Elizabeth Lapovsky Kennedy papers
Scope and Contents
Documenting the professional and academic work of Elizabeth Lapovsky
Kennedy, this collection reflects her interests and activism in social issues,
including records pertaining to the founding of the Women's Studies department
at the University of Buffalo. The collection also contains drafts, notes, and
correspondence covering the creation and publication of
Feminist Scholarship: Kindling in the Groves of Academe,
as well as transcripts of interviews conducted for
Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold.
Recording the social upheaval of the late 1960s through the 1970s,
these papers document Kennedy's social activism, and include local and national
publications, fliers, newspapers, and journals of that era. Subjects covered
include campus unrest, black liberation, socialism, and the anti-war movement.
Also included are Buffalo events and protests, and newsletters from local
chapters of the New American Movement and Vietnam Veterans Against the War/Winter Soldier.
Additionally, Kennedy's papers contain valuable information regarding
the women's liberation movement. Coverage includes local groups and events,
such as the Buffalo Women's Liberation Union and local celebrations of
International Women's Day. National organizations include the Chicago Women's Liberation Union, Berkeley-Oakland Women's Union, Radical Women, and Boston Women's Union. Notes, agenda, and reports
document conferences of the era, including the 1975 Socialist-Feminist
Conference at Yellow Springs, Ohio.
The history of Women's Studies College is also documented, including
its charter, degree program, committees, and budget cuts. Also included is
information on WSC courses, including the initiation of the first women's
studies course, "
Women in Contemporary Society," syllabi,
notes, and student work.
Present throughout the collection, Kennedy's spiral notebooks cover a
wide-range of topics, from coursework and meetings, to her political activism.
Other materials present in this collection (photographs, audiocassettes, and
posters) further illuminate the women's studies department, class lectures, and
events at UB and in the greater-Buffalo area.
Please note: Original newspapers were retained
for exhibition purposes from Series II, Activism, and Series III, Women's
Liberation Movement [box 29, FRAGILE, please see archivist for handling].
Photocopies from original materials are provided within those
series.
Dates
- 1961-1993
- Majority of material found within 1970-1993
Creator
- Kennedy, Elizabeth Lapovsky, 1939- (Person)
Language of Materials
Collection material in English.
Terms of Access
The Elizabeth Lapovsky Kennedy papers, 1961-1993 are open for research.
Conditions Governing Access
Portions of this collection are CLOSED.
Copyright
Copyright is held by the State University of New York at Buffalo, University Archives. Copyright in other 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.
Biographical Note
Education
Elizabeth Lapovsky Kennedy began her education at Smith College,
earning a BA in philosophy in 1960. After working on archaeological sites at
Seattle, Albuquerque, and Jerusalem, Kennedy received her MA in anthropology
from the University of New Mexico. Extensive research and fieldwork of the
Waunan people in Colombia led to her 1972 Ph.D. in social anthropology from
Cambridge University. While at Cambridge, Kennedy produced three documentary
films on indigenous peoples of South America allowing her to later consult with
both the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and ITV in Great Britain.
Professional
Kennedy's professional work reflects her varied interests and
accomplishments. Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, Kennedy
collaborated with Ellen DuBois, Gail Paradise Kelly, Carolyn Korsmeyer, and
Lillian Robinson on
Feminist Scholarship: Kindling in the Groves of Academe
(University of Illinois Press, 1985). In the early 1990s, Kennedy's
interest in oral history and activism led to
Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: The History of a Lesbian
Community (Routledge, 1993), co-written with Madeline Davis. This book
has received many honors, including the 1994 Jesse Barnard Award, 1994 Ruth
Benedict Award, and a 1993 Lambda Literary Award.
Activism
Kennedy has long been regarded as a Women's Rights, and Gay and
Lesbian rights activist. She participated in many local organizations,
including the Buffalo Women's Liberation Union (BWLU) and International Women's
Day coalitions. Furthermore, she established Elder Action in Gay and Lesbian Environments
(EAGLES) with Madeline Davis.
University at
Buffalo
Always active at the University at Buffalo, Kennedy began her career
as a Deganaweda Fellow in American Studies (AMS) in 1969. By 1971, she was a
faculty member and co-founder of Women's Studies College (WSC). Serving on
numerous university-wide committees, Kennedy was instrumental in the
development of the
American Pluralism undergraduate course,
which "focuses on the changing nature of American society, examining the rich
diversity of cultural experiences in America and issues associated with
diversity" (1992-1994 Undergraduate Catalog, p 19). Other committees that
Kennedy has contributed to include the President's Commission on the Recruitment and Promotion of Women, and the
Caucus on Women's Rights at SUNY.
Women's Studies
College
In 1971, Kennedy participated in the founding of the University's
Women's Studies College, one of the first women's studies programs in the
country. WSC defined itself as follows: "This college is not a place to make
women a subject to be studied but a place to break down prejudice built by our
socialization about what women are and what they are capable of doing" (Summer,
1971, document on WSC, folder 19.7). Honored for her teaching skills, Kennedy
developed many of the courses offered by WSC, including
Women in Contemporary Society,
New Research on Women,
Cross-Cultural Study of Women, and the
Family as an Institution. Additionally,
Kennedy was active in resolving many of the difficulties Women's Studies
College has faced since its inception, including budget cuts, women-only
classes, and issues over its charter and degree programs. In January 1998,
Kennedy left University at Buffalo to head the Women's Studies program at the
University of Arizona at Tucson.
