Mary Dickens papers

Collection — Folder: 1

Identifier: IWA0314

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The papers date from 1991 to 1993 and consist of seven items. The materials are comprised of newspaper clippings and poems. The newspaper clippings are photocopies of newspaper articles about National Night Out in Waterloo, dating from 1992, and an article, circa 1991, about Dickens's baking for shut-ins. The collection also includes photocopies of Dickens's poems. The first, "Just Say 'No' to Drugs," is photocopied from Great Poems of Our Time (Maryland, National Library of Poetry, 1993).

Dates

Creation: 1991-1993

Creator

Dickens, Mary, 1925-2014 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The papers are open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright held by the donor has been transferred to the University of Iowa.

However, copyright status for some collection materials may be unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owner. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility and potential liability based on copyright infringement for any use rests exclusively and solely with the user. Users must properly acknowledge the Iowa Women’s Archives, The University of Iowa Libraries, as the source of the material. For further information, visit https://www.lib.uiowa.edu/sc/services/rights/

Biographical / Historical

Mary Dickens was a Waterloo community activist and poet. Born August 20, 1925, Dickens grew up in Greenwood, Mississippi and spent 23 years in Chicago before moving to Waterloo in 1974. Her community involvement began in Chicago when she organized community residents and worked with mayor Richard Daley to get a swimming pool for their neighborhood. In Waterloo, she volunteered at four nursing homes and was active in Habitat for Humanity, Operation Threshold, Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA,) Waterloo Women's Civic Club, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the United Methodist Church, among other organizations. She headed Waterloo's National Night Out celebration for several years. Dickens's service to her community also included baking her famous pies and other treats for area shut-ins, school children, and the Salvation Army.