Swarthmore College Peace Collection, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081-1399, USA

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PART III: U.S. SECTION
SERIES B: BRANCHES

Appendix A: Notes re: Histories of Branches (through Pennsylvania) by Susanna Morikawa

Alabama
No early branches; three existed in the 1960s: Birmingham, Tuskegee, Selma

Arizona
No early branches; three existed in the 1960s: Phoenix, Tempe, Tucson; all but Tempe still active

California
State Branch: its first conference was held in 1930; in existence until at least 1962
Locals: in 1930 there were eight Branches which were still active; during the years following, Branches

were added and others dropped out or became inactive. At different times, Branches existed in Long Beach, Marin County, Sacramento, Santa Maria, and San Diego. Branches were very active in the 1960s; some designated themselves as Branches even though their existence was fleeting

Bay Area Feminist: est. 1981

Berkeley-East Bay: 1940-current

Carmel "Branch": est. in 1929

Castro Valley Provisional: active during Vietnam era

Diablo Valley: active during Vietnam era

Hayward: active during Vietnam era

La Jolla-San Diego [now San Diego Branch]: active during Vietnam era

Livermore: active during Vietnam era

Los Angles a.k.a. San Fernando Valley: 1928-current

Marin County: active during Vietnam era

Monterey Peninsula/Monterey Branch: 1960s-current

Mount Diablo: active during Vietnam era

Oakland Co.: 1920s-1970 [ceased functioning in 1944 & then re-started?]

Ojai: 1937, 1960s

Orange Co: 1960s

Pajaro Valley [first Bilingual branch]: 1991

Palo Alto: 1923-1982 [changed name to Peninsula Branch]

Pasadena: 1932- 1960s

Peninsula: 1983-current [was Palo Alto Branch]

Placer-Co a.k.a. Auburn-Placer: 1981-current

Riverside,: active during Vietnam era

Sacramento: 1920s-current

San Diego: 1937-current

San Fernando Valley: same as LA?

San Francisco: 1923-current

San Gabriel: active during Vietnam era

San Jose: 1962-current

San Mateo Co.: active during Vietnam era

San Pedro: n. d., but probably active during Vietnam era

Santa Barbara: 1924-current

Santa Cruz: 1961-current

Santa Rosa: ca. 1978-1980

Sierra Foothills: 1981-current

Ventura: 1980s-current

Regionals: In the 1980s, locals met periodically in regional conferences. Northern CA included Berkeley,

Monterey, Peninsula (called Midpeninsula), San Francisco, Fresno, Santa Cruz, San Jose, Auburn/Sierra Foothills, East Bay

 

Colorado

State Branch: established a State Branch in the late 1920s that functioned at least until 1969. More

recently, there is a Colorado Cluster Branch, which is a consortium of branches that produces a joint newsletter. Colorado Cluster "Branch" cooperating branches include Boulder, Denver, Estes Park, Fort Collins, Greeley, Longmont, Lyons

Locals:

Boulder: 1927-current

Denver: 1927- ; still active?

Estes Park: 1980s; still active?

Fort Collins/Loveland: 1960s-current

Greeley: 1960s; still active?

Pueblo: active during Vietnam era

 

Connecticut

Seems to have had no state branch?

Locals:

Fairfield Co.: 1930s-current

Hartford:1940-current?

Middlesex:1937

New Haven: 1964-current

New London: active during Vietnam era

Valley Shore: 1979-81

Westport: active during Vietnam era

Wilton: 1937

Delaware
Locals:

Kent Co: 1937

New Castle: 1967

Wilmington: 1937, 1964-1979

 

District of Columbia

Locals:

District of Columbia: 1922-1973

Women of Action: est. 1992-1993

 

Florida
Never had a State Branch, but has flourishing Branches now that WILPF retirees have moved to FL

Locals:

Margaret Meade [Deerfield/Boca Raton]: 1980-

Miami/Greater Miami: 1957- current?

Orlando-Winter Park: active during Vietnam era

Palm Beach County: 1963-

Sarasota-Manatee: 1973-

South Beach (is probably a chapter of Greater Miami)

Tallahassee: active during Vietnam era

Tampa: 1934, 1970-

Treasure Coast. 1985-current?

West Palm Beach: 1972-current?

 

Georgia
No State Branch or early Branches

Locals:

Athens: 1983; still active?

Atlanta: active during Vietnam era

North Georgia Chapter: 1985

Hawaii
No State Branch

Locals:

Honolulu: 1938; still active?

