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Miriam Van Waters

Miriam Van Waters (1887–1974) was an American prison reformer who served as superintendent of the Reformatory for Women in Framingham, Massachusetts, for 25 years. 

Portrait of Miriam Van Waters
Portrait of Miriam Van Waters, ca. 1920-1925. Ethel Sturges Dummer Papers. Hollis #: olvwork20016629
Related
Miriam Van Waters Papers Anna Spicer Gladding and Miriam Van Waters Papers Research Guide: Criminal Justice Research Guide: LGBTQ

Van Waters earned a PhD in anthropology in 1913 and worked at several juvenile facilities for girls in Los Angeles later that decade. Her experience with these “delinquent” women and girls led her to develop a reformist approach to the usual criminal punishments of the time. Van Waters advocated for counseling, education, health care, and meaningful work to be part of juvenile and adult justice programs. Van Waters’s progressive policies at the Reformatory for Women at Framingham included emphasizing psychological treatment, allowing mothers to keep their children with them, and broadly interpreting the Massachusetts indenture system to allow for more day work. Her liberal views on penal reform brought her both praise and condemnation. 

Portrait of Miriam Van Waters
Formal portrait of Miriam Van Waters
Miriam Van Waters outside.
Miriam Van Waters sitting in her office.
Miriam Van Waters' papers from 1942-1943. Outlines date and time for Seventh Annual Meeting.
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Collections

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Betty Friedan at Second Women's March Betty Friedan at Second Women's March Betty Friedan at podium Betty Friedan, seated with copies of her book Portrait of Betty Friedan working at a desk with a typewriter Portrait of Betty Friedan in Junior High School

Betty Friedan

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Portrait of Florynce Kennedy speaking at California State University

Florynce Kennedy

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Portrait of Murray seated in front of a Magnolia tree Portrait of Murray Portrait of Murray seated in front of a Magnolia tree Portrait of Pauli Murray Pauli Murray standing in front of a microphone, reading from Dark Testament and Other Poems Portrait of Murray wearing her clerical collar

Pauli Murray

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Group of women attending NOW conference in Houston Group of women attending NOW conference in Houston Group portrait of NOW founders at NOW's organizing conference in Washington, DC Women at National ERA March Women holding NOW and "Lesbian Rights" signs at Lake Worth Gay/Lesbian Pride event People attending the NOW demonstration

Records of the National Organization for Women

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Group portrait of Black Women Oral History Project Advisory Board Portrait of Rosa Parks Group portrait of Black Women Oral History Project Advisory Board Portrait of Ozeline Wise Portrait of Dorothy Height Portrait of Eva B. Dykes

Black Women Oral History Project

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June Jordan seated in front of bookcase June Jordan seated outdoors in grass June Jordan seated in front of bookcase June Jordan, on far right, with Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Nana Maynard, Ntzoke Shange, Vertamae Grosvenor and others

June Jordan

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Portrait of Dorothy West, seated in chair on a deck Dorothy West autographs a book at the book party held at Reckling Studio in her honor Dorothy West in her New York City apartment. West is seated on a couch, holding a pad of paper on her lap Dorothy West standing in front of a pier at Oak Bluffs beach on Martha's Vineyard Portrait of Dorothy West seated at her writing desk

Dorothy West

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Portrait of Susan B. Anthony Portrait of Susan B. Anthony Portraits of Stanton and Anthony together Susan B. Anthony seated, and reading a book Susan B. Anthony and others, possibly members of the Anthony family, on porch Side profile portrait of Susan B. Anthony

Susan B. Anthony

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Alice Paul Papers Schlesinger Olvwork20002619 Portrait of Paul, holding a book Alice Paul Papers Schlesinger Olvwork20002619 Portrait of Alice Paul Anna Wiley telephoning Doris Stevens accompanied by other women Photograph of Alice Paul sewing stars on the suffrage flag as others look on

Alice Paul

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Portrait of Maud Wood Park Portrait of Maud Wood Park Gathering in front of the National American Woman Suffrage Association headquarters on the arrival of Jeannette Rankin in Washington as the first U. S. Congresswoman Portrait of Maud Wood Park wearing cap and gown Maud Wood laying on rock, outdoors Group portrait of eight women holding a sign listing the planks to be presented by the NLWV to the Democratic Platform Committee. Pattie Ruffner Jacobs (left) and Maud Wood Park (right) are holding the sign

Maud Wood Park Papers in the Woman's Rights Collection

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Group portrait of members of the Blackwell family on a dwelling porch Group portrait of members of the Blackwell family on a dwelling porch Portrait of Marian Blackwell seated Elizabeth Blackwell seated with an open book on her lap View of Antoinette Louisa Brown Blackwell (right) and Alice Stone Blackwell (left) seated in a horse-drawn carriage decorated with flowers for a parade Woman's Journal button with portrait of Lucy Stone

Blackwell Family

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