Date |
Event |
Location |
1968 |
An
undergraduate invites the Women's International Terrorist Conspiracy
from Hell (WITCH), actually from New York City, to visit her house.
|
Smith
College |
1969 |
November.
Four Amherst women find each other and find four more to form Amherst
Women's Liberation (AWL). They meet Sunday nights and organize support
groups. |
Amherst |
|
AWL
grows to one hundred members, meeting weekly in support groups and
a large monthly forum in a church. Study groups on abortion and birth
control, archves, continuing education, and welfare are formed.
|
Amherst |
| |
Summer.
AWL writes a statement of purpose based on studies of literature from
Berkeley, California Women's Center. |
Amherst |
| |
August
26th. Celebration: "Fifty Years of Women's Suffrage."
|
Amherst
Common |
| |
September.
Women's Health Counseling Project. |
Springfield |
| |
September.
Women of Venceramos Brigade. |
Springfield |
| |
December.
AWL opens the Valley Women's Center (VWC) with action groups basd
on their study groups, a newsletter, speaker's bureau, staff group,
free personal counseling, and welfare advocacy and counseling.
|
Northampton |
| |
December.
Springfeld Women's Collective forms support groups and publishes Small
Arms. |
Springfield |
| 1971 |
January.
Listing of "Courses On or About Women Offered in the Five Colleges"
by VWC. |
Northampton |
| |
March
13th. Five College meeting of women teachers at Mouth Holyoke
College |
South
Hadley |
| |
March
20th. Proposal is made to Five College inc for Five College Committee
on Women's Studies. |
|
| |
March.
First issue of The Woman's Journal is published by the writers'
support group of the VWC |
Northampton |
| |
March.
Women's Liberation Teach-In at the University of Massachusetts
|
Amherst |
| |
April.
School of Education Women's Caucus at the University of Massachusetts
|
Amherst |
| |
April.
Dance in the Hatch with Steel sponsored by the Student Homophile League
(SHL), Gay Liberation Front (GLF), and Women's Liberation at the University
of Massachusetts |
Amherst |
| |
June.
Gloria Steinem speack at Smith College's graduation and visits the
Valley Women's Center |
Northampton |
| |
July.
Student Homophile League Lesbians present Gay-Straight Teach-In at
AWL monthly forum |
Northampton |
| |
August.
SHL and AWl share an information booth at the Tri-County Fair
|
Northampton |
| |
August.
AWL and SHL send delgated to the New England Lesbian Femnist Conference
|
Kent,
CT |
| |
Fall.
The Women's Institute of the VWC writes a million dollar proposal
for a residential women's community |
Northampton |
| |
Fall.
The Five College Women's Studies Seminar begins |
|
| |
September.
Leverett Road Women's Collective |
Amherst |
| |
September.
Project SELF workshops offered by the Women's Advisory Center of the
Conitnuing Education Department at the University of Massachusetts
|
Amherst |
| |
October.
Leverett Road Women's Collective starts newspaper project |
Amherst |
| |
November.
Southwest Women's Center get a janitor's closet for space at the University
of Massachusetts |
Amherst |
| |
November.
Women's Advisory Board. Continuing Education Department at the University
of Massachusetts |
Amherst |
| |
November.
Women's issues are raised at Student Conference at the University
of Massachusetts |
Amherst |
| |
December
8th. Robin Morgan speaks as part of the Distinguished Visitors
Program at the University of Massachusetts |
Amherst |
| |
December
15th. SHL Gay Women's Caucus formed at the University of Massachusetts
|
Amherst |
| |
December
17-19. Regional Women's Conference for Western New England (Leverett
Road Women's Collective). University of Massachusetts |
Amherst |
| |
December.
Article on women's issues appears in Poor Richard, and alternative
student paper |
Amherst |
| |
Child
Care Center at University of Massachusetts |
Amherst |
| |
Faculty
Senate Committee on the Status of Women at the University of Massachusetts
|
Amherst |
| |
MauMau
Society formed. English Department at the University of Massachusetts
|
Amherst |
| |
Bi-weekly
Women's Page appears in the Holyoke Transcript |
Holyoke |
| |
Undergraduate
Student Senate Women's Committee at the University of Massachusetts
|
Amherst |
| 1972 |
January.
Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus meets at Smith College
|
Northampton |
| |
February
15th . Women's Institute incorporates |
|
| |
March
6-11. Five College Women's Cultural Week. Deadly Nightshade emerges
from retirement |
|
| |
March
8th. International Women's Day at the University of Massachusetts
|
Amherst |
| |
April
25th. Shirley Chisholm is on Massachusetts primary ballot for
US president |
|
| |
April.
Women take over the ROTC building at the University of Massachusetts
|
Amherst |
| |
April.
Women Against War Group. VWC. |
Northampton |
| |
Spring.
First issue of Full Moon newspaper is published. Leverett Road Women's
Collective |
Amherst |
| |
Spring.
University of Massachusetts Ad Hoc Feminist Studies Committee meets
to write a fifty page proposal for a feminist studies department.
Committee has three "arms." The political group becomes
the Radical Women;s Caucus and a board. |
Amherst |
| |
Spring.
Hampshire College clerical staff attempts to unionize, but loses the
first election. |
Amherst |
| |
Spring.
Southwest Women's Center offers its first Sex Roles course.
|
Amherst |
| |
May
1st. Thirty women of Women Against War, later called the lizzie
Borden Brigade, are arrested at Westover Air Force Base. Two hundred
and fifity women are arrested in other actions |
|
| |
May
29th. Lizzie Borden Brigade marches |
Pittsfield |
| |
May.
New Haven Women's Film Coop turns their project over to the Women's
Institute to form the Women's Film Coop. |
Northampton |
| |
June.
