This edition reflects additions to the collection in 2006.
University of Central Florida Archives. All rights reserved.
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These papers were donated to the Special Collections and University Archives in 2005.
The materials were organized and rehoused in acid free folders and boxes.
The entire collection is open for research.
Unpublished records are protected by copyright. Permission to publish quote or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.
Similar materials may be found in the Lynda Van Scoyoc Collection.
Phyllis Hudson Collection, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
Phyllis J. Hudson worked as a UCF librarian for thirty-four years. Hudson interested herself in many organizations concerned with employment issues and women's rights both in libraries and in the community. From 1977-1978, she chaired the United Faculty of Florida Women's Rights Committee. She was president of the Association of College and Research Libraries Florida Chapter from 1982-1983. Hudson chaired the Florida Library Association Women in Libraries Caucus from 1981-1982 and the Collective Bargaining in Libraries Caucus from 1987-1988. She was a director of the NEA Florida Teaching Profession board from 1987-1989. Her writings include two articles in
Hudson organized a poster display and presentation at FTU in 1978 on the subject "The FTU Woman: Today's Answers, Tomorrow's Opportunities." She was on the panel at FLA Women in Libraries Caucus in 1979 and 1982; the latter on the subject of the ERA. In 1987, she spoke at the Social Responsibilities Round Table Library Union Task Force on "Academic Libraries and Union Activism: The Florida Experience". Hudson continued to be active in both the UFF and the ACRL throughout her career. In 1989, she received the UCF Excellence in Librarianship award and earned the title Emerita in 2006.
The materials are arranged in eight series by topic. Series I: Employment, 1974-2000 holds materials relating to employment issues that mainly concern women but more generally affect librarians. Local organizations are represented here as well as state and national associations. Of particular interest are the large quantity of materials concerning the concept of comparable worth, which was designed to overcome a limitation of the equal pay ideal which occurs when men and women do not work in exactly the same occupations. The comparable worth philosophy compares work done solely by women with similar work done by men.
Series II: Equal Rights Amendment, 1972-2001 shows how women worked both in Florida and nationally to ratify the ERA. Florida ultimately failed to ratify the amendment despite being included in a boycott by the National Organization for Women, and some materials on these subjects may be found here. Additionally, this series includes information about support from the American Library Association.
Series III: Education, 1972-2001 provides information concerning education for women and about women. Research materials on Women's Studies Programs are held in this series with particular emphasis on the establishment of the program at UCF.
Series IV: Reproductive Issues, 1980-2006 documents local and national organizations that either support women's right to an abortion, offer advice on contraception or advocate protection against rape. The Human Life Amendments aimed to offer the unborn the full protection of the constitution.
Series V: Organizations, 1976-2006 shows the range of organizations that women formed not only to protect women's rights but also to preserve their history and to overcome social problems. All the organizations advocate either for issues that specifically concern women or for matters of interest to Floridians.
Series VI: Events, 1975-1996 holds a few materials concerning particular national and international events that advocated women's rights.
Series VII: Domestic Violence, 1995-2006 contains information about the problem of domestic violence with particular emphasis on the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Series VIII: Individual Women, 1966-1984 holds campaign materials, news clippings and research materials on three women, Jane Emmons, Fannie Lou Hamer and Sonia Johnston.
Series I holds materials relating to employment. Most of the issues specifically concern women although there are many materials relating to librarians as a profession. The large quantity of materials on the subject of comparable worth includes research materials and ALA discussions on the matter. Among the memorabilia are buttons that speak to women's employment issues. With the library Union Task Force materials are some documents relating to the Equal Rights Amendment. Information concerning the United Farm Workers may be found in this series.
Series II documents the efforts to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. The focus is on the efforts of Florida women to support the effort nationally and in their home state. Correspondence, news clippings, buttons, a sash and leaflets show how women campaigned for the amendment and the arguments that they used to counter their opponents' objections. Phyllis Hudson wrote to politicians eliciting their support and their replies are held in the folder of congressional correspondence.
Series III has leaflets, newsletters, bibliographies and correspondence concerning women's education. These materials show the start of the women's studies program at UCF and the efforts to choose appropriate books to support the program. A single button advertises a Florida Teaching Profession-National Education Association event.
Series IV contains information on topics and organizations concerned with abortion and rape. Newsletters produced by organizations dominate this series with some buttons and stickers advocating women's right to decide whether to have a baby.
Series V holds newsletters, flyers and correspondence concerning a variety of local, state and national organizations. Both women's organizations and those with other aims are represented here. One miscellaneous folder holds two newsletters from Florida organizations that did not directly concern women and the other holds materials on various women's organizations.
Series VI documents events designed to support women's rights. Publications and correspondence provide details about women's position in society in the latter part of the twentieth century.
Series VII holds materials about the problem of domestic violence, and newsletters from the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Series VIII holds materials on three women. Jane Emmons and Sonia Johnston both ran for political office, and campaign materials and news clippings document their efforts. Phyllis Hudson researched Fannie Lou Hamer, and the folder comprises research materials on her life and activism.