Women's Center Records

The Hampshire College Womens Center formed in 1973 by a group of women students and faculty. These individuals committed to the women's movement and feminist studies and wanted a location where women could meet and establish a resource center. Anne Hackler a recent alumni in the 70's acted as a coordinator for the Women's center until 1981. It was then that, Nannette Sawyer another alumni of Hampshire College, was hired as the official coordinator and helped the Women's Center evolve though 1994. Nannette obtained new office space for the center twice during her employment. First in the 80's she relocated the center from an obscure and unknown part of campus to the first floor of the Harold Johnson Library. In 1993, Nanette moved the center to have its own space, within the Enfield mods where it is located today. The Women's Center often held events such as movie nights, Unity and Diversity Conferences, Seminars on feminist thinking, awareness of sexual and relationship violence and Women's Self Defense classes. They also provided spaces for female minority writers to present their work as well as support groups for lesbians, sexual violence survivors, and men who wanted to learn more. The center has been associated with and provided support for other related groups, among them the Counselor Advocates, the Feminist Studies Network, and the Lesbian Alliance. The Women's Center was renamed to "Center for Feminisms" and works as a department of community advocacy and student life which works to strive for an anti-sexist campus.