.
Collection Overview
Title: Tish Sommers Papers, 1970-1985
Primary Creator: Sommers, Tish
Extent: 62.5 Linear Feet
Arrangement:
I. Pre-1973 Issues
II. Pre-1972 Projects
1. Central Area Motivation Program (CAMP)
2. School for Community Action (SCA)
3. Join Hands
4. Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA)
III. NOW and NOW Task Force on Older Women, 1971-78
IV. Women's Action Training Center (WATC) and Jobs for Older Women (JOW), 1974-76
1. WATC Correspondence
2. WATC Topical Folders
3. JOW
V. Alliance for Displaced Homemakers, 1975-78
1. Displaced Homemakers (DH) Center, Oakland
2. Alliance for DH / NOW Task Force
3. DH Network, Washington D.C.
4. ADH Hearing Transcripts, Congressional Records
5. Donahue and Family Weekly Responses, 1976-77
6. Women's Day Article Responses, 1978
7. Over Easy Responses, 1978
VI. Older Women's League Education Fund (OWLEF), 1978-
1. Correspondence
2. Topical Files
VII. Older Women's League (OWL), 1980-
1. Correspondence
2. Board of Directors
3. Executive Committee
4. Financial
5. Public Relations
6. Topical Files
7. Social Security
VIII. Newspaper Clippings, 1973-88
IX. Coalition Organizations
1. California Commission on Aging
2. Gray Panthers
3. Western Gerontology Society
X. Conference Packages
1. California State House Conference on Aging
2. Gray Panthers
3. National Council on Aging
4. OWL National Convention, Louisville, 1982
5. OWL National Convention, Washington D.C., 1984
6. OWL
7. Western Gerontological Society
XI. Research
1. Track Record
2. Speeches, Testimonies, Course Material, Radio Commentaries
3. Articles, Papers, Outlines for Book Proposals
4. The Not-so-Helpless Female Publication Files
5. Growing Older Female Project & Interview Files
6. China Study Tour, 1978
7. Generations-Older Women's Issue, Spring 1980
XII. Personal
1. Birthday Celebrations
2. River Trips
3. Cancer Support Group
4. Sommers' Death
5. Financial, Will, Properties
XIII. Audio-Visual
1. Photographs
2. Slides
3. Cassette Tapes
4. Film and Videotapes
XIV. Publications
1. Books
2. Periodicals
Date Acquired: 05/30/1986. More info below under Accruals.
Subjects: Feminists--United States, Older women--United States, Older Women’s League (U.S.), Social reformers--United States, Sommers, Tish--Archives, Women's rights--United States
Forms of Material: Audio Recordings, Personal Papers, Photographs, Slides, Video Recordings
Languages: English
Scope and Contents of the Materials
The Tish Sommers Papers include speeches and working papers, extensive correspondence with legislators and women's movement activists from 1970 to 1985. It also includes: photographs, drafts of published and unpublished manuscripts and research papers, newspaper clippings and publicity materials, organizational papers (correspondence, reports, fund raising and financial records), audio-visual material, awards, personal items, books and periodicals, and other miscellaneous items.
Biographical Note
Tish Sommers was most known as an advocate of women's rights, especially older women's rights. She chaired NOW's Task Force on Older women in the 1970s, and in 1980 founded the Older Women's League (OWL). OWL is an advocacy organization with chapters across the country which has had political influence on many issues of importance to older women such as Social Security, pensions, health care and health insurance.
Sommers spent the majority of her life as a homemaker, though she was always active in volunteer work which involved a cause, such as poverty, or civil rights. After her divorce at the age of 57 she worked primarily for the rights of older women. She was influential in the founding of the Alliance for Displaced Homemakers which was responsible for taking many older women's issues to the White House, and for establishing a federal program for "displaced homemakers," a term she coined which describes the status of women who have lost their financial support through divorce or illness, and whose skills are not easily marketable.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
Special Collections & University Archives
Accruals:
1988, 1990, 1991
Access Restrictions:
This collection is open for research.
Use Restrictions:
The copyright interests in these materials have not been transferred to San Diego State University. Copyright resides with the creators of materials contained in the collection or their heirs. The nature of historical archival and manuscript collections is such that copyright status may be difficult or even impossible to determine. Requests for permission to publish must be submitted to the Head of Special Collections, San Diego State University, Library and Information Access. When granted, permission is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical item and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder(s), which must also be obtained in order to publish. Materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials.
Acquisition Source:
Laurie Shields
Related Materials:
Older Women's League Collection
Preferred Citation:
Identification of item, folder title, box number, Tish Sommers Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Library and Information Access, San Diego State University.
Other Note:
The Shirley Sandage Papers (1927-2007) located at the IOWA WOMEN’S ARCHIVES, UNIVERSITY OF IOWA LIBRARIES, IOWA CITY, IOWA http://sdrc.lib.uiowa.edu/iwa/findingaids/html/SandageShirley.htm
Other URL:
http://sdrc.lib.uiowa.edu/iwa/findingaids/html/SandageShirley.htm
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Pre-1973 Issues],
[
Series 2: Pre-1972 Projects],
[
Series 3: National Organization for Women (NOW) and NOW Task Force on Older Women, 1971-78],
[
Series 4: Women's Action Training Center (WATC) and Jobs for Older Women (JOW), 1974-76],
[
Series 5: Alliance for Displaced Homemakers (ADH), 1975-78],
[
Series 6: Older Women's League Education Fund (OWLEF), 1978-],
[
Series 7: Older Women's League (OWL), 1980-],
[
Series 8: Newspaper Clippings, 1973-88],
[
Series 9: Coalition Organizations],
[Series 10: Conference Packages],
[
Series 11: Research],
[
Series 12: Personal],
[
Series 13: Audio-Visual],
[
Series 14: Publications],
[
All]
- Series 10: Conference Packages

