Search

This collection of feminist publications includes newspapers, newsletters, and magazines from state and national organizations from 1970 to 1984. The materials were mailed to the K-State Women's Resource Center and sociology faculty member Cornelia Flora.
The Feminist Publications include fifty-four newspapers published between the years of 1970-1985 focusing on the issues of importance to activists in the later years of second-wave feminism. They confront hegemonic ideology and societal issues with an intersectional feminist lens. The overall theme of the publications is equality for women and ending the oppressions attached to the social constructions of gender, race, class, and sexuality. The publications have news about political activism, reviews of feminist works, poetry, artwork, and a letter written by Angela Davis to Ericka Huggins. Articles like “Jail is no solution, jobs and housing will end Prostitution”, “Slavery in America”, “Kiss and Tell Campaign”, “Health and Medical Care in North Vietnam”, “20,000 families going hungry in Seattle”, and “no more kids in chemical straight-jackets” can be found in this collection. The publications promote the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment), Roe vs. Wade and reproductive justice, economic freedom, civil rights, gay and lesbian liberation, healthcare, welfare, free 24 hours child-care, and medical self-help material for women. These publications are fighting against systematic oppression, sexual assault, injustices of welfare and healthcare, anti-reproductive justice movements, domestic abuse, racism, classism, ableism, sexism, capitalism, heteronormativity, colonialism, militarism, and fascism.
In addition to the Feminist Publications includes three newspapers: the furies: lesbian/feminist monthly, off our backs, and N.O.W Times published between the years of 1972-1985 focusing on the issues of importance to activists in the later years of second-wave feminism. These publications confront hegemonic ideology and societal issues with an intersectional feminist lens. The furies dissect heteronormativity and male supremacy. N.O.W Times fights against patriarchal values. Off our backs examines gender, class, race, and international issues.
We have one copy of the furies: lesbian/feminist monthly, vol. 1 Jan. 1972. The furies publication lasted 2 years focusing on lesbian issues and male supremacy. The furies publication we have includes works like "Roxane Dunbar: how a female heterosexual serves the interest of male supremacy", "Lesbians in Revolt", "Male Supremacy Quakes and Quivers", "Queen Christina Lesbian Ruler of Sweden", and "Nixon's Solution".
Off our backs (OOB) is a nonprofit organization that published news journals from 1970-2008 by, for, and about women. Our collection of OOB highlights various women's issues including civil rights, health, reproductive justice, imprisonment, labor, and violence during 1981-1985. OOB also provides readers international feminist news, an example, March 1982's issue discusses Encuentra Feminista (1st Latin American Feminist Conference), March Against Women Abuse in the Virgin Islands, Lavendar Komono: Lesbian Feminism in Japan, and the imprisonment of feminist Lu Hsiu Lien in Taiwan and a review of her work New Feminism. OOB includes reviews of feminist writings like articles by Audre Lorde and publishes poetry and other written works.
N.O.W Times the National Organization of Women's Publications is concentrated on feminist activism and informing women of their rights. N.O.W. Times promotes political change and informs about the political news that affects women in the U.S. There are articles about Roe vs. Wade, pro-choice rallies, the Parental and Disability Leave Act in Congress, supporting the Marvel boycotts, and protesting Reagan's administration. N.O.W Times emphasizes the ongoing struggle to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and follows the women in politics during the late 70's-mid '80s.

The George Brunn papers consist of: an eight-volume run of a newsletter, The California Consumer: Official Organ of the Association of California Consumers from 1962–1969; a two-volume run from 1963–1965 of the Association of California Consumers publication, Legislative News Letter (edited by Brunn); and a reprint of an article Brunn authored about wage garnishment that was published in a 1965 edition of the California Law Review. A copy of a statement Brunn made during a California judicial hearing in 1969 is included in the papers. Of interest is a handwritten note accompanying the statement sent to Richard L. D. Morse that says, “Dick—A battle in the consumer credit wars. We won that round. George.” The year is illegible. Two poems Brunn penned add levity to the collection.

