Alice Hageman, social activist, attorney, and Presbyterian minister, was born on June 12, 1936 and raised in Somerville, New Jersey. She received her B.A. degree from the College of Wooster in 1958. After receiving her Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in 1962, she represented the World Student Christian Federation at the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris until 1965.
In 1967 Hageman was a representative of the University Christian Committee to investigate alleged CIA influence of the World University Service, an international mutual aid organization that fostered projects designed to improve facilities for students. In connection with the review of WUS Hageman wrote a lengthy report that concluded that CIA funds were laundered through the Foundation for Youth and Student Affairs.
After her return from Europe Hageman became involved in the establishment of the Committee of Returned Volunteers, serving as a member of the board and finance committee. In 1969 Hageman turned her attention to international issues as she made her first trip to Cuba sponsored by the Committee of Returned Volunteers. As a result of this and numerous trips to Cuba in subsequent years Hageman became a leader in establishing contacts with Cuba and in particular with the ecumenical religious movement in Cuba.
In 1970, as a result of the renewal of acquaintances with WSCF and Christian Peace Conference contacts, Hageman became active in the establishment of the Cuba Resource Center, an ecumenically-supported educational organization. The main purpose of the CRC was to provide information about Cuba to U.S. churches. During the early 1970s Hageman served as CRC coordinator. In addition, she was the administrator of the New York City office, editor of the newsletter, organizer of trips to Cuba, and editor of educational material. During this period her major editorial work included a collaboration with Philip E. Wheaton on Religion in Cuba Today: A New Church in a New Society (1971), a special issue of the Cuba Review on the status of women, and many articles on Cuba for the CRC newsletter.
In late 1971 when she moved to Boston to become Lentz lecturer at Harvard University Hageman ended her responsibility as CRC coordinator, and she limited her work to contributions to its newsletter.
In 1974 Hageman began legal studies at Northeastern University. After completing her degree in 1977, she established a community law practice (Keary, O'Laughlin, Olmstead, and Hageman) in Boston. In 1975 she was ordained as a Presbyterian minister and named pastor of the Church of the Covenant in Boston.
Hageman was one of the plaintiffs in two noted suits against the U.S. government. The suit Wald, Lowe, Morales, Bradley, Hageman et al. v. Donald Regan (1982) concerned restrictions on travel to Cuba and The Nation et al. v. Alexander M. Haig (1981-1982, also known as the Granma Suit) concerned a Presidential executive order which prohibited the importation of Cuban periodicals. For this suit Hageman was actively involved in gathering research material for the Center for Constitutional Rights as well as writing various articles regarding U.S. policies toward Cuba.
Closely related to these lawsuits was Hageman's founding in 1980 of the Boston Committee to End the Blockade (originally the Boston July 26th Committee). This committee sought to end U.S. economic blockade of Cuba by gathering and disseminating information, organizing travel, monitoring media coverage of Cuba, and lobbying for change of official policy.
