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Pennsylvania National Organization for Women (PA NOW) papers

 Collection
Identifier: BMC-M66

Scope and Contents

The Pennsylvania National Organization for Women papers contain materials pertaining to PA NOW's activities and women's rights issues. The types of materials include newspaper clippings, articles, magazines and publications, correspondence, meeting notes, activism materials and kits, t-shirts, as well as national, state, and regional conference materials. A majority of the records date from 1975-1996.

The papers contain information on these major subjects: abortion, affirmative action, children, civil rights, education, the Equal Rights Amendment, feminism, the gender gap, health issues and health care, insurance rate equality, labor issues and rights, LGBT rights, women and the media, the state of Pennsylvania's NOW political action committee, pornography, poverty, religious and right wing activism, reproduction, violence against women, welfare, and women's rights.

Dates

  • 1970 - 2012
  • Majority of material found within 1975 - 1996

Creator

Limitations on Accessing the Collection

This collection is open for research.

Copyright and Rights Information

The Pennsylvania National Organization for Women papers are the physical property of Bryn Mawr College Special Collections. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the issuing organization, legislative body, or authors or authors' heirs and assigns.

Biographical / Historical

The Pennsylvania National Organization for Women (PA NOW) is a nonprofit women's rights advocacy group founded in 1971. PA NOW is a division of the National Organization for Women, the largest feminist organization in America. The National Organization for Women was founded in 1966 and has over 500,000 members and 550 branches in 50 states. NOW also has its own, non-partisan, political action committee (NOW/PAC) that supports candidates in federal elections. Many state organizations and local chapters of NOW also have political action committees which support candidates for state and local government offices.

The National Organization for Women focuses on six core issues: promoting abortion rights and reproductive freedom; achieving economic equality; ending sex discrimination; championing civil rights; promoting diversity and stopping racism; and ending violence against women. NOW members participate in rallies, marches, counter-protests, lobbying, class-action lawsuits, and political organizing to advocate for their causes.

References: panow.org and now.org

Extent

20 Linear Feet

Language

English

Additional Description

Overview

The Pennsylvania National Organization for Women (PA NOW) papers occupy fourteen boxes and contain the feminist organization’s records about their activities and meetings as well as materials about women’s issues such as reproductive rights; violence against women; gender, economic, and constitutional equality; and civil rights. The records date from 1970 to 2007 and include newspaper clippings, articles, meeting notes, office files, activism realia, and lobbying records, among other things.

Custodial History

Donor: Pennsylvania National Organization for Women

Subjects

Related Name

Administrative Information

Title
Pennsylvania National Organization for Women (PA NOW) papers
Status
Completed
Author
Marianne Hansen, Jennifer Hoit, Heather Davies, Melissa Torquato
Date
2014 June 20
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Find It at the Library

Find It at the Library

Most of the materials in this catalog are not digitized and can only be accessed in person. Please see our website for more information about visiting Bryn Mawr College Library

http://www.brynmawr.edu/library/speccoll/index.shtml
Contact:
Bryn Mawr College Library
101 N. Merion Avenue
Bryn Mawr 19010 USA US
610-526-6576

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