The material for this book came from the personal papers and oral histories of several women who worked together in various media, clubs, and governmental agencies. I examined the papers of journalist Helen Muir at the University of Miami and lawmaker Martha Griffiths’ papers at the University of Michigan. There were additional mentions about the women in numerous books, journal articles,...

In 1971, longtime government employee Catherine East and journalist Vera Glaser gathered a list of women lawyers and judges. Their goal was to find women qualified to become the first female member of the Supreme Court. First Lady Pat Nixon wanted to see a woman named during her husband’s administration and sought names. Letters between East and Glaser show their excitement in helping a...

The women’s liberation movement of the 1960s and 1970s was much more than a book or marches—although too often that is how it is portrayed. Many women’s page journalists were well aware of issues that were central to women’s liberation. Glaser, for example, was enlightened well before the second...

The women’s pages were a part of metropolitan newspapers for decades. The sections included club news and photos of brides. Much of the coverage has been described as the four Fs: family, fashion, food, and furnishings. Yet, amid the more traditional stories in women’s pages were stories that addressed serious issues and challenged the notion that a woman should remain at home. This...

Female journalists were often in a difficult place concerning women’s rights in the 1960s. They clearly saw the discrimination around them. Yet, they struggled between being objective or being seen as advocates. A poignant example can be found in the marketing of popular syndicated humor writer Erma Bombeck whose...

Near the end of the decade of the 1960s, many of the well-behaved women found themselves in a time...

Kay Clarenbach’s experiences in Wisconsin appear to have been different than those of women’s activists in most other parts of the country—especially when dealing with the media. It may have been because of the clout she held. Clarenbach held a doctoral degree and a job at the University of Wisconsin that gave her some secretarial support and an office. She had a respected...

The assumption that women’s page content was only soft news was a false and gendered one—it was much more complex,...

Many of the well-behaved women who were in Houston continued to work for women’s rights, although they have largely been overlooked. Another woman to fit in this category was Charlotte Curtis. She knew several of these women and interacted most often with East. Curtis was the first...

Abzug, Bella,1.5 , 1.8 , 1.39 , 7.39 , 7.41 , 7.49 , 7.50 ,

Kimberly Wilmot Voss (PhD, Maryland) is an associate professor at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. She researches the intersection of women and mass communication in the post-World War II years through the Women’s Liberation Movement era. She specializes in the women’s pages of newspapers—the only place for women in...

Women in American Political History focuses on influential women throughout the history of American politics. From the Colonial period through the Founding up to the present, women often have played significant and meaningful roles in politics, both directly and indirectly. Many of their contributions have been overlooked. This interdisciplinary series seeks to advance the dialogue concerning the...