urn:taro:smu.00162 Southern Methodist University Women's Symposium records A Guide to the Collection Finding aid prepared by Aaron Sanchez, 2010. DeGolyer Library
P. O. Box 750396 Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX 75275-0396
Finding aid encoded by Lara Corazalla, 2010. Finding aid written in English. Description based on DACS. Overview Southern Methodist University Archives, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University Southern Methodist University Southern Methodist University Women's Symposium records 1966-ongoing 21 boxes (10.5 linear feet) The Southern Methodist University Women’s Symposium is the longest running women’s symposium in the nation and one of the largest. It was started by SMU Dean of Women Emmie V. Baine in 1966. Since then, SMU has brought prominent political, social, and economic personalities and experts to the SMU campus annually to participate in the symposium and discuss issues affecting the nation and women in particular. This collection contains the papers of the organizing committee and includes correspondence, attendance records, expenses, publicity, evaluations, reading materials, and programs. SMU 2006.0389 Material is in English Historical Note

In 1966 SMU celebrated its 50th anniversary with a wide variety of events that showcased the university. Then President Willis M. Tate and Graduate School Dean Claude Albritton casually suggested an event that did "something special for the ladies." Neither of the two men thought the event would produce the lasting legacy on the campus, city, and region that it has.

Dean of Women Emmie V. Baine did not take the small event "for the ladies" lightly. Instead she programmed a hard-hitting event that explored the role of women in society. She crafted a two day symposium entitled "The Education of Women for Social and Political Leadership." While not highly visible, there existed a latent Women’s Movement in Dallas at the time. Just a few years earlier Betty Friedan had published The Feminine Mystique and Dean Baine had brought her to campus. The interest of students was overwhelming and they gave her a standing ovation. Similarly, the first women’s symposium provided the needed space for the women of Dallas to voice their concerns. The response to the event was astounding; planned for 150 it drew more than 400 participants. The keynote speakers of the first symposium were Marietta Tree, former U.S. ambassador to the U.N.; Dr. Carl N. Degler, professor of history at Vassar College; Dr. Helen V. McLean, psychiatrist at the Institute for Psychoanalysis in Chicago; Dr. Mary I. Bunting, president of Radcliffe College; and Viola H. Hymes, chairman of the governor’s Commission on the Status of Women for the state of Minnesota.

The momentum sprung from the 1966 symposium carried over into the next year. The second Women’s Symposium in 1967 built upon the initial impetus of the first symposium and further encouraged stronger relationships between women leaders and SMU students. The early symposiums were, as one woman described them, "a once-a-year intellectual feast" for the women of Dallas. In 1974 under the conference theme of "Can We Be Human Together?," men were welcomed to participate as workshop leaders and facilitators. Topic themes of later symposia emphasized women’s rights as issues of national and global importance. In issues like food scarcity, increasing national inequality, and student activism, women’s roles were seen as central. The depth and quality of the programs helped create an annual symposium that grew to be the longest running program in the nation.

Emmie Baine coordinated the Women’s Symposium until 1987 when she stepped down. Under Baine’s leadership the symposium covered topics that ranged from leadership to sexuality to politics. She brought respected guests such as Margaret Mead (1970), John Kenneth Galbraith (1979), Coretta Scott King (1983), and Maya Angelou (1987) to the SMU campus to interact with students and community members. SMU and Women’s Symposium alumna Sandra Tinkham took over the helm from Baine in 1988.

The change in leadership did not interrupt the momentum of the program and in 1990 the symposium celebrated its 25th anniversary. By 1990, after 24 years of programming, the Women’s Symposium had attracted at least 15,000 individual participants, 81 eminent scholars and writers, over 300 speakers and consultants, and hundreds more local Dallas volunteers.

The Women’s Symposium was the genesis for many other Dallas groups. Many organizations could trace their origins to the SMU Women’s Symposium like: Explore, an eight-week education program that helps women; The Women’s Center of Dallas, an organization that works to change society’s stereotypical expectations of women; Women’s Issues Network, an advocacy group supporting equality of opportunity; The Dallas Women’s Foundation, an inter-generational, multi-ethnic inclusive women’s organization that writes grants for innovative programs for women and children; the Dallas Chapter of the National Organization for Women; the Women’s Equity Action League; and the Women’s Political Caucus and the Women’s Coalition. As Vivian Castleberry described the symposium, it "began as a gentle breeze…" and became "a persistent tailwind that has challenged mindsets, disturbed comfort, and jarred complacency for a quarter of a century."

