1943 (Organization)
Language of Materials
Materials in English.
Access Restrictions:
Access. Collection is open for research. An appointment is necessary to use any audiovisual material.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright. Copyright in the Radcliffe College Class of 1943 Oral History Project is held by the President and Fellows of Harvard College for the Schlesinger Library. Written permission to publish or broadcast must be obtained from the interviewee during her lifetime and in some cases names may not be published. See permission sheet for details. 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
1.67 linear feet ((1 file box, 1 carton) plus 50 audiotapes)The collection includes drafts and final copies of twelve oral history interviews with members of the Class of 1943, audiotapes, related permissions, reports, and correspondence. The project provides an in-depth profile of the lives of women who grew up in the Depression and graduated from college during World War II. Many of them served in the Armed Services; some were active civic volunteers, others followed careers in architecture, government service, and higher education administration. One was a professor of mathematics and another was an art historian. Also included is a statistical report, budget material, sample letters, and biographical notes on interviewers.
There is related material at the Murray Research Center.
HISTORY
The Class of 1943 completed an oral history project as part of their 50th reunion gift to the college. They received financial support from the president's office and from the Helen Homans Gilbert fund of the Schlesinger Library. The project was begun in June 1988 and was carried out in two stages. First, a questionnaire was mailed to all members of the class. This included questions on health, college experience, reaction to social and political issues of the times, and an adjective check list. 60% of the questionnaires were returned. A report was compiled in August 1989 based on these data which provided a demographic profile, information on work and other life experience, and attitudes toward contemporary social, economic, and political issues. These coded data are at the Murray Research Center.
Second, twenty-two potential oral history interviewees who were in good health, had varied life experiences and were representative of the whole respondent sample, were identified from the questionnaires. The interviews were conducted by Ruth B. Helman, Harriet B. Belin, Betty H. Mawardi, and Rita K. Shea.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Accession number: R93-4
The records of the Radcliffe Class of 1943 Oral History Project were given to the Radcliffe College Archives by the Class of 1943 in March 1993.
CONTAINER LIST
- Box 1: 1v-12v
- Carton 2: 13-46
Processing Information
Processed: March 1993
By: Jane Knowles
Creator
- Radcliffe College. Class of 1943 (Organization)
- Title
- Radcliffe College. Class of 1943. Radcliffe College Class of 1943 Oral History Project, 1988-1993: A Finding Aid
- Author
- Radcliffe College Archives, Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
- Language of description
- eng
- EAD ID
- sch01050
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.