Summary Information
Women's National Abortion Action Coalition Records
1969-1973
- Women's National Abortion Action Coalition
Mss 423; Micro 766; Audio 786A; PH 6861
4.5 cubic feet (12 archives boxes), 2 reels of microfilm (35 mm), 0.1 cubic feet of posters (1 oversize folder), and 18 tape recordings
Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)
Records of the Women's National Abortion Action Coalition, a national pro-abortion organization launched in 1971 to promote women's rights to control their reproduction. Major activities included demonstrations, publicity, dissemination of information and court actions. The collection contains administrative records, regional files, subject files, and legal records. Much of the material deals with events occurring in New York State where one of the first liberal abortion laws was passed, and in New York City, where WONAAC national headquarters were located. Records of three national conferences and plans for the International Abortion Tribunal are also present. Another major effort of WONAAC was the support given to Shirley Ann Wheeler, a Florida woman convicted on manslaughter charges after an illegal abortion. Numerous clippings regarding WONAAC activities and the abortion question have been microfilmed. Tapes accompanying the collection document meetings, conferences, and rallies.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss00423 ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
The organized pro-abortion or “pro-choice” movement in the United States had its roots in the activities surrounding the passage of the liberal New York abortion law in 1970. To promote this legislation, New York feminists met and worked together to present their case before the New York Legislature; similar groups of women worked together in other Eastern states. In 1971, twenty-five New Haven, Connecticut women filed a class action lawsuit, Abele vs. Markle (also known as Women vs. State of Connecticut), to express their opposition to the state's anti-abortion laws. These two events, plus the abortion cases, Roe vs. Wade (Texas) and Doe vs. Bolton (Georgia), which were pending hearing in the U.S. Supreme Court in December, served as the focus for the movement. The groups coalesced, and on July 16-18, 1971, to commemorate the 123rd anniversary of the Woman's Rights Convention held at Seneca Falls, New York on July 19-20, 1848, a similar gathering of feminists was held in New York City.
The Women's National Abortion Action Coalition (WONAAC) was officially formed July 19, 1971, following the conference. Over 1000 women from 23 states and representing 253 organizations met at Columbia University to launch the nationally coordinated pro-abortion campaign. The purpose of the new organization was to promote the rights of women to control their own bodies -- to choose when and if they would bear children, to have access to safe, effective means of contraception, and not to fear forced or coerced sterilization. From 1971 to 1973, the repeal of all abortion laws was the main focus of the Coalition. Realization of this major goal was achieved with the January 22, 1973, pro-abortion decision of the Supreme Court.
Membership in WONAAC was open to individual women and to women's organizations. Affiliated chapters existed in most major cities and on college campuses. A national coordinating committee was in charge of implementing and overseeing the decisions and policies drawn up at the national conferences. WONAAC's major activities included demonstrations, court action, dissemination of information, and formation of a united front against abortion opponents.
Scope and Content Note
The records of WONAAC deal mainly with the United States pro-choice movement during the early 1970s. Much of the material originated in New York City, where WONAAC national headquarters were located, and concerns New York State, which was one of the first states to liberalize abortion laws. In addition, there is material from both regional chapters and international abortion groups. The collection has been divided into six series: Administrative Files, Activities, Subject File, Legal Files, Regional Files, and Miscellany.
Seventeen reel-to-reel tapes and one cassette record WONAAC meetings, conferences, and rallies. Also included are tapes of the 1972 abortion hearings of the New York Legislature. Apparently, the WONAAC material was recorded on tapes already containing speeches and panel discussions of the Young Socialist Alliance, and other socialist groups; some of this is still present on parts of the tapes. The tapes are listed below with the appropriate series.