Illinois
State Branch / Chicago Branch: 1937-1952

Locals:

Champaign-Urbana: 1969 and possibly current

Charleston: Vietnam era

Chicago: 1920-1963: active before the State Branch, and reorganized in 1952 to create a separate Chicago

Branch; was divided in 1963 into two units, Chicago Metropolitan and Chicago South Side.

Chicago Metropolitan: created when the State Branch was divided; 1963-

Chicago North Shore: for a time was a chapter of Chicago Metropolitan Branch; 1969-current

Chicago South Side: created when the State Branch was divided; active during Vietnam era

Chicago West Suburban: a sub-group of Chicago Metropolitan until 1968; 1968-

DeKalb: active during Vietnam era

Springfield: 1950s; still active?

Indiana
Names and locations of informal "branches" changed frequently in the 1960s-1970s (Vietnam era),

resulting in a number of short-lived groups. In the mid-1960s, Indiana had five Branches: Michiana, Lafayette, Terre Haute, Central Indiana & Bloomington.

State Branch: a State Branch was established in 1966 to encourage the founding of local branches and to

provide better communication for members-at-large; active during Vietnam era

Locals:

Bloomington: est. 1965; became official Branch in 1966; still active?

Central Indiana: active during Vietnam era

Falls City Provisional: active during Vietnam era

Fort Wayne : 1937

Gary/Calmut,: active during Vietnam era

Indianapolis: active during Vietnam era

Lafayette: est. 1965

Michiana (South Bend-Michigan border): active during Vietnam era

Northwest Branch: 1978

South Bend: est. 1983

Southern Indiana: est. 1981 to cover Monroe & Brown Counties; still active?
Terre Haute: active during Vietnam era

Iowa
Locals:
Ames: 1936-37

Des Moines: est. 1962; active during Vietnam era; archival records deposited at Women's Library of the

University of Iowa

Iowa City,: active during Vietnam era

Kansas
Locals:
Kansas City: active during Vietnam era

Lawrence: est. 1967; active during Vietnam era

McPherson Provisional: active during Vietnam era

Newton: est. 1936

Sedgwick County (Wichita): 1980s

Topeka: 1980s; still active?

 

Kentucky

Locals:

Louisville: active during Vietnam era

Louisiana

State Branch: 1933-1935

Locals:

New Orleans: active during Vietnam era

 

Maine

Locals:

Maine Branch: 1995- [State Branch?]

Maryland

State Branch: est. by 1928

Locals:

Baltimore: 1926; archival records deposited in Goucher College

Carroll Co.: active during Vietnam era

Northeast Maryland: 1963-1981

Massachusetts
State Branch: WILPF group in Boston functioned as a "state" branch until ca. 1977 when the National

recommended that it concentrate its activities to the Boston area and encourage the local Branches to function independently. The State Branch was divided in 1978 into Springfield, Worcester, and Greater Boston Branches, although there were some earlier WILPF activities already in those "branches." Archival records deposited in Schlesinger Library at Radcliffe College, Harvard University

State Branch / Boston Area Branch: 1921-1977

Locals:

Blue Hill Preliminary: Vietnam era

Boston/Greater Boston: 1978

Cambridge: active at least by 1965

Cape Cod: active during Vietnam era & still active

Concord: active during Vietnam era

Newton/Wellesley: active during Vietnam era

Northampton/Amherst: active during Vietnam era

Salem: 1936

Springfield: 1943-1979

Worcester,: active during Vietnam era

 

Michigan
State Branch: served as a liaison between local Branches until 1980, when it replaced the functions of a

state branch with a state coordinator; archival records deposited at the University of Michigan

Locals:

Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti: active from Vietnam era & still active; archival records deposited at the University of

Michigan

Detroit: 1934-current; archives deposited in Wayne State University

East Lansing: active during Vietnam era; still active?

Greater Lansing: 1995; this may be current version of East Lansing/Ingham County

Ingham Co.: active during Vietnam era & still active

Kent Co.(Grand Rapids): active during Vietnam era & still active

Lake Superior: 1981

Menominee Valley (MI and WI): active during Vietnam era through 1988; still active?

Michiana: see Michiana, IN

Northville/Plymouth: active during Vietnam era

Oakland Co.: active during Vietnam era

Petosky/Little Traverse: active during Vietnam era; still active?

