Gehman, Mary Elizabeth
2007-54

Summary Information

Repository
Newcomb Archives
Creator
Distaff.
Creator - Creator
Gehman, Mary Elizabeth
Creator - Compiler
Thurman-Schwartzwelder, Ernestine, Dr.
Title
Mary Elizabeth Gehman Collection
ID
2007-54
Date [inclusive]
Between 1970 and 1991
Extent
14.0 Cubic feet 15 cartons, 3 oversized boxes
Language
English

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Biographical note

Mary Elizabeth Gehman was born in 1943 and raised in a small Mennonite community in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Her religious heritage propelled her lifelong commitment to feminism. At the age of 21, she had perceived the second-class status of women in the Mennonite order and decided to leave the church. After graduation from Millersville State College with a B.A. degree in secondary education and German, she taught for a year in a junior high school. In 1967, she began a new career as a social worker in New York, and to the electric stirrings of the women’s movement. The consciousness-raising sessions she attended began to plant the roots of her feminist activism, but the pinnacle of these early days was certainly the protests against the Miss America Pageants in 1968 and 1969, in which she participated along with Gloria Steinem, Robin Morgan, and Flo Kennedy. In 1970 Gehmen moved to New Orleans. Although the feminist activism did not compare to that of New York City, Mary Gehman’s energy did not dull throughout the decade with active involvement in the women’s community locally as well as in the National Organization for Women. Her career shifted from social work to journalism in the early seventies. With a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Loyola University in 1972, she worked as a reporter for the Times-Picayune, but the sexism of the newspaper made her stint there a brief one. She found an outlet for her journalistic talents through her involvement with the "Distaff," a woman’s newspaper. Because there existed no feminist newspaper in the South, Gehman and a few others transformed the broadside of Barbara Scott’s campaign, the state representative, into a monthly paper concerning feminist issues. Gehman’s energy as editor kept the paper in print for its tenure 1973-1982 (with the exception of July 1975-1979, when it went out of publication). After the demise of the paper, Gehman became a tour guide. Dismayed at the lack of information available on women in New Orleans, she researched the subject. Her efforts culminated in a book entitled "Women in New Orleans," published in 1985. With the completion of her book, Mary Gehman turned her energies to pursuing a master’s degree in English, which she received in 1988 from the University of New Orleans. She has taught Freshman Composition at Loyola University and at Delgado Community College (New Orleans).

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Scope and Contents note

The Mary Gehman Collection consists primarily of material spanning the years 1976-1986. Mary Gehman's intention was to collect materials published about women during the U.N. Decade for Women, but she expanded the project to include material from both earlier and later periods. The entire collection spans the years 1970-1991 and addresses both national and international issues. Although Ms Gehman had hoped that the materials would be organized by subject, the sheer bulk of the collection dictated that it be organized by type of material, with few subject headings.

Noteworthy in the collection are the following:

--A complete collection of "Distaff," the first and only women's newspaper published in New Orleans

--Government documents, including publications from the National Advisory Council on Women's Educational Programs and the Citizen's Advisory Council on the Status of Women

--A large collection of Times-Picayune and Village Voice articles

--Almost complete collections of the "Atalanta," "Communiqu'elles," and "Generations" journals

--A wealth of material from organizations such as the National Organization for Women, the National Abortion Rights Action League, and Planned Parenthood, organizations Mary Gehman has worked with for many years.

The primary strengths of the collection are the small press journals and the breadth of subject matter Mary Gehman covered. As it documents the progress and pitfalls of the U.N. Decade for Women, this collection should be a valuable resource for researchers of the 1970s women's movement.

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Organization and Arrangement

This collection is organized into the following series:

1) A complete collection of the Distaff newspaper as well as related correspondence

2) Government Documents

3) News Clippings

4) Times-Picayune articles

5) Village Voice Clippings

6) Journals

7) Organizational Materials

8) Other Printed Materials

9) Miscellaneous Materials

10) A Pre-Organized Box with material collected by both Mary Gehman and Tina Thurman-Schwartzwelder

11) Addendum-materials circa 1988-1991 (including, however, a collection of clippings from the early 1980s)

12) Four posters located in an oversized box

Note: This collection was received with no organizational arrangement with the exception of one box. The other boxes have not retained their original order; instead, materials were separated according to type of material and placed in the appropriate box. Most of the materials were placed in acid-free folders.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

Newcomb Archives

Newcomb Center for Research on Women
Seltzer-Gerard Reading Room
62 Newcomb Place
New Orleans, Louisiana, 70118
504 865 5762
vorhoff@tulane.edu

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Controlled Access Headings

Occupation(s)

  • Activists
  • Journalists

Personal Name(s)

  • Gehman, Mary Elizabeth

Subject(s)

  • Women's Movement -- Louisiana
  • Women's Movement -- Printed Matter

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Collection Inventory

 NAC-231 Distaff Materials Between 1973 and 1987   1.0 Cubic feet Carton 1 of 15

General note

"Distaff" correspondence spans the years 1973-1987, though the newspaper ceased publications in 1982. The correspondence section contains letters, press releases, and submissions for publication.