The ADMINISTRATIVE FILES contain the working files of the national office, located first in Washington, D.C. and subsequently in New York City. WONAAC ACTIVITIES records are arranged chronologically by event, and consist of material regarding conferences, demonstrations, and the International Abortion Tribunal. The Tribunal, coming after the three national conferences, was originally scheduled for March 9-11, 1973, and was designed to hear testimony regarding abortion, contraception, and forced sterilization experiences. The files include correspondence with noted women in politics, entertainment, and athletics who were invited to endorse or participate in the Tribunal. Among them were Bella Abzug, Simone de Beauvoir, Shirley Chisholm, Billie Jean King, Shirley MacLaine, and Eleanor McGovern. Because of the unexpected pro-abortion ruling of the Supreme Court on January 22, the Tribunal was replaced by a meeting on the International Struggle for Abortion Rights held March 10, 1973 in New York City. Featured speakers were three French abortion leaders. Although most of the material concerns the Tribunal, there is some information on the meeting that replaced it.
The SUBJECT FILE consists of material collected by the national office regarding various issues related to, or aspects of, abortion. The section about Shirley Ann Wheeler concerns her conviction on manslaughter charges after having an illegal abortion in Florida, and the support given her by WONAAC.
LEGAL FILES contain information on cases, bills, hearings, and laws related to abortion. WONAAC was not a party in any of the cases, but did file amicus curiae briefs in many of them.
Correspondence, near-print materials, and newspaper clippings collected by the national office and concerning the abortion movement in the United States and in foreign countries are located in the REGIONAL FILES. The United States files are arranged alphabetically by state, and material from foreign countries is arranged alphabetically by geographical groups of countries. The news clippings have been microfilmed for reasons of preservation, and are arranged in similar fashion.
MISCELLANEOUS includes a microfilmed scrapbook, one tape recording, and posters. The posters (1972-1973) were produced by the Women's National Abortion Action Coalition and announce Abortion Action Week, May 1-6, 1972, and other events, including the International Tribunal on Abortion, Contraception and Forced Sterilization; Women's National Abortion Action Conferences; and a march on Washington, D.C., and San Francisco.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Presented by the Women's National Abortion Action Coalition via Evelyn Smith, New York, New York, 1973. Accession Number: M73-228
Processed by Menzi Behrnd Klodt and Kathryn Otto, August 1979.
Contents List
|
Mss 423
|
Series: Administrative Files
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
1
|
Black Women's Task Force, 1971
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
2
|
Finances, 1972-1973
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
3
|
Formation of WONAAC, 1971 Spring and Summer
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
4
|
Hate mail
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
5
|
News conference, 1973 January 11
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
6
|
Mailings from the National Office, New York City, 1972-1973
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
7-8
|
Mailings from the Washington, D.C. office, 1971
|
|
|
National Coordinating Committee, 1971-1973
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
9
|
Agenda, minutes, registrations
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
10
|
Proposals
|
|
|
786A/1
|
Tape of Committee meeting, circa 1972 September 1
: Discussing on Side 1 plans for International Tribunal then scheduled for October 21-22, abortion rights legislation in Congress, Supreme Court action, newsletter materials, area reports, resolutions, reports on finances and staff; on Side 2, activities of national coordinators. (Side 2 mostly blank; sound inconsistent.)
|
|
|
Mss 423
Box
1
Folder
11
|
National Project Directors (National Coordinators), 1972-1973
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
12-13
|
National Women's Commission for the Study of Abortion, 1971
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
14
|
Responses to the press, 1972
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
15
|
Staff memos and papers, 1971
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
16
|
Statewide Planning Meeting, New York, 1972 December 10
|
|
|
Series: Activities
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
1-2
|
First National Conference, 1971 July 16-18
|
|
|
786A/2-4
|
Tapes of Friday night, Saturday and Sunday sessions and plenary sessions
: No. 3, part of Side 1, all of Side 2 blank; No. 4, sound inconsistent, on Side 2, sound ends abruptly during session.
|
|
|
Mss 423
|
Demonstration, 1971 November 20
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
3
|
Correspondence, endorsers, budget
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
4
|
Organizational material
|
|
|
Box
6
Folder
1
|
Press releases
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
5
|
Promotional material
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
6
|
News clippings
|
|
|
Second National Conference, 1972 February 11-13
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
7
|
Correspondence
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
8
|
Other materials
|
|
|
786A/5-7
|
Tapes of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday plenary sessions
: Including speakers, selection of officers, discussion of agenda and procedures, and other matters. (No. 6, Side 2, is blank; Tape 7, Side 2, contains material from a conference of socialist students?, previously on tape, with recording of WONAAC Conference taped over part of it.)