Sources:

Castleberry, Vivian. "A Forum for Challenge and Change," SMU Magazine, Winter 1990: 19-21. Found in Folder 2 Box 20.

Castleberry, Vivian. "Whatever Happened to the Women’s Movement?: An Eyewitness, uh, Her story of Three Decades of Progress for Dallas Women," D Magazine, 1987: 78-83. Found in Folder 5 Box 20.

Women’s Symposium, "1967 Women’s Symposium—Working Notes," Folder 10 Box 1.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

This collection contains the programs, working notes, reading materials, publicity, correspondence, attendance records, expense reports, and directories of the SMU Women’s Symposium organizing committee. It is an ongoing collection, but the majority of the materials deal with the years from its inception in 1966 to the symposium’s 25th anniversary in 1990.

Arrangement of the Collection

The collection is organized into 2 series:

Series 1: Records Series 2: Programs Related Materials

This is one of the collections in the Archives of Women of the Southwest.

Emmie Baine papers, SMU 2005.0387

Southern Methodist University Commission on the Status of Women Records, SMU 2009.0419

Southern Methodist University Women’s Center Records, SMU 2005.0370

Southern Methodist University YWCA records, SMU 2005.0369

 Access to Collection:

Collection is open for research use.

 Publication Rights:

Permission to publish materials must be obtained from the Director of the DeGolyer Library.

 Copyright Statement:

It is the responsibility of the user to obtain copyright authorization.

 Access Terms

This collection is indexed under the following terms in the Southern Methodist University Libraries' online catalog. Researchers desiring related materials may search the catalog using these terms.

Southern Methodist University -- Congresses. Women's Symposium (Southern Methodist University) Women -- Texas -- Dallas -- Congresses. Dallas (Tex.) -- Intellectual life. Programs. Baine, Emmie V. Preferred Citation

Southern Methodist University Women's Symposium records, Southern Methodist University Archives, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University.

 Acquisition Information

Gift, Rebecca Bergstresser, 2005.

 Processing Information

Please note that Series 2: Programs was originally accessioned as SMU2005.0359 as a gift from Rebecca Bergstresser in 2005. The decision was made to combine the box of programs into the SMU2006.0389 accession containing the bulk of the SMU Women’s Symposium records.

 Finding aid written by

Aaron Sanchez, 2010.

 Encoded by

Lara Corazalla, 2010.

 Detailed Description of the Collection Series 1: Records 20 boxes

This series contains the programs, working notes, reading materials, publicity, correspondence, attendance records, expense reports, and directories of the SMU Women’s Symposium organizing committee. It is organized in chronological order.

