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History College of Arts & Sciences

Winter 2009

Women for a Peaceful Christmas: WisconsinHomemakers Seek to Remake American CultureNancy UngerSanta Clara University, nunger@scu.edu

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Recommended CitationUnger, N. (2009). Women for a Peaceful Christmas: Wisconsin Homemakers Seek to Remake American Culture. Wisconsin Magazineof History 93(2), 2-15. http://content.wisconsinhistory.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/wmh/id/50253/show/50197/rec/9

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Women for a Peaceful Christmas criticized store-bought gift wrap for being wasteful and harmful to the environment. On Oecemb<,r 15, 1971, a mother and her children gathered to decorate their own wrap,

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1Vl1aL 's ,in ahcrnalivc Chrisunas? v\'dJ, iL 's a way to cckbrau· Christmas,,..;, l1om any of Lhc ha ... s.lr of c:rowdcd shops and bursi ing budgets, bur 11i th more of r he peace ~md love of the season. It's the qui(.'t, caring, back-lo-thl'­eanh style C luistmas ihat's pirlurcd on cm·ds, but hard tolind in the frantic shopping cemcr~. Howdorou do it?1

In the· .. auru mn of 1971, 15ixcecn Nladiso n homcmakc-rs, including Xan C heney and Sh::iron Stein} began "'\Vomcn for a Peaceful Cluistrnas" (WPC}, a unique attempt to do

nothing l<"S.'i Lhan remake American culturc.2 Under the slogan "No More Shop1>ing Days Til Peace," \ VI'C organized osten­sibly µowcrkss lu)me,nakcrs illlo a '·quiet revoh again.st 'a.tt

cconomv whk h thrives on war and the dPstruftion of cu.,r c::in h's ~sources.' "3 \VPC urged the public (especially women, the sex that did the vast bulk or holiday shoppiug) 10 take eco­nomic:. poliLical, and cnvironmcmal matters into theb- own hands. "If" )·Ou don\ wam your CJu·isunas celebrmions to be conLroUcd by the monoliths Lhal corrupl g:oven1111enLS aucJ pol­lute environ men is .. . Dcm'L buy the prc-pac:kagcc-t, cfisp<:>.sahlc C hristrnas! Make your own.''4 Rather to 1h<' surprise or {he group's founders, \ VPC was immediately inundated with

quc-ric.s and requests for its informational materials. fn five months~ Lime, lhe movement had sptcad to a11nos1 every Slate, with mem.bcrs ranging in age from tccnagen; LO gtandmoth­crs. \VPC rrrciw·d national press cov<'fagc. ThC' g roup dis .. banded in 1975 when the Vienrnrn \ V;ir wound to a close~ but

Betty Friedan published The Feminine Mynlque in 1963. Along

with Rachel Carson's Silent Spring it inspired many women to

environmental activism.

+

c its effort to highlight how ! ·women's spending con­trjbuled lO the wasle of nalll-

1 ral rt:soun:t:s was taken up U~· others. T he· movement ra ised the muional consciousness of the role l11at everyday An1(-r­icans could pJay.,. for h<:ucr or for wo1·se, in tbt deep(:ning environ1Jicn1al trisis.

T he sto ry or Women for a Peaceful Ch ristmas ali:;o reveals how ~u ostensibly pm"-'Crlcss group (women not employed out.side the home) wielded real innucncc as it r halknge,d thousands or Amer ic:-m s ,o rethink lhe relationship bctwecu their private consumption.,. public policy, and the wol'ld's resources. t\s feminism \\'ttS

just beginning ro floy,:cr, thr.sc womt.'n ga ined prominence not by achieviug public office

or l,y tak.iug 0 11 high p,Lyiug pos.ilions> lml by lli>serliHg thdr aurhorit)• <L~ foJ l .. rimc \,\~w·s1 mm hers, and ho memakers. Thd r eilOrts provide, among other rhings> a fascin~ring look a1 the intersection of two rising movcm<:nts in the early 1970.s: femi­nism ;md r.nvironmcnlal activism. t\lrhough both mov<'mcnts seemed ne,\', e,·en !'evolutionary, theil' foundations had been esral,lislied dernd<'S earLicr.

\ Visconsin \ '\fomen's Environmental Awareness: A Far-Reaching History

\Visconsin H'omcn>s history of dvic cngagcmcm had long included envi,·onmental concerns. l{y the prog,·es;ive em (circa 1890- 1917) rhc prescribed gender sµher(-s limited most women na1iom\~rlc-> <·v<·n in rural <·ommunitics. to acrivitics primarily inside rhe home. 'Tltc emphasis on the male sex ;1s provider lefl men pc.~rhaps understandaU)y fm:used on short-term profits> rarely able LO afford Lhr luxury of concern over Lhc JQ11g~1cr111 elwii'onrnentaJ damage chat reaping such profits mjgh1 email. T his maJe irup<:rat.ive u )ti1nately cuc:ouraged the nuLiou of womf'n, in \Visc:onsin and clsrwhc·r<· arross the incn-asingly industriali1.ed and urb7inized narion, as uniquely qualified :md therefore obligated to seek c11viron11icnLaJ reforms. By 19l5, a women's unh-rrsily buUcLin nolcd, "TI1c woman's p lace is in che home. BIil tcxlay, would site sen·e the home, she must go bcyoud Lhc home. No longer is rhc home encoruµa.sscd Ly four walls. Nlany of ics important acth:itks lie no,v involvcrl ln ell<' bigger (;.'101 ily of the city and the st:ate.".i ?..·lany wornen agreed thal, ill lhc words of (~nviromncm.al historian Carolyn ~·1er­r.hant. "l\•1an the moneym aker had left il to woman the 111011· eysav~1· lO pteserve r~mces."6

l .11 VViscousiD, many womc11 rr-ccivcd Lheir cll\'il'onm<:nla1 r.cfur,ation through I he VViscon.sin Fcdc-nuion of \ Vomc-n's C lubs (\VF\•VC), (h~ stare bTiinch of1he nalional network of,,romen's groups thal provided its n1embcrs \\~th oppo1-i.unities LO serve their communitlcs as wcU as socialize wiLh each 01 hcr. By 1hc 1930s, the \ VFWC:'s Conservation Division was calljng for for­esl µrcscr',·cu ion, pt'Olec.:tion againsl waler pollution, and more

h11111anc animal tr.ips 1.0 replace "stc·d trap atrodtirs:.' "1 It a lw urged measures lo p)'evcnt n ·osion1 including a hall to the cu1-ting of trees, shrubs, and vines along streams and fences so Lhat their roots. migln keep soils in p lace. Leaders in tJ1<; conservation division included Wilhelmine LaJ3udcle. La lludclc \\'as the fo·st worn,ul LO serve on the \•Visconsin Cousen:aLion Congress, ~ulc.l

su(·c-cssfiilly p u~hccl for ,·onS<·a-vatfon cd ur,a1·ion in all \Vi:.rc.m• sin public schools. In 1940, ,he WFWC submit<ed a forma I res­olution ro Wisconsin Governor Julius Heil, the \Visco11si11 Consc:rvatjon Commission, and the slate legislature, endorsing the creaLion and maimenance of sl1elter belts ~>la,uings placed along main highways} to check the drying and eroding winds rrcated p rim;n ily hy dlC 1argc•sC-a.lr removal of1i111hcr.

