Guide to the Mary Anne Ferguson papers, 1966-2015
John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts
Box A
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Telephone: Manuscripts: 401-863-3723; University Archives: 401-863-2148
Email: Manuscripts: hay@brown.edu; University Archives: archives@brown.edu
Published in 2024
Collection Overview
| Title: |
Mary Anne Ferguson papers |
| Date range: |
1966-2015 |
| Creator: |
Ferguson, Mary Anne |
| Extent: |
0.25 linear feet (1 half-file box)
|
| Abstract: |
This collection consists of the personal and professional papers of Mary Anne Ferguson, scholar of Women's Studies at The University of Massachusetts Boston. Ferguson helped found what is now UMass Boston's women's and gender studies department, one of the first in the country. Materials in this collection include essays, articles, and drafts from Images of Women, a textbook written by Ferguson. The collection spans from 1966 to 2015. |
| Repository: |
John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts
|
| Collection number: |
MS.2024.005 |
Scope & content
This collection consists of the personal and professional papers of Mary Anne Ferguson, scholar of Women's Studies at The University of Massachusetts Boston. Ferguson helped found what is now UMass Boston's women's and gender studies department, one of the first in the country. Materials in this collection include essays, articles, and drafts from
Images of Women, a textbook written by Ferguson. The collection spans from 1966 to 2015 and is arranged into 1 series alphabetically by record type.
Access Points
Subject Organizations
Subject Topics
Arrangement
This collection is arranged into 1 series alphabetically by record type.
Biographical/Historical Note
Mary Anne Ferguson was born on July 25, 1918 in Charleston South Carolina. She lived in Asheville, North Carolina for her high school years, received her bachelor's and master's degrees from Duke University, and her Ph.D. from Ohio State University.
She was Professor Emerita of English at The University of Massachusetts Boston from 1966 to 1986 and chaired the English department. Ferguson helped found what is now UMass Boston's women's and gender studies department, one of the first in the country. She was one of the first professors to teach a literature course that highlighted representations of women in poetry, fiction, drama, and essays. By teaching courses that focused on women's writing and experiences, she helped establish women's studies scholarship not only in Boston, but in the United States. UMass's women's studies program began as a cluster of classes from departments including English, history, and philosophy, which coalesced into a concentrated major that focused on women's roles and the depiction of women in society. In 1973, Ferguson published "Images of Women in Literature," a pioneering work in Women's Studies that became the textbook for that course and many others like it. Ferguson also cared deeply about women's rights including wage inequality, maternity and child care issues, and women's ability to advance in the workplace.
Before UMass Boston, Ferguson taught at universities in New York City, Connecticut, Ohio, and North Carolina. She met Alfred Ferguson at the Yale University library and they married in 1948. In the late 1960s, Ferguson was a member of the Modern Language Association's Commission on the Status of Women. At age 47, she received a doctorate in medieval studies from Ohio State University. In 1990, Ferguson created and helped fund the Women's Studies Founders Award for Academic Excellence and Social Activism. She died on Thursday, April 9 at her home in Pittsburgh PA.
Access & Use
| Access to the collection: |
There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested. |
| Use of the materials: |
All researchers seeking to publish materials from the collections of the John Hay Library are requested to complete a Notice of Intent to Publish, prior to reproducing, quoting, or otherwise publishing any portion or extract from this collection. Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. It is up to the researcher to determine the owners of the literary rights and to obtain any necessary permissions from them. |
| Preferred citation: |
Mary Anne Ferguson papers, MS.2024.005, Box [#], Folder [#], Pembroke Center Archives, John Hay Library, Brown University. |
| Contact information: |
John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts
Box A
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Telephone: Manuscripts: 401-863-3723; University Archives: 401-863-2148
Email: Manuscripts: hay@brown.edu; University Archives: archives@brown.edu
|
Administrative Information
| ABOUT THE COLLECTION |
| Acquisition: |
Gift of Margaret W. Ferguson, Mary Anne's daughter, beginning in 2021. |
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| ABOUT THE FINDING AID |
| Author: |
Finding aid prepared by Erin Perfect, on behalf of the Pembroke Center for the Teaching and Research on Women and the Brown University Library. |
| Encoding: |
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-02-22. |
| Descriptive rules: |
Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) |
| Sponsor: |
Curatorial work provided by Amy Greer and Mary O. Murphy, on behalf of the Pembroke Center for Teaching and Research on Women and the Brown University Library. |
Additional Information
Inventory
| Box [31236104064491] 1, Folder 1 |
|
Article by Ferguson: The Female Novel of Development and the Myth of Psyche: photocopy
|
|
1983 |
| Box [31236104064491] 1, Folder 2 |
|
Article by Ferguson: Image of Women in Literature: An Evolution: printout
|
|
1980 |
| Box [31236104064491] 1, Folder 3 |
|
Article re: Ferguson: Dr. Mary Anne Ferguson, 96; 'Catalyst' in Women's Studies: Boston Globe: print out
|
|
2015 |
| Box [31236104064491] 1, Folder 4 |
|
Article re: Ferguson: untitled: Women's Studies at UMass Boston Celebrates 25 Years: booklet
|
|
October 28, 1998 |
| Box [31236104064491] 1, Folder 5 |
|
Biographical narrative by Ferguson: untitled: typed pages
|
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n.d. |
| Box [31236104064491] 1, Folder 6 |
|
Correspondence from Ferguson: Christmas letter: typed pages
|
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December 12, 2014 |
| Box [31236104064491] 1, Folder 7 |
|
Correspondence with Margaret Ferguson: email
|
|
2015 |
| Box [31236104064491] 1, Folder 8 |
|
CV: annotated typed pages
|
|
1985 |
| Box [31236104064491] 1, Folder 9 |
|
Draft by Ferguson: Images of Women: typed page (1/2)
|
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n.d. |
| Box [31236104064491] 1, Folder 10 |
|
Draft by Ferguson: Images of Women: typed page (2/2)
|
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n.d. |
| Box [31236104064491] 1, Folder 11 |
|
Draft by Ferguson: The Loveletters of Harriet Robinson and William Stevens Robinson: typed pages
|
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n.d. |
| Box [31236104064491] 1, Folder 12 |
|
Essay by Ferguson: A Success Story: photocopied pages
|
|
1985 |
| Box [31236104064491] 1, Folder 13 |
|
Essay by Ferguson: Images of Women in Literature: An Evolution: pages from publication
|
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November, 1980 |
| Box [31236104064491] 1, Folder 14 |
|
Essay by Ferguson: No More Squeezing into One: photocopy
|
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1983 |
| Box [31236104064491] 1, Folder 15 |
|
Essay by Ferguson: Polishing Silver: typed pages
|
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n.d. |
| Box [31236104064491] 1, Folder 16 |
|
New Year's announcement: Happy 2015!: typed pages
|
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2015 |
| Box [31236104064491] 1, Folder 17 |
|
Review by Ferguson: As Others See Us: publication pages
|
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Feburary, 1987 |
| Box [31236104064491] 1, Folder 18 |
|
Review by Ferguson: Folklore in the Lais of Marie de France: copy of journal
|
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February, 1966 |
| Box [31236104064491] 1, Folder 19 |
|
Review by Ferguson: From Heroines to Heros: photocopy
|
|
1985 |