Archives and Special Collections
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360 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 373-2351
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Archives and Special Collections Finding Aids

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Collection Overview
Title:Somerville Women's Educational Center, Inc. records
Dates:1975-1983 (bulk 1977-1981)
Location:71/2
Call Number:M26
Volume:2.25 cubic ft. (7 boxes)
Scope and Content Note:The Somerville Women's Educational Center (SWC) records document the center's formation, day-to-day operations, sponsored projects and events, and governance. Records were collected by organization members, Janet Kahn, Madge Kaplan, and Joyce Kauffman, and date from 1975 to 1983.  Of special interest are the detailed logs that describe the day-to-day work of SWC's staff, volunteers, and users. In addition, there is material focusing on the events and projects sponsored by SWC, including auctions, benefits, forums, groups for mothers, and various support groups. Records of the Somerville Women Against Rape project include articles, correspondence, and minutes. Subject files include articles, brochures, fliers, legislative priorities, magazines and newsletters relating to alternative films, battered women, child care, children, other women's centers, rape, welfare and women's health and safety.
Historical Abstract:The Somerville Women's Educational Center (SWC) was founded in 1976 and incorporated the following year. It emerged from an idea of the planning group of the Somerville Women's Fair, and in the fall of 1976, 40 women met to form committees to organize the Center. Several groups and projects evolved out of the Center, including the Matching Services Project, the Mothers Group, and the Women's Chorus. One of SWC's largest projects was the Somerville Women Against Rape. A combination of factors, particularly the lack of stable financial backing, led to the Center's closing in 1983.
Arrangement:Organized into 2 series: 1. Administration; and 2. Subject Files.
Subjects and Contributors:
  • Somerville Women's Educational Center.

  • Women's Educational Center.
  • Women -- Services for -- Massachusetts -- Somerville.
  • Women's rights.
Restrictions:The collection is unrestricted.
Related Materials:

Abortion Action Coalition records (M21), Boston Women's Music Collective records (M22), Women's Educational Center (Cambridge, Mass.) records (M47)
Processor:Finding aid prepared by Deborah A. Richards, July 1998

Historical Note

The Somerville (Massachusetts) Women's Educational Center, Inc. was founded in 1976 and incorporated the following year.  It emerged from an idea of the planning group of the Somerville Women's Fair, and in the fall of 1976, 40 women meet to form committees to organize the Center.Several groups and projects evolved out of the Center, including the Matching Services Project, the Mothers Group, and the Women's Chorus.  One of SWC's largest projects was Somerville Women Against Rape. The decisions to create these entities were often the result of questionnaires that were given to all women who came into the center and were included in the newsletters.  In addition detailed phone logs were kept by staffers.  The results of these logs and questionnaires were constantly tabulated, in an on-going process to develop programs and activities.From 1977-1979, most of the decision-making was done at monthly general membership meetings.  In 1979 a much smaller Core Group was formed, which made policy decisions; the operational and program decisions of the Center continued to be made at the general meetings.  A combination of factors, particularly the lack of stable financial backing, led to Center closing in 1983.
Bibliography

History of SWC [M26, Box 3, Folder 41]

Minutes [M26, Box 4, Folders 55-60]
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Series:
1. Administration, 1976-1983
Volume:1.75 cubic ft.
Arrangement:

Alphabetical
Summary:

