DENISE O'BRIEN (1949- )
PAPERS, 1964-2006
9.2 QUANTITY:»linear feet
|
ACQUISITION: |
The papers (donor no.
228) were donated by Denise
O'Brien in 1994, 1997, and subsequent years. |
|
ACCESS: |
The papers are open
for research. |
|
ARTIFACTS: |
In |
|
PHOTOGRAPHS: |
In |
|
COPYRIGHT: |
Copyright has been transferred to the |
|
PROCESSED BY: |
Rachel Bohlmann, 1996;
Lisa Peperkorn, 1997; Doris Malkmus, 2001. [O’Brien.doc] |
Biography
Denise O'Brien, organic farmer,
political activist, and lobbyist, was born to Joe and Doris O’Brien on
As low commodity prices and escalating interest
rates led to widespread farm foreclosures, they became involved with the
Prairie Progressive group from
In 1995, O’Brien and her daughter Briana Harris
attended the United Nation’s International Conference on Women in
Scope and
Content Note
The Denise O'Brien papers date from 1964 to 2006 and measure 9.2 linear feet. The papers are arranged in nine
series, Biographical and family, Community involvement, Conferences, Correspondence, Organizational involvement,
Resource files, Writings, Photographs, and Artifacts.
The
Biographical and family series
contains biographies, awards, resumés, an appointment book, and passports.
In addition to O’Brien’s schoolwork, English papers, a class reunion booklet,
and newspaper clippings, the series includes sporadic farm records and
correspondence with Briana Harris, who attended
The
Community Involvement series
concerns O’Brien’s activities with the
The
Conferences series consists of
notes, programs, and other materials that O’Brien collected at local, national
and international events such as conferences, campaigns, forums, and summits.
The
Correspondence series contains both
personal and organizational correspondence.
Electronic mail and paper mail items are intermixed. Items of interest include letters from Bill
Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and the Reverend Jesse Jackson. Correspondence to and from Briana Harris is
located in the Biographical and family
series.
The
Organizational Involvement series
consists of records and papers from organizations in which O’Brien has been a
member, officer, or observer.
The
Resource Files series contains
books, magazines, newspaper articles, pamphlets, and memos maintained by
O’Brien for informational purposes.
These files concern agricultural organizations, agribusiness and
environmental issues, Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH) and Bovine somatotropin
(BST), the farm crisis and farm bills, General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
(GATT), health care and insurance, North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA),
sustainable agriculture, and women’s organizations.
The
Writings series contains notebooks
in which O’Brien recorded her thoughts and reactions during the many meetings
and conferences that she attended, as well as professional writings and
speeches. It also includes texts of
testimony she presented at various public hearings.
The
Photographs series contains
photographs of O’Brien, members of her family, friends, and the farmstead.
The
Artifacts series consists of name
tags and pins from numerous conferences, as well as bumper stickers. It also includes a plaque for the Dixon Terry
Leadership Award she received in 1992 from the Iowa Farm Unity Coalition.
Related Collections
Women Food
and Agriculture Network (WFAN)
Postings
from the WFAN electronic listserve have been printed out by Iowa Women’s
Archives staff.