VVF\VC "~sn'r I he only source or women'~ education about thtfr envirorun<:iuaJ obligatio11s. In 194·3: the loag-run11ing

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WISCONSIN MAGAZINE or HISTORY

Madison•bascd radio program, the "We Say Whal \ Ve Think C lub," wdtten and performed by five women anivc; in the Dane County Rural federation , devoted a n.vo-p111·t broad­cast to " \ Vhat \·Vo men S hould Know Abou l Soil Conserva­tion ." Lt u1-g·ccl that, fOr the sake of future gcncradons., every farm woman was obligated to recognize the- dangers of soil C'rosion, as well as 10 persuade her husband tu pu L i 11to µrac­tice 1he strategi('S lo combat lt. The hroackast c·oncl udcd~ ''iv.CAN MUST WORK WITH NATURE, NOT AGAINST HER.'si By 19+9, the m,timents of the We Say \ Vha1 We Tb ink C lub were being cchocd b)' tht WFWC, whose conservation theme had broaclcnccl considcrn.l>Jy: " Every clubwoman should know 1,hc conservation status aud nec<ls of her owu community:· bec-ause ·'Conservacion of our Natural Resources is the HOPE ol' thc FUTCRF.."9

Silent Spring and The Feminist Mystique Pave the Way ln 1937) the \·V]:,\VG's Conservation ctivision indudedin its

goals for the year ihe passage of a law making the dispos.~ or Christmas n-ees k.ss w«steful, lamenting,

A sight that alm ost makes me weep ls a Christmas m:c on the rubbish hr.,p. 10

T hat dTcm failed, 11111. thirty-five years later, aJloLher group of \ Visconsin women took up with a v<·n,l{ca nct the issue of ,vasleful practices associated with Cluisrmas. "T'he founding members of\Vomen for a Peaceful Chrisl111as wer<: influenced, di,-cctly and indi,·ectly, byn variety of.facmrs. ~ifany had grown up in \ Vis<.:onsin) attending state schoo)$ where they recejved the n mscrvation education 111,mdatcd by earlier women activists. Some were influenced by thr \ 1Vomrn Strik<· for Pcar<'1

au organizatiotl that grew oul of a day of protest ag;iins1 nuclear testing by the United Slales and the Soviet Union in 1961. · l'hc s trike was cm·ricd 0\1t by white} middJc.d ass '"·omen who daimccl au tl1or ity as mothers, cleo·ying lhe ptc~ence of radioanh·c nuclear n,Bout in both mothcr,s milk and co,•/s milk. 11 Many or these women were influcncrd hy two para• digm-shifLing books: Rachel Carson\ Si/em Spring and Hetty Friedan's The Feminine l\,fystiquc. Both ,vorks, ,vrittcn in non­technical terms fo,· general audiences, were wHdly popuhtr, din .. 'CLly or inclircclly d1anging the way maJl)' women viewed themselves and thdr n·lacions.hip " 'ith the cnvironulcnt.

ln 1962, pioneer ecoleminist Rachel Carson dramatirnlly c::halk nged convtntional 11otions of prog,-ess and celebrations or prosperity with Silent Spl'ing, first scria_)jZ(~d in the New }'orker and then p11blishccl in book form. A New York Times bcsisd lcr and Book of Lhc Month C lub selection, SilenL Spting reached a ,vid(· audience. m uch of i1 k mak . In \ ,Viscousin it was read in October 1962 in ten haJJ: hour instalhncnts on the I :00 p.m. "Chapter a Day" p,·ograrn of the Wisconsin State Broaclca~t·

When it was reestablished In 2003, Another Mother to, Peace (originally founded in 1967) used Its famous logo, de$lgned by Los Angeles artist Lorraine Schnelder, 10 carry forward the struggle for peace.

LS

ing Service (mday)s \ Visconsln Public Radio).11 The many c«.RnS'\'o:0011ea,.:uf'MOTotrtJCaHt11i1A1c

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Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson helped found Earth Day. The fim Earth Day was April 21, 1970. This photo shows the celebration that took place in Madison on that day.

homemakers listening heard Carson use some or 1he e,1ab­lished beliefs about gender to give credence to her message about the need for environmental protection . Carson had all'eady publicly proclaimed \\'Om«m,5 "greater intuirivc under­staitding" of the value of muure as she denounced <1 SO('.iety •<btindcrl by the dollar sign" thaL ,.,..as allowing rampant ~selfish ma1erialism to desuoy 1hese ihings."13

Following an investigation by PrcsidcmJohn F. Kennedy's Sdcncc Advisory Commit.tee that validated Carson's conclu•

sions, her insistence on rhe imerconncctednc.~s or all life cot,1ld not be dis,niss<:d as forniuinc: romanticism. Ko longer would thr tradjtionaJly malr emphasis on 1h<· i111mrdiatr, markct-clri-

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ven need ro exploil nalur;.'11 resources IOr profit crump \,\romen's ''scntirncnlal)) emphasis Oil future gc1lcratiot1s. (11c.-reasi11gly> people accepted as sdentiftc reali ty Carson's notion Lhat any

cliswl'bance to the " eb or lifo affects 1be whole. Through her refusal lo adhere Lo prevailiug gcmJcr stt:r<:otypc.:s or ft::n-1alc suhsrrvitncc to male wisdom, Carson made the puhlic awan· of auelnpts by lhe scientific-industria l complex ro manipulate and conlrol nature LO the ultimate detriment of all. Her cri­riqur of tJ1c counuy's dr,:pcnclcncc on chemical pestic ides has since been widely tecognized as one of the mosl intluemial Uooks of lite t,ve11ticlh ce:nlury. 14

Si/rm Spdng. which atLackf'd the govcrnnwnt's misplaced and ineffCcwal patei·nalism, appeared j ust one yc;ir before &:lty Fricd;Ut)s assault o n pa triarchy, Th<: Fcnuilint· A f)":stiquc. ~'!any of the women nawakcncd" by Friedan's work to take chernselv<:.$ SCl'iousl)' took thei,' 1irsl steps imo findiug a larger place iu the world by responding LO Carson's t:al11 wriucn i 11

terms they roulci under.stand abo111 a cause with w·hich 1hcy could idc1Hir}1- 10 qucs1ion authority. Fried;in,s urging that women throw o ff p~tr iarchy rout:ributed to Carson)s message

that they no longer a'isumr ""tha t somconr was looking after chi11gs--1hat 1he spra)'ing [of pesticiclesJ mus< be all t'ight or i1 would11!l be <lo11c. 1• t.\

Just as The frmininr Jd ystiqrir did 1101 single-handedly launch th(" modern fCm i11is1 movemcm, Si/em Spring c;:inno{ take full credit for l11spiri11g thC' modern cnvirou1nc11tal move­ment. Both books, however, did play major roles in making the vital need fo,· reform clear to la..ge sectors of the gene,-al public. Garso1ls message.: inspireU untold numbers of the local g-ra~­roots groups and movC'ment.s cha t conLinu<"rl to multiply in ciries, subuoi)S, • nd on college campuses 1hroughout 1he 1960s and attrac.:ted mauy fom~de mcmOer~. As cn,·ironrnenta) histo­

r ian Adam Rome note.~, ''Carson cu.Jtiva tcd a network of women :i,u1)porters) and \\1omen eaged y champjoned her work." 111 Si1c1it Spl'i11g was cited iu educational pamphlcLS writ­

trn hy women and in t11C'ir letters to cxli1ors and pci-itfons co poli tici:=ms. Individually and in groups, women campaigned '° ban the bomb1 clean up rlvc.:1'5, save roresLs, and stop pollution.

\Vomcn 's o rganizalions pan.icu lar1y active in promoting elwfronmcntaJ awareness and prolect..ion included the- League or \Vomcn Voters, Lhc t\mericau AssociaLion of University

\ ·Von1C"n 1 1hc Federation of \Vom(·n's Clubs, and tl1C' G ardrn Club or America.1; Women also took pan in t::a rth Day, founded by Wisconsi11 Sc1Jatoe Gaylord Nelson aud first cele­brated in 1970. ~fony demonstrations took the form of tearh­ins lO bring national a\\'<ll'e11ess lO environmental concerns. On thaL first Earth Day, and iH each sub.scq ucm annual t:deLra­

tion, '"'(lmc•n carrl<'ci sign!; in marrhcs and garhrring-s nation .. H~de> gave speeches. led ;ind particip;:ited in discui:.sions, :md planted trees.