111966 Women’s Symposium—Program 121966 Women’s Symposium—Correspondence 131966 Women’s Symposium—Publicity 141966 Women’s Symposium—Reading Material 151967 Women’s Symposium—Program 161967 Women’s Symposium—The Education of women for Social and Political Leadership, booklet 171967 Women’s Symposium—Registration 181967 Women’s Symposium—Student Delegates 191967 Women’s Symposium—Correspondence 1101967 Women’s Symposium—Working Notes 1111967 Women’s Symposium—Reading Materials 1121967 Women’s Symposium—Directory 1131968 Women’s Symposium—Program 1141968 Women’s Symposium—Publicity 1151968 Women’s Symposium—Reading Materials 1161968 Women’s Symposium—Working Notes 1171968 Women’s Symposium—Workshop 1181968 Women’s Symposium—Correspondence 1191968 Women’s Symposium—Reading Materials 1201968 Women’s Symposium—Discussion Groups 1211968 Women’s Symposium—Directory 1221968 Women’s Symposium—Letter of Invitation 1231968 Women’s Symposium—Registration 211969 Women’s Symposium—Program 221969 Women’s Symposium—Arrangements 231969 Women’s Symposium—Workshops 241969 Women’s Symposium—Discussion Groups 251969 Women’s Symposium—Panel 261969 Women’s Symposium—Directory 271969 Women’s Symposium—Reading Materials 281969 Women’s Symposium—Evaluation 291969 Women’s Symposium—Correspondence 2101969 Women’s Symposium—Letter of Invitation 2111969 Women’s Symposium—Working Notes 2121969 Women’s Symposium—Bibliography 2131969 Women’s Symposium—Registration 2141969 Women’s Symposium—Letters of Responses to Symposium 2151970 Women’s Symposium—Program 2161970 Women’s Symposium—Reading Materials 2171970 Women’s Symposium—Letter of Invitation 2181970 Women’s Symposium—CORE 2191970 Women’s Symposium—Working Notes 2201970 Women’s Symposium—Panel 2211970 Women’s Symposium—Correspondence 2221970 Women’s Symposium—Student Delegates 2231970 Women’s Symposium—Discussion Group 2241970 Women’s Symposium—Publicity 2251970 Women’s Symposium—Directory 311971 Women’s Symposium—News Kit 321971 Women’s Symposium—Budget 331971 Women’s Symposium—Reading Materials and Discussion Group 341971 Women’s Symposium—Letter of Invitation 351971 Women’s Symposium—Working Notes 361971 Women’s Symposium—Publicity 371971 Women’s Symposium—Program 381971 Women’s Symposium—Registration 391971 Women’s Symposium—Directory 3101971 Women’s Symposium—CORE 3111971 Women’s Symposium—Panel 3121971 Women’s Symposium—Student Delegates 3131971 Women’s Symposium—Correspondence 411972 Women’s Symposium—Publicity 421972 Women’s Symposium—Panel 431972 Women’s Symposium—CORE 441972 Women’s Symposium—Discussion Group 451972 Women’s Symposium—Reading Materials 461972 Women’s Symposium—Program 471972 Women’s Symposium—Budget 481972 Women’s Symposium—Letter of Invitation 491972 Women’s Symposium—Directory 4101972 Women’s Symposium—Student Delegates 4111972 Women’s Symposium—Registration 4121972 Women’s Symposium—General 4131972 Women’s Symposium—Arrangements 4141972 Women’s Symposium—Correspondence 511973 Women’s Symposium—Publicity 521973 Women’s Symposium—Working Notes and List 531973 Women’s Symposium—CORE 541973 Women’s Symposium—Registration 551973 Women’s Symposium—Student Delegates 561973 Women’s Symposium—Budget 571973 Women’s Symposium—Discussion Leaders 581973 Women’s Symposium—Reading Materials 591973 Women’s Symposium—Correspondence 5101973 Women’s Symposium—Letter of Invitation 5111973 Women’s Symposium—Student Delegates 5121973 Women’s Symposium—Program 5131973 Women’s Symposium—Arrangements 5141974 Women’s Symposium—Program 5151974 Women’s Symposium—Directory 5161974 Women’s Symposium—Evaluations 5171974 Women’s Symposium—Publicity 5181974 Women’s Symposium—Student Delegates 5191974 Women’s Symposium—CORE 5201974 Women’s Symposium—Discussion Group 5211974 Women’s Symposium—Arrangements 5221974 Women’s Symposium—Correspondence 5231974 Women’s Symposium—Working Notes 5241974 Women’s Symposium—Reading Materials 611975 Women’s Symposium—Program 621975 Women’s Symposium—Publicity 631975 Women’s Symposium—Colleges and Notes 641975 Women’s Symposium—Expenses 651975 Women’s Symposium—Student Delegates 661975 Women’s Symposium—Directory 671975 Women’s Symposium—Discussion Group 681975 