Records of emPOWER
Scope and Contents
The records of emPOWER date from 1991 to 1993 and include historical materials; an official handbook; agendas and minutes; rosters; surveys; materials relating to events and programs; pertinent articles; and a copy of emPOWER's first national newsletter (November 1993).
Historical materials in this collection consist of original proposal prepared by founders Heather Bogdanoff, Laurie Bonney, and Allison Newman in 1991; emPOWER's 1992 constitution; and minutes of Northwestern's Panhellenic Association during emPOWER's establishment, February-May, 1991. Also included is an invitation to the 1993 presentation of emPOWER's records to Northwestern University Library's Women's Collection.
The organizational handbook dates from the 1991/1992 academic year and includes founding documents, schedules, and workshop itineraries.
The agendas and minutes document emPOWER's bi-monthly meetings from May 20, 1991 to May 20, 1993. Rosters comprise listings of emPOWER's officers between Fall 1991 and Fall 1993. In May 1993 emPOWER evaluated its organizational structure and programming by means of a questionnaire, which is filed with other, undated surveys of emPOWER's general reputation and relevance to the sorority system at Northwestern University.
The records of emPOWER's National Outreach program--intended to establish emPOWER chapters at other institutions--include correspondence and promotional materials dating from March to October of 1993.
Articles from the Daily Northwestern, Glamour, and sorority/fraternity papers date from 1991 to 1993 and pertain to emPOWER's feminism, intentions, and programming. Also included are two newsletters published by emPOWER in Fall 1992 and November 1993.
Dates
- 1991-1993
Creator
- emPower (Organization : Evanston, Ill.) (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is stored off-site and requires two business days advance notice for retrieval. Please contact the McCormick Library at specialcollections@northwestern.edu or 847-491-3635 for more information or to schedule an appointment to view the collection.
Extent
1.00 Boxes
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
In April 1991, Northwestern University sorority members founded the Panhellenic Office of Women's Empowerment (emPOWER) to raise awareness of women's issues within Northwestern's sorority system and foster communication between sororities and Northwestern's Women's Center. emPOWER scheduled activities that promoted feminist values and addressed issues such as sexual violence, pornography, and eating disorders. emPOWER acquired a national charter in 1993 and encouraged the establishment of chapters at other educational institutions. The records of emPOWER date from 1991 to 1993 and include historical materials; an official handbook; agendas and minutes; rosters; surveys; materials relating to events and programs; pertinent articles; and a copy of emPOWER's first national newsletter (November 1993).
Arrangement
The records of emPOWER are organied in a series of folders by type of material (such as: historical materials, surveys, articles),
Method of Acquisition
The records of emPOWER were transferred to the University Archives by Russell Maylone of the Library's Special Collections Department on 2 July 1999 as accession #99-101. They had originally been presented to the Special Collections Department by emPOWER on November 16, 1993.
Separated Materials
A small number of duplicate items were removed and discarded.
Processing Information
Rae Sikula; July 1999.
- Title
- Guide to the Records of emPOWER
- Author
- Rae Sikula
- Date
- 01/07/1999
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Repository Details
Part of the Northwestern University Archives Repository
Deering Library, Level 3
1970 Campus Dr.
Evanston IL 60208-2300 US
847-491-3635
specialcollections@northwestern.edu