|
|
|
Mss 423
Box
2
Folder
9
|
Abortion Action Week, 1972 May 1-6 and May 6 Coalition for Abortion Rights
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
10
|
Third National Conference, 1972 July 15-16
|
|
|
786A/8-9
|
Tapes of plenary sessions from both days
: Including adoption of agenda, selection of officers and rules, and at July 16 sessions, speeches regarding abortion law repeal, shortcomings of WONAAC, and problems with socialist members. (No. 9, Side 2 almost entirely blank, sound only on last few minutes.)
|
|
|
Mss 423
|
International Abortion Tribunal, 1973 March 9-11
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
11
|
Correspondence and endorsers
|
|
|
Box
3
Folder
1
|
Media publicity and promotional material
|
|
|
Box
3
Folder
2
|
Testimony
|
|
|
Miscellaneous demonstrations
|
|
|
Box
3
Folder
3
|
Picketing of “Right to Life” headquarters, 1972 October 2
|
|
|
Box
3
Folder
3
|
Supreme Court demonstration, 1972 October 11
|
|
|
Box
3
Folder
3
|
“Maude” demonstration, 1972 December 15
|
|
|
Box
3
Folder
3
|
Forum and Victory Rally, 1973 February 2
|
|
|
Box
3
Folder
3
|
Counter-Picket, “Right to Life,” 1973 June 24
|
|
|
786A/10
|
Tape of Abortion Project Coalition Tribunal on “crimes against women,” 1972 October 21, Cleveland, Ohio, containing legal arguments and testimony
|
|
|
786A/11-12
|
Tapes of abortion tribunal held in Houston, Texas, including testimony, 1972 October 21
|
|
|
786A/13
|
Forum and Victory Rally recording: speeches, announcements, questions and answers, 1973 February 2
|
|
|
Mss 423
|
Series: Subject File
|
|
|
Box
3
Folder
4
|
Abortion in New York
|
|
|
Box
3
Folder
5-6
|
Anti-abortion literature and news clippings
|
|
|
Box
3
Folder
7
|
Contraception
|
|
|
Box
3
Folder
8
|
Equal Rights Amendment
|
|
|
Box
4
Folder
1-2
|
General material
|
|
|
Box
4
Folder
3
|
Health, Education and Welfare, Department of
|
|
|
Box
4
Folder
4
|
High school women and abortion
|
|
|
Box
4
Folder
5
|
International abortion movements
|
|
|
Box
4
Folder
6
|
Labor and Equal Employment Opportunity
|
|
|
Box
4
Folder
7
|
Lesbianism and abortion
|
|
|
Box
4
Folder
8
|
Medicaid
|
|
|
Box
4
Folder
9-10
|
Medical aspects of abortion
|
|
|
Box
5
Folder
1
|
Mexican-American women
|
|
|
Box
5
Folder
2
|
Moore, Emily C., demographic research
|
|
|
Box
5
Folder
3
|
Policy statements on abortion by major religious, public health, medical, social services organizations
|
|
|
Box
5
Folder
4
|
Population control
|
|
|
Box
5
Folder
5
|
Psychological aspects of abortion
|
|
|
Box
5
Folder
6
|
Religious/moral aspects of abortion
|
|
|
Box
5
Folder
7
|
Sterilization
|
|
|
Wheeler, Shirley Ann
