Title: Juli Loesch Wiley Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1974-1994

Creator:

• Wiley, Juli Loesch, 1951-

Call Number: Mss 847; Audio 1282A; PH Mss 847; VHA 278

Quantity: 0.4 cubic feet (1 archives box), 4 tape recordings, 0.1 cubic feet of photographs (1 folder), and 1 videotape

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

Abstract:

Papers, mainly 1985-1987, of Wiley, a speaker, writer, and activist from Erie, Pennsylvania, who founded Prolifers for Survival (1979-1987) as a bridge between pro-life and anti-nuclear groups. She also organized “We Will Stand Up,” a campaign to promote abortion-free cities for the 1987 papal visit to the U.S., and was a founding lay member of the Pax Center, a Benedictine community for peace and justice. The papers document her evolving stance on the pro-life issue and include her views on peace and disarmament, feminism, and her ties to the Catholic Church. The bulk of the collection consists of her published articles, correspondence and “We Will Stand Up” campaign materials and photographs, but also includes materials on Prolifers for Survival and other pro-life groups, a videotaped television interview, a tape-recorded speech, and a 1994 oral history interview.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss00847

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

Born in 1951 in Erie, Pennsylvania, Juli Loesch Wiley began her social activism at age sixteen participating in anti-war demonstrations. In 1969 after three months at Antioch College, she worked as a boycott organizer for the United Farm Workers in California, Detroit, and Cleveland, gaining experience with non-violent protest methods.

Returning to Erie in 1970, she worked with several activist organizations before co-founding Pax Center, a Benedictine peace and justice community involved in peace education, nonviolence training, soup kitchen work, hospitality, and anti-nuclear organizing. A lay associate there from 1972 to 1983, she supported herself by working at a variety of unskilled jobs.

While advocating anti-nuclear causes including raising concern about the effects of nuclear radiation on fetuses, Wiley became acquainted with pro-lifers and gradually came to agree with their views. In 1979 she was the founder and coordinator of Prolifers for Survival (PS), which was established as a bridge between anti-nuclear/peace and anti-abortion groups. She also edited the newsletter P.S. (circulation approximately 3000). She ceased active involvement in PS when she moved to California in 1983, although the organization remained active until 1987.

In 1987 Wiley organized “We Will Stand Up,” an independent national campaign to promote “abortion-free cities” during the visit of Pope John Paul II to the U.S.

Wiley was arrested approximately 15 times for various pro-life, peace, and UFW protest actions. These activities included leafletting at a nuclear weapons manufacturer, sitting in at abortion clinics, and spilling blood on the floor of the Pentagon to protest abortion and nuclear arms.

Wiley has written extensively. She has been a frequent columnist for the National Catholic Register, and a contributing editor to The New Oxford Review, Erie Christian Witness and many other Catholic and pro-life periodicals. She wrote several essays for the 1985 book Prolife Feminism. She has also spoken widely to groups and classes and participated in discussion panels, debates and talk shows, mostly on a local level with little remuneration.

Other organizations in which she has worked include the Seamless Garment network, JustLife Political Action Committee, Operation Rescue, Prolife Nonviolent Action Project, Feminists for Life and the Prolife Nonviolent Action Committee.

Since her marriage to Don Wiley in 1988 and the birth of son Ben in 1989, Wiley has been less actively demonstrating and organizing, although she still writes.

The Juli Loesch Wiley papers, mainly 1985-1987, consist of the following series: BACKGROUND MATERIALS, GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE, PROLIFERS FOR SURVIVAL, “WE WILL STAND UP” CAMPAIGN, and WRITINGS. The interviews and speech in the BACKGROUND MATERIALS series contain more important and comprehensive documentation of Wiley than do the paper records. Wiley articulately discusses her background, the evolution of her thinking and her various activities.

The BACKGROUND MATERIALS, 1982-1988, 1994, consist of a 1985 videotaped interview and a 1994 oral history interview, and a recording of a speech by Wiley at a pro-life conference about 1983. The series also includes several biographical outlines, as well as articles about Wiley.

GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE, 1985-1990 (mainly July to September 1985), consists of correspondence with friends across the country. Subjects of the letters include peace, pro-life and feminism, as well as personal feelings and activities. Most of the letters are by Wiley.

PROLIFERS FOR SURVIVAL (PS), 1980-1987, consists of only a chapter handbook, some correspondence, news releases, mailings and articles. There are no administrative or financial records. Other records pertaining to PS are located in the Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collections, Louisiana State University Libraries, Baton Rouge. The organization's newsletter P.S. is available on microfilm in the Society's Library.

“WE WILL STAND UP” CAMPAIGN, 1987, contains more documentation of a campaign organized independently by Wiley. The series includes correspondence, articles, notes from Wiley's journal, mailings, releases, flyers, and color photographs of demonstrations in Miami and Los Angeles.

WRITINGS, 1981-1991, consist of typescript and published versions of some of Wiley's writings.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Juli Loesch Wiley, 1994. Accession Number: M94-365, M95-236

Processing Information

Processed by Myrna Williamson, 1995.

	Series: Background Materials, 1982-1988, 1994
Audio 1282A/1-3	Oral history interview conducted by Karen Lamoree, October 19, 1994 Scope and Content Note: Wiley discusses her Catholicism, activist work with the United Farm Workers, anti-nuclear and pro-life movements, Pax Center in Erie, founding PS, and 1983 move to California.
Mss 847 Box   1 Folder   1	Transcript
VHA 278	Television interview of Wiley by Pat Driscoll, host of “A Womanly Program,” September, 1985 Scope and Content Note: Wiley discusses her background as a speaker, writer, and activist, including work with PS and Feminists for Life of America.
Audio 1282A/4	Speech, “Bombs and Babies,” Consistent Prolife Movement conference, circa 1983 Scope and Content Note: Wiley speaks of her advocacy for the nuclear movement leading to pro-life beliefs; her views on abortion; the need for profound social change as well as politically-based movements; and existing networks of alternatives to abortion.
Mss 847 Box   1 Folder   2	Biographical miscellany, 1982-1988, undated
	Series: General Correspondence	⇧
Box   1 Folder   3-6	1985-1990, undated
	Series: Prolifers for Survival	⇧
Box   1 Folder   7	1980-1987, undated
	Series: “We Will Stand Up” Campaign, 1987	⇧
Box   1 Folder   8	Articles, clippings
Box   1 Folder   9	Correspondence
Box   1 Folder   10	Journal notes by Wiley
Box   1 Folder   11	Mailings and other materials
PH Mss 847 Folder   1	Photos of demonstrations, Miami and Los Angeles
Mss 847	Series: Writings, 1981-1991, undated	⇧
Box   1 Folder   12	Manuscripts, undated
Box   1 Folder   13	Published articles and letters, 1981-1991