- Box 21

- Folder 1: American Association of Community and Junior Colleges: Older Americans Conference, 1979

- Folder 2: American Cancer Society: "First National Women's Conference on Cancer", 1979

- Folder 3: American Humanist Association Annual Conference, 1983

- Folder 4: Bellevue Community College; Displaced Homemakers COnference

- Folder 5: Breakaway Programs: Summer, Fall, 1979, 1972

- Folder 6: California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO: "Women in the Workfoce", 1983

- Sub-Series 1: California State House Conference on Aging

- Box 21

- Folder 7: 1980

- Folder 8: 1981

- Folder 9: 1981

- Folder 10: April 1981: California Delegation

- Folder 11: April 1981: Delegates Meeting

- Folder 12: Commission on the Status of Women: "Women's Assembly", Kansas, 1980

- Folder 13: Council on Foundations, 1981

- Folder 14: Displaced Homemakers National Conference, 1978

- Folder 15: Dispalced Homemakers Network Convention, 1982

- Folder 16: Displaced Homemakers Network, Network Trainig Conference, 1980

- Folder 17: Family Survivial Project, 1983

- Folder 18: Finishing School for Action, 1971

- Folder 19: Fort Mason Foundation: Women in Mid-Life Conference, 1980

- Folder 20: Gerontological Society 27th Annual Meeting, 1974

- Folder 21: Gerontological Society Annual Scientific Meeting, 1978

- Sub-Series 2: Gray Panthers

- Box 21

- Folder 22: Califonia Convention, 1980

- Folder 23: San Frnacisco: "Medicare Hearing", 1983

- Folder 24: Seattle: "Socail Security: Whose Future?", 1983

- Folder 25: San Jose Convention, 1984

- Folder 26: Independent Sector, 1982

- Folder 27: Legal Services Corporation: "Legal Cervices for the Elderly", 1982

- Folder 28: Legal Services Corporation, 1983

- Folder 29: Massachusetts Department of Elder Affaris: "New Developments in Aging", 1984

- Folder 30: Mid-America Congress on Aging, 1981

- Folder 31: Mid-America Conference on Aging, 1982

- Folder 32: Mills College: "Women's Health: Effecting Personal and Social Change", April 1984

- Folder 33: NOW: Annual Conference, Washington D.C.,, 1973

- Folder 34: NOW National Conference, 1978

- Folder 35: Naitonal Assembly on the Future of the Family, 1979

- Folder 36: National Council of Women of the United States: "How Aging is Changing", 1982

- Sub-Series 3: National Council on Aging

- Box 21

- Folder 37: Conference, 1980

- Folder 40: Conference, April 1984

- Folder 41: Conference, April 1985

- Folder 42: Program, April 1985

- Folder 43: "Private Enterprise and theOlder Worker: The Issues", 1978

- Folder 44: National Senior Citizens Law Center: Law and Aging Training Seminar, 1978

- Box 22

- Folder 1: New Jersey Department of Community Affairs-Princeton, May 1983

- Folder 2: New York Regional Association of Grantmakers, October 12, 1983

- Folder 3: New York State Coalition of the Concerned for Older Americans; Awards, 1983

