Virginia Held papers (Ms.2015.012)

This collection consists of the personal and professional papers of Virginia Held, scholar of the ethics of care and Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the City University of New York Graduate School. The collection documents Held's academic career and research interests of social and political philosophy, ethics, feminist philosophy, group responsibility, and terrorism. The collection is composed of biographical materials, correspondence, teaching materials, files related to Held's publications, conference papers, and research files. The collection spans from 1950-2020 and is arranged into 7 series.

Series 1, PERSONAL, 1950 - 2020, includes biographical and interview materials. Topics include her Barnard College reunion and correspondence between Held and Sally Rudick and includes correspondence about Rudick's death and memorial. This series is arranged alphabetically by record type.

Series 2, ADMINISTRATIVE FILES, 1969 – 2016, highlights Held's professional responsibilities and interests. Materials include correspondence, clippings, and handwritten notes, relating to professional organizations, committee work, and her professorship at City University of New York. This series is arranged alphabetically by organization then by record type.

Series 3, CONFERENCES, 1968 – 2018, contains materials related to conferences attended by Held in various capacities including attendee and presenter. Conferences include the Working Group on Philosophy, Science, and Technology, Ethics in the Professions and Practice, Conference on Methods in Philosophy and the Sciences, and Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility. Materials include correspondence, agendas, and handwritten notes. This series is arranged alphabetically by organization then by title of the conference.

Series 4, TEACHING, 1971 – 2011, contains materials for courses taught by Held. Topics include political economy, political and social thought, and legal and moral philosophy. 10 folders titled "National Endowment for the Humanities" chronicle a summer seminar on capitalism, socialism, and morality, and economic rights, organized and taught by Held with a grant from the National Endowment Materials include correspondence, syllabi, and handwritten notes. This series is arranged alphabetically by institution then by course title.

Series 5, WRITINGS AND RELATED, 1965 – 2018, documents Held's various writing projects including book projects, journal articles, and talks. Materials include drafts, correspondence, clippings, and handwritten notes. This series is arranged alphabetically by project type then by title.

Series 6, SUBJECT FILES, 1965 – 2012, contains readings, clippings, and handwritten notes regarding a variety of research topics including affirmative action, causality, pornography, and language. Folders in quotations are the original folder titles, all other folder titles were created by the processor. This series is arranged alphabetically by subject.

Series 7, RESTRICTED MATERIALS, 1976 - 2016, includes 5 folders of manuscript reviews by Held for various publications. These folders are arranged by year and is closed until January 1, 2047, after which date those folders will open without restrictions. This series also includes four folders of handwritten journal entries. These folders are arranged by year and are closed until 10 years after Held's death.