Sophia Smith Collection of Women’s History
Smith College Special Collections
Founded in 1942, the Sophia Smith Collection (SSC) is one of the most significant collections of women’s history in the United States that focuses on women working on behalf of other women and gender minorities. The SSC has substantive strengths in women’s reproductive rights and justice, women’s liberation movements, suffrage and civil rights, community activism, iconoclast creators, women’s economic justice, lesbian and queer communities, and women’s environmental justice. It is a collection that reflects the diversity and complexity of women’s lives and identities through the lens of social, political, and cultural change, and gender justice.
Finding Aids
Special Collections Finding Aids - You can find Sophia Smith Collection of Women’s History materials by using our finding aids. These provide in-depth information about collections.
Search Tips:
- Search for names, events, or organizations.
- Click the arrows to see the folders under each topic.
- Read the Scope and Content notes as well as the Biographical/Historical note on the main page to get a sense of the materials and subjects in the collection.
What We Collect
These lists represent topics documented in our collections of historical records. Most of our collections have been assigned to multiple categories. For more information on the kind of materials the Sophia Smith Collection collects and the topics it plans to steward in the future, please visit our collection development strategy.
The Sophia Smith Collection is committed to anti-oppressive subject analysis. This means that while we primarily use Library of Congress Subject Headings (“LCSH”) to describe and categorize our collections, we also acknowledge that many LCSH terms are offensive or outdated. In those cases, we use our best understanding of the preferred terms as defined by the communities the subjects describe.
Digitized Content
| Resource | Description |
| Special Collections Finding Aids | To review digitized material available for each collection, click on the "View Digital Material" tab for each finding aid. |
| Sophia Smith Collection Digital Collections | Digitized materials (including audiovisual materials) from the SSC and databases featuring digitized SSC material. |
Research Guides
Gloria Steinem Special Collections Resources
Ms. Magazine Special Collections Resources
Oral Histories Special Collections Resources
Planned Parenthood Special Collections Resources
Women's Suffrage in the U.S. Special Collections Resources
World War I Special Collections Resources
Collection Development
For more information on the kind of materials the Sophia Smith Collection collects and the topics it plans to steward in the future, please see our Collection Development Strategy.
Schedule a Class Visit
For assistance in scheduling a class visit, please see Class Instruction.
Contact Special Collections
For general inquiries, contact specialcollections@smith.edu, 413-585-2970.
Elizabeth Myers, Director of Special Collections, emyers@smith.edu
Collection |
Contact |
|
|---|---|---|
Nanci Young, College Archivist |
||
TBD, Curator of Rare Books |
||
Mariana Brandman, Sophia Smith Archivist |
Abortion rights movement
African American civil rights
Anti-racism
Anti-rape movement
Antislavery movements
Birth control movement
Criminal justice reform
Environmental justice
Left wing political movements
Labor movement
Lesbian community
Peace movements
Reproductive and sexual health
Reproductive justice
Welfare rights movement
Women’s liberation
Women’s suffrage
Women’s societies and clubs