University of Washington Women's Council Records, 1969-1983

Overview of the Collection

Creator
University of Washington. Women's Council
Title
University of Washington Women's Council Records
Dates
1969-1983 (inclusive)
Quantity
2.31 cubic feet (6 boxes)
Collection Number
(Accession No. 05-009)
Summary
Records of the University of Washington Women's Council. The purpose of the council was to promote and advance the rights and equal opportunities of women at the University of Washington.
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

Access is partially restricted. Contact the Special Collections division, University of Washington Libraries for details.

Additional Reference Guides

View inventory/container list for this accession

Languages
English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The University of Washington Women's Council was established by the provost's office in 1972 to ensure that UW's affirmative action goals were met. These goals included promoting, developing, and advancing the rights and equal opportunities for all women at UW. The council also acted as an advisory group to the director of the Office for Affirmative Action for Women. Katharine B. Thom held the director's position and was an ex-officio member of the council until 1975. The council's advisory role included establishing direction and guidelines concerning the development of opportunities for UW women in employment, education, and extracurricular activities in accordance with federal and state affirmative action guidelines. Members of the women's council considered their work to be part of the larger human rights movement.

Membership in the UW Women's Council was limited to 15-25 women representing a balance of faculty, staff, and students. The council sought to include members with diverse points of view. Appointments were made to the council for a period of one academic year with the possibility of reappointment for two additional terms. The offices of chair, vice-chair, secretary, and treasurer were also rotated in the same cycle. The council met on a monthly basis to review activities and agendas based on the group's purpose and mission, and to discuss specific problems. It often weighed in on specific cases of employment discrimination, particularly as it related to job classification, tenure, and pay inequity; it also researched issues of concern to women in the university community. The provost's office had a continuing role in the administrative functions of the council. Philip Cartwright and George Beckman held the office of provost during the council's life span.

The council helped to set up the Women's Information Center and served as the center's advisory committee. In the fall of 1983, the Women's Council changed its name to Council on the Status of Women.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection consists of the records of the University of Washington Women's Council and of its steering committee. Also included are records collected by the Women's Council from the Task Force on the Comparability of Certain Exempt and Classified Positions, the UW Women's Studies Advisory Committee, and the UW Faculty Senate Special Committee on Women.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

These are public records; use is unrestricted when access is granted.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

Transferred by Ruth Robinson, 1974 and 1975; Linda Erickson of the Equal Employment and Affirmative Action Office, 1985; and Anne Guthrie, 1989.

Processing Note

Processed in 2005.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Administrative RecordsReturn to Top

Major administrative records include membership files, minutes, goals, and procedures. Most correspondence is limited to members of the university community. Major correspondents include women who held leadership positions in the council as well as representatives of various UW administrative offices: Anne Guthrie, Thelma Kennedy, Veleda Pierre, Ruth Robinson, Mira Sinco, Rose Stogsdill, Katharine Thom, Mary Lou Tull, Lesley Wilson, and the University of Washington Office of the President and Office of the Provost. Subject series include background information on the status of women in general, sexual harrassment, comparable worth, and Title IX. There are also letters and meeting minutes covering the hiring of a new director for the Office of Equal Opportunity for Women.

