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Christine Dunlap Farnham Archive: History of Women at Brown University and in Rhode Island

The Christine Dunlap Farnham Archive collects and makes visible the history of women at Pembroke College in Brown University, the post-graduate lives of Brown Alumnae, and women in Rhode Island, spanning from the 19th century to the present.

How to Use This Guide

This guide will help you discover and explore archival collections that document the history of women at Brown University and Pembroke College, and women in Rhode Island, that are available in the Christine Dunlap Farnham Archive and at the John Hay Library. This guide is arranged into nine sections: Home, Additional Resources, Types of Materials, Brief Timeline of Women at Brown, Early Women of Brown: 1880s-1920s, Pembroke College: 1928-1971, Post-Merger: 1971-Present, and Women in Rhode Island.

On the Home tab, you can learn about the Christine Dunlap Farnham Archive and the Pembroke Center, as well as how to get access to the archive's collections, and information how to donate physical items.

The Additional Resources tab contains staff contacts for additional information, links to related LibGuides and other search tools, and a list of published sources.

The Types of Material tab contains a list of the various types of materials found within these collections, indicates some collections that are particularly strong in that area, and includes links to finding aids when available.

The Brief Timeline of Women at Brown tab contains a timeline of the highlights of women's time at Brown University, beginning in 1830 and ending in 2005.

The Early Women of Brown: 1880s-1920s tab explains the history of women's involvement in Brown University prior to the establishment of Pembroke College in 1928, lists types of materials that contain information on this era, and highlights noteworthy collections. Links to finding aids are provided when available.

The Pembroke College: 1928-1971 tab details the history of Pembroke College and its students up to the school's merger with Brown University in 1971, lists types of materials that contain information on this era, and highlights noteworthy collections. Links to finding aids are provided when available.

The Post-merger: 1971-Present tab explains both schools' decision to merge, lists types of materials that contain information on this era, and highlights noteworthy collections. Links to finding aids are provided when available. The Louise Lamphere vs Brown University landmark sex discrimination case is also highlighted under this tab.

The Women in Rhode Island tab highlights manuscript and oral history collections regarding women in Rhode Island.

The Christine Dunlap Farnham Archive

The Christine Dunlap Farnham Archive collects and makes visible the history of women at Pembroke College in Brown University, the post-graduate lives of Brown Alumnae, and women in Rhode Island, spanning from the 19th century to the present. 
 
Founded in 1986 by the Pembroke Center, the mission of the Christine Dunlap Farnham Archive is to preserve, curate, and increase access to women's history collections within the John Hay Library. When a special collection in the John Hay Library is by or about women at Brown and/or in Rhode Island, it is tagged with the term, "Christine Dunlap Farnham Archive," within the Brown University library catalog. The purpose is to make it easier for researchers to locate collections about women's history.
 
Named in honor of the Pembroke College alumna, Christine Dunlap Farnham, class of 1948, a leader in volunteer support of the Pembroke Center, the archive has grown to include the Pembroke Center Oral History Collection of alumnae interviews, as well as a wide variety of archival materials. Items include the records of Pembroke College; files on student organizations and activities; campus publications; student diaries, correspondence, lecture notes, and other papers; photographs; audiovisual material; and museum objects. Collections relating to Rhode Island women include records from a diverse set of organizations: the Rhode Island Society for the Collegiate Education of Women, the Providence Association for Friendless Females, Women for a Non-Nuclear Future, and Sojourner House. 

 

Researchers can access collections of the Christine Dunlap Farnham Archive by visiting the John Hay Library, using the published Research Guide to the Christine Dunlap Farnham Archiveor using the search term: “Christine Dunlap Farnham” in the Brown University Library catalog.

The Pembroke Center

The Pembroke Center at Brown University is an interdisciplinary research center that fosters critical scholarship on questions of gender and difference in national and transnational contexts. Home to the gender and sexuality studies concentration and the Pembroke Center Archives, the Pembroke Center's research agenda focuses on what counts as foundational knowledge in a given discipline. This questioning of the production of knowledge is related, in turn, to the challenges that studies of "difference" present to the academy--gender studies; studies of race, ethnicity, multiculturalism; cross-cultural and postcolonial studies.

For more information, please visit our website.

Plan a Visit

Researchers can access collections of the Christine Dunlap Farnham Archive by visiting the John Hay Library or searching the Brown University Library catalog using the term: “Christine Dunlap Farnham Archive.” 

There are no restrictions on access, except for specifically noted material within individual collections. Christine Dunlap Farnham Archive collections can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.

Researchers can submit reference questions via the John Hay Library's Reference Request Form or email pembroke_archives@brown.edu to request items in advance of their visit. 

View the policies for using special collections at the John Hay Library.

Donating to the Christine Dunlap Farnham Archive

The Pembroke Center is grateful to the many generous donors who contribute items to the Christine Dunlap Farnham Archive. The archive has a distinct mission, scope, and policy. Please see the collection policies file attached below to learn more.



For more information about making a gift of physical items to the Christine Dunlap Farnham Archive, please contact:

Pembroke Center Archivist 
Phone: (401) 863-6268
Email: pembroke_archives@brown.edu