A complete collection of the "Distaff" newspaper (1973-1982) is contained in this box. Beginning in 1973 as a broadside for Barbara Scott's (unsuccessful) campaign for state Representative, the paper was published monthly until July 1975 and was restarted in November 1979. It was the first women's newspaper in New Orleans, and the only paper that dealt with pressing issues to feminist women, such as labor organizing and abortion.

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 NAC-232 Government Documents Between 1970 and 1988   1.0 Cubic feet Carton 2 of 15

General note

This box contains publications from the National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year - concerning issues such as education, employment, the ERA. Also included are materials from the following government departments and committees, arranged alphabetically by organization:

U.S. Department of Labor

National Advisory Council on Women's Educational Programs

Citizen's Advisory Council on the Status of Women

U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (information on Social Security and Medicine)

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 NAC-233 News Clippings Between 1975 and 1990   1.0 Cubic feet Carton 3 of 15

General note

This box contains mainstream press clippings from magazines such as Time and Parade, as well as small press journal articles, such as "Radical America" and "The Militant." It is organized alphabetically.

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 NAC-234 Times-Picayune Articles (1976-1982) Between 1976 and 1982   1.0 Cubic feet Carton 4 of 15

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 NAC-235 Times-Picayune Articles (1982-1985) Bewteen 1982 and 1985   1.0 Cubic feet Carton 5 of 15

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 NAC-236 Times-Picayune Articles (1985-1991) Bewteen 1985 and 1991   1.0 Cubic feet Carton 6 of 15

General note

For the year 1985, the clippings are sorted by subject into the following headings:

--Abortion and Birth Control

--The Arts

--Commentary

--Consumer Issues/Finance

--Crime/Violence by and against women

--Domestic Issues

--Employment/Business

--Ethics

--Gender issues

--Health

--Images of Women

--Individual Women

--International Women

--Literature/Book Reviews

--Miscellaneous

--Politics

--Sexuality

--Status of Women

--Women's Sports

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 NAC-237 Village Voice Articles Bewteen 1978 and 1991   1.0 Cubic feet Carton 7 of 15

General note

The "Village Voice" contains articles about diverse women's issues such as abortion, birth control, violence against women, and sexuality. One of the paper's strengths is its book/film review section, and many of the articles contained within are reviews of feminist texts, female authors, and female directors. The articles are separated into file folders by year.

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 NAC-238 Journals A - Ge Between 1970 and 1990   1.0 Cubic feet Carton 8 of 15

General note

The journals are arranged alphabetically, with "Atalanta" through "Generations" in this box. This series contains numerous small press journals. Of note are almost complete collections of "Atalanta," the journal of the Atlanta Lesbian Feminist Alliance (1981-1991); "Communiqu'elles," a bi-monthly Canadian journal begun in 1974 and published in Quebec (1981-1989); and "Generations," the journal of the Southeast Women's Employments Coalition, a multi-state organization working to achieve job equity and economic opportunity for women (1981-1990).

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 NAC-239 Journals Gu - Z Bewteen 1970 and 1990   1.0 Cubic feet Carton 9 of 15

General note

This box contains small press journals, from "The Guardian" to "ZPG National Reporter."

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 NAC-241 Published Materials Bewteen 1979 and 1991   1.0 Cubic feet Carton 11 of 15

General note

Newsletters:

Publications such as:

--"Memphis State Center for Research on Women" newsletter (1986-1990)

--"Southern Feminist Library and Archives" newsletter (1983-1986)

--"Telewoman Newsletter" (1981-1982), a Bay Area women's newsletter.

Pamphlets:

--Arranged in subject order, a few of the headings are ERA, Health Issues, Sexual Harassment

Bibliographies:

--Abortion, AIDS, Child Abuse, among others. Most are not dated

Information Packets:

--The Nairobi Conference for Women in 1985

--Biographical material on the singer Holly Near

Irregular Publications:

--Essays published by small presses

Catalogs:

--Almost complete collections of "Helaine Victoria Press" (1980-1990) and "Ladyslipper" (1981-1991)

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 NAC-242 Miscellaneous Materials Between 1979 and 1991   1.0 Cubic feet Carton 12 of 15

General note

Miscellaneous materials include notices, advertisements, flyers, and the like. This category also includes a manuscript written by a one-time student of Gehman, Jo Ann Canaday. The manuscript, entitled "A Study of Five Politically Active New Orleans Women's Organizations - Do they have any political 'clout'?" includes interviews with women from the following local organizations (among others): NOW, League of Women Voters, Women's Political Caucus, YWCA Rape Crisis Center, Women Against Crime. A list of the women interviewed and their affiliations can be found in the first folder of this manuscript.