Women’s Symposium—CORE 691975 Women’s Symposium—Evaluations 6101975 Women’s Symposium—Reading Materials 6111975 Women’s Symposium—Panel 6121975 Women’s Symposium—Working Notes 6131975 Women’s Symposium—Correspondence 6141975 Women’s Symposium—Arrangements 711976 Women’s Symposium—Program 721976 Women’s Symposium—Publicity 731976 Women’s Symposium—Colleges and Notes 741976 Women’s Symposium—Student Delegates 751976 Women’s Symposium—Directory 761976 Women’s Symposium—Discussion Group 771976 Women’s Symposium—Evaluations 781976 Women’s Symposium—Reading Materials 791976 Women’s Symposium—Working Notes 7101977 Women’s Symposium—Program 7111977 Women’s Symposium—Publicity 7121977 Women’s Symposium—Student Delegates 7131977 Women’s Symposium—Directory 7141977 Women’s Symposium—Discussion Group 7151977 Women’s Symposium—Reading Materials 7161977 Women’s Symposium—Evaluations 7171977 Women’s Symposium—Working Notes 7181977 Women’s Symposium—Expenses and Arrangements 7191977 Women’s Symposium—Correspondence 811978 Women’s Symposium—Program 821978 Women’s Symposium—Publicity 831978 Women’s Symposium—Directory 841978 Women’s Symposium—Discussion Group 851978 Women’s Symposium—Evaluations 861978 Women’s Symposium—Reading Materials 871978 Women’s Symposium—Working Notes 881978 Women’s Symposium—Expenses and Arrangements 891978 Women’s Symposium—Correspondence 8101979 Women’s Symposium—Program 8111979 Women’s Symposium—Publicity 8121979 Women’s Symposium—Directory 8131979 Women’s Symposium—Discussion Group 8141979 Women’s Symposium—CORE 8151979 Women’s Symposium—Reading Materials 8161979 Women’s Symposium—Working Notes 8171979 Women’s Symposium—Expenses and Arrangements 8181979 Women’s Symposium—Correspondence 911980 Women’s Symposium—Program 921980 Women’s Symposium—Publicity 931980 Women’s Symposium—Directory 941980 Women’s Symposium—Discussion Group 951980 Women’s Symposium—Panelists 961980 Women’s Symposium—CORE 971980 Women’s Symposium—Evaluations 981980 Women’s Symposium—Reading Materials 991980 Women’s Symposium—Working Notes 9101980 Women’s Symposium—Expenses and Arrangements 9111980 Women’s Symposium—Correspondence 1011981 Women’s Symposium—Program 1021981 Women’s Symposium—Publicity 1031981 Women’s Symposium—Directory 1041981 Women’s Symposium—Discussion Group 1051981 Women’s Symposium—CORE 1061981 Women’s Symposium—Evaluations 1071981 Women’s Symposium—Reading Materials 1081981 Women’s Symposium—Working Notes 1091981 Women’s Symposium—Expenses and Arrangements 10101981 Women’s Symposium—Correspondence 10111981 Women’s Symposium—Opinionnaire on Working Partnerships 10121981 Women’s Symposium—Information on Past Symposia 1111982 Women’s Symposium—Program 1121982 Women’s Symposium—Publicity 1131982 Women’s Symposium—Directory 1141982 Women’s Symposium—Discussion Group 1151982 Women’s Symposium—CORE 1161982 Women’s Symposium—Evaluations 1171982 Women’s Symposium—Reading Materials 1181982 Women’s Symposium—Working Notes 1191982 Women’s Symposium—Correspondence 11101982 Women’s Symposium—Panelists 11111982 Women’s Symposium—Registration and Attendance 1211983 Women’s Symposium—Program 1221983 Women’s Symposium—Publicity 1231983 Women’s Symposium—Publicity Committee 1241983 Women’s Symposium—Directory 1251983 Women’s Symposium—Discussion Group 1261983 Women’s Symposium—Reading Materials 1271983 Women’s Symposium—Working Notes 1281983 Women’s Symposium—Expenses and Arrangements 1291983 Women’s Symposium—Registration and Attendance 12101983 Women’s Symposium—Correspondence 12111983 Women’s Symposium—Misc. 1311984 Women’s Symposium—Program 1321984 Women’s Symposium—Publicity 1331984 Women’s Symposium—Directory 1341984 Women’s Symposium—Discussion Group 1351984 Women’s Symposium—CORE 1361984 Women’s Symposium—Evaluations 1371984 Women’s Symposium—Working Notes 1381984 Women’s Symposium—Reading Materials 1391984 Women’s Symposium—Expenses and Arrangements 13101984 Women’s Symposium—Registration and Attendance 13111984 Women’s Symposium—Correspondence 13121984 Women’s Symposium—Misc. 1411985 Women’s Symposium—Program 1421985 Women’s Symposium—Publicity 1431985 Women’s Symposium—Directory 1441985 Women’s Symposium—Discussion Group 