Several of the grievance files are restricted.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/1
Historical Features
1974, 1982
1/2
Organizational Features
1972-1982
1/3-4
General Correspondence
1972-1980, undated
1/5-9
Interdepartmental Correspondence
1973-1983, undated
Box/Folder
1/10
Cartwright, Philip
1972-1980
1/11
University of Washington Personnel Services
1973-1975
1/12-13
University of Washington, President
1974-1980
1/14-15
University of Washington, Provost
1972-1983
1/16-18
Intraorganizational Correspondence
1972-1983, undated
Box/Folder
1/19
Guthrie, Anne
1981-1983
1/20
Kennedy, Thelma
1973-1976, undated
2/1
Pierre, Veleda
1979-1980
2/2-4
Robinson, Ruth
1973-1975
2/5
Sinco, Mira
1980-1981
2/6
Stogsdill, Rose
1975-1976
2/7-9
Thom, Katharine B. (Office of Equal Opportunity for Women)
1972-1975, undated
2/10
Tull, Mary Lou
1976-1977, undated
2/11
Wilson, Lesley
1982-1983
2/12-20 to 3/1-3
Minutes
1972-1983, undated
Subject Series
Box/Folder
3/4
Background Information
1973-1975, undated
3/5
Career Development Program
1975
3/6
Committees and Organizations
1974-1983
3/7
Comparable Worth
1976-1978
3/8
Conversion: Exempt to Classified
1975-1976
3/9
Faculty Women's Forum
undated
3/10
Grievance Procedures
1974-1975
3/11
Procedures
1973, undated
3/12-13
Reports and Studies on Status of Women Related to Requests for Office of Women's Affairs
1972-1975
3/14
Service on State Committees - Ruth Robinson
1974-1975
4/1
Sexual Harassment
1978-1979
4/2
Specifications
1972-1973
4/3
Title IX
1972-1976
4/4
Training Courses
1973-1974
4/5
University of Washington Office of Women's Affairs (Proposed)
1976
Reports
Box/Folder
4/6
Annual Reports
1973-79
4/7
"A Report on the Status of Women at the University of Washington"
1970
4/8-9
Miscellaneous
1972-1976, undated
Box/Folder
4/10
Events and Invitations
1976, 1981-1982, undated
Grievance Files
Box/Folder
6/1
Ingrid Bentzen
Restricted.
1976
4/11
Florence Mesler - Clippings
1974-1975, undated
6/2
Florence Mesler
Restricted.
1974-1975, undated
6/3
Miscellaneous
Restricted.
1974-1975
Box/Folder
4/12
Legislation
1975
4/13-17
Membership Files
1972-1983, undated
4/18
Women Faculty Lists
1971-1972
Newsletters
Box/Folder
4/19
Affirmative Action
1973-1979
4/20
Miscellaneous
1973-1982, undated
Box/Folder
5/1
News Releases
1973, 1975
5/2
Notes
1973-1982
5/3
Proposals
1974-1975
Publications
Box/Folder
5/4
A Woman's Guide to the University of Washington
1976
5/4
Scholarships and Fellowships of Special Interest
1977-1978
Box/Folder
5/5
Speeches and Writings
1976-1983, undated
5/6
Surveys
1978-1982, undated
5/7
Ephemera
1969-1983, undated
5/8
Miscellany
1973-1978, undated
Clippings
Box/Folder
5/9
Chicano Faculty
1975
5/10
The Daily - Office of Equal Opportunity for Women
1973
5/11
The Daily- Tenure
1975
5/12
U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
1975-1976
5/13
Newspaper - Miscellaneous
1970-1980
5/14
Photocopies - Miscellaneous
1973-1983, undated

University of Washington Women's Council Steering Committee, 1972-1981Return to Top

Container(s): Box-folder 5/15

The steering committee was established to act on behalf of the UW Women's Council between regular meetings and during the summer recess. It consisted of the chairperson of the Women's Council and four elected members.

University of Washington Women's Council, Task Force on the Comparability of Certain Exempt and Classified Positions, 1978-1981Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
5/16
General Correspondence
1972-1979
5/17
Reports
1973-1981
5/18
Miscellany
1978-1979

University of Washington Director of Affirmative Action for Women Search Committee, 1975Return to Top

Container(s): Box-folder 5/19

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
6/4
University of Washington Director of Affirmative Action for Women Search Committee Restricted Materials
Restricted.
1975

University of Washington Faculty Senate Special Committee on Faculty Women, 1972-1979Return to Top

The Faculty Senate Special Committee on Women was created in 1972 for the purpose of "investigating the problems of women faculty, suggesting solutions to such problems, and participating in carrying out such solutions." The committee was interested in a range of issues including hiring, promotion, tenure and affirmative action, salary equity, faculty women's grievances and the procedures for resolving them, and women graduate students.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
5/20
General Correspondence
1972-1979
5/21
Minutes
1975-1979
5/22
Membership Files
1974-1979
5/23
Newsletter
1974
5/24
Reports
1974, undated

University of Washington Women's Studies Advisory Committee, 1975-1976Return to Top

Container(s): Box-folder 5/25

The committee advised the UW Women's Studies program on curriculum, hiring, and other issues.

Material includes agendas and correspondence.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Affirmative action programs in education--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Discrimination in employment--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Sex discrimination in higher education--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • University Archives/Faculty Papers (University of Washington)
  • Women college students--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Women college teachers--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Women in education--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Women--Education (Higher)--Washington (State)--Seattle

Personal Names

  • Cartwright, Philip W
  • Guthrie, Anne
  • Robinson, Ruth A
  • Stogsdill, Rose Marie
  • Thom, Katharine B

Corporate Names

  • University of Washington--Employees
  • University of Washington--Faculty
  • University of Washington--Students
  • University of Washington. Office of the Provost
  • University of Washington. President
  • University of Washington. Special Committee on Faculty Women--Archives
  • University of Washington. Women's Council--Archives

Other Creators

  • Corporate Names
    • University of Washington. Special Committee on Faculty Women (creator)
    • University of Washington. University Archives