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 NAC-243  Thurman-Schwartzwelder, Ernestine, Dr. Pre-Organized Box   1.0 Cubic feet Carton 13 of 15

General note

This is the first box Mary Gehman donated to the Women's Center, and she tried to arrange it in subject order. Her section consists primarily of loose "Times-Picayune" news clippings arranged under similar headings to the ones used for the folders of the 1985 "Times-Picayune" clippings. Tina Thurman-Schwartzwelder originally got Mary Gehman involved in organizing her collection. As Ms. Thurman-Schwartzwelder was organizing some news clippings herself, they put some of their material together. Ms. Thurman-Schwartzwelder's articles are pasted on white paper.

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 NAC-244 Addendum 1   1.0 Cubic feet Carton 14 of 15

General note

This carton consists entirely of mailings and clippings, with the exception of one file. (The exception is the file entitled "Distaff -- Ideas for Articles, Clippings," which includes notes, correspondence, press releases, and other non-printed matter.) All materials have been placed in acid-free folders and alphabetized according to subject and/or organization. The bulk of the materials are from the period 1988-1992, including much campaign materials from the 1992 elections; however, there is material that dates back to the early '80s/late '70s. Of the newsletters, quite notable is the collection of "Atalanta," the newsletter of the Atlanta Lesbian Feminist Alliance; of the clippings, certainly those of the "Village Voice" and the "Times-Picayune/States-Item." Because of their sheer bulk, the clippings files have not been sorted by subject, although that would be easier for the researcher - perhaps sometime in the future. Also, the clippings remain in their original form - on newsprint - and are in need of reproduction on acid-free paper.

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 NAB-057 Addendum 2   1.0 Cubic feet Carton 15 of 15

General note

This carton that consists of mailings and clippings. The material is divided into a series of seven folders.

Education   1 folder

General note

The American Indian College Fund and Others: Information from the American Indian College Fund and the Women’s Resource and Research Center of Washington State University.

Distaff   1 folder

General note

Contains notes, correspondence, press releases, and other non-printed matter. Clippings from magazines and newspapers pertaining to women, newspaper printing invoices and statements, fliers from various women's and minority coalitions. Also contains "Distaff" publication schedules, story lists, and notes from Amy Gehman on prospective stories and events. There are also some small publications on women's publishing and minimum wage laws.

Employment   1 folder

General note

Various publications and brochures on women's employment and employment rights. Material from the US Department of Labor, Working Women, and the Southeast Women's Employment Coalition.

Personal Notes of Mary Gehman   1 folder

General note

Notes made by Mary Gehman concerning stories and ideas for the "Distaff"; also includes correspondence with members of her staff. There are also many slips of paper with names and phone numbers on them.

Distaff Correspondence   1 folder

General note

More article ideas, statements, and publication schedules. Originals of copies in Folder 2.

Clippings Village Voice Between 1981 and 1992   1 folder

General note

Copies of articles from the "Village Voice", 1981-1992. All concern women's interests and issues. These clippings were not ararnged by subject matter. They cover various topics, ranging from abortion to famous women.

Clippings Times-Picayune Bewteen 1980 and 1993   1 folder

General note

Copies of articles from the "Times-Picayune", the "States-Item", "Daily World", "Seattle Times", and other newspapers. Articles provided ideas for "Distaff" stories and are concerned with women's health, fashion, finances, marital problems, and other issues. They range from the years 1980 to 1993.

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 OV-002 Distaff - Complete Collection (newsprint)   1.0 Cubic feet Oversized box 1 of 3

General note

This complete collection of the "Distaff" newspaper corresponds with the photocopies in Carton 1. Because the publication of the newspaper lapsed at times, there may appear to be gaps in this collection. This is not the case as the gap represents the time when no issue was published.

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 OV-003 It's a Women's World / Spectrum   1.0 Cubic feet Oversized box 2 of 3

General note

In the early 1980s, the "Times-Picayune" printed annually a special section entitled "It's a Women's World," a directory of local women's organizations. In later years the section was renamed "Spectrum"; however, it continued to represent the same material. This box contains several, although not all, of these annual directories.

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 OV-? Posters   1.0 Cubic feet Oversized box 3 of 3

General note

The four posters are located in an oversized box in the archives. The first poster is an announcement for a symposium sponsored by the "Yale Journal of Law and Feminism" entitled "Feminism in the 90's: Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Practice" (1991). The second poster promotes the ERA; it was designed by Helaine Victoria Press in 1985. The third poster is an anti-apartheid poster. The fourth is an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

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 NAC-240 Organizational Materials Bewteen 1975 and 1990   1.0 Cubic feet Carton 10 of 15

General note

The material is alphabetized by organization and contains items such as letters, newsletters, and press releases. Of note are extensive materials from the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) and National Organization for Women (NOW), as well as smaller organizations such as Catholics for a Free Choice, and Greenham Women Against Cruise Missles.

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