Extent
13 Linear Feet (29 manuscript boxes, 2 card boxes)
Abstract
Collection of materials from Elizabeth Lapovsky Kennedy, professor of Women's Studies. Includes her teachings, publications, political activism, resource material, and her work in the UB Women's Studies and American Studies departments.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in six series: I. Professional work; II. Activism; III. Women's liberation movement; IV. Women's Studies College (WSC); V. American Studies (AMS); and VI. University at Buffalo.
Acquisition Information
Multiple deposits from Elizabeth Lapovsky Kennedy were accessioned as #97-xxx between September, 1996 and December, 1997.
Accruals and Additions
No further accruals are expected to this collection.
Separated Materials
Two issues (vol. 1, no. 1 and vol. 1 no. 3, 1971), of the poetry
journal
Earth's Daughters, were removed from the collection and
are available in University at Buffalo's Poetry Collection.
American Studies department records were removed to be processed with
departmental records at a later date. These records include course catalogs,
committee minutes, Native American Studies, and the Buffalo Unemployment Oral
documentary.
Processing Information
Processed by Amy Vilz, October 2005.
Finding aid encoded by Danielle White, December 2014.
- Audiotapes
- Authorship -- Sex differences
- Black-and-white photographs
- DuBois, Ellen Carol -- Feminist scholarship
- Feminism -- New York (State) -- Buffalo
- Feminism -- Research -- New York (State) -- Buffalo
- Feminism -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- United States
- Feminism -- United States
- Feminism and education -- New York (State) -- Buffalo
- Feminism and education -- United States
- Feminist theory -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- United States
- Feminists -- New York (State) -- Buffalo
- Gay rights -- New York (State) -- Buffalo
- Gay rights -- United States
- International Women's Day
- Interviews -- New York (State) -- Buffalo
- Kennedy, Elizabeth Lapovsky, 1939- -- Archives
- Kennedy, Elizabeth Lapovsky, 1939- -- Boots of leather, slippers of gold
- Kennedy, Elizabeth Lapovsky, 1939- -- Correspondence
- Kennedy, Elizabeth Lapovsky, 1939- -- Political activity
- Lesbians -- New York (State) -- Buffalo
- Multicultural education -- New York (State) -- Buffalo
- Oral history. Buffalo (N.Y.) -- Social life and customs -- 20th century
- Posters
- Protest movements -- New York (State) -- Buffalo
- State University of New York at Buffalo -- Administration
- State University of New York at Buffalo -- Archives
- State University of New York at Buffalo. American Studies Department
- State University of New York at Buffalo. Program in American Studies
- State University of New York at Buffalo. Women's Studies College -- Curricula
- State University of New York at Buffalo. Women's Studies College -- Faculty
- State University of New York at Buffalo. Women's Studies College -- Records and correspondence
- State University of New York at Buffalo. Women's Studies Program -- Curricula
- State University of New York at Buffalo. Women's Studies Program -- Faculty
- State University of New York at Buffalo. Women's Studies Program -- Records and correspondence
- Student movements -- New York (State) -- Buffalo
- Student protestors -- New York (State) -- Buffalo
- Women -- New York (State) -- Buffalo -- Societies and clubs
- Women -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- United States
- Women -- United States -- Societies and clubs
- Women college students -- New York (State) -- Buffalo
- Women college teachers -- New York (State) -- Buffalo
- Women in higher education -- United States
- Women political activists -- New York (State) -- Buffalo
- Women political activists -- United States
- Women scholars -- United States
- Women's rights -- United States
- Women's studies -- New York (State) -- Buffalo
- Women's studies -- Research -- New York (State) -- Buffalo
- Women's studies -- United States
Source
- Davis, Madeline D. (Contributor, Person)
- DuBois, Ellen Carol (Contributor, Person)
- Kelly, Gail Paradise (Contributor, Person)
- Korsmeyer, Carolyn (Contributor, Person)
- Robinson, Lillian S. (Contributor, Person)
- State University of New York at Buffalo. American Studies Department (Repository, Organization)
- State University of New York at Buffalo. Native Studies Component (Repository, Organization)
- State University of New York at Buffalo. Program in American Studies (Contributor, Organization)
- University Archives (Repository, Organization)
- State University of New York at Buffalo. Women's Studies College (Contributor, Organization)
- State University of New York at Buffalo. Women's Studies Program (Contributor, Organization)
- Title
- Finding Aid for the Elizabeth Lapovsky Kennedy papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Amy Vilz.
- Date
- 2005
- 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
420 Capen Hall
Buffalo New York 14260-1674 US
716-645-2916
716-645-3714 (Fax)
lib-archives@buffalo.edu