The materials in this series document the center's formation, day-to-day operations, and governance.  Of special interest are the detailed logs which document the day to day work of SWC's staff, volunteers, and users (Boxes 3-4, Folders 47-53). In addition there is material focusing on the events and projects sponsored by SWC, including auctions, benefits, forums, groups for mothers, and various support groups (Box 1, Folders 5- 11 and Boxes 4-5, Folders 66-74).  Records of Somerville Women Against Rape, including articles, correspondence, and minutes, are also included in the collection (Box 5, Folders 69-73).  The collection also includes information on the methods used by SWC to finance its operation and projects.  These records include direct mailings, funding leads and sources for progressive organizations, and funding proposals (Boxes 1-3, Folders 12-40).
BoxTitleDate
7Appointment Calender1978
1Articles of Organization1977
1By-laws1977
1Comprehensive Employment Training Act (CETA): Correspondence and Reports1977-1980
1Correspondencen.d., 1977-1982
Events
1Auction and Bazaar: Correspondence, Flier and Notes1977
1Benefits: Fliers and Notes1978-1980
1Calendar of Events1979-1980
1First Annual Multi-Cultural Family Day Picnic: Correspondence, Notes and Press Releases1981
1Forums: Fliers and NOtesn.d., 1980
1Racism Workshop: Flier and List1981
1Somerville Speak-Out1983
Finance
1Corporate Donors and Prospects: Correspondence and Notes1980-1981
1Correspondence1976-1981
1Direct Mailing Returns1981
1Donations: Forms and Letters1977-1978
1Federal Funding Information1978
1Finance Committee: Minutes1977-1979
1Financial Statement1980-1982
1Foundation Library Informationn.d.
2Funding Leads at Large Foundations197?
2Funding Leads for Small Grantsn.d.
2Funding Proposals (2 folders)1974-1981
2Funding Source: Mott, Stewart R.1975-1976
2Income Tax Forms1977-1980
2Job Insuranceca. 1981
7Ledger1980
3"Looking for a Grant" Kit197?
3Network of Change-Oriented Foundations: Directory and Notes1977
3Network of Progressive Fund Raisers: Correspondence and Minutes1981
3Pledge Lettersn.d.
3History of SWCn.d.
3Human Services Council: Minutes1980-1981
3Internship: Comments1978
3Leases1979-1981
3Letters in Support of SWCn.d., 1977-1981
3Library: Correspondence and Notesn.d., 1979
3-4Logs (7 folders)1977-1982
4Meeting with Mayor Eugene Brune: Agenda and Information Packet1980
4Minutes (6 folders)1977-1982
4Needs Assessment1979-1980
4Notesca. 1980
4Office Orientation Proceduresn.d., 1980
4Organization1977-1979
7Organization and Membership: Poster1979
4Philosophy and Principles1977-1980
4Projects: Coffeehouse: Fliers and Notes1981
4Mother-Child Group: Correspondence, Fliers and Notesca. 1978
4Mothers' Project: Notes1980
Somerville Women Against Rape (SWAR)
4Articles1979
4Correspondence1980-1981
4Minutes1980-1982
4SafeHousen.d., 1980
4Script for "Rape in Somerville"1981
4Support Groups1978-1980
Publicity
4Articles about SWC1978-1980
4Brochuresn.d.
4Committee: Minutes1976-1983
4Correspondencen.d., 1978-1979
5, 7Fliers (2 folders)n.d., 1977-1981
5Newsletters1976-1983
5Press List1980
5Press Releasesn.d., 1977-1981
5Sources: Listn.d.
Questionnaires
5General1977-1979
5Matching Services1979
5Teenage Women1979
5Testimony Given Before the Secretary's Advisory Committee on the Rights and Responsibilities of Women (Department of Health and Human Services)n.d.
5Women and Children: Negativesn.d.
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Series:
2. Subject Files, 1974-1982
Volume:0.5 cubic ft.
Arrangement:

Alphabetical
Summary:

This series includes articles, brochures, fliers, legislative priorities, magazines and newsletters relating to alternative films, battered women, child care, children, other women's centers, rape, welfare and women's health and safety (Boxes 5-6, Folders 89-113).
BoxTitleDate
5Alternative Films and Slide Shows: Brochuren.d.
5"An Assessment of the Child Care Needs of the Somerville Portuguese Community": Working Paper1979
Battered Women
5"Counseling Men Who Batter: A Pro-Feminist Analysis of Five Treatment Models"1986
5"Myths and Realities About Women Battering"n.d.
5Boston Women's Health Book Collective, Inc.1974
5Casa Myrna Vazquez SafeHouse Networkn.d.
5City-Wide Feminist Coalition: Correspondence and Working Unifying Statement1981
5Coalition for Basic Human Needs: Legislative Priorities1981
5Coalition for Women's Safety: Minutes1979
5Combahee River Collective: Brochure1979?
5Crittendon Hastings: Correspondence1979
5"Deinstitutionalized: How It Happened"n.d.
5Goddard-Cambridge Graduate Program in Social Change: Press Release1979
5Greater Boston Child Care Coalitionn.d.
6"Innovations": Magazine1980
6Rape: Articles and Information Packetn.d.
6Somerville Council for Children1980
6Somerville Day Care and Child Development Council, Inc.1970-1980
6Somerville Women's Health Projectn.d., 1969-1977
6Take Back the Night: Correspondence1981-1982
6Teen Pregnancy Forum: Minutes1980-1981
6Union Square Neighborhood Group for Women's Safety: Minutes, Fliers and Lists1979
6Volunteers for International Technical Assistance197?
6"WomanSpace in Great Neck (N.Y.)": Newsletter1980
6Women's Coalition for Welfare Women: Report1981
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