Archives West Finding Aid

A majority of the materials in the collection document the activities of women’s organizations and oral history projects Diane Sands created or was affiliated with in Montana from the 1960s through the 1980s. The collection consists of reports, correspondence, oral history interviews, publications, photographs, conference papers, flyers, legislation, and memorabilia related to the history of the women’s movement in Montana in the 1960s through 1990s. Materials include the records of the Women’s Resource Center at the University of Montana (1970-1992), the records of the Missoula Chapter of the National Organization for Women (1982-1991) as well as the records of the Montana Pro-Choice Coalition (1971-1989) and the Women’s Lobbyist Fund (1982-1995). The collection also contains the records of the Montana Women’s History Project (1892-1996), which consists of oral histories and research notes of Montana women as well as oral history interviews and research notes of Montana women who participated in the Illegal Abortion in Montana Oral History Project (1913-1996). The collection also includes papers which document the development and history of the Women’s Studies program at The University of Montana (1964-1999) as well as the history of women’s liberation (1954-1982).

This collection has been divided into eight series:

Series I: Women’s Resource Center (1970-1992) is divided into two subseries, Administrative Records and Subject Files. Subseries 1, Administrative Records, documents the daily activities of the Center and primarily contains budget requests, forms, funding documents, minutes, meeting notes, correspondence, and daily logs of individuals who visited the Resource Center.

Subseries 2, Subject Files, is an alphabetical arrangement of materials that support or document the activities of the Women’s Center. Records include lobbying materials such as petitions, letters and notices about a battle to keep the space allotted to the Women’s Center in the University Center on the campus of The University of Montana.

The Women’s Resource Center was established as a volunteer organization to advocate for the rights of women, provide education, distribute information and raise awareness of women’s issues including abortion rights, birth control, women in the workforce, political activism, rape and violence against women, sexual harassment and discrimination, feminism, and equality. The Women’s Resource Center exists today as the Women’s Center and is located in the University Center on the campus of The University of Montana.

Series II: National Organization for Women, Missoula Chapter (1982-1991), is arranged chronologically and contains materials related to Montana from the national, state and local levels of the National Organization for Women. Items include minutes, newsletters, reports, conference materials, newspapers, posters and publications about gender issues and gay rights. Subseries 1, Subject Files, consists of administrative records, reports, conference materials and publications of the Missoula chapter of the National Organization for Women. Subseries 2, Non-Gender Insurance, contains records kept by Sharon Eisenberg as State Coordinator of Montana National Organization for Women. Items include reports, surveys, legislation, and correspondence related to non-discrimination insurance policies and laws.

Series III: Women’s Studies at the University of Montana (1964-1999), is an alphabetical arrangement of topics related to the development and implementation of the women’s studies program at the University of Montana. Items include reports, correspondence, and proposals regarding the need for a women’s studies program. Other items include research materials, syllabi, readings, student papers and exams, and evaluations of courses that were created and taught in the women’s studies department.

The Women’s Studies program at The University of Montana was officially created in 1991 but the history of its development begins in the 1960s when individuals began to petition the university to include academic courses about women’s issues, campaigned for equal rights in the workplace, created equal opportunity programs and wrote proposals for interdisciplinary programs in the 1970s which led to the approval but not the funding for a Women’s Studies program.

Series IV: Montana Pro-Choice Coalition (1971-1989), is arranged alphabetically by topic and contains materials related to the battle over the reproductive rights of women in the 1970s and 1980s. Subseries 1, Administrative Records, contains committee work, correspondence, legislation, and publications of the Montana Pro-Choice Coalition. Subseries 2, Abortion, includes information about abortion laws as well as publications, petitions and correspondence related to the campaign to repeal the Montana Abortion Control Act of 1974.

Series V: Women’s Liberation (1954-1982), is arranged alphabetically by subject and contains materials related to the women’s movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Many of the items are in reference to women’s liberation, a title applied to the second wave of feminism and the re-emergence of a public battle of women’s rights. Materials include reports, phone lists, handbooks, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, articles, and a box of posters as well as photographs of the One Woman Walkout in Helena, Montana (1977).

Series VI: Women’s Lobbyist Fund (1982-1995), consists of two subseries, Administrative Records, and Subject Files. Subseries 1, Administrative Records, primarily contains financial statements, minutes, correspondence, testimony and publications related to the work of the Women’s Lobby as well as six audiocassettes of Long Range Planning Meetings from 1984 and 1986 and a photograph album (1985–1988). Subseries 2, Subject Files, is an alphabetical arrangement by subject and includes legislative agendas, board meeting minutes, budget reports, fund raising reports, correspondence, directories, training manuals, articles, newsletters and photographs related to the activities of the Lobbyist Fund. Subseries 2, Subject Files, also includes three audiocassettes of Legislative Agendas (1986), one audiocassette of the Legislative Session from 1985 and four audiocassettes of the Montana Women’s Lobby on Legislative Hearings on Non-Gender Insurance (1985).

Series VII: Montana Women’s History Project, is divided into six subseries. Subseries 1, Correpsondence, is chronologically arranged. Subseries 2, Oral Histories of Montana Women, is arranged alphabetically and includes first hand accounts, interviews, transcripts, notes, newspaper clippings, and photographs of women from Montana and covers a range of topics including illegal abortion, work conditions, job training, and lesbian relationships. Subseries 3, Illegal Abortion in Montana Oral History Project, is arranged alphabetically by subject and contains materials about the experience of Montana women and abortion in Montana. Subseries 4, Subject Files, is arranged chronologically and contains research materials related to the creation and implementation of the Montana Women’s Oral History Project. Subseries 5, Publications, is chronologically arranged and contains newsletters, journal articles and newspaper clippings about the history of women in Montana as well as information about abortion, women’s studies, Native Americans, and economics. Subseries 6, Photographs, is arranged chronologically and includes photographs of women and families from a variety of archival repositories in Montana.

Series VIII: Newspaper Clippings (1970-1995) is a chronological sequence of articles related to the women’s liberation movement in Montana.