Guide to the Jean Bethke Elshtain papers, 1969-2011

(bulk 1978-1995)

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 2014

Collection Overview

Title:	Jean Bethke Elshtain papers
Date range:	1969-2011, (bulk 1978-1995)
Creator:	Elshtain, Jean Bethke, 1941-2013
Extent:	6.25 Linear feet
Abstract:	The Jean Bethke Elshtain papers contain research materials, manuscripts, course materials, and correspondence related to her work on moral and political philosophy. The materials date from 1969-2011, with the vast majority created between 1978 and 1995.
Language of materials:	English
Repository:	John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts
Collection number:	Ms.2011.039

Scope & content

The Jean Bethke Elsthain papers consist of manuscripts, research materials, course notes, and correspondence dating from 1969-2011. The subjects of the papers include ethical philosophy, political philosophy, feminism, and theology. The bulk of this collection dates prior to 1995; her later papers are held at the University of Chicago.

Series 1 contains research materials, drafts, clippings, and publications from 1969-2005. It contains drafts of several book reviews and a significant amount of material and correspondence with historian and social critic Christopher Lasch.

Series 2 is comprised of teaching notes, course syllabi, and faculty evaluation materials from 1969-1983.

Series 3 contains correspondence related to speaking engagements, conferences, and fellowships dating 1980-1994. Several folders contain transcripts of Elshtain’s talks, but the majority contain only correspondence.

Series 4 is restricted.

Access Points

Subject Names

• Lasch, Christopher

Subject Organizations

• Feminist Theory Archive.
• Pembroke Center for Teaching and Research on Women.

Subject Topics

• Ethics
• Feminist theory
• Political science--History
• Theology
• Women and war

Occupations

• College professors
• Women philosophers

Document Types

• Correspondence
• Typescripts

Subject Topics

• Race, Ethnicity, and Gender

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into the following series:

• Series 1: Research and Publications, 1969-2005 (bulk 1978-1995). Arranged chronologically, followed by undated materials.
• Series 2: Teaching Materials, 1969-2011 (bulk 1969-1983). Arranged chronologically, followed by undated materials.
• Series 3: Speaking Engagements and Fellowships, 1980-1994. Arranged chronologically, followed by undated materials.
• Series 4: Restricted.

Biographical note

Jean Bethke Elshtain (1941-2013) was born in Windsor, Colorado, and grew up in the village of Timnath, Colorado. She received her AB degree from Colorado State University and MA degrees in history from the University of Wisconsin and the University of Colorado. In 1973 she received her PhD in politics from Brandeis University. Her dissertation was entitled “Women and Politics: A Theoretical Analysis.”

Professor Elshtain taught at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst from 1973 until 1988, and at Vanderbilt University from 1988 until 1995. From 1995 until 2013, she was the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Professor of Social and Political Ethics at the University of Chicago Divinity School. Professor Elshtain also taught in the Department of Political Science and the Committee on International Relations.

Among her many honors and activities, Professor Elshtain was a Phi Beta Kappa scholar, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, a Guggenheim fellow, and the recipient of nine honorary degrees. She served as vice president of the American Political Science Association, chair of the Council on Civil Society, chair of the Council on Families in America, and co-chair of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. She was a member of the National Commission for Civic Renewal, the Penn Commission on American Culture and Society and the board of the Illinois Humanities Council. She was a member of the boards of the National Humanities Center, the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University, and the National Endowment for Democracy. In 2006, she was appointed by President George W. Bush to the Council of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

In addition to being a contributing editor for The New Republic, Dr. Elshtain authored over a dozen books and over 500 essays in scholarly journals and journals of civic opinion. Among her books are: Just War against Terror: The Burden of American Power in a Violent World (2003), Jane Addams and the Dream of American Democracy (2002), New Wine in Old Bottles: International Politics and Ethical Discourse (1998), Real Politics: Political Theory and Everyday Life (1997), Augustine and the Limits of Politics (1996), Democracy on Trial (1995), Women and War (1987), Meditations on Modern Political Thought (1986,) and Public Man, Private Woman: Women in Social and Political Thought (1981).

(Biography adapted from http://www.giffordlectures.org/Author.asp?AuthorID=271)

Access & Use

Access to the collection:	There are no restrictions on access, except that Series 4, RESTRICTED, is closed until January 1, 2072 after which point it will open without restrictions. 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:	Jean Bethke Elshtain papers, Ms.2011.039, Feminist Theory Archive, Brown University Library.
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 Jean Bethke Elshtain.
Accruals:	No further accruals expected.
Processing information:	Collection processed by Daniel Putnam in 2014.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID
Author:	Finding aid prepared 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 the Archivists' Toolkit 2014-07-22
Descriptive rules:	Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)
Sponsor:	Curatorial work and processing provided by the Pembroke Center for Teaching and Research on Women on behalf of the Feminist Theory Archive, Brown University Library.

Additional Information

Related material:

Jean Bethke Elshtain's papers dating after 1995 are held at the University of Chicago.

Inventory

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