One additional fu<::tor comribmcd to ch" c rcalion of\•Vomcn lo,· a Peaceful Chrisunas. J'.ly 1971, 1hc year or 1he group's

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In 1971, Congressional Representative Bella Abzug endorsed Women Uniting to End the War, an Ann Arbor, Michigan. bc)sed activist organization. Along with

Dorothy Day and Jane Fonda, Abzug's high-visibility endor,.,ment helped raise awarene-ss of the activist$' efforts.

WINTER 2009 2010

Women ror a Peaceful Christmas encouraged families to make gifts rather than purchase them. Returning to traditional activities, like this mother and her c.hikfren baking cookies in 19S8, offe<ed one alternative for homemade presents.

Nancy Abbot crafted this image for her organization, Women Uniting to End the War. It challenged viewers to never underestimate the power of women acting in solidarity.

founding, ii..s mc1nbcrs had bccn pt0fou11dly iufiucncecl b}' the nation's cvrr .. len~hrning war in Vicmam, a war 1hat no longer had the support o f ,he majority of the Amel'ica popuhlljon. OpposilioJJ conLinued to grow io response to the war>$ mounting human and cronomic costs. A wick­spread coumer-cuJlUl'e youth movemeru decJ'ied lhe w'ar al,road <1nd matctialism and conformity al home. During the 1960s and 1970s, even "mnformist" homemakers fre­quently nrnde their own contributions to the combined call w save lhc earth :rnd stop the war jo Vietnam. The non~pa..rtisan, nourprofit group Another l\tfothcr ror Peace was loundcd in 19G7 b)' a group of mothen seeki ng w c11cout'agc womc11 lake an acdvc role in dimin,1U11g all war. l.os Angelrs artist Lor rnin(' Schncickr dc~ignC'd tJw g roup\ logo: a sunflO\'-''C'I' and the slowin •·\ V;:ir is nol health)' for duklrcn anc.J otl,er living things." T he simple drawing and words. became a n ironic image that was dis~ played peominent1y in peace demonst,·a,ions and marches a11d appeared on bumper stic.:ker:,, posters, key chains~ L .. s.hins, and medallions.

In 1971, Women Unit ing to End the War, a group made up of diverse women in Ann Arbor, ~1Iicl1igan> organized a nationvvidc women's boycou for peace. By

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1v.:fraining fro1n making ;.'Ill}' purchases for one d~y, women exercised their consumer power. Because time not spent shop­ping was spent wrici ng to Congress or otherwise conn·ibuLi.ng lO the peace mo,'Cmem, their anions dem.onstrated the rnag­nitudc ofwomtm'soµµ osition lO tht war. T hey sclcctcdjunc 21, the· longest day of 1.hc 1s:ar, for their protest against "the· longest w:ir in Olli' history:'18 The boycott , ... •as endorsed b)r a nu rnber of prominc11t womc1 t, including Representative .BcUa Abzug of New York (a co-founder of , he Women Sa-ikc for Peace o f a decade eal'lier) and activists rat\_ging from Dotothy Day 10Jane Fouda. lL was covcn:d cxtcusivcly L}' the national aud imer11a­tional press, and mcrc;hants fell 1hc; momentary p inch. 19 \ 1Vhat it inspil'ed in an "ecumenical group of 16 ingen-ious ::uid dctcnnined'' ~fadison homemakers 1astcd considC'rab)y longcr.20

Wiscoo.sin Homemakers Attack \Var, Environmental Degradation,

and CommerdaJism At a. smaU protest held ia 1'ladison's Capitol

Square- on .June 21 , 1971, women decora ted a Cb.ristmas tree with peace symbols and utged the 1ocaJ citizenry to refrain from buying conuncr­rial Christmas gifLs 11n1il 1hc troops in Vkmam were g iven a definite withdl'awal d;1te.21 Although the speakers at the dcmoJJStration inLroduced by Nan C heney included Asscmbly,,,oman ~Iidgc Millel', Cheney and the fi fteen otbe,· mothers in thci1' lhirtic.s afld forties were disappointed that they "'fou ldn't get started in !\1fadison in time·· to have staged a major protest.22 The)· ser lheir focus oil Christmas instead, and \•Vomen for a Peaceful C hristmas was born. C iting Gallup Poll figures 1'eflecling tha1.. scvemy-eight percem of A.mcJ'ican womcu wanted the United Statl--S uut of Vietnam hy the· end of I he year, 1h,·sc women dcridccl to "speak in a languagr all men <'an undel'stand: refose to sup­pon a wanirne economy. "23

WPC did not propose a holiday hoycott. ln the words of Cheney: "Boycott Christmas? Never1 We woir1cn do not ask abandonmcnl of Lhc µeact·) love and joy the season brings."1'1 T hey proposed somr• thing perht1ps c'\'Cn more Nldic~I: America ns should purchase only csstntial goods and servicc-s1 not only during the holiday,; but every day of the year. And those essential goods and se.,·vices should pointedly 1101 be Plll'­chascd from busine,scs that profited from the war. WPC u!'ged panidpams to inform husincsSfv--s ahouL 1.hc rationale for their shopping choices.

~1ernbcrs of \ VPC wanted more than 'jui)t" an end to the w;:u· in Vicwam. T hey sougln a "rc•ordcring of national and personal 1>rioriLicst beginning with a lutning ;;-may from the

H

Hi.:lSlf.' and conspicuousconsumpcion thai had come lo charac­terize Christmas a11d Hanukk:lh <.:elcl>ra.tions.1J They com­plained that Lhc tinsel and u·appings that appeared earlier each yea ,· clouded "the dear and simple meaning of true Chtist­mas.''2" They lamemc<l the facl that Chrisuna.s ha<l '(btt:onu.:: a 6 111e oft rcmc:ncious \vas1e~ of resources, with mountain~ of wr;1pping .:lnd J).-1Ckaging mat('1'i:-i ls rhrown aw~y and 1rcmen­dous pr<~sure to buy badly-made toys."27 Commercialism bad distorted ,he message of peace. love, and joy, persuading con­sumers lhal "peace l$ lhe pJ'oducl of exploirn1ion, thm love is

A rare photograph of Women for a Peaceful Christmas mem~rs assembling booklets In November 1972.

This selection from a Women for a Peaceful Christmas booklet outlines 'Alternatives to Buylng'(lefl).

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( a pet from the

\ humane ~society; /

WI SC O NS I N ~IAG AZ I NE O F RI STORY

~-RENT prints from an art museum or films from a library. Borrow books or records a friend would enjoy.

OFFER to paint a room• keep the kids, build shel ves, walk the dog, wash windows, sew a dress, wi re a lamp.·· What else

SHARE your car, boat, sewing machine, tcols or summer cottage with someon~ who has none. Offer a lar~e space 1n your home for someone to give a party in. Give a corner of your garden to a city friend next summer.

can you do for a friend? ,.ff),

/4 U lf ~m211t\ ~ ~~u @j (½)

GIVE U~ a treasured

TEACH someone to play a musical instrument, bake a pie, enlarge a photograph. Think of other skills you might share.

~ WRITE to (1,,/ a friend's

RHEMBER shut-ins, old people, prisoners, and orphans. Pl an songs, an outing or regular visits to cheer them. Continue your i nterest after the

holidays .

WL\!TER 2009- 2010

G) personal ,(9 belongj ng.

~ ~ '-'--''-•

~ ORGANIZE a toy swap

in your neighbor­hood. Have children

spruce up and wrap out­grown toys, books

and sporting equipment to

exchange.

13

Congressman about some issue that concerns him/her.

