“Schöner Bruder,” “Ma Chère Petite,” “Sonny Boy,” Honey Child,” these are just a few of the salutations used by Dorothy and Warren “Jack” Wirtz in their letters to each other. Although their greetings may have been somewhat tongue in cheek, Dorothy and Jack’s correspondence reveals a relationship full of common interests, good humor, and affection.Continue reading “Dottie and Jack: An Epistolary Friendship”
Category Archives: People
Dr. Dorothy Wirtz, PhD: A Woman “In the Profession”
“Gentlemen, As you had hoped, I have found your questionnaire interesting to answer. However, I cannot refrain from expressing my resentment at the phrasing of certain statements, which seem to me to reflect discrimination on the basis of sex.” So begins Dr. Dorothy Wirtz’s 1969 letter to The Carnegie Commission on Higher Education. She followedContinue reading “Dr. Dorothy Wirtz, PhD: A Woman “In the Profession””
Meet Dorothy Wirtz
A few years after the Iowa Women’s Archives opened, Dr. Dorothy Wirtz [1915 – 2013] donated some pieces of her college years at the University of Iowa. Dorothy Wirtz’s 1997 gift to the IWA includes her academic articles and a selection of her poetry. However, the papers mostly concern the exploits of Wirtz and herContinue reading “Meet Dorothy Wirtz”
Kerber Fund Recipient Uncovers Women’s History
Say hello to Hannah Dudley-Shotwell, a scholar who is visiting the Archives this week, thanks to assistance from the Linda and Richard Kerber Fund for Research in the Iowa Women’s Archives. Hannah is one of the first recipients of the grant, which was inaugurated last spring. She’s a doctoral candidate in History at the UniversityContinue reading “Kerber Fund Recipient Uncovers Women’s History”
“Life is not all sunshine”
Viola Nesfield Owen papers by Audrey Altman Preserving the history of poor and rural women is a mission of the Iowa Women’s Archives, but it can be challenging because these women rarely leave detailed records of their lives. That’s why we were so excited to receive the papers of Viola Nesfield Owen, donated by GaryContinue reading ““Life is not all sunshine””
Thanksgiving in Osage, 1950s-style
In 1950, Joyce Horton was a junior at the University of Iowa studying speech pathology. She was active in the Foreign Students Association, a group she really enjoyed. A few weeks before Thanksgiving she wrote a letter to the newspaper in her hometown of Osage, Iowa, suggesting that residents invite these students to spend ThanksgivingContinue reading “Thanksgiving in Osage, 1950s-style”
A history major’s thoughts on working in the IWA
Froilan Orozco I am currently a senior at the University of Iowa and am majoring in history. To get a general idea of the kind of work a historian can do I decided to get a part-time position in the Iowa Women’s Archives (IWA). The activities that I have been involved in this jobContinue reading “A history major’s thoughts on working in the IWA”