1451985 Women’s Symposium—CORE 1461985 Women’s Symposium—Evaluations 1471985 Women’s Symposium—Reading Materials 1481985 Women’s Symposium—Working Notes 1491985 Women’s Symposium—Expenses and Arrangements 14101985 Women’s Symposium—Registration and Attendance 14111985 Women’s Symposium—Correspondence 14121985 Women’s Symposium—Misc. 1511986 Women’s Symposium—Program 1521986 Women’s Symposium—Publicity 1531986 Women’s Symposium—Directory 1541986 Women’s Symposium—Discussion Group 1551986 Women’s Symposium—Evaluations 1561986 Women’s Symposium—Reading Materials 1571986 Women’s Symposium—Working Notes 1581986 Women’s Symposium—Expenses and Arrangements 1591986 Women’s Symposium—Registration and Attendance 15101986 Women’s Symposium—Information on Past Symposia 15111986 Women’s Symposium—Photographs 15121986 Women’s Symposium—Correspondence 15131986 Women’s Symposium—Misc. 1611987 Women’s Symposium—Program 1621987 Women’s Symposium—Publicity 1631987 Women’s Symposium—Directory 1641987 Women’s Symposium—Discussion Group 1651987 Women’s Symposium—CORE 1661987 Women’s Symposium—Evaluations 1671987 Women’s Symposium—Reading Materials 1681987 Women’s Symposium—Working Notes 1691987 Women’s Symposium—Expenses and Arrangements 16101987 Women’s Symposium—Registration and Attendance 16111987 Women’s Symposium—Correspondence 16121987 Women’s Symposium—Panelists 16131987 Women’s Symposium—Misc. 1711988 Women’s Symposium—Program 1721988 Women’s Symposium—Publicity 1731988 Women’s Symposium—Directory 1741988 Women’s Symposium—Discussion Group 1751988 Women’s Symposium—CORE 1761988 Women’s Symposium—Evaluations 1771988 Women’s Symposium—Reading Materials 1781988 Women’s Symposium—Working Notes 1791988 Women’s Symposium—Arrangements 17101988 Women’s Symposium—Expenses 17111988 Women’s Symposium—Registration and Attendance 17121988 Women’s Symposium—Information on Past Symposia 17131988 Women’s Symposium—Panelists 17141988 Women’s Symposium—Correspondence 17151988 Women’s Symposium—Misc. 1811989 Women’s Symposium—Program 1821989 Women’s Symposium—Publicity 1831989 Women’s Symposium—Directory 1841989 Women’s Symposium—Discussion Group 1851989 Women’s Symposium—CORE 1861989 Women’s Symposium—Evaluations 1871989 Women’s Symposium—Reading Materials 1881989 Women’s Symposium—Working Notes 1891989 Women’s Symposium—Arrangements 1911989 Women’s Symposium—Expenses 1921989 Women’s Symposium—Registration and Attendance 1931989 Women’s Symposium—Panelists 1941989 Women’s Symposium—Correspondence 1951989 Women’s Symposium—Information on Past Symposia 1961989 Women’s Symposium—Misc. 2011990 Women’s Symposium—Program 2021990 Women’s Symposium—Publicity 2031990 Women’s Symposium—Discussion Group 2041990 Women’s Symposium—CORE 2051990 Women’s Symposium—Reading Material 2061990 Women’s Symposium—Working Notes 2071990 Women’s Symposium—Arrangements and Expenses 2081990 Women’s Symposium—Attendance and Registration 2091990 Women’s Symposium—Panelists 20101990 Women’s Symposium—Correspondence 20111990 Women’s Symposium—Information on Past Symposia 20121990 Women’s Symposium—Annual Report 20131990 Women’s Symposium—Misc. 20142000 Women’s Symposium—Misc. 20152010 Women’s Symposium—Program 2016Women’s Symposium—Undated Series 2: Programs 1 box

This series contains all the programs from past symposiums from 1966 to 2005, with the exception of 1973 (which is missing) and one folder of unidentified photographs.

 2111966 Symposium 2121967 Symposium 2131968 Symposium 2141969 Symposium 2151970 Symposium 2161971 Symposium 2171972 Symposium 2181974 Symposium 2191975 Symposium 21101976 Symposium 21111977 Symposium 21121978 Symposium 21131979 Symposium 21141980 Symposium 21151981 Symposium 21161982 Symposium 21171983 Symposium 21181984 Symposium 21191985 Symposium 21201986 Symposium 21211987 Symposium 21221988 Symposium 21231989 Symposium 21241990 Symposium 21251991 Symposium 21261992 Symposium 21271993 Symposium 21281994 Symposium 21291995 Symposium 21301996 Symposium 21311997 Symposium 21321998 Symposium 21331999 Symposium 21342000 Symposium 21352001 Symposium 21362002 Symposium 21372003 Symposium 21382004 Symposium 21392005 Symposium 2140Unidentified Photographs