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Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Buffalo Branch, records

 Collection — Box: 1-15
Identifier: MS-0010

Scope and Contents

The records of the Buffalo Branch cover the period from 1960 to 1973 with some material originating from the U.S. Section dating back to 1957. Almost all of the records, however, were created between 1962 and 1970. Boxes 1 through 13 contain minutes, newsletters, subject and background files, correspondence, and scrapbooks that reflect the internal and external activities of the branch and the activities of the U.S. Section. Boxes 14 and 15 contain the branch's legislative files which consist of correspondence, newsletters, legislative reports, memoranda, pamphlets and other materials pertaining to local and national policy positions of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and actions taken by the Buffalo Branch to influence legislation and to support the general cause of peace and international understanding. Included are items sent to local legislative chairmen by the national office of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, correspondence with congressmen and the news media, information on workshops and lectures sponsored by Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and curriculum materials for grade school children explaining the role of the United Nations in world peace.

Dates

  • 1960-1973

Creator

Language of Materials

Collection material in English.

Terms of Access

Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Buffalo Branch, Records, 1960-1973, are open for research.

Copyright

Copyright of papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the authors' heirs or assigns. Researchers must obtain the written permission of the holder(s) of copyright and the University Archives before publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Most papers may be copied in accordance with the library's usual procedures unless otherwise specified.

Historical Note

The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) was founded in 1915 to work non-violently for peace, freedom and human rights. The Buffalo Branch was part of the U.S. Section which was affiliated with the international body which had its headquarters at Geneva, Switzerland. The records of the Buffalo Branch date from 1960 but it is probable that there were individual members of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, if not a functioning branch, in Buffalo before that time. The branch was dissolved in 1973. In the early 1960s, the Buffalo Branch worked to gather support for the United Nations, primarily through education programs. The branch took part in the Coordinating Committee for United Nations Education. The branch also supported civil rights causes and was involved in the issue of integration in the Buffalo public school system. By the mid 1960s, the attention of the branch had turned to the Vietnam War. The Buffalo Branch of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom organized peace vigils, wrote letters to newspapers, held meetings, offered draft counseling and generally worked for an end to the war. The Buffalo Branch's concern for human rights was demonstrated by its involvement with welfare rights, the campaign to abolish the House Un-American Activities Committee and other activities.

Extent

7.2 Linear Feet (15 manuscript boxes)

Abstract

Included are minutes, newsletters, subject and background files, correspondence, and scrapbooks that reflect the internal and external activities of the branch and the activities of the US section, branch legislative files which consist of correspondence, newsletters, legislative reports, memoranda, pamphlets, and other materials, pertaining to local and national policy positions of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and actions taken by the Buffalo Branch to influence legislation and to support the general cause of peace and international understanding, items sent to local legislative chairmen by the national office of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, correspondence with congress people and the news media, information on workshops and lectures sponsored by the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, as well as curriculum materials for grade school children explaining the role of the United Nations in world peace.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into ten series:

  1. Newsletters
  2. U.S. Section
  3. Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Branch Newsletters
  4. Branch Scrapbooks
  5. Artifacts
  6. Branch Meeting Minutes
  7. Local Branch Actions
  8. Newspaper Clippings
  9. Background Materials
  10. Legislative Files

Acquisition Information

Donated to the University Archives on June 13, 1974 by Miriam Becker, former President of the Buffalo Branch of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. Mrs. Becker deposited an additional set of records, the branch's legislative files (1963-1969), on April 8, 1980. The legislative files were originally kept by successive Legislative chairmen of Buffalo Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, including Marjorie Torrell (1963-1964), Elizabeth Smith (1966-1968) and Maribelle Stewart (1968-1969) and were given to Miriam Becker by Elizabeth Johnson, formerly of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom Coordinating Committee on United Nations Education.

Accruals and Additions

No further accruals are expected to this collection.

Related Resources in the University Archives

  1. MS 07, Citizen's Council on Human Relations (1963-1972)

Related Resources in Other Repositories

The records of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, United States Section, are housed in the Friends Historical Library at Swarthmore College.

Separated Materials

One phonotape: Conference on Alternatives to Violence, Mr. Flannigan; Dr. Robert Rossberg interviewing panel of: Arthur Eve, Eugene Thomas, Herman Schwartz and Thomas Blair. 3/2/68.

Processing Information

Collection processed by Rodney Obien, March 1997.

Source

Title
Finding Aid for the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Buffalo Branch, records
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid prepared by Rodney Obien.
Date
2006
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the University Archives Repository

Contact:
420 Capen Hall
Buffalo New York 14260-1674 US
716-645-2916
716-645-3714 (Fax)