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WIS CONSIN MAGAZINE OF HISTORY

measured by maceriaJ possessionsi i:u'ld lhal joy .abounds in compulsive consumption .''28 '' \.Vhat we:rc really aiming fort cxplaim:d Nau Cheney, "is a change in attitudes. \\ie1re u·ying 10 raise people's consciousrn.-ss aboul Lite wartime t:X:onomy illt d

what they can do co control lhcir ov,m consumption of rcsour<:t-s:·29 According Lo Cheney, " Jf our economy is based o n dishwashers that must he replac.:<'<l every five years and automobiles lha..t we ~'l.ll\ rl.ncl parking places for, them son1e· thing is seriously the 111aucr \\~th our val.ucs! and this is p~rtof what we ;iJ·c talking abou t."3U

In its many publications, including a bookie, by members 1'eg Da,·ey and Dowthy Lagerroos. Wl.'C emphasized not only what to twoid in order to make· the \.\1o rld a better place, bm whm to embrace. 31 Members or the WPC believed chat lhc holiday sea.son "should be a tinlc for ptoplc to commi1, Lhcmsdves 10 issues of peace,. c1wiro11mcntaJ con ecrus) and the giving of oneself that is Chrisimas."32 WPC offered sug· gcsLions to make celebrations "more meaningful. less coin·

mercial , less '"·asteful, and more pcacefult emphasizing acrivities tha,t encouraged personaJ im·olvemcnt on the pan of those bestowing gifts, to give mort of themselves than of

Festivals provided yet another venue for Women for a Peaceful Christmas to organize and foster a vision of solidarity. This poster advertised one such event held at s,. John's Luthe,an Church In Madison (right).

Nan Cheney (misidentified as Jan Cheney) prepared preserves In ci>ls November l 1, 1972, article for the Caplcol Times. Prese,ves v,ere yet another gift offering suggested by Women ror a Peaceful Christmas (below).

'tx,ok,<;

films b:ike~)-9ee

~c1n:ha\1.e<I ~~s c.r,it qernoustrl {(.Jic~-loW!d tor, cnil<!rerls c raf I:

center

·o 111 ti C .. .. -... ... ... .. -... .. ....

IWI ·-

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WI SCONSIN MAGAZINE Of HISTORY

1heir bank accoun cs. R a.ther (lrnn passivclr consuming manu­factured goods, ,,vpc urged others to "G reet your dislanL friends wilh your own wish1 written your ovvn way. Decorate )'Our' lree "''ilh fruils1 cookies> and homemade trinket:;. Gifl your loved ones wilh a soug or poem or something p·crsomtl or handmade." The rewards~ they promisrci~ wou1d he many: ·' Not only wlll you s;ive money and conserve enel'gy, you1II also d iscover your c reative pen;ouality. B uL most importantly, you1U find a ,,·av to sav whal has become so difficult for us co sav-1l love yo~l /'':i3 , ·

Wl'C's list of gift ideas was 1011g a11d varied: W.-i1e a family hisu,ry; weave a porholci<·r; b uild a hirrlfccdn; adop1 a pcL from 1he H u rm1n(' Society; o llCr 10 slurr, painting sl..'llls1 a p riv;ite ly­owncd boat. sc,vi 11g machine, o r summer cottage; give music lcssons.3'1 They rcconlmcndcd gi,~ng homcgrm .. ·n herb gar­dens rather than exr,ensivc barbeque ~eb, homemade quilts instead of electric Ulankets. 'T'hc orgauization proruottd bu}·i ng locally, suggr sting 1irkcts w locnl ac1ivitics, <·vents, and mcm• bel'ships rather 1han products. Org.:u1i1;i.1ions deemed worrhy included the Wisco11sin Ballet Compa11y, the llfadiso11 Art Cen ter,. and Lhc \ Vildcrncss Society. 'vVPC: urged decoratin g live trees thm could be used yeru· after yeat, a nd eschewed lighcs

in fa\'or of suings of µopcorn aud/or cra11Ucrd cs. For outdoor Christmas lights, "instead of supporting a giant defense con• 1Tactor, G.E., :=i nd sinn.il tancou~I>' contl'ibu1ing to the ene-rgy t l'w1ch,n they recomme11ded lmniuaria: Jigl1tcd candles in'iidc snlall paper hags wcigh(cd with sanrl.3:> T'hc glowing bags, which could be decorated or left plrun, wete an mh'active way to line walks and driveways.

\ •Vhat abouf those without t lH' tinw, c n<'rb'Y, (1r skill to made ,he ki nd or homemade C lwisnnas advocated by W l'C ? Bu)' gifts from l11dcpendcnl craftspeople or frorn service organiza­Lions such as UNICEF and the Sierra Club. Or p ick up ideas, skills, and handcrafced icems at the Peace Fair, an evenc held annually in 1971 chrough 1974 on the Friday and Saturday im mcd iaccly foUowingThanksgiving . (fhar Friday has become ,he counrry's biggest shopping day, kno""' a., ·' Black Fr ida y" for ilS ability lO mo,·c m.any Amcrica,_n businesses out of the re<l ink and into the b lack.) The Peace Fai r prommcd e nviro n~ ,ne ,ualt)'-friend ly ideas and gif\s and celebrated 1he a bility o f foJ'medy convc:·nliunal shoppers, pl'imarily womcu, to "how­ever infinit,·simally_, slow down the br('a.kncck speed of AmC'r i .. can consume1ism" and preserve prf'ciOllS n;i1,ural resources.36

Available aL the fair were form leuers to be mailed to local bu,-i· uesscs exp laining the reasons for women's rcfusaJ m partid patc in t heu· usual l'Ounds or holiday shopping.

The fair Oidd three ol' i1s four ye,11-s at Edgewood College, and once aL lvladison's S1· . .Jo hn's Lmhcran Churrh) featured d e in onstrations :=i ncl products by wc::ivers. po1tel'S, needle workers, and other local artists. A<klitional products (or sale or swap included environmentally fr iendly ca nvas shopping bags, otganic cleaning products, and ,;twice lovecF' (donated sec-

WINTER 2009 2010

oncl-hand) toys. L('ssons h'C'l'e ava ilable on how ro m;ikc girt breads and ma.rzipan, and how to wrap ;rn<l decoralc gifis ln non-wasLcfu1 ways. T he acmosp hcre was n1acle festive by folk d«ncing pe1fo1·n,ances, llUllPC~ shows, a. bake ~ale, book$) fihns, and <.:oni.~c.

\Voinen for a Peaceful Christmas: Mothers in Action ~4any \VPC founders ha.d prc,~ou.sly worked in v;uious

political campaigns, mostly behind the scenes. They found,. hovvevet, lhat the ahruisllc carnpaigns b)' " 'omen wilhin che domestic sph ere bore no rcsuJts lx:t:ause th ey were JX:rctivcd as ·~LL'it housc,\~vcs" who ¼~cldcci no pQ\fCr. " \ Vr'vc vo1cd~ wrir .. ten lenen to congre-.ssrnen, senators, pr('sidents, state ,rnd loc;i l officiaJs. \ Ve\·e given money and time to c.anclidr-Hl'S aud peace groups. \ Vc\1c marched and pro1cstcd in va1ious nonviolent ways,1' expJained Nan Chene)\ all lO no avail, bul '~pl'eSsnre from the business t mnniunily wiU have an dTec.:t 011 our presi­dent. "~' "Jl.fonr.y rnlks," ,~rr·,·d .Jud)' O lson, an<>th,·r WPC found er. "This i.s our n on.violem form o f pressure.'~ 38