|
|
|
Box
5
Folder
8
|
Correspondence, 1971
|
|
|
Box
5
Folder
9
|
Other material
|
|
|
Box
5
Folder
10
|
News clippings
|
|
|
Series: Legal Files
|
|
|
Box
6
Folder
2
|
Abele vs. Markle, 1971
|
|
|
Box
6
Folder
3
|
Abramowicz vs. Lefkowitz, 1970
|
|
|
Association for the Study of Abortion Inc. reprints
|
|
|
Box
6
Folder
4
|
Berman vs. Duggan
|
|
|
Box
6
Folder
4
|
Blackburn vs. Florida
|
|
|
Box
6
Folder
4
|
California vs. Barksdale
|
|
|
Box
6
Folder
4
|
California vs. Gwynne
|
|
|
Box
6
Folder
4
|
California vs. Pettegrew
|
|
|
Box
6
Folder
4
|
California vs. Robb
|
|
|
Box
6
Folder
4
|
Corkey vs. Edwards
|
|
|
Box
6
Folder
4
|
Doe vs. Rampton
|
|
|
Box
6
Folder
4
|
Doe vs. Scott
|
|
|
Box
6
Folder
4
|
People vs. Belous
|
|
|
Box
6
Folder
4
|
Rosen vs. Louisiana Board of Medical Examiners
|
|
|
Box
6
Folder
4
|
Steinberg vs. Rhodes
|
|
|
Box
6
Folder
5
|
Babbitz vs. McCann
|
|
|
Box
6
Folder
6
|
Beebe vs. Cahalan, 1971
|
|
|
Box
6
Folder
7-8
|
Byrn vs. New York City Health and Hospital Corp., 1971-1972
|
|
|
Box
7
Folder
1
|
City of New York vs. Wyman, 1972
|
|
|
Box
7
Folder
2
|
Complaint regarding anti-abortion activities of tax exempt churches, 1971-1972
|
|
|
Box
7
Folder
3
|
Connecticut vs. Sulman
|
|
|
Box
7
Folder
4
|
District of Columbia abortion control regulation, 1972
|
|
|
Box
7
Folder
5
|
Doe vs. Bolton, 1970
|
|
|
Box
7
Folder
6-7
|
General material on legal aspects of abortion
|
|
|
Box
7
Folder
8
|
Georgia and Texas abortion cases
|
|
|
Box
7
Folder
9
|
Laws regarding minors
|
|
|
Box
7
Folder
10
|
National abortion bills
|
|
|
Box
7
Folder
11
|
New York abortion hearings, 1972 October 21 and 1973 January 30
|
|
|
786A/14-17
|
Tapes of hearings, 1972 October 20-21
: Including panel debates, speakers, testimony, plays, audio portion of anti-abortion film. (Most of No. 17 is blank.)
|
|
|
Mss 423
Box
7
Folder
12
|
New York State legislative bills, 1969-1972
|
|
|
Box
7
Folder
13
|
New York State legislators, 1973
|
|
|
Box
8
Folder
1
|
Roe vs. Wade, 1971-1972
|
|
|
Box
8
Folder
2
|
United States vs. Vuitch and Women vs. California, 1970-1971
|
|
|
Box
8
Folder
3
|
YWCA vs. Kugler and Abramowitz vs. Kugler
|
|
|
Mss 423/Micro 766
|
Series: Regional Files
|
|
|
Reel/Segment
1/1
|
Alabama
|
|
|
Reel/Segment
1/2
|
Alaska
|
|
|
Box/Folder
9/1
Reel/Segment
1/3
|
Arizona
|
|
|
Box/Folder
9/2-3
Reel/Segment
1/4
|
California
|
|
|
Box/Folder
9/4
Reel/Segment
1/5
|
Colorado
|
|
|
Box/Folder
9/5
Reel/Segment
1/6
|
Connecticut
|
|
|
Box/Folder
9/6
Reel/Segment
1/7
|
District of Columbia
|
|
|
Box/Folder
9/7
Reel/Segment
1/8
|
Florida
|
|
|
Box/Folder
9/8
Reel/Segment
1/9
|