Box no. Description
Biographical
and Family
General, 1995-1999
Appointment books and
passport, 1985, 1989, 1990
Appointment books, 1993-1995
Education, 1964-1988 and
undated
Medical report, 1991
Children’s school
projects, undated
Briana Harris’s e-mail
Aug. 27-Nov. 17, 1996
Larry Harris, Delegate to Democratic caucus, 1986
Farming
Financial
records, 1976-1997
Beefalo,
1975-1978
Organic
beef market, 1977-1985 and undated
Newspaper clippings,
1992-1997 and undated
[one
article from 1994 in oversized: filed in map case, drawer 6]
Community
involvement
Campaign
Newspaper
clippings, 1996
Supervisor,
1990
Campaign
sign, undated [oversize: filed in map case]
Secretary
of Agriculture, 2006
Atlantic High School
Atlantic
Women’s Health Conference, 1999, 2000
Family
Crisis Support Network, 2000 and undated
Farm
tours for school children, undated
United
Volunteering, 1986-1999
and undated
Conferences
“Agricultural
Policy Conference,”
Association
for Women in Development
Fifth
International Forum,
Sixth
International Forum,
“Beyond
“Being
a Good Steward of our Resources: Living a Quality Life,”
“Bringing
“Bringing
Rio Home: Using Agenda 21 to Promote Sustainable Agriculture,” Mülheim and
August
31-
Campaign for Human
Development, Fifteenth Anniversary,
Earth
Earth
Summit,
Earth
Farmers’ Disaster Assistance
Conference, “Surviving the Disaster of 1993,”
Federacion Nacional de la Mujer Rural, First
International meeting,
“Focus on Tomorrow’s
Leaders: Making a Difference in Public Policy Issues,”
July 30-August 2, 1997
Fourth
Annual Institute on Women and Economic Development, Ms. Foundation 1991
Conference,
“Harvesting
Our Potential,” 1986-1996
Iowa
Women’s Hall of Fame,
Manila
People’s Forum on APEC ‘96,
National
Campaign for Family Farms and Environment meeting with Secretary of Agriculture
Dan Glickman,
National
Consultation on Food Security,
National Dairy
National Dialogue for a Sustainable
Agriculture,”
Feb. 25-27, 1994
National
Network of Grantmakers,
National
Rural Conference,
North
American Farmer’s Alliance Tour of Nicaragua, 1985
“Priorities
’95,” University of
Briana Harris papers, 1995 and undated
Public
Forum on Agriculture and Food,
Rural
Development Forum,
“Rural and Farm Women in Historical Perspective,”
Fifth Conference,
Sixth Conference,
Rural
Women’s Workshop on Food Security,
Second
National Conference on Organic/Sustainable Agriculture Policies,
Sixtieth Annual Meeting
of Rural Sociological Society,
Small Flock Growers and
Wool Crafters, First National Conference, June. 23-26, 1985
“A Social Agenda for the
21st Century,”
“Strategic Planning
Meeting for a National Women’s Organizing Body,”
United
Nations Association,
United Nations Earth
United
Nations
Briana
Harris notes
Brochures
and handouts
Globalization
of agriculture workshop
MS
delegate profiles
National
Family Farm Coalition position
News
coverage
Speeches
and papers
Women’s
organizations publications
Non-governmental
Organization (NGO) Forum on Women,
United Nations General
Assembly hearing on Agenda 21,
United Nations General
Assembly hearing on Agenda 21,
United States House of
Representatives Committee on Agriculture Public Hearing,
“
Via Campesina,
Second
International Conference, La
“Women, Empowerment, and
Sustainable Futures,”
“Women Hold up Half the
Sky,”
Women’s History Month
presentation,
Workshop on Women and the Environment,
World Food
Non-governmental organization input, Nov. 13-17 and 23-27, 1996
Box
8
World
World Trade Organization
Food
and Agriculture Day,
Listening
session,
World
Women’s Congress for a Healthy Planet,
Miscellaneous
1982-2001 and undated
Conferences at which Denise O’Brien was a presenter,
1983-1999
Correspondence
1967-1988
1990-1991
1992-1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
Undated
Organizational involvement
Alternative Women in Development, 1991 and undated
Association for Women in
Development (AWID)
General, 1990-1996
Newsletters and bylaws, 1990-1995 and undated
Bill Bradley for
President, 2000
Educational Center for
Community Organizing, 1987-1989
Farm Aid, 1993-1994
Farmers
Iowa
National, 1989-1995
HandsNet, 1994
Industrial Cooperative
Association, 1987
1985
1986-1995 and undated
Published resources,
1981-1986
Iowa Peace Makers, 1991
and undated
Kilusang Magbubukid ng
Pilipinas, 1995
Legal Services
Corporation, 1990-1991 and undated
Ms. Foundation for Women
General, 1985-1992 and undated