Their status as mothers played ;1 significant role in the rhet­

oric a nd ac tions of the WPC. Co-founder Sharon W inder! no1ed pointedly, H\ Ve do not wan, to suppon the economy whi<:h is kiUiug t>ur s o 11S." 3; Emphasizing their authori1y as modwrs, Lhcy spoke offhc· impact of CUJT<'nf holiday pracli<'<'~ on fuwrc generations. Oue headline summed up the group's dedication to the Jong-term goal or prc'Serving simplicity and con1l'o1ling waste: uchrtsunas Ca n he Saved for FutlU-C Ccncr­

aljons. "40 Il1ey fOcusecl on current )'Ollth as \\lell ~lernber Sharon Stein's ''big beer ' was "coJlsumeritis." She wa11ted to reach her rhildrm cha, '·rhcy don' ! have ro keep hu}ing t hings to have a nice Chriscmas:·•1 Nan Cheney promoted I ht immediate benefics or rejecting (·ven the most aggressively promoted prod· ucts: ~1 think my ldds arc acmally relieved nm m have to get alJ the jtu1k on T V.'"2 Maintaini.og thac "a Raggedy Ann is infi. nitcly more atu·active [to children] tha11 a Chatty Cathy,'' (ellow w·pc mcmher.Jud y Sikora e xpla ined that "Childrm arc much more reccpriv<' to 1('1'(";11ivc' toys, " 'here the child,s imagination comes i11to play, 1han lO loys ,,·hich deperid for their usefoln~s on b aucrics a nd merhanicil parL'L n Ii \VPC members in corpo-­

rated theil'own children into 1he movement jn a \'<J.riety of ""<l)"S,

Ghik lren ,vcre t=ucouragcd to give of 1hc:msel\'CS nu lier chafl their aJlowancc-s: "A f'hild might create a ccnifirau; rr.ading 'This C'ntiiles Aun1 Bessie 10 one car wash from 1bmmy.,ni.i A photo­gt'aph undec' tl,e headline "Children D isplay 'Rt-cycling' Talent in Wrapping Christmas Packages," in chc Madison Capital Times (Catured Elizabeth and Kache1·jne Davey joining with Curlis Liposcak (allchik lfcn ofWPC members) helping p,-eparc their famili~' gifls in wa~ 1'11('y'cl S<'<'n d<>mons1ratcd at 1 he Pc;w(' Festival: they wrapped the gifis in newspapers, maga7.incs, :=ind paper bags, using potato prints) pictures cul from ra'Lagaz:int-s1

and pineconcs as dC'coraLions. " Ribbons~· and ~!to-fromn labels

" 'el'e hand drawn wi1h ma1·kel's ... .:.

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A Local Movement Goes National VVPC's core membership t'.utcrtaincd "uo illLlSions of mak­

ing much or a dent in an economy Lhat t:ncotiragcs ovcr--con­

sumption/1 and so were amazed al how eager others W('rc to sprf'~d th<-' word o f' t hc·ir plan and to 1>ut it into actjon. Initial supp-Orl v·u11e li·orn 1IH• Madison chapter of Church \ Vomcn United, which publicized IVPC in its August-September newsletter. invited a \VPC rcpn:scntativc to speak al a foll fotum, aJld sent packets of VVomcn for a Pcarcfu] Christmas materials (including 1he group's mission statement and the hookJt>1 of suggestions by members Davey and L.:1.gerroos} lo all d1apter president$ and sratc officers throughout \ Visconsln. Urging that ,;Libera] organfaations 1nost help ea.ch other in order 10 suni vr," the Madiso11 branch of the J\AAC P cncou,0

aged its mernbers and friends lo patronize Lhc \VPC Peat:c Fcs­Liml, 110Ling that a 1>0nion of its 1>ronts would he pookd with 1he p roceeds of their own Chrisunas bazaat, with the proceecL;, to fund gilts for , he teenagecl members of Mnclison's needy familics.'10 Press coverage th~u bc~n in local church bulletins muslwoomecl to include scvcra) mujonal publications, indud­i.ng 1\iewsda)~ lhe Christian Sricnrr. :\fonitor, mid l\/omt:u's Day By No,·ember 19i l, 1he Madison women who couldn't organize in time lor the ) 1Hchigan , vomcn's BoycolC fOr Peace found to their delight lhat "Ann Arbor has joined us.'"'1 They also found Lheir<:uergies.so consumed \\~,h answeri ng the huge volume of mail tha t they lacked time to promote the proj ect Jocally.48 "The labor has been like giving birt..l1t said Nau C heney, "agonizing bul cxciting.''49

\V PC promotio11a l materials emphasized the irnportance of thinking globally while accing locally: " In the United States we remain rhe gross consumers of our planet while other people in 1hc war. 1or11 world suffer. \•\'o i-ncn for a l\:accfll l Ch rist1nas believes that lhose in the peace movcmcm have lo take rnort: sclf.sacrificing direcLions and chat people of peace must match ,heir prrs.onal priorities and lifr~Mylcs with lheir ideals."50 The number of prople who took this message of personal sact'ifice to heart is impossible lO know. In its firsl yea r alone. Vl PC ::inswered some 15,000 queries, scuding lO organizations and individuals " battle plans:' buuons. and their signature bum1.x:r s1jcker, which read, "No More Shopping Days Umil !'!'acc.''·;' Drlihf'rntely, none of the materials were cop~·J'ighted, and the

recipients were encouraged to adapt Lhcm to their local needs. Letters of e1uhusiastic support continued to pour in. Some spoke n1ovingly of their anguish at events a l home and :tbl'o.td. A woman from New Orlean::; applauded , VPC a.s '·a meaus of ' bringing home' to the nation the bridgelcss gulf hct,wcn a r.ornmmers' circus a t home and dcaLh in soulheasl Asfa."52

Focus on the Et1vironment \VPC's policica.1 interests were not limited to the confl in in

Vietnam. In a ;{ovcmber 197:1 news rdcasc, t ltc group aunoun<:;ed that noc only were ¢'foreign involvements as ques·

I 2

e ,. '

My bit for i!c;;ology-

th1s stationery is printed on 100% recycled paper

Women from all over the coumry expressed their solidarity through letters to the organizat ion. In her letter on Earth Day stationery, Martha MacMIiian of Michigan asks for more information on the gift-buying st~ke.

t ionabl«" as t>ver/ but there was a "newly added attraclion of domeslir scandal!> ri<ldling the whok big business/big gove1·n· mcnt rclationship."·~3 The oil embargo launched thC:' previous m o111 h in 1hc Middle East caused the price ofoil in the United States to quadwple by 1974. Suddenly the world's suppl)' or energy was a personal concern ofvlnually all Ai-nericans, not just the more. ahruistk fc::,v. As the wa1· in Vietnam drew to a dose, the focus of Women for a Peaceful Christmas shifted increasingly to cnvitonment.al issues. ~,findful of worldwide food and energy shortages and of 1>0Jlu1ion and economir uncenaim y, its members c,unpa.igncd cspcdaUy again.st waste, intluding 1hc purchase by the middle dnss of' unncc,~s...sary do1 hing anri non .. biodcgradablc plastics) and lhe use of energy jndliciem appliauces.51 \•Vhe,n asked charing the group's fow'lh year of operation if i ts goal was lO undennine "The American \Vay ofIJfc," Cheney responded, "I hope so. \\le ha\·c lo rel'hink the vvay we live. l can'1 believe we're so clcpcnclcm OH r uselc~s,

wi sco ns inh isto ry. org

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Carol Lampe, a sixteen-year-old girl from Fairfield, Connecticut.

expressed he-r support for the women in th is colorful letter. She

also promised to enlist the aid of her friends.

WINTER 2009 20TO

rnanufacnircdJ ·rhings, th;cn ,v<" ca n'r lea rn w make useful things, instead of lbuying] what Madison Avenue tells us we want." She also noted that ,-eta.ii $ales had been u1> by $700 mil­)jou in Novc::1 nbc:r a11d December or the prc,'lous year, "'and that in the m, me or one who had no,vhere to lay h is hcad."·'>5 \\' PC. denounced traditionally commcrtia1 Chri:-i'trnas celebrations as '\va.stcful of the cart.h~s enc11,:ry and resources} and encourngt,ng o(] a 1hing-cente1-ed, rathel' thau a pcople-<.:t:nlcrcd way of1jfc.'·!"i6 Si, nµUficd , cnd ronmcntally friend ly alrf'rmu ivcs allowed indi,iclua li; ''10 d ecide what's re:illy impol't:inL in life and whaLjusl gets iu the way."!11