Rouge Valley: Vietnam era

Traverse City: intertwined with Petosky: active during Vietnam era

 

Minnesota
State Branch: the Minnesota organization was unusual. The State Branch was established very early

(1920s) and had its own board as did Branches in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Minn. South Suburban. The four Branches cooperated on events and newsletters, personnel overlapped, and the material filed under separate names is usually interrelated. In the mid-1960s, these Branches became a "state" Branch with local committees, plus a Branch in Rochester. After 1970, there was an effort to create more "outlying" Branches, and by 1984, the so-called State Branch was renamed Minnesota Metro Branch(??)

Locals:

Hibbing [unofficial Branch]: active during Vietnam era; disbanded in 1966

Minneapolis: intertwined with State/Metro

Minneapolis -South Suburban: intertwined with State/Metro

Rochester: active during Vietnam era

St. Cloud: active during Vietnam era and until at least 1980

St. Paul: intertwined with State/Metro

 

Mississippi
State Branch: 1933: active during Vietnam era

Locals:

Itta Bena Provisional: active during Vietnam era

 

Missouri

State Branch: 1934-1945

Locals:

Saint Louis: 1933-

 

Montana
No state branch but some general activity before locals

Locals:

Missoula: 1980-81

 

Nebraska

Locals:

Lincoln: 1935-1940

 

Nevada
No apparent Branch but loosely organized to participate in NE peace activities

 

Ohio
State Branch: based in Cleveland and its activities were interwined with those of the Cleveland Branch;

active at least in 1925-1979

Locals:
Cleveland -- Women Speak Out for Peace and Justice Branch: est. ca. 1969; a peace organization that

worked/works together with WILPF

Pennsylvania 
State Branch: the early material of the Pennsylvania State Branch was processed by Ellen Starr Brinton;

this material was reprocessed in 1997-2000 by Susanna Morikawa and Anne Yoder. The Pennsylvania State Branch was closed in 1966. The 1950-1965 records of the State Branch were processed by Martha Shane in December 1987 as Series B,5. In 1999, this material was incorporated into the rest of the Pennsylvania Branch material

State Branch, 1931-1949

Locals:

Blair/Altoona City: disbanded 1960
Bucks County: merged with Mercer City (NJ) Branch in Fall 1988
Chester County / West Chester: according to a history written in 1951 by Ellen Starr Brinton,

this Branch claimed to have been organized in 1916, before the Pennsylvania Branch of the Woman's Peace Party had been established

Delaware County Evening: est. in early 1950s; members were from various communities in

Delaware County who preferred to meet at night; in the summer of 1970 until ca. 1973, the "Evening" was dropped from its name; it continued to meet in the evenings in the Drexel Hill area, but small attendance resulted in an eventual merger with the Swarthmore Branch

Delaware Valley: created in 1934 to coordinate activities between the branches/groups in Delaware

county. From 1934-1953, it functioned with officers & committees. However, after 1950, it apparently was not recognized by the PA State Branch which preferred to deal directly with the local Branches rather than through a county intermediary. By 1953 it had been decided to function as a Council, with an annual meeting of representatives from the Branches. After 1953, the term "Delaware County Branch" generally referred to joint ventures between WILPF chapters & Branches in Delaware County, including Lansdowne/Upper Darby, Drexel Hill, Media, Delaware County Evening, & Swarthmore. At the same time, a Delaware County Evening Branch was organized which included members from many of the same communities. From late 1970 to about 1974, this branch dropped "Evening" from its name, but continued to meet evenings in the Drexel Hill area. Check related Branches for additional material on members of WILPF in Delaware County.

Erie: disbanded 1938
Landsdowne / Upper Darby: est. in 1940 through a merger with the Upper Darby Branch;

disbanded in 1967; area now covered by Swarthmore-Delco Branch

Main Line: disbanded temporarily ca. 1986, but active again in the 1990s
Montgomery County: includes groups in Pottstown, Lower Merion & Norristown; at times, the

Pottstown Chapter referred to itself as a Branch, but it probably did not hold that status; was inactive after 1945(?), as WILPF preferred to organize at the local level rather than the county level

Northeast Philadelphia: est. 1961
Philadelphia County: reorganized in 1935 with subgroups defined by congressional districts, as

part of an effort to separate local work from the State Branch (headquartered in Philadelphia)

Pittsburgh / Allegheny County: est. 1921
Pottstown [Branch?]: organized under International League for Peace and Freedom, rather than WILPF?;

probably a chapter of the Montgomery County Branch

Swarthmore / Swarthmore-Delco: est. 1934; in 1974, name was changed to Swarthmore Area Branch, and

in 1984 to Swarthmore-Delco Branch

Upper Darby: merged with Landsdowne Branch ca. 1940

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