Pembroke Center records (OF.1ZP.2017.005)

This collection consists of the records of the Pembroke Center for Teaching and Research on Women at Brown University, an interdisciplinary research center that fosters critical scholarship on questions of gender and difference, broadly defined, in national and transnational contexts. It documents the creation and operations of the Center and its many initiatives such as the Pembroke Center Associates Council, the Gender and Sexuality Studies program, fellowship opportunities for scholars, the Pembroke Seminar, and the Christine Dunlap Farnham and Feminist Theory Archives. The collection includes administrative files, correspondence, conference materials, subject files, printed materials, and photographs, dating from 1961 to 2019. It is arranged into fourteen series.

Series 1, ADMINISTRATIVE FILES, 1970 – 2016, documents the creation and operations of the Pembroke Center. Materials include annual reports, budgets, correspondence, director files, grant materials, histories of the Pembroke Center, Pembroke College, and Pembroke Hall, external review files, and establishing documents. This series is arranged alphabetically by record type then by topic.

Series 2, PEMBROKE CENTER ASSOCIATES COUNCIL, 1981 – 2019, highlights the work of the council, which is the governing body of the Pembroke Center Associates who are Brown University alumnae/i, parents, and friends who support the Pembroke Center and its scholars. The council is composed of committees that recommend initiatives for action by the Associates. Materials include booklets, meeting materials, newsletters, and establishing documents. This series is arranged alphabetically by record type then by topic.

Series 3, GENDER AND SEXUALITY STUDIES PROGRAM, 1972 – 2012, documents the concentration which encourages students to examine the complex ways that “differences” are produced culturally, politically, and epistemologically, and thesis/dissertation prizes for enrolled undergraduate and graduate students. This series is arranged into two subseries: Concentration Materials and Prizes. In Subseries 1, Concentration Materials, items document the women’s studies and gender studies concentrations, earlier manifestations of the gender and sexuality studies program, and include booklets, brochures, commencement materials, correspondence, course announcements, and establishing documents. This subseries is arranged alphabetically by record type then by topic. In Subseries 2, Prizes, materials include proposals and correspondence regarding various grants and prizes awarded for outstanding theses and dissertations. This subseries is arranged alphabetically by prize title.

Series 4, SCHOLARS, 1980 – 2005, contains correspondence, proposals, and applications, for fellowships, professorships, and scholarships sponsored the Pembroke Center. This series is arranged alphabetically by position title and then by record type. Please note that rejected proposals and applications have been moved to Series 14, Restricted Materials.

Series 5, THE PEMBROKE SEMINAR, 1982 – 2017, highlights the organization, participation, and outcome of the Pembroke Center’s year-long advanced research seminar. Established in 1981, the Pembroke Seminar is an interdisciplinary program taught by Brown faculty who propose topics and direct the seminar for an academic year. The seminar draws Brown faculty, visiting scholars, postdocs, and selected students, along with a group of invited distinguished lecturers. Materials in Series 5 include correspondence, applications for participation, and syllabi. This series is arranged alphabetically by seminar title then by record type.

Series 6, EVENTS, 1981 – 2018, contains materials for conferences, lectures, and roundtables, organized, hosted, and/or funded by the Pembroke Center. Materials include correspondence, expense reports, flyers, and schedules. This series is arranged alphabetically by event type then by title of the event.

Series 7, ARCHIVES, 1980 – 2017, is arranged into three subseries, the Christine Dunlap Farnham Archive, the Christine Dunlap Farnham Archive - Louise Lamphere vs Brown University Exhibit, and the Feminist Theory Archive.

Series 7, Subseries 1, Christine Dunlap Farnham Archive, documents the operations of the archive which makes visible and provides researchers access to the history of women at Pembroke College in Brown University and its predecessor the Women’s College, the undergraduate and post-graduate lives of Brown alumnae, and the experiences, work, and organizations of Rhode Island women. Materials include brochures, correspondence, and establishing documents. This subseries is arranged alphabetically by record type then by topic.

Series 7, Subseries 2, Christine Dunlap Farnham Archive - Louise Lamphere vs Brown University Exhibit, contains photocopies, correspondence, and research materials related to the 2012 installation of the exhibit which chronicled Louise Lamphere’s sex discrimination lawsuit against Brown University. This subseries is arranged alphabetically by record type then by topic.

Series 7, Subseries 3, Feminist Theory Archive, highlights the operations of the archive that documents the lives and work of influential feminist theorists and scholars of difference from 1960 to the present. Materials include correspondence, donor materials, and grant materials. This subseries is arranged alphabetically by record type then by topic.

Series 8, SUBJECT FILES, 1961 – 2012, includes clippings and correspondence related to various topics that have been part of the Pembroke Center’s focus since its establishment. Topics includes activism, women’s advocacy, rape, sexual assault, and women’s history, both on and off campus. This series is arranged alphabetically by subject.

Series 9, PRINTED MATERIALS, 1982 – 2017, includes booklets, brochures, calendars, newsletters, and zines, published by the Pembroke Center. The collections of newsletters is not complete. Available years have been specifically noted. This series is arranged alphabetically by record type.

Series 10, PHOTOGRAPHS, 1982 – 2001, highlights events and people central to the Pembroke Center. Subjects include forums, parties, meetings, and roundtables, as well as Joan Wallach Scott, Nancy L. Buc, and Ruth J. Simmons. Materials are arranged alphabetically by subject.

Series 11, OVERSIZED POSTERS, 1983 – 2018, contains oversized posters for various lectures, conferences, and student activities. This series is arranged alphabetically by event title.

Series 12, VIDEOTAPES, 1987 – 2006, contains VHS video recordings of Pembroke Center events and promotional videos. The series is arranged alphabetically by title on carrier

Series 13, ELECTRONIC RECORDS, 2006 – 2014, contains CDs. Topics include conferences, seminars, and Louise Lamphere exhibit materials. This series is arranged alphabetically by title on carrier.

Series 14, RESTRICTED MATERIALS, 1982 – 1999, contains rejected proposals and applications for fellowships and participation in various Pembroke Seminars. This series is arranged alphabetically by record type then by topic and is closed until January 1, 2050, after which date this subseries will open without restrictions.