Legacy and lhe Continualion of a Movement

On April 23, 197:,, Prrsi<lcnc Gerald for<l d ccla rPd an end to the Vietnam War. WPC's goal of peace was achieved and the group dis­banded. lts members did noL, however, rcLirc rrom social artivism. They and other won.len came: lo doininacc a variety of t:.ornmunity efforts clc-signed to promote peace a nd protect 1 he environment. {\ Vornen took on so man}' roles or politic.al lcadersl,ip in Dane Comity that it was n icknamed ' 1Damc County.")58 Former WP(: membe,·sjoined a variety of established agencies and orgauizmion.s aud found adclilional ways through whkh to pursue· t heir goals. Upo n join ing IVPC, Dorothy I .;igerroos recalls, "My life finaJJy camt togcther,n and she tTedits the g roup wiLh launching her into her lil<''s work. When Lagenoos was Slill a child i n suburban Long lslan<l, a friend of her moLhcr's l,ad spread 1 he- cnvironmcntaJ alarm through om the nr.igh• borhoocl alter reading Si/em Spring. For T .ager­roos, a self-described "bored you11g houSC\,ife,n iL was both burgeoning fcmlnism and chc v1rri1jng of Ewell G ib bons, who emphasized the unique merits of nmurally grown foods. Ll1al inspitcd htr 10 join \·Vomtn fOr a ]>c·acdlll Christma'; . .s!.1 T lw combint1tion of feminism, soci:'-ll justice, rn.,rure,

and food had "opened her eyes" and she contac1ed WPC to "get into Lhc action.·> As her fr iend Nan Cheney noted fondly

thiny-thie years late,~ L'\ge1·1·oos has been '1in10 ,he actionr ever since, Lccoming first au cnvironmcmal lawyer and lht:n a pro­ft.~$o r a t Norih land College. an insLitution \\~l h a dis1 inctiv,· emriromncntal liber;1l :irt.s nwr iculnm.60 I .age1·roos ,,r1'0tc ""'O pamphlet,, Your Role i11 the Act: A Citizeus Guide to I VE1% (\ Visconsin Environmental ProLccLion Act) ( 1977}1 and Citizens Advisory Commiaees: I-low 10 Make 'J 'hem Wo1* ( 1982), and

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rcrcntly co-authored the book Tiie f'ilen• Science of Susrain­al>iliry: Huildi1,g a FoundilLJOJI For GN·111 Change (2008). ,;,

N:u, C heney also carried forward the precept, ofWPC. In 2004, the Wisconsin Netwo,t for Peace andj ustice (W:si lj ) presented her with a Lifetime t\chicvcmcut <!\,..·cud for her decade, o i' cITon in promoting social j ustice in Wisconsin. C hrncy's long activist histOI')' included co-founcling the \\Cis­consin Coordiuat.ing Council on Nicamgua and the Social J us­tice Center and serving as president of tbc \ Visc:onsin Commwiity Fund Boal'd. She stmve to implemern foir housing Jcgislation ln rvfadison and iu the stale, ,vorkccl as a naturalist aud doct11t, and beca me a member of Madison branch of the

This photogtaph from 1982 shows long lines at a department store in

t he days after the holiday. While Women tor a Peaceful Christmas did

not make much of a dent in the over-consumi ng economy, they demonstrated that"powerle.ss" people. could wield meaningful power and in fluence.

Small business owners \11ere not alw ays frief'dl'y to the women who called for boycotts. This letter wE!nt so far as to claim that anti-war

activists wer~"stupid" and " failed human beings."

Raging Grannies, an internaLlonal o l'ganization of senior women who perform at various protests, raJlies,, and poJitical events) including the an nual Fighting Hob Fest in Ht1.raboo1

\•Visco1'1Slll.bi ]i('r dc:ditilt.ion co pc<tcc n.:rnains uuwa,·cring. In rcrc;i,~ng chc award she said~ ''\ ,V:'\1",RJ has always JOcusc:cl on the, issues of peace, which arc at the core of who we are as Americans. \Ve can't j ust do it a 1iule, here o r a Little there. 'Ne musl work for it always.''}63

Addiri<>nal aspects of the Cl'usade launched by Women for a Peaceful Chr istmas have been carried in to the new millen­nium. ~1lany fominisu urge women 1.0 rrcognizc and rcsis1 the oppression brought on by media insistence that women find power, joy, and fulfillrnem ,vh ile bonding wilh each other in an endless round of spending sprees on non~essential, envi~ ronmentall)'-damaging goods. Adbustcrs Media Foundation annually organizes lntcn1atio naJ Buy }:o thing Day, a ser ies of events and hoyc;mts in sixty-five- nations ,,·orld \\~de at lhe beginning of the major shopping season. T his campaign, like that or its predecessor, offel's a val'icly of alternatives to ram• pant materialism, promoting a "shopping-frenzy-free" holiday season.61 It tu·ges conside1·mion of tht major ecoJog1Cal and econornicaJ repercussions of consumptiou thaL is "mos1 fov<·rf'd" during ~he wint(T holiday season, including the per­pecuation of sweatshop labor and wasce of natural resources around the globe.

As Lhc founders of Wisconsin's Women for a Peaceful Christ­mas am icipaced, they did n o l make "much of a dent in an C<'Ot'l·

omy lht,t cncouragts over-consumptiou /' They ncvcrLhdcss dcmonstra.1.ccl that a. smalJ gr oup of wivc-s and homrmakrrs, aided by the new wave of tC1ninist and cn,~ronmemal rhougln, could wield meaningful power and innuen<:c ... n1eir message read1ed lhousands of people across the counn-y,, and contributed to the gl'o" ~ng national emironmental consciousness. ~\ll

.- a1 tt,- buyinS . , ne.y a.bout your O bt there a.re

r t Ma.Y concern, l.e i n woman s Without a. dou l.dn ' t • Q

i • • ~o \;hom your recent a.rtic i te this l et ter . Otherwi se they wou

tad. 111e to wr eni za.t1on. strilte has prom;, owners in your or s v e not h1.Il6 1'1h&t -no eina.ll. busi ness st upid idea.. s of ,Amer ica. , who h e.a t o make u;, 60 a.lone; witht h~~ms.l.l buei nes: ~~!~a. t o cnr 1stma.e 0 ~toien for the ak w:, wi th the war, 100d tbroue;hout t he ye~ , th1B t l.!lle , but m e soever to ol. •nd a.ama.ged. e;oods no• ra.1ee pr i ce s a ~ ..... 9 et o en ~ lt We o " .. ~ ~.,.oup . ,or .,... b pea.ce-nic s, pl.e 11tce yo- .,.. ., you 111oat part Y s.l a h t e;ets 1nto peo 1.ng hUJDall be111S8 • up 1n vol UJDe s 1; ~an' t 1ma.g1.ne w a. ha.Ve failed. at be , d at1l.1 f ind so111s -

1 simp • ety bees.use you a.r was over , you i t r e-pr essed enx d · even 1! the w as owners a.re

Is ver be ea.t1af1e ' wouJ.d.n ' t you? ~ r the ame.l.1 buaine 111ee • • , , •• ~~1.n~e to complain !b~u; ~u that about 3}" e~ and clot he th.e~e~S.:ur1ne; the

May 1 rem n eat odds lust to e of me.kins extra. a e 1are;e d.1 acount etruggl.i ne; aga.1~B!o~ eny them the r1~i1r e lilte others;...1.: stores at much and yet you ~:1r femi l1es m~ ~a.!! rchandise a.a t he e!s also , bUt not as hol.id&Y8 80 to sell. the aam l \llllBS• tha.t hurts t t stores . et ores 9;e e~b~:ce.uee they bU1!¢~o nations.llY t o O b~~~~t have hu~i s.n~~ nave 1.ower -pr .~.-• •~ «rOUl:>B cSl_!!,Pa -•-~ +.n 11our 5I'OUP ":'~ • ..,. oa.se , you 1!_._

