Womens Museum of California Archives

Guide to Women's International League for Peace & Freedom Collection

Bulk Dates: 1931-1952
Collection Overview
Title: Women's International League for Peace & Freedom Collection, 1907-1965
Accession Number: AC-004
Creator: Unknown
Prepared By: Thirada Kingphuang
Head Archivist: Charla Wilson
Date Acquired: unknown
Date Processed: October 1, 2014
Location: Womens Museum of California San Diego, CA
Language: Collection material is in English
Extent: One box containing nine books, three circulate document, and three reports of the
congress of Women's International League for Peace & Freedom
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions: Open to research
Use Restrictions: None
Provenance: Materials were found in folders organized to specific categories, in a box marked
AC-004 W.I.L.P.F Box 1/1, by an unknown individual. No donor records exist or have been
located. The records were appraised and then given to intern for processing.
Historical Note
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) is a nonprofit, UN
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) accredited non-governmental organization; the longest
standing women's peace group in the world. It is an all volunteer, and exclusively womens
organization that formed in April 1915, in Hague, Netherlands, by 1300 women from Europe and
North America. Its founding members were from war-torn countries as well as neutral ones. A
group of women came together for the purpose of protesting the killing and destruction of wars
raging in Europe at the International Congress of Women conference.
Brief History of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) has been bringing
women together from around the world since 1915. The WILPF is united in working for peaceful
and non-violent means to promote social justice as well as political and economic change for all.
The WILPF has crafted twenty resolutions in an attempt to bring warring nations to the peace
table since its inception. The approach is always non-violent and uses existing international legal
and political frameworks to achieve fundamental change in the way states conceptualize and
address issues of gender, militarism, peace and security. The WILPF works to achieve peaceful
means to prevent and end war, to ensure that women are represented at all levels in the peacebuilding process, to defend the human rights of women, and to promote social, economic, and
political justice.
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The first WILPF president, Jane Addams, was the founder of the Womens Peace Party,
which later became the US chapter of the WILPF. Two WILPF leaders have received the Nobel
Peace Prize: Jane Addams, in 1931 and Emily Greene Balch in 1946.
The WILPF continues to be an active organization in the United States and around the
world defending civil liberties, supporting the rights of conscientious objectors, and seeking the
abrogation of unfair laws and practices that affect the welfare of minorities. Today, the WILPF
works closely with the United Nations and other non-profit organizations on campaigns against
land mines, nuclear disarmament, and other humanitarian concerns.
Summary of the Collection
Series I: Collection of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom collection of books, circulated
documents, and reports spans the years 1907 to 1965. The Women's International League for
Peace and Freedom collection contains nine books and four circulated documents about the
atrocities of war, ways we can build peace to stop war, and how women can get involved in these
efforts. It also contains three reports from the 4th, 5th, and 6th International Chapter Congress
Meeting of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, including an introduction
to the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, the attendee list, discussions about
politics, war, and group photographs from each venue.
Container List: Box and Folder Material
Series # 1: Collection of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
Box # 1
Folder # 1 of 7: "Uncle Sam's Devils Island by Phillip Grosser, 1931 (4 copies)
Folder # 2 of 7: Various Publications 1 of 2
: International Conciliation, official documents bearing upon the European war,
publish monthly by American Association for International Conciliation, October
1914 No.83
: Teheran, Our Path in War and Peace by Earl Browder, 1944
: We come in Peace! by Franklin Thomas, 1955
Folder # 3 of 7: Various Publications 2 of 2
: Fighting for Freedom by George H. Shoaf, March 23, 1907
: Step to Peace, A Quaker view of US Foreign Policy, 1951
: Path to Freedom Through Nonviolence by Ernst Schwarcz, 1959
: New University Thought, Peace, 1962 Vol.2, No. 3
Folder # 4 of 7: "Think", April 1946 Vol. 7, No. 4
Folder # 4 of 7: "The Correspondent" Special UN issue No. 34, Spring-Summer 1965
Folder # 5 of 7: 4th Congress of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom Meeting
Report, May 1 to 7, 1924 Washington
Folder # 5 of 7: 5th Congress of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom Meeting
Report, July 8 to 15, 1926 Dublin (2 copies)
Folder # 6 of 7: Congress of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom Meeting
Report, August 24th - 28th, 1929 Prague
Folder # 7 of 7: "The Last Weapon" by T. Wilson, 1930
Folder # 7 of 7: "How to Find Peace in a Changing World" by F. Bailes 1952
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1 of 1
Scope and Contents of the Materials
Series # 1: Box # 1
Box 1 contains four copies of "Uncle Sam's Devils Island" by Phillip Grosser, 1931 in
folder 1. This book is about experiences of a conscientious objector in America during the World
War.
Box 1 also contains various publications, books and circulated documents in folder 2.
The first is the International Conciliation, official documents bearing upon the European war,
published monthly by the American Association for International Conciliation, October 1914
No.83. This circulated document promoted international peace, community relationships, and
good fellowship between nations. Next is Teheran, Our Path in War and Peace by Earl
Browder, written in 1944. This book is a about how to deal with rapid change in war. Last is
We come in Peace! by Franklin Thomas, 1955.
Box 1 also contains various publications and books in folder 3. The first is Fighting for
Freedom by George H. Shoaf, March 23, 1907 about freedom from the war. Next is Step to
Peace, a Quaker view of US Foreign Policy by American Friends Service Committee, 1951.
This book offers a way to approach peace. The third is Path to Freedom Through Nonviolence
by Ernst Schwarcz, 1959. This book is about prevention of international war, including a study
of East-West conflict and the methods of nonviolent resistance. The last is New University
Thought, Peace, 1962 Vol.2, No. 3.
Box 1 also contains various circulated documents in folder 4. The first circulated
document is "Think", April 1946 Vol. 7, No. 4. This is about keeping the peace of the world and
the way of keeping the peace of the world. Next is "The Correspondent" Special UN issue No.
34, Spring-Summer 1965, and this is about critical dialogue and research about peace.
Box 1 also contains a report of Womens International League for Peace and Freedom
Meeting in folder 5. The report is from the 4th Congress of Women's International League for
Peace and Freedom Meeting Report, May 1 to 7, 1924 Washington, D.C. This report is about the
meeting, including informing about Women's International League for Peace and Freedom,
attending list, and discussion topic about political, war, and post war.
Box 1 also contains two copies of the report of Womens International League for Peace
and Freedom Meeting in folder 5. The report is from the 5th Congress of Women's International
League for Peace and Freedom Meeting Report, July 8 to 15, 1926, Dublin, Ireland. This report
is about the meeting and uniting of women in all countries who were opposed to every kind of
war, exploitation, and oppression.
Box 1 also contains a report from the Womens International League for Peace and
Freedom Meeting in folder 6. The report is from the 6th Congress of Women's International
League for Peace and Freedom Meeting Report, August 24th - 28th, 1929, Prague,
Czechoslovakia.

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Box 1 also contains two books in folder 7. The first book is "The Last Weapon" by T.
Wilson, 1930. The other book is "How to Find Peace in a Changing World" by F. Bailes 1952.

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