- Folder 4: Older Alaskans Commission: "Aging Together in Alaska", 1985

- Sub-Series 4: OWL National Convention, Louisville, 1982

- Box 22

- Folder 5: Planning

- Folder 6: Corporate Participants

- Folder 7: Scholarships

- Folder 8: Issue Papers

- Folder 9: Guests

- Sub-Series 5: OWL National Convention, Washington D.C., 1984

- Box 22

- Folder 10: Planning

- Folder 11: Scholarships

- Folder 12: Decision Papers

- Folder 13: Press Kit

- Folder 14: Registration Packet

- Sub-Series 6: OWL

- Box 1: 22-23

- Box 22

- Folder 15: National Convention, Oakland, 1986

- Folder 16: National Convention, Oakland, 1986

- Folder 17: Baton Rouge: Conference, 1981

- Folder 18: Philadelphia Chapter Conference, 1985

- Folder 19: California Coordianting Council, Legislative Training Conference, 1984

- Folder 20: Project Have Skills, 1979

- Folder 21: Research Institute on Legal Assistance: Jobs Seminar, 1979

- Folder 22: San Diego State University: "Future Technology and Women", March 1981

- Folder 23: Sangamon State University Conference: "The Gerontology Institute", 1982

- Folder 24: Sanata Clara Council on Aging Conference: Health Care in America, 1985

- Folder 25: Social Security Regional Symposium, 1979

- Folder 26: Swedish Embassy: Seminars on Facing the Aging Society, 1978

- Box 23

- Folder 1: "Taking Charge of the End of YOur Life", 1985

- Folder 2: UN Decade for Women: Denver, 1980

- Folder 3: UN Decade for Women: San Francisco Regional Conference for Women, 1980

- Folder 4: Unitarian Universalist Women's Federation, 1979

- Folder 5: United Methodist Church: "A Woman's Health is more than a Medical Issue", 1983

- Folder 6: University of Arizona: "Creating Support Systems for the Elderly", 1983

- Sub-Series 7: Western Gerontological Society

- Box 23

- Folder 7: Annual Meeting, 1977

- Folder 8: 24th Annual Meeting, 1978

- Folder 9: Program Planning Committee Papers, 1978-1980

- Folder 10: Annual Meeting, 1979

- Folder 11: Annual Meeting, 1982

- Folder 12: Annual Meeting, 1983

- Folder 13: Fall Training Conference, 1983

- Folder 14: Annual Meeting, 1984

- Folder 15: White House Conference on Aging, Washington D.C., 1981

- Folder 16: White House Conference on Aging, Washington D.C., : Delegate Attendees by State, December 1981

- Folder 17: White House Conference on Aging, Washington D.C.: Women's Caucus Meeting Sign-in Sheets, 1981

- Folder 18: White House Conference of Aging, Forum on Women, : Finding and Recomendations, Milwaukee Center for Adult Development, January 1981

- Folder 19: White House Conference on Aging: Mini Conference on National Health Security, January 1981

- Folder 20: White House Mini-Conference on the Urban Elderly, Proceedings, February 1981

- Folder 21: White House Mini-Conference on Older Women, Des moines, Iowa, October 1980

- Folder 22: White House Mini-Conference on Older Women, Des Moines, Iowa (Growing Numbers: Growing Forces), October 1980

- Folder 23: White House Mini-Conference on Older Women, Des Moines, Iowa, October 1980

- Folder 24: State White House Conferences on Aging-Major Themes: National Association of State Units on Aging, November 1981

- Folder 25: White House Conference on Aging: Report of the Mini-Conference (11 topical issues), 1981

- Folder 26: White House Conference on Aging: Executive Summary of Technical Committee (13 topical issues), 1981

- Folder 27: White House Conference on Aging , Report by NCOA, May 1982

- Folder 28: Woman and Foundations, 1983

- Folder 29: Women and the Law, 8th Regional Conference, 1978

- Folder 30: Women's Bureau 60th Anniversary Conference, 1980

- Folder 31: Women's Week at Santa Ana College, March 1983

- Folder 32: World Conference of the UN Decade for Women, Copenhagen, 1980

Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Pre-1973 Issues],
[
Series 2: Pre-1972 Projects],
[
Series 3: National Organization for Women (NOW) and NOW Task Force on Older Women, 1971-78],
[
Series 4: Women's Action Training Center (WATC) and Jobs for Older Women (JOW), 1974-76],
[
Series 5: Alliance for Displaced Homemakers (ADH), 1975-78],
[
Series 6: Older Women's League Education Fund (OWLEF), 1978-],
[
Series 7: Older Women's League (OWL), 1980-],
[
Series 8: Newspaper Clippings, 1973-88],
[
Series 9: Coalition Organizations],
[Series 10: Conference Packages],
[
Series 11: Research],
[
Series 12: Personal],
[
Series 13: Audio-Visual],
[
Series 14: Publications],
[
All]