Molly Martin Tradeswomen Collection
Scope and Contents
The Molly Martin Collection (1971-2018; undated) contains 13 boxes and 5.6 linear feet of material documenting Martin's professional life and involvement with the labor and nontraditional women's occupation movement in Northern California as well as in national tradeswomen's groups and projects. The collection comprises mostly of material from Tradeswomen, Inc., an organization dedicated to recruitment, retention, leadership and development for women in blue-collar skilled craft; and includes items such as financial records; meeting agendas and minutes; proposals; notes; memorandums; and correspondence. Also included in this collection are: reports; clippings; publications; flyers; educational resources; conference and workshop materials; proposals; financial documents; and other material related to various tradeswomen organizations, projects, and programs.
This collection is organized into seven series:
The Personal Papers series contains correspondence, speech notes, interviews, a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition, and other documents belonging to or about Molly Martin.
The Tradeswomen Inc., Papers series contains financial records; meeeting minutes and agendas; proposals; notes; and other documents related to Tradeswomen Inc.
The City and County of San Francisco, Commission on the Status of Women series contains material such as correspondence; reports; and documents from Martin's time as a member of the Commission on the Status of Women. Many of the documents focus on topics such as sexual harrassment; discrimination; women in the workforce; and affirmative action.
The Tradeswomen Organizations and Related Groups series contains newsletters; meeting agendas and notes; memorandums; and other documents regarding various tradeswomen organizations and related groups.
The Career Development in the Trades series contains materials such as brochures; reports; statistics; newsletters; clippings; as well as conference and workshop programs; proposals; flyers; and other documents related to seminars and training opportunities for women in non-traditional jobs.
The Subject Files series contains articles; news clippings; flyers; reports; and other material regarding affirmative action, apprenticeship, tradeswomen in the press, unions, and other topics related to women in the workforce.
The Photographs series contains photographs of a woman owned mechanic shop; images taken at solidarity day; images of a female air traffic controller; images taken at an unnamed event; and images of plumbers named Amy and [Joycilin].
Dates
- 1971-2018; undated
Creator
- Martin, Molly (Compiler, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
There are no access restrictions on this collection.
Conditions Governing Use
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Archives and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical materials and not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Biographical / Historical
Molly Martin is a tradeswoman activist, electrician, and electrical inspector for the city of San Francisco who has worked to promote opportunities for women in the skilled trades through awareness of gender and racial discrimination in the workplace, as well through the support of training opporuntities and educational programs.
After Martin became an electrician in 1976, she along with several other female electricians formed a group in order to discuss experiences commonly shared by tradeswomen. Soon after, San Francisco Women in Trades (SFWIT) was formed. In 1984, SFWIT sought out two supervisors and asked them to sponsor a hearing on women in the trades. Testimonies were collected from women who had been passed over for jobs or promotions, and were victims of sexual harrassment. After the hearing, SFWIT began working with the city of San Francisco on several projects including assisting with writing a new affirmative action program; improving the city's sexual harrassment ordianance; assisting with recruitment; and monitoring progress in regards to hiring and promoting women in trades. As a result of this work, the mayor appointed Martin to the city's Commission on the Status of Women.
Molly Martin was also a member of Tradeswomen Inc., who's mission is to: "recruit more women into construction and related trades; promote retention of women in the trades; and develop their capacity for leadership and career growth, on the job and in their unions." ("Mission", Tradeswomen, Inc.) Martin was also an editor of Tradeswomen Magazine, a quarterly magazine providing information, resources, and profiles on tradeswomen devoted to non-traditional blue collar employment for women.
Sources: "Mission" Tradeswomen Inc., https://tradeswomen.org/mission/; and material located in Molly Martin Collection SPC.2018.061, Series I: Personal Papers; and Series II: Tradeswomen, Inc.
Extent
13 boxes
5.6 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
This collection documents the professional life of Molly Martin, an electrician and city building inspector, and her involvement with the labor and nontraditional women's occupation movement in the San Francisco Bay Area as well as in national tradeswomen's groups and projects. Materials include: documents related to career development including apprenticeship and vocational programs; reports; periodicals; flyers; clippings; conference and workshop material; material related to Tradeswomen Inc. and other tradeswomen organizations; photographs; and subject files concerning affirmative action, employment, gender,and labor unions.For digitized material related to all tradeswomen archives collections please consult the Tradeswomen Archives Project.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in eight series:
- Series I: Personal Papers, 1982-2017
- Series II: Tradeswomen, Inc. Papers, 1980-2017; undated
- Series III: City and County of San Francisco, Commission on the Status of Women , 1988-1990
- Series IV: Tradeswomen Organizations and Related Groups, 1974-2018; undated
- Series V: Career Development in the Trades, 1978-2015; undated
- Subseries A: Tradeswomen Related Programs and Projects , 1980s-2002; undated
- Subseries B: Workshops, Events, Meetings, and Conferences , 1988-2015
- Sub-Series C: enTrade Materials , 1991-1996; undated
- Series VI: Subject Files , 1971-2009; undated
- Series VII: Photographs , June 1988; May 1989; December 1991; undated
- Series VIII: Moving Images and Audio Files, 1989, 1994, undated
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was donated by Molly Martin, 2018; 2020; 2024.
- Title
- Inventory of the Molly Martin Tradeswomen Collection
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Karen Clemons
- Date
- 2020-11; 2024-10
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the California State University Dominguez Hills, Gerth Archives and Special Collections Repository
University Library South -5039 (Fifth Floor)
1000 E. Victoria St.
Carson CA 90747
310-243-3895
archives@csudh.edu