Osta Underwood papers, 1947-1995 (bulk 1965-1979)
(Document/manuscript/pamphlet/archival material)

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LocationCall NumberStatus
Special Collections - Upon RequestWorkroom range 2 section 5Library Use Only

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Subjects

LC Subjects
Baker, Howard H., -- Jr. -- (Howard Henry), -- 1925-2014.
Busines and Professional Women/USA -- Records and correspondence.
Business and Professional Women's Foundation -- Records and correspondence.
Constitutional amendments -- Ratification.
Constitutional amendments -- Tennessee.
Constitutional amendments -- United States.
Dunn, Winfield, -- 1927-
Equal rights amendment -- United States.
Equality before the law -- United States.
Financial institutions -- Tennessee -- Nashville.
Ford, Betty, -- 1918-2011.
Honolulu (Hawaii).
Insurance companies -- Tennessee -- Nashville.
International Women's Year, 1975 -- Records and correspondence.
Nashville (Tenn.) -- History -- Sources.
Nashville (Tenn.) -- Social conditions.
National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs -- Records and correspondence.
Nixon, Pat, -- 1912-1993.
Nixon, Richard M. -- (Richard Milhous), -- 1913-1994.
Prejudices -- Tennessee -- Nashville.
Prejudices -- United States.
Sex discrimination against women -- Law and legislation -- United States.
Sexism -- Tennessee -- Nashville.
Sexism -- United States.
Tennessee -- Social conditions.
Tennessee. -- Commission on the Status of Women -- Records and correspondence.
Underwood, Osta, -- 1914-2002.
United States. -- Dept. of Health and Human Services. -- Secretary's Advisory Committee on the Rights and Responsibilities of Women -- Records and correspondence.
West, Ben, -- 1911-1974.
Women -- Employment -- Tennessee -- Nashville.
Women -- Employment -- United States.
Women -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- Tennessee -- Nashville.
Women -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- United States.
Women -- Social conditions.
Women -- Societies and clubs.
Women -- Tennessee -- Nashville.
Women -- United States.
Women lawyers -- Tennessee -- Nashville.
Women's rights -- Tennessee -- Nashville.
Women's rights -- United States -- History.
Zonta Club of Nashville -- Records and correspondence.

More Details

Format
Document/manuscript/pamphlet/archival material
Physical Desc
ca. 3.7 cu. ft.
Language
English

Notes

Organization & arrangement of materials
Organized into the following series by format: I. Photographs; II. Speeches; III. Correspondence; IV. Personal Achievements; V. Women's Rights Advocacy.,Arranged chronologically within sub-series.
General Note
Materials housed in the Special Collections Division of the Main Library, Nashville Public Library.
Restrictions on Access
In library use only. Available by appointment.
Description
Scope and content: The collection documents Underwood's life through photographs, correspondence, newspaper clippings, speeches, certificates, and a notebook compiled at her retirement. Her activity in various women's rights advocacy capacities is documented by publications from the Secretary's Advisory Committee on the Rights and Responsibilities of Women and the Tennessee Commission on the Status of Women. Underwood's work with both the Tennessee/Nashville and the National Business and Professional Women's Federations is also clearly documented in this collection. In addition to Underwood's activity in these organizations, much can be learned about the organizations themselves through publications such as pamphlets, convention programs, and annual reports and through administrative information such as bylaws, policy and procedure guides, board meeting minutes, contact directories, and programming materials. Passage of the Equal Rights Amendment receives strong focus in the collection with information on the campaign to pass the ERA both nationally and in Tennessee. Underwood's own statements, B&PW's testimonies and pamphlets, and articles from ally organizations and individuals appear in this part of the collection.
Description
Individuals pictured in the Photographs series include Betty Ford, Pat Nixon, and Mayor Ben West of Nashville. Individuals who corresponded with Underwood include President Richard Nixon, Governor Winfield Dunn of Tennessee, and Senator Howard Baker of Tennessee.
Preferred Citation of Described Materials
Cite as: Osta Underwood Papers, Special Collections Division, Nashville Public Library.
Terms Governing Use and Reproduction
This material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code).
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Sydney Rogers;,Gift;,2002.,Acc. RT-109.
Biographical or Historical Data
Osta Underwood was born in Knoxville and attended Nashville Business College. While working for Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, Underwood completed her law degree at the Nashville YMCA Night Law School. Underwood was heavily involved in women's right advocacy, choosing professional organizations as her avenue of campaigning. A founding member of the Zonta Club of Nashville, Underwood soon became involved in the Business and Professional Women's Federation. A leader at both the local and national levels, Underwood was an invaluable guide for such important women's issues as the right of women to serve on juries, women in the workforce and the Equal Employment Opportunity Law, the Equal Rights Amendment, Title IX, and abortion. Though Underwood influenced many women's issues, the battle to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, the peak of which occurred during her presidency of the National B&PW, was her strongest focus. Underwood performed her women's rights advocacy while also working full time at Metropolitan Life. With her law degree, she became an expert in estate planning. Additionally, she was active in the Republican Party and the Baptist church. She retired in 1990 and died in 2002.
Language
In English.
Cumulative Index/Finding Aids
Finding aid available in repository;,folder level control,https://assets.library.nashville.org/documents/finding-aids/Special_Collections_Division_Finding_Aid_Underwood.pdf.
Action
Process;,2006;,Johanna Russ.
Accumulation and Frequency of Use
No further accruals are expected.

Citations

APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)

Underwood, O. Osta Underwood papers .

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Underwood, Osta, 1914-2002. Osta Underwood Papers. .

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Underwood, Osta, 1914-2002. Osta Underwood Papers .

MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)

Underwood, Osta. Osta Underwood Papers

Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.

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