WOMEN at the CENTER Sallie Bingham Center for Women’s History and Culture David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University

Issue 25, Spring 2014 Writing Women at Duke into Wikipedia On March 20, the women whose papers are Bingham Center sponsored housed at Duke. The event the first Women at Duke led to the creation of new Wikipedia Edit-a-thon in articles on women such as partnership with the Wom- chemist Rose May Davis, the en’s Center and the Univer- first woman to earn a Ph.D. sity Archives. at Duke; anthropologist Ern- Bingham Center staff estine Friedl; and feminist provided instruction on artist . editing Wikipedia and A number of other helped participants set up articles are currently in pro- accounts and choose topics. gress, covering topics rang- Bridget Booher, author of ing from alumna Sara M. the recently published Katie Jones, Duke ‘14, and Stefanie Evans, a prominent histori- book Women at Duke Illus- Conrad, communications officer at an specializing in American trated, spoke about her the Duke School of Nursing, create social and women's history experiences conducting new entries in Wikipedia of the 20th century, to the research on Duke women. Who Needs ? global After the training session, participants social media campaign which began as part of a broke out individually or in pairs to start creat- class at Duke in 2012. ing articles on alumnae, former professors, or (Continued on page 3) Inside this issue: Profiles in Research: Lauren Gutterman Writing Women at 1, 3 With support from a 2013 Mary Lily Re- this tale, providing rare insight into how one Duke into Wikipedia search Grant, I visited the Bingham Center to woman attempted to balance a lesbian affair Profiles in Research: 1 do research for my book manuscript about the with marriage in the mid-1970s. After sleeping Lauren Gutterman personal experiences and public representation with a female friend, Pratt confessed to her of wives who desired women between 1945 husband. At first, she insisted that she still and 1985. I examined the Atlanta Lesbian loved him but wanted to continue her affair as Micham Honored 2 Feminist Alliance’s archives, as well as the pa- well. While her husband initially accepted this with Career Achieve- pers of prominent feminist thinkers Robin arrangement, Pratt’s feelings for her lover ment Award Morgan, , and Minnie Bruce Pratt. deepened and her husband’s jealousy grew. Still, Pratt agonized in her journal over the path Behind the Scenes 2 Unprecedented numbers of married wom- en began to recognize their same-sex desires— that she should take and what the repercus- with Samantha Crisp often through their participation in the femi- sions would be for her two young sons. 2014-15 Mary Lily 3 nist movement—and leave their marriages for Though Pratt did ultimately divorce her hus- Grant Recipients lesbian lives in the 1970s. The details of this band, the emotional and intellectual struggles transition, however, are typically glossed over documented in her journals undermine any Instruction & 3 in oral histories and memoirs that conform to notion that the transition from wife to out les- Outreach strict script of oppressive marriages and liber- bian was simple or inevitable. Duke Libraries to 4 ating lesbian love. Contributed by Lauren Gutterman, Assistant Profes- Host Zine Librarians Minnie Bruce Pratt’s journals complicate sor, Women’s Studies, University of Michigan. (un)Conference library.duke.edu/rubenstein/bingham Recently Published Micham Honored with Career Achievement Award Collection Guides Laura Micham, bringing a project to life.” Director of the Sallie Bingham Jeanette Stokes, Executive Direc- Center for Women’s History and tor of the Resource Center for Pauline Bart Papers Culture, has been selected as the Women and Ministry in the South, See