Georgia
|
|
|
Box/Folder
9/9
|
Hawaii
|
|
|
Reel/Segment
1/10
|
Idaho
|
|
|
Box/Folder
9/10
Reel/Segment
1/11
|
Illinois
|
|
|
Box/Folder
9/11
Reel/Segment
1/12
|
Indiana
|
|
|
Reel/Segment
1/13
|
Iowa
|
|
|
Reel/Segment
1/14
|
Kansas
|
|
|
Box/Folder
9/12
Reel/Segment
1/15
|
Kentucky
|
|
|
Reel/Segment
1/16
|
Louisiana
|
|
|
Box/Folder
9/13
Reel/Segment
1/17
|
Maine
|
|
|
Box/Folder
9/14
Reel/Segment
1/18
|
Maryland
|
|
|
Box/Folder
9/15
Reel/Segment
1/19
|
Massachusetts
|
|
|
Box/Folder
10/1
Reel/Segment
1/19
|
Massachusetts (continued)
|
|
|
Box/Folder
10/2
Reel/Segment
1/20
|
Michigan
|
|
|
Box/Folder
10/3
Reel/Segment
1/21
|
Minnesota
|
|
|
Box/Folder
10/4
Reel/Segment
1/22
|
Missouri
|
|
|
Box/Folder
10/5
|
Montana
|
|
|
Reel/Segment
1/23
|
Nebraska
|
|
|
Reel/Segment
1/24
|
Nevada
|
|
|
Reel/Segment
1/25
|
New Hampshire
|
|
|
Box/Folder
10/6
Reel/Segment
2/1
|
New Jersey
|
|
|
Box/Folder
10/7-8
Reel/Segment
2/2
|
New York
|
|
|
Box/Folder
10/9
Reel/Segment
2/3
|
North Carolina
|
|
|
Reel/Segment
2/4
|
North Dakota
|
|
|
Box/Folder
10/10
Reel/Segment
2/5
|
Ohio
|
|
|
Box/Folder
11/1
|
Oklahoma
|
|
|
Box/Folder
11/2
Reel/Segment
2/6
|
Oregon
|
|
|
Box/Folder
11/3
Reel/Segment
2/7
|
Pennsylvania
|
|
|
Box/Folder
11/4
|
Rhode Island
|
|
|
Box/Folder
11/5
Reel/Segment
2/8
|
South Carolina
|
|
|
Reel/Segment
2/9
|
South Dakota
|
|
|
Reel/Segment
2/10
|
Tennessee
|
|
|
Box/Folder
11/6
Reel/Segment
2/11
|
Texas
|
|
|
Box/Folder
11/7
Reel/Segment
2/12
|
Vermont
|
|
|
Box/Folder
11/8
Reel/Segment
2/13
|
Virginia
|
|
|
Box/Folder
11/9
Reel/Segment
2/14
|
Washington
|
|
|
Box/Folder
11/10
Reel/Segment
2/15
|
Wisconsin
|
|
|
Box/Folder
11/11
|
Australia and New Zealand
|
|
|
Box/Folder
11/12
|
Belgium and the Netherlands
|
|
|
Box/Folder
11/13
|
Canada
|
|
|
Box/Folder
11/14
Reel/Segment
2/16
|
England, Scotland, and Ireland
|
|
|
Box/Folder
12/1-2
|
England, Scotland, and Ireland (continued)
|
|
|
Box/Folder
12/3
|
France
|
|
|
Box/Folder
12/4
|
Germany and Scandinavia
|
|
|
Box/Folder
12/5
|
Latin America
|
|
|
Box/Folder
12/6
|
Other countries
|
|
|
Series: Miscellaneous
|
|
|
Reel/Segment
2/17
|
Scrapbook
|
|
|
786A/18
|
Tape of other events and speeches, 1971
: Including Women's Liberation Forum, Socialist Summer School, July 9, 1971; “Second Wave of Feminism,” September 10, 1971; an “Abortion Forum,” October 8, 1971; and speech on “The Future of the Iranian Revolution,” given November 22, 1971, at Young Socialist Alliance Headquarters in Washington, D.C., taped over a panel discussion of Pan-Africanism. (Dates may be incorrect.)
|
|
|
Mss 423
Oversize Folder
|
Event posters, 1972-1973
|
|
|