Leverett Road Women's Collective disbands |
Amherst |
| |
July.
An attempt to organize a Lesbian political study group. |
Northampton |
| |
August.
Rainbow painted on VWC windows. |
Northampton |
| |
August.
Lesbian drop-in, Tuesday nights. VWC. |
Northampton |
| |
August.
Community Women's Center opens with support groups, counseling, chldcare
exchange, newsletter and workshops. |
Greenfield |
| |
September
29th. "Escape from the Circle: Roles of Women in Education"
Conference begins at Mount Holyoke College |
South
Hadley |
| |
September.
Everywoman's Center opens with personal counseling, staff women's
program and Project SELF workshops, and newsletter at the University
of Massachusetts
|
Amherst |
| |
Fall.
SWWC moves from closet to an apartment, expands course offerings
|
Amherst |
| |
Fall. Feminist
Studies Committee. Hampshire College |
Amherst |
| |
Fall. Virginia
Woolf poster by Kaymarion published by EWC |
Amherst |
| |
Fall. Deadly
Nightshade plays at Dickinson House. UMass |
Amherst |
| |
Fall.
Women's Film Coop publishes first catalog. |
|
| |
October. Mini-marathon
with workshops and Robin Morgan speech. (School of Education Women's
Caucus). UMass. |
Amherst |
| |
November.
Monies from Robin Morgan and Sisterhood is Powerful Fund is divided
by women's groups.
|
|
| |
November. Deadly
Nightshade plays at dance. (SWWC). UMass.
|
Amherst |
| |
December
14. Kate Millett speaks. UMass.
|
Amherst |
| 1973 |
January.
Meeting at the YWCA to discuss starting a women's center.
|
Springfield |
| |
January.
Poor Women's Task Force. (EWC).
|
|
| |
March
17. Rape Conference; Rape Action Group forms. (EWC/VWC).
|
Northampton |
| |
March.
Southwest, Orchard Hill, Central, Northeast and Sylvan residential
areas women's centers meet. UMass.
|
Amherst |
| |
March.
Fight to get women's programming on WFCR.
|
|
| |
April
2-7. Women's Week. (SWWC/Project-10). UMass.
|
Amherst |
| |
April
6-8. Women's Festival, with the Deadly Nightshade. Smith College
|
Northampton |
| |
April
10. First Sophia Sisters meeting. Smith College
|
Northampton |
| |
April
28. Feminist Counseling Collective. (EWC/School of Education).
UMass
|
Amherst |
| |
April
30. Earth Onion Theatre. UMass
|
Amherst |
| |
April.
Feminist Arts Center; later called Feminist Arts Program. (EWC).
|
Amherst |
| |
April.
Bill Baird, speaking on abortion at UM, is questioned by "the
lunatic fringe of the women's movement." (SWWC).
|
Amherst |
| |
Spring.
Hundreds of women meet to form UM Coalition on Abortion and Day care.
UMass.
|
Amherst |
| |
Spring.
Deadly Nightshade plays Dickinson House. UMass.
|
Amherst |
| |
Spring.
Springfield Women's Center opens on State Street with groups on health,
welfare, childcare, rape, media, newsletter, and support groups.
|
Springfield |
| |
Spring.
Lucy B. Stoners (1818) Women's Softball team. (SWWC).
|
|
| |
May
10. Alix Kates Schulman. (EWC). UMass
|
Amherst |
| |
May.
Women's Show. Old Farms Gallery. Petersham.
|
|
| |
May.
MCAD hearings on suit brought against Smith College by two faculty
women.
|
Northampton |
| |
May.
Voices of New Women is published. (FAC).
|
|
| |
Summer.
Springfield Women's Center pickets Technicolor and Vincents; leaflets
the Welfare Office.
|
Springfield |
| |
July
14. Mother Jones press.
|
Northampton |
| |
July.
The Women's Guide to Northampton-Amherst is published by the Women's
Information Project. (Jones Library).
|
Amherst |
| |
August
3. Women's Poetry Reading. (FAC/CWC).
|
Greenfield |
| |
August.
Almy's Department store is picketed by women employees and friends.
|
|
| |
August.
Northampton women's coffee house project is discussed.
|
Northampton |
| |
Fall.
A Valley Women's Union collective meets to organize principles for
a union of VWC.
|
|
| |
Fall.
Whole Women's Center opens. Hampshire College.
|
Amherst |
| |
Fall.
UM Faculty Senate Committee on the Status of Women forms a sub-committee
on Women's Studies to write a proposal.
|
Amherst |
| |
Fall.
Task Force on Unemployment. (EWC).
|
|
| |
September.
Picketing at Joe's Cafe in support of waitresses.
|
Northampton |
| |
October.
EWC moves to larger space in Goodell Hall. UM.
|
Amherst |
| |
October.
Women's Film Festival at Globe Theatre. (WFC).
|
Northampton |
| |
November
8. University Women's Caucus
|
|
| |
November.
WMUA comes up with one hour a week for women. UM.
|
Amherst |
| |
November.
Student Prince Bar is picketed for refusing to serve women.
|
Springfield |
| |
November.
Lilith plays. Smith and Mt. Holyoke Colleges.
|
Northampton,
South Hadley |
| |
November.
Institute for Teaching Politics begins. (EWC).
|
|
| |
December.
EWC given Governor's Commission on the Status of Women award for education.
|
|
| |
December.
UM Women and Career Options gets Carnegie Foundation grant.
|
Amherst |
| |
December.
UM women attend Women in Higher Education Conference. Salem State
College. |
|
| |
December.
Institute for Teaching Politics ends. (EWC).
|
|
| |
Valley
Women's Studies is published. MHC.
|
South
Hadley |