The Thomas E. Will papers contain business correspondence, printed material, Board of Regents minutes, reports, legal documents, notes and drafts, and newspaper clippings from 1896 to 1909, some of which is connected to Will's time as president of Kansas State Agricultural College (KSAC) from 1899 to 1901. There are approximately 430 items in the collection, which is housed in one document box. The papers are divided into seven series: 1) correspondence, 2) minutes, 3) legal documents, 4) reports, 5) printed material, 6) financial records, and 7) notes and drafts.
Correspondence with Regents, KSAC executive department members, KSAC faculty and staff, and the governor of Kansas make up a large portion of the collection. Also among correspondence are letters between J. D. Walters and Will. Many of the letters deal with normal procedures at KSAC, however, some of the correspondence concerns the resignation of President Will. The series is contained in five folders.
Board of Regents minutes make up the second series and they are contained in a single folder. Among the minutes are reactions of Regents (especailly Carl Vrooman and Susan St. John) to the dismissal of President Will and other college professors. Legal documents are filed in one folder, and many of them are contracts written up by the Board of Regents for college faculty and staff. Some of the contracts are actually signed by the Regents, but many of them are blank forms. Other legal records consist of statements of college debts owed and changes within the Board of Regents.
Reports, the fourth series, concern the political controversies around populism that caused outrage in Manhattan and KSAC. The fifth series, printed material, makes up a large portion of the collection. Such items as programs and articles concerning KSAC, articles written by Will, a Kansas Supreme Court brief by G.C. Clemons, and newspaper clippings are included in this series. Financial documents include statements and expenditures concerning the treasury department of KSAC. Also included in this series are copies of the college deficits for the fiscal years 1886–1899. Notes and drafts make up the final series of this collection. The authorship of many of these handwritten items is unknown and they are difficult to read.

The Louis H. Douglas papers document the career of Douglas and the lecture series that was named after him at Kansas State University. Included are photographs of Douglas and speakers at the lecture series, as well as additional documentation regarding his time as a political science professor at Kansas State University from 1949–1977 and the Lou Douglas Lecture Series that began in 1980.

Women in Communications, inc., an honorary professional fraternity dedicated to empowering women in the communications professions, was founded in 1909 as Theta Sigma Phi at the University of Washington in Seattle. A local student chapter at Kansas State Agricultural College was petitioned by the Women's Press Club and accepted on June 8, 1916. It's original membership number 6 actives and 6 pledges. Theta Sigma Phi was created with dedication to the following objectives: To unite women engaging in or planning to engage in journalism; To confer honor upon women who distinguish themselves in journalism or letter; To achieve definite standards in journalism and letters; To improve working conditions for women in these fields; To inspire members to greater individual effort Some of the early Theta Sigs include: Velma Carson, Clementine Paddleford, Elizabeth Dickens Shafer, Josephine Hemphill, Velma Lockridge McKee, Alice C. Nichols, Sue Carmody Jones, and Eula Mae Currie Kelly. In 1972, the national organization officially changed it's name from Theta Sigma Phi to Women in Communications, inc. (WICI). At the same time, it reformulated the original objectives to be more in tune with modern times. WICI's mission is Leading Change, the membership coming together to make a difference in the world and the communications profession. The objectives of the organization are: To unite members for the purpose of promoting the advancement of women in all fields of communications; To work for the First Amendment rights and responsibilities of communicators; To recognize distinguished professional achievements; To promote high professional standards throughout the communications industry.

This collection is made up of one box that includes correspondence, memberships, organization records, and awards.

