Magdalen Meade papers
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Scope and Contents
The Magdalen Meade papers date from 1891 to 1992 and measure 7 linear inches plus artifacts and audiocassettes. The papers are arranged in four series: Biographical, Politics, Farm Accounts, and Artifacts.
The Biographical series contains information about Magdalen Meade as well as members of her family, including her mother Pellagia Birrer Walsh. The family history information includes a family tree with detailed birth and death information, as well as occupation, education, and religious affiliations of family members. In the oral history interview with Magdalen Meade conducted by her son-in-law Andor Skotnes in 1992, Meade discusses her childhood in rural southeast Iowa and her family, education, marriage and children. The series also contains Meade's wedding diary and her recipe notebook.
The Politics series concerns Magdalen Meade's political activism and includes information about the Iowa Constitutional Convention of 1980, the Iowa Democratic Party, news clippings, and correspondence. Also included is detailed information on the 1982 gubernatorial campaign of Roxanne Conlin for which Meade was Henry County Democratic Party coordinator.
The Farm Accounts series consists of farm record books of the Meade farm from 1962-1973. The accounts contain detailed information on insurance, livestock, crops, and taxes.
The Artifacts series contains Democratic political campaign buttons, and other paraphernalia associated with Meade's political activities.
Dates
- Creation: 1891-1992
Creator
- Meade, Magdalen (1913-2005) (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
Magdalen Walsh Meade, farmwoman and political organizer, was born January 12, 1913 in Riverside, Iowa. Her parents were Cornelius W. Walsh (1874-1947) and Pellagia A. Birrer Walsh (1878-1959). Magdalen Walsh attended St. Mary's Grade School and graduated from St. Mary's High School in Riverside, Iowa in 1930. She also attended Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa from 1931 to 1932. On January 2, 1936 Magdalen Walsh married Ralph James Meade. The couple farmed in southeast Iowa, and eventually resided in Mount Pleasant, Iowa with their children. Along with the responsibilities of being a farmwoman, Magdalen Meade was also active in politics, serving as Henry County Democratic Party chairman, and continued to be active in Democratic Party activities and campaigns through the 1980s. Meade also served as secretary of the Mount Pleasant Historic Preservation Commission for twelve years during the late 1980s and 1990s.
Extent
7.00 linear inches
Photographs in Box 1; 7 audiocassettes [AC826-832] boxes
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Iowa farm woman and political organizer who was active in Roxanne Conlin's gubernatorial campaign in 1982.
Method of Acquisition
The Magdalen Meade papers (donor no. 697) were donated by Magdalen Meade in 2000 and 2002.
Subject
- Democratic Party (Iowa) (Organization)
- Meade, Magdalen (1913-2005) (Person)
- Skotnes, Andor (Person)
Genre / Form
- Archives (groupings)
- Autobiographies
- Cultural artifacts
- Diaries
- Diaries
- Oral histories
- Oral histories
- Personal papers
- Photographs
- Sound recordings
Geographic
Occupation
Temporal
Topical
- Author
- Stacy Ross, 2002
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- eng
Repository Details
Part of the Iowa Women's Archives Repository
100 Main Library
University of Iowa Libraries
Iowa City IA 52242 IaU
319-335-5068
319-335-5900 (Fax)
lib-women@uiowa.edu