-@-

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Notes I. Prt:ll."l l~ lcit"-", 1!111. " \\'Qln~"t, for;1 Pcaaful C:hri ,un.¥1." rokSt:r A, Women IOrii ftc11«ful (;t1ri1.umu, \\'l1":om;in Hi:<:tvnt;1I Soc>11J, {\l;iwb,.:(!n . \\'i:,,citlu»n. Hnr;d\1·rn•f.:r"·d to;u Wf'C. WHS. '!. ~;u1 Cbi:ucy, Ramlall D,w11bo11. St1S.11l G,,odkr, C.1iJ L .. uhc11~. Do,,,:d,~ l..:1R1-'11'U(O. ~l:iry Wlusne,. aod ))l)n \\'L1iti:lm:~d m,'l\lc \ 'aluabk ();M)ltil,ul11)11.~ tu 1kist1rtidt. t\ l>tidi1111odu<"-1ivt1 to \\'wt1ctl bt ,) Po.~ ful Oui..~1n..:1;.appt.11'S i(1 ~:\rKy C. l 1ni;~ r. '·Ccttdo:to'<l,-\p1>J•.of1d10 tv E,w1.t,,11mc·,u,,IJ1.1;.tlt~: ,\it Ui)t<11k11I S1u11r!log: iri S}'h'l:, lfood Wa~blug,,m. Pa,11 C. Rosicl', 11nd Htalliu Goodall, td}.. fa'OON Prom dlC" PoiwnrdH~IJ: Gl,...ful ,\lcYJl(JrirsofEmi, tQfJmtnrr.l h,j,.,•riff i...f11'lrlh1111.1. MO: l.r~,,~ton l~ookc, Wfll.i,), Ii 31. 3, \\'him<')' Gold, "'\\'onlt'n. for lffl('fil) CJ11i;1mi1~Shun Opul<11«'," C,'JJ)fotJ ·r,m,...·. NO\'~IYI · ho:,, I I. 1•m, 1> i,l~r~ \\'PC, WJ IS-,

~ --~\ 11 V ,\' , I

l -I, \\'l'C l'"'t,.,, Rc:-k-11..t', r-.,w~mbtr ;g 191!),1,. 2, 1-o!rlcr U. Wl'C, WH:5, ~ :"> • • '\f:,nry \\'olod1, 1~'0111,•rt m ,I~ ~ .. lmcii<.:m Jl.\p.-'t'1bK't' i'Nn, \'mk:

9 Allmd .\ . Knosif. l~·li. ~I~. . ' . \

_, .,, e~ 6. C:u-olp,, Mnd1i1nt. ' ·\\'amen ol' % llu.' f'1~rc<,11·1: Cv11~n11tiou

Mo,.~mdlt: 1900· 1916."' £.,n·i«m· mum'll R,:,·it'l• 8, ltc>. l (Spri1)!t L

••

In 2004, the Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice presented Nan Cheney with a lifetime Achievement award for her decades of effort promoting social justke in Wisconsin. Here she joined the famous "Raging Granny" demonstrations that followed

the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.

19&-t,,: o1 i. Uruigntd b) Gent\ -it\ e n+.).J)H,illl l•J Oi..tl'kl Co1)<t(\ \llk'lll1 Cl)<1irmc·n. cil'(a 19.17.p 2, lk....: 2, l;;.ldc'rG. Wi1f,:,rHin FMll'Y;,ti(,n 1\f

\\\)rnc:•f~ C:h1b<., WI I!'), 8, ~ N"n()· t:, VnJ:;er. ··The- We­Snl' \\'h." \\',. 'l'hinl: chtl.., .. WI,. m,1(1./r .\J,1~ 1·11,. ()(flisiary 9(),tl(o,

I iAuurnm :l(lfibJ: I& 17. 9 . • \Ir$. ,Uber• 'rocpCe.r. ~eu.,:11•r­\-:tlion ••f N:1htr:ll l<.tivur<X~: '<iliuiµ,c, :\1,c:l(I.'" r-.1:,~ 21, 19-Jil. lki.t :?:, Fc.idcrC. \\,..1ji;c,1t'lin Fnkr• :irif>n of \\(;lll("O'-; Cl~. \\'HS. l&1tpk\:1i .. in 0tii;i1):dJ 10. l.!ni'8ncd hy Gc·!lC\ 11;w

l~raml ad to Di.~rkl <.:onscr\atioo Cl~im..-11, t> 2, H St·.:- Amr ~" e-rdk"', U i:w'1Jt"t1 ,.::.rnl.,. li)f' fhl<'('' ' l ,nrli;i;ifl.ll ,'1,'Jl.1•· c•r11,,..'l(l ,11,rl H.,'t<H,·,J 1\>liik.t in rb,• W6<J,; (Chk:1,ro: Unh\"rsit)' or Chic:'RD {)IT:u, 1003:,. 12. l'l1a1: ,1,igimil br,;~1dc:n .. 1 in Onolwr w:11> '->llnwl"I I 11p hy :1 IIM> grant <ledi(oUed IO N'V11!\•,: oflhe buo)k.11,c w:sJu~w,·11: 1r L1\J:s<I· C"J1t in ti!('! 7:00 p.n). ~1o, iu °'~cuil)IT, R;v,d,U Oovidwu t<> ;l.UC)lil)f',cfllail j ,ll'IU:'!t~ 29. 2009.

11. J,ii,<b l.cnr. R:t<l,d C.t(.~;,1: \1 'itt1~ Wt .\'iJCl/.t(' .Ntw , ~lr~: l frnq; J 10!1, W')i;,. 2.'f..t-60, 11 s« Sc("·rin lJ(l:oll , ""Hr,,., \\'iM,•m,•i,.,; ,,.,~ \\'<1n," • .\mMi.":m H<·riw.~ ~I. no I fklm 1:.u)'­M11.rd 1 20<!0,c 98 10.), :u1d \'cm Norwood, -R..:irhd ( ::1nn1:1t in

'.\ lr11iJ •> 11.uhff', rrl,.. 1'hr AnN·rN' .an R.,d1e:1I (Kc\', Vo1k Roudcd~. 19'..'I!. 31!1 U. l!i 1.c:<t, R.-,d,d C:,n•m: HJ/IN~\" lot i~d111r, 42l

16. Adan• R..11:nt, '"tiit. (' E.'ltlh a <.:11:lf)('('': Jl,(' E,~,iroo1otn111) M0\1tn11.•1u ,md tile :,ixt.ic:3.'' J 0t1t'1'ltllt'lfAJ.1wri,-:m Hi,1ory9<J, 1)()_ 2 !S<p4n)tlx·t 2003t 5aG-'31 17, Ibid. 5:lfo )7, 18. "'Juoc 21 S,unpl(' CO\'fr-4"1.· ... o:ollagt or cippi1tgS. Fllldcr 8. \\'JI(.:_ WJ IS. Sec :iho " \ \'omw PIMI B<l)((,I\ ~ Prll(t'<>;'ljm..-21,"' fk__.,\l(Jinr., R(#-fM,j\l))r 3. 1971, 1>, 11, ~-.,1;1..., 3, , ... pt:, WHS, 19 S,.(' '' l..,w:,I S.,:,rr~ l'i'('I $orn,:, 1,:0('>, ,:,f \foni,.•1\11 l'xi?'l'lll." S.1111,1 (f.11f):1m J\ ~,,.., I'm« in .. June- 21 .~ n,pa,- c;,.,,'(T,'lg('," c;o!b ~ ,,f l'lippin~. J-()ld(r(I, Wl'( i, W I IS, ·io. l)on;,th} I.ink, "C:lmsim:ill c::m Ix ~°"d k>f 1:,11111~ C.tcnrr:i1i"m,- c;;,rf,Qfi,. Nrr.,/d ( :,11 Xf'f•. :'ll°',·111ll<'r 10., !!Iii, fokloM' 8. \\•P(\ \\'HS. 21. Vif.':iJu:, 2h•io:kl..i, ".\l;id!S()Q \\o men \\'.l!(C \\':itm1 \\'.Ir,- Hu,;rk·At1wrlr.:ut, J ul) J H. l!J71, Fol1kr8. \VPC. WM!'.>. 22. ljnl;, "f'umn:C~rJ1Wi1'1i:.• 23. \\'Utk\m S. fk:<-kr, ff\\1)11lw Pu~li k.>1 l't:,nfut Cl,mtm:1);.., C'lipph,i,: flo 111 uoid,:util,~1.I CM11vo, lltiooi). ,ww~J1i1pt1, F,;llk:r8. Wl'C. \\'HS. 21 Link. ''Fulun Gn,rrali~on.,," 25. Ibid.