The scrapbooks, and related material, document the campus and dormitory activities of the residents of Southeast/Putnam Hall from 1953 through 1998 and contain photographs, newspaper clippings, invitations, programs, newsletters, information booklets, etc. Events covered in the albums include social activities (homecoming, dances, parties, holiday celebrations, etc.) and campus involvement of residents (queens, honors, athletics, etc.), as well as major happenings at KSU, such as the burning of Nichols Gym in 1968. The volumes were created and maintained by students in the hall (usually a historian) and donated to the University Archives in 1998.

The Owens Papers (1890-1946) contain ten items consisting of a scrapbook, two diplomas, two certificates, and five photographs. They were donated to the University Archives by his daughter, Ana Elnora Owens. The scrapbook contains a handwritten autobiography (20 pages) and a "History of Agricultural Instruction in Virginia" (14 pages), both written in 1945-1946. Owens' autobiography describes his childhood in Kansas (near Alma in Wabaunsee County) and his experience at Kansas State Agricultural College as the first Black person to graduate from the institution in 1899. It provides a description of his employment at Tuskegee Institute after graduation where he worked under Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver. He left Tuskegee in 1908 to take a position at the Virginia Normal and Industrial School (Virginia State College) in Petersburg where he had a very successful career.
His writings describe the agricultural program at the school and his work in Virginia as the leader in vocational agriculture, including his organizational efforts for the New Farmers of Virginia that became the New Farmers of America. He provides an extensive list of others who were involved in vocational agriculture throughout the state. The two diplomas were awarded at the time of his graduation from high school in Wabaunsee County, Kansas in 1890, and Kansas State Agricultural College in 1899 where he obtained a bachelor of science degree in the "general course." The two certificates in the collection were awarded by Virginia State College. The first is a "Certificate of Merit" for ten years of service in 1945 and the second in appreciation for his teaching and service presented by the Alumni Association in 1946. Two of the five photographs show Owens as a student at KSAC in 1899 (one in his cadet uniform), two with his wife, Waddie Hill (a wedding photo in 1901 and another in 1903 with their newborn child), and one taken at the Virginia Normal and Industrial Institute in 1920.

Gavitt Medical Co. Records were donated to the University Archives at Kansas State University by Professor Charles Gardner Shaw in 1971. This collection is identified as accession number PC 1988.07.
This collection consists of correspondence documenting sales of the Gavitt System Regulator. The majority of the correspondence pertains to purchasing the product, some detailing how they first received the product and giving glowing testimonials of how it helped them: "It has cured me of a bad case of Catarrh and heart disease, and is commencing to give me strength." Other letters are inquiries about becoming agents for the company, explaining that either the correspondent is unaware of anyone selling their product in the area, or that the current agent is unable to continue to provide adequate service for the area.
Probably the most significant correspondence in the collection is the reports which the agents sent to the company's office in Topeka documenting the sales of the product. Many of these reports were penned on the back of the correspondence from the company, providing valuable insight into the times. The company letters include arguments for convincing the reluctant buyer to purchase their product: "Many say they employ a family physician after they get sick. The graveyards are full of people who had family physicians called after they got sick. The time to take medicine is when the disease first makes its appearance and the only way to take it is to have it in the house handy at all times." The company also provides advice on marketing, suggesting that agents target parents with sons in the military: "...we have not heard of a single case where the soldiers have had Malaria, Typhoid or Yellow fever where they had a box of our System Regulator sent to them."
Interspersed throughout the collection are personal letters from the Shore family and friends. These letters document the events in the lives of the family and the communities of Alma, Clay Center, Emporia and White City, Kansas, including births, deaths, and assorted gossip.
Of particular note is a letter from Jesse L. Shore to Kansas Secretary of State, George Clark, pointing out a error in the Session Laws of 1901, Chapter 420, and requesting that Mr. Clark check the actual bill to make sure it is correct. Mr. Clark's reply confirms that the error is in the bill as well and that the bill is invalid until the legislature meets again and can correct it.

These newsletters are from academic and other offices and units at Kansas State University. Topics typically will relate to department information, personnel updates, and similar subjects.