Field network, 1988
Dockets and grant lists, 1989-1991 and undated
National Family Farm
Coalition (NFFC)
General
1989-1991
and undated
1994
(folder 1)
1994
(folder 2)
1995-2000
Bovine
Growth Hormone campaign, 1994-1995
Case
study and book proposal, 1991 and undated
Concept
papers, 1995 and undated
Correspondence,
1990-1997 (2 folders)
Dairy,
Nutrition, and Conservation Act Campaign, 1995
Farm
bill, 1995
Grants,
1991-1996
Informational
newspaper clippings, 1993-1995
Minutes
and agendas, 1991-1995 and undated [scattered]
Newsletters,
1990-1994 [scattered]
Questionnaires,
1995
Summary materials, 1989-1991 and undated
Trade
agreements, 1994-1995 (2 folders)
National
Save the Family Farm Coalition, 1986-1987
National
Sustainable Agriculture Coordinating Council, 1993-1995
New
Party, 1992
Practical Farmers of
Prairie Fire Rural
Action
1985-1996 (2 folders)
Women’s Leadership Development Project, 1987-1988
Progressive Prairie
Rural
Rural America, Inc.,
1981-1982
Trees Forever, undated
Rural Caucus, 1985
Shared Vision, 1994
United Electrical,
Radio, and Machine Workers of
United Nations
Association of
Via Campesina, 1995-1996
Women’s Alternative Economic
Network (WAEN) and related organizations
General,
1989-1991 and undated
Related, 1988-1991 and undated (folder 1)
Related, 1988-1991 and undated (folder 2)
Women,
July/August, 1990 [oversized: shelved in map case]
Women’s Alternative Economic Summit, 1988
Women, Food, and Agriculture Network, 1994-1999
Women’s Foreign Policy Council, 1989-1990
Resource Files
Agriculture organizations,
1991-1996 and undated
Agribusiness and
environmental issues, 1981-1997 and undated
Assisting Beginning Farmers, 1980
Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH) and Bovine Somatotropin (BST), 1990-1994 and undated
Carrie Chapman Catt Hall
controversy, 1996
Dairy, 1991
The ERA: Facts and Action
Guide, 1986
Farm bills, farm crisis,
1985
Country, 1985
Newspaper articles
1977-1990
“Shattered
Dreams: The Rural Crisis” Des Moines
Register,
Printed materials, 1981-1985 and undated (2 folders)
Farm bill, 1995
Farm issues, Newspaper clippings, 1995
Farming, Chicken
cooperatives, 1993
Foundation pour le progrès de l’Homme, The GATT in Practice (1996) and Alliance for a Responsible and United World
(1996). And Program, 1992-1995
Foundation Fredrich Ebert, El Futuro del
Campo (1994) and Documentos de Trabajo (1993)
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), 1991-1994
Genetically Modified
Organisms, 2000
Health care and insurance,
1983-1994 and undated
Healthy Harvest: A Directory of Sustainable Agricultural and
Horticultural Organizations, 1987-1988
Integrated Farm Management Program, 1990
KU Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, “Crisis in Global Agriculture,” 1986-1987
Magazines/journals, 1981-1993 [scattered]
Box
18
Conference on
Newsletters
1982-2000
Clergy and Laity Concerned, 1980-1982
Newspaper, clippings,
1991-1999 and undated
North American Farm
North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA), 1992-1996 and undated
Organizing and organization
building, 1983-1994
PrairieFire Rural Action,
Resisting Foreclosure, c. 1986
Resources for Feminist Research, Women and Agricultural Production, vol. 2, March 1982
Rural Sociology, Seventh World Congress preparatory materials, 1988
Presbyterian Church, Rural Community in Crisis, 1985
Small farm energy project, 1981
“Sustainable
Agriculture: People, Products, and Profits,
Sustainable/organic
agriculture, 1990-1997
United Nations Earth Summit
United Nations Association,
“A Social Agenda for
Women’s issues
1976-1998
“
Women’s Organizations,
1985-1991 and undated
Miscellaneous, 1983-1996
Writings
Letters to the Editor,
1992-1999
Notebooks
1987
and 1989
1992
1993
1994
1995 (folder 1 of 2)
1995 (folder 2 of 2)
1996
1997
Undated (folder 1 and 2 of 3)
Box
22
Undated (folder 3 of 3)
Professional, 1986-2000
Speeches, 1994, 1997,
1998, and undated
Testimony, 1984-1993
Photographs
1940s-1997
Japanese visitors, 1998
Color slides, 1997and
undated
Artifacts
Bumper stickers, 1986
and undated
Conference tags,
1994-1997 and undated
T-shirt, O’Brien for
Secretary of Agriculture, 2006
Oversized: shelved in map case, drawer
6
Biographical newspaper clipping,
1994
Campaign sign, undated
National Assembly of Religious Women
newspaper, 1990
Farm crisis newspaper articles,
1983-1985
Farm crisis newspaper insert, 1986