“We of the New Left”: A Gender History of the Student Union for Peace Action from the Anti-Nuclear Movement to Women’s Liberation by Victoria Campbell Windle A thesis presented to the University of Waterloo in fulfilment of the thesis requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2017 © Victoria Campbell Windle 2017 Examining Committee Membership The following served on the Examining Committee for this thesis. The decision of the Examining Committee is by majority vote. External Examiner Dominique Marshall Professor Supervisor(s) Jim Walker Professor Internal Member Heather MacDougall Associate Professor Internal-external Member Anna Drake Assistant Professor Other Member(s) Ian Milligan Associate Professor ii Author’s Declaration I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public. iii Abstract The Student Union for Peace Action (SUPA), was a Canadian group of New Leftists that formed a multi-issue movement for radical social change in the 1960s. SUPA emerged out of the Combined Universities Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, and organized around peace, racial and economic equality, and educational freedom between December 1964 and September 1967. At its final conference, four SUPA women, Judy Bernstein, Peggy Morton, Linda Seese, and Myrna Wood, presented a paper titled, “Sisters, Brothers, Lovers…Listen…,” in which they argued for the addition of gender equality to this list of New Leftist concerns. Following this conference, Morton, Seese, and Wood formed Canada’s first women’s liberation group in Toronto. This dissertation explores both the character of SUPA’s New Leftism, and the rise and articulation of a feminist consciousness within the group. The definition of New Leftist activism is contested among scholars. This study builds upon an historiographical challenge to New Leftist narratives that focus squarely on young white middle-class men, by arguing that its history belongs to several other actors, such as older leftists, civil rights activists, and women’s liberationists. SUPA illuminates a definition of New Leftism as a collection of overlapping movements around issues such as nuclear disarmament, economic and racial justice, and eventually, gender equality. Using a gender-conscious approach, this dissertation examines how these movements converged within SUPA, and how each served as a backdrop to the development and expression of a feminist consciousness that led to the production of “Sisters, Brothers, Lovers...Listen...” in 1967. By examining SUPA’s history through a lens of gender, this dissertation presents new understandings of the impact of the group’s strategic shifts upon activists, and of its operations as iv a movement. It further complicates the conventional representation of activist women in the group as secretaries and maternal figures, which has developed out of isolated readings of “Sisters, Brothers, Lovers...Listen...” A gender study of the multiple sites of SUPA’s movement activity demonstrates that while gender expectations certainly shaped women’s experiences, they did not have a uniform impact, and did not impose one-dimensional activist identities upon women in the group; rather, as this dissertation argues, SUPA women’s participation in the movement took different forms, and resulted in multifaceted activist identities. Their experiences were marked by a tension between subordination and empowerment, and it was from this position that they analyzed their place in the movement, and called for the inclusion of gender equality to the list of New Leftist demands. v Acknowledgements In December 2013, a few months into my archival research on the Student Union for Peace Action (SUPA), I came across a reflection on SUPA from the 1960s with this prefatory note from activist Tony Hyde: “People in SUPA do not like to go over their history, and having just completed this paper I can understand why; it is a uniquely painful task.”1 While initially unsettled by the remark, I quickly discovered that former SUPA activists would graciously and enthusiastically talk with me about the group’s history, that I would have incredible support while navigating the usual pains of dissertation writing, and that producing this paper would be a uniquely rewarding task. I would first like to extend my appreciation to the activists who shared their memories and perspectives with me: Peter Boothroyd, John Cleveland, John Conway, Daniel Drache, Nancy Hannum, Jim Harding, Brewster Kneen, Joan Kuyek, Peggy Morton, Clayton Ruby, Linda Seese, Harvey Shepherd, Peter Warrian, Myrna Wood, and Cathleen Kneen, who sadly passed away during the production of this dissertation. I am sincerely thankful to each of you for sharing your time and stories with me so generously. The Tri-University Graduate Program in History has provided extraordinary teaching, guidance, and support throughout my doctoral studies. Julia Roberts, Alan Gordon, and David Monod, thank you for your course instruction. Thank you also to Donna Hayes and Bonnie Bishop for your hard work and kind assistance, and to Andrew Hunt for your dedication to the students of the Tri-U program. 1 McMaster University William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections, Combined Universities Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament-Student Union for Peace Action-New Left Committee Fonds, Box 12, File, ‘SUPA Conference Material,’ Tony Hyde, with the assistance of Michael Rowan, “The Student Union for Peace Action: An Analysis,” undated. vi I am profoundly grateful for the members of my dissertation committee. Thank you to Ian Milligan and Heather MacDougall for enriching this dissertation with your questions and expertise. I appreciate the ways you have challenged me, and the time and attention you have given to my work. I could not have produced this dissertation without the outstanding instruction of my supervisor, Jim Walker. Thank you for encouraging me to trust my research inclinations as I delved deeper into the SUPA archives. Thank you also for the ways you have helped me develop my skills in research, writing, and teaching, through your advice, course instruction, and mentorship during my teaching practicum. It has been a true gift to learn from you. I am deeply grateful for your guidance throughout these six years. I would also like to thank Beverly Bayzat, Rick Stapleton, and Bridget Whittle of the McMaster Archives & Research Collections, and Véronique Paris of the Canadian Women’s Movement Archives for your assistance and kindness while locating research materials. I am also very thankful for the financial support provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Lastly, I would like to extend my deep gratitude to my amazing support network of teachers, family, and friends. Audra Diptee, thank you for encouraging me to pursue my doctoral studies. I am sincerely grateful for your belief in me. Thank you to my parents, Rob and Enza Campbell for always prioritizing my education and ambitions, and for your unfailing support of my academic pursuits. Thank you to Nonni, Vanessa, Logan, Kellie, Paul, Joshua, Brittany, and Gracelyn for your love and encouragement, and to Kate, Kathleen, Chantal, and Alyssa, for always cheering me on. Finally, to Joel Windle, thank you for being such a constant source of support. Your love, optimism, and words of encouragement are precious gifts. vii Table of Contents Examining Committee Membership ........................................................................................... ii Author’s Declaration ................................................................................................................... iii Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................... vi Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................... viii List of Abbreviations ................................................................................................................... xi Introduction ....................................................................................................................................1 Historiography and Argument .............................................................................................2 SUPA, New Leftism, and the Sixties ...................................................................................6 Periodization ......................................................................................................................10 Defining Feminist Consciousness, Women’s Liberation, and Second-Wave Feminism ..13 Method and Sources ...........................................................................................................16 Chapter Outline ..................................................................................................................25 Chapter One: “LET OUR GENERATION LEAD”: New Leftists and the Canadian Combined Universities Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, 1959-1964 .............................28 New Leftists and Youth in Canadian Historiography ........................................................30