Overview
Per its mission shared with the National Older Women's League (OWL), the Greater Boston OWL was a voluntary membership organization that addresses social, economic, and political concerns of midlife and older women through advocacy, education and empowerment. The Older Women's League began as a national organization in 1980 following the White House Mini Conference on Aging in Des Moines, Iowa. The Greater Boston OWL Chapter began with 15 women in the spring of 1982 as a part of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee and became a regional chapter in September of that year. The Greater Boston OWL was active in local, state, and national campaigns supporting caregivers, medication issues, social security and healthcare. In 2001, the national organization changed its name to OWL- the Voice of Midlife and Older Women. In 2004, the Eastern Massachusetts OWL chapter split off from the Greater Boston OWL in order to reach a wider, urban population. In 2010, the chapters joined once again to become the Eastern Massachusetts OWL chapter.
Dates
- Creation: circa 1983-2010
- Creation: Majority of material found within 2000-2008
Creator
- Older Women's League (U.S.). Greater Boston Chapter (Organization)
Language of Materials
Materials in the collection are entirely in English.
Conditions Governing Access:
The collection is unrestricted.
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use:
Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be discussed with the University Archivist.
Chronology
- 1980
- Older Women's League starts at the White House Mini Conference on Aging
- 1982
- Shelley Rubin calls formation meeting, 15 people attend; Greater Boston chapter becomes a provisional chapter of the Older Women's League
- 1983
- Greater Boston Chapter adopts its bylaws
- 2001
- General body elects Betty Soldz president
- 2004
- Votes to change Coordinating Committee to Board of Directors; Eastern Massachusetts OWL splits off from Greater Boston chapter
- 2005
- Celebrates 25th Anniversary with Economic Security for Women event; member Ellen Bruce speaks before State Caucus on Older Citizens' Concerns
- 2009
- Betty Soldz resigns due to poor health
- 2010
- Merges with Eastern Massachusetts chapter
Extent
.50 cubic feet (2 containers)
System of Arrangement:
Arranged in one alphabetical sequence.
Physical Location
55/4
Immediate Source of Acquisition:
Received from Mary Leno, member of Greater Boston OWL, in October 2010.
Bibliography
- Eastern Mass Owl. Newsletter. http://massowl.org/Newsletter.html.
- OWL-The Voice of Women over 40. History. OWL National. http://www.owl-natinal.org/pages/history
Subject
- Bruce, Ellen (Person)
- Katz, Ponnie (Person)
- Lamphier, Joan (Person)
- Leno, Mary (Person)
- Olrich, Frances (Person)
- Soldz, Betty (Person)
- OWL (Organization) -- History (Organization)
- OWL (Organization) (Organization)
- Katz, Ponnie (Person)
- Leno, Mary (Person)
- Soldz, Betty (Person)
- Title
- Finding aid for the Greater Boston Chapter of the Older Women's League Records
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Martha Pearson
- Date
- March 17, 2014
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections Repository