WINTER 2009- 2010

2G. 11,kL 2i. Wil!i:m, S. Brd. .... ,"·M<iu()' T;tlb .' \ \ '<111k:n S:,y; 81~u1t1 Sl•>J111'1\!,: in W:ir. \\':."c Pro duo.~<n•." C,'.1JJ1't..1J 1im, '4 ~owrnhcr22, 1971. l,)lc3rdl. \\'PC. \\°HS. 28. Nt'iH RA~. Woo'M':n !Ma P<"'aC4:fu) Chu.,t (tl/lS, ~IA..-:mbo.'t t!Jil. f'Okk-1 8. WPC:. \\'HS. 29. Gold. "'5hu1\ 01)1.1lro)&'., .. 'lO, Nt111 Gt.('ut) tv R,.11ali1: {:,..,,..:,(!, CX:t,,b<·1 30, 1!>71, Fo.,lde, 6, \\'PC, H'HS. J I. Tdcpbon.: im<-rvit\~ "'itl, Don~I•)' La.gcrro,;,,.Jonua11 2-1, w ua. 12, \\'P(.! ~Ki R<'I._...A"·, i\1Y,-,•ml-...r IW'i p. 'l, Fooit-r8. WPC, Wl I~ 33. lhid, 1-2, 31, Golrl. ''tihun Upukn(t'," 35. N1m<y U11nllf('o('Jt1,' \\',,mC'n Pmm,,1(" l\mr,•fill f•l'c,;('nl",., D.lilt C.nvlfo.'11. f>«l'mhtt I, nm, t'oltkr f;, WI'<;, WHS ' %. ('..._.kt, "Shun 01)\ill'1\f.'i';" L1mhn:ch1, "'l'r.11rPG1I l' m;t"nt~" 37. CJ~· 11> Conl)n, Owhr:lO., 1911. fuldc:r6, \\'PC, \\'HS. ;18, fkd:iT, "'.\fom:\''l:IIJu," ,~ •. 11,id. . 10. l.i.11k. "Chri,umu C:u, Ix- Saved. II. Ek~trt . .. \\'om,:,o Pml, to, J\_~fuJ Chri.U1ml1." t2. G('l}d, "Shuit Opuk1\l.'t." l3. Lamb.c.~lu, '·P<".a~o:fu.l P11:~r n111." l I. Link. "Cl11iwn.a.1 ,-an be Sa\'<'d." l5, "C:hitdi'co Oirpl:1~· ' RtC').:i,1g'' falw1 in \\'11•1){1inJ:" Chl'im,1.~u Pat k,1$,1.'l>," ('l.I)i1,tl 'fi11'w~. Ow·rnbtr l(i, 1971. Fold,•r 6, \\1"C, \\'fJS 16, c~r-:11 li;.r.,nwr ,., .NA/\(:1' i'.\1,·m~t! 41nd Frii.'llrh., 11oc.b1NI, Ff,lrl,•r 6. wv<:, \\'fl:$ -+7. ti,'11:. "C:l11'i-11n:i.\ rnn ll<' ::;..,m --ta - He~ .ii\'.' Wonwn fQr .i l°('a(.'('liil t:hri<,tni.a<,- (:lmr('}, l1{1m.:m, ('-.'()'1~1111'H:r 1911, p. t!,, F'aldt--r f.l. \\TC, \\'Ii$.. -19. l .. mk, "Gbri.{Ullll..{ n m I)(' lfa,\"'ll." 50. Ibid. '.i i. Bed:ie-r. -\\'omen Pmh Gn- Pcan:1\11 Cluhun~." '1'l . 01, 1tc.1· ti) (:UO.m, Ortull0'30, 1971. !tS. PN°l'.{ llclo:itse. Nffl.i:1)'jbtr 191'3. fokkr 3. WPC'. WHS. ~·I. L\mbredu, '"P<~t,:fill Prrn.'llu..,. \\'PC Prn~ Rdn~. 1971. lb1ckr 8. WPC. WMS. :is. "J,.ru, Ouplay~ ldt-.. u fvr Noo,C:,mnk'i"tlal Holld~·- C.'Jpfoll Time.(. Ko,.'tn;btt' 27. 1914. Fflld,'18. WPC. \\'HS. 56, Pin, UdtMc:, 111ld~1n l. f'Vklttr 8. \\'PC, WMS, 5i, "fair Displuys Id~.,· iA, T'*'i>lwml' ini<-nit,, ,.._1,11 llom1l,v l~~n'()(I• J :onU,U)' 'i,1, 2(11'1').

59, ll)i(I 60, i\~n C.:tu.'lll')' to.iu1l;or, e-nt."liJ,Janu:ur 2l, 2009, Iii. l)rn..:111~· l~riuoo. fow• H.,,,J.,. in 11,r An: A (:;,;:u,,._, Guid,~ r,> WE{',.\ , \\'isroniin l•:mi. rr,nmcm:,.1 PrQl<'i'lion :\re , 1~1:tdi•nn, WI: C )/fir,. of:0,1;11t• l'!:uming :incl t .ltl'rg';', 19ii;,; (,Yti ;(f'll$ t\(1n~(tl1' f:flri11m11t•,>,·: Hfll,. (Q M.1~ 'T11('1t1 l\ i.ri' l'.\bdi•<1n: tlr1iw r,;i()' r,f \ \'ismmin f:.X1('fl$ll)ll, l!.'l!t.?,;a,·:imhored Mlh Sa.Ur Gocmcr;u1d ll<l,b,:n Dyck, l'hc N~" Sd,:11teW&,­l :ui1.:1l~H1r: !Ju}Jdmx:, fo,mdau',m fr"· Gn·.t, Clwrxe Ch:1pd t hU. /'{(:: Trbn,tf,t Cnarr M

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U{Jl)l)1tuuili\--S. :lud o.:ult':rttinultfol. F~l,1in,:. Lkib fut <'"..Ar1 itS m, !111,' 11·.c:liliv1lc.of l~ t ·H$:bl­iui; Bob' Y f'Olk:11..-bn'""'idiui; t\ f..,,"'" IVrproi:;.-ni,:iw id\'ti on iS'tuofotl11s Wi,.v1)il11 a ,,d the 1t,11ivn." ··Wb,11 i~ n ... 1., Fe?>!.?" f{{.;t,,v,g IJ,,,b I~. bupt ,w\\·J~hdn~Nl,f<-;1.0fgt'. 63. \Vi,co.:ain Goml)1uni1)' Fuod. " \\"!\PJ lfo1)C)f'i Nan Chene(' l\ ladi~n Times Nc•H a1 a Cl!o!l<.~, Nt,\l'ftl.l)('r :,lfl() l, hll[l(/J\,""" ·m{l(hirt'lti-('00\1{1•• i,k~fn,:,.•:2()(1 I_ l(gl1\1k·t3 l,1m, 61, U•,,1J crvif:, ''Th<.' Ri1th t-lolid.\'y Gif, Gui<t-,tt Ri«·h, !Fall 20031'. !H St'<· "Hw .7\<••hing l l.1y," , \rll~N<'l'S. hupi/"''"" fldht1!f.,.r.,, ,:irp;'<amp<1iW)\1hnd ·

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

N11ncy C. Ung• r is an associate professor of history at Santa Clara University, Her study of Wisconsin's La Follette famityind udes the

award-winning biography Fighting Bob La Fo/letre: The Righteous Refonner(updated in

a paperback edition by the W1.Sconsin His­torical Society Press, 2008). She writes for

the History News Service and FightingBob.com. Her work on the role of gender in environmental history includes "The We Say What We Think Club"in the Autumn 2006 issue of the WJSconsin Magazine

of Hisrory. Her current book project is Be.yond Nature's Housekeep­ers: American Women in Environmental History, to be published by Oxford University Press.

15