Inventory of the Virginia "Ginger" Purdy papers, 1979-2010

Biographical Note

Virginia "Ginger" Purdy is an alum of Texas Women's University and was named Distinguished Alumni in 2005. She has served on the University’s Foundation Board. Purdy formulated her ideas of the "middle woman" in 1996 book, which has a foreward by Ann Richards, Come On In, There's Room For US All: Finding Your Place in the Women's Movement; Finally! The Middle Woman Speaks Up and Out.

Purdy has been involved in the founding and leadership of numerous women's organization in the San Antonio area. In 1980, she founded Network Power/Texas, a support group for women, whose purpose is to promote equity and self-sufficiency for women through educational programs, activities and services. In 1988, Purdy founded the San Antonio Women's Chamber of Commerce to provide leadership training for women in our community because there was no other such program in existence. She has also been involved in the Association for Women in Communications, the Women's Pavilion Board, Women's Political Caucus of Bexar County, Women's Legislative Days and Ann's Fans, a support group for Ann Richards.

Listed in Who’s Who of American Women, Purdy is a member of the International Women’s Forum and in 1992 received the “Women Who Make A Difference Award.” She was one of the first inductees in San Antonio's Women’s Hall of Fame, has received a lifetime achievement award from the YWCA and was named State Woman of the Year by the Business and Professional Women. In 2004, the Women’s Studies Institute at the University of Texas at San Antonio presented Ginger Purdy with its first annual Women’s Advocate of the Year Award.

_{Sources: StoryCorps blog, "Women Leading Texas," 3/26/2008, http://www.storycorps.net/blog/west-mobilebooth/san-antonio-texas/women-leading-texas/; "A Place where women were acknowledged," San Antonio Current, 4/2/2008, http://www.sacurrent.com/news/story.asp?id=68503; The Fire Lighter: Ginger's Story, http://www.thefirelighter.net/story.htm}

Scope and Content Note

The bulk of this collection consists of agendas, minutes, correspondence, project files, brochures and VHS cassettes documenting Purdy's work with Network Power/Texas along with her other projects.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Original audiovisual materials and tax information are closed to patron use.

This collection is housed at UTSA's Main Campus and must be accessed via the John Peace Library Special Collections reading room. To request access, please use the Collections Request Form.

Usage Restrictions

The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Related Material

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Ginger Purdy papers, MS 201, University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections.

Acquisition Information

Received from Ginger Purdy in July 2005 (Acc. 2005-053).

Processing Information

More detailed processing is not anticipated at this time.

Inventory of the Ginger Purdy papers