Keene State College Opens "Granny D" Archives to the Public; Legendary Activist's Legacy Captured in Memorabilia
Keene, NH, September 14, 2011: Keene State College prepares to celebrate the life and influence of political activist and icon Doris “Granny D” Haddock, by introducing her collection of nationally-recognized letters, photographs, and memorabilia that has been donated to Keene State College. These historic materials will be available at the Keene State College’s Mason Library to students, faculty, the local community, and the public at large as a vital resource on social justice.
What: Invitation to the opening of Doris “Granny D” Haddock’s nationally-recognized collection of letters, photographs and memorabilia documenting her political activism for campaign finance reform. The collection includes letters from legendary musician Peter Seeger, Vice President Joe Biden, “Patch” Adams, and former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold.
This collection will be available to use in research as part of Mason Library’s New Hampshire Social Justice Collection.
Where: Keene State College’s Mason Library Archives and Special Collections Keene, NH
When: Saturday, September 24th
Speakers: 1p.m. - 3 p.m.
Musical performances begin at 3 p.m.
Interview and photo opportunities available with Keene State College President Helen Giles-Gee, Keene State College Dean of Mason Library Irene Herold, Granny D’s friend and activist Ruth Meyer, co-author of Granny D biography Dennis Burke, New Hampshire State Senator Molly Kelly, former New Hampshire politician, author and businessman Jim Rubens, and Keene State College Political Science Professor and New Hampshire Representative, Chuck Weed.
The Granny D collection will be on display to peruse and photograph from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Background: New Hampshire Governor John Lynch proclaimed March 10, 2011, as “Remembering Granny D Day” in the state, honoring Doris “Granny D” Haddock’s unrelenting advocacy for campaign finance reform, civic education, and environmental protection and her U.S. Senate run at the age of 94. During her long and productive life, she amassed an extraordinary archive of letters, photographs, and memorabilia that chronicle her work as an activist and organizer, including her journal from her famous walk across the US, the campaign reform banner she carried, and a pair of her iconic campaign shoes.
These archives - the Doris “Granny D” Haddock Collection - is a cornerstone of the Mason Library’s New Hampshire Social Justice Collection, intended to be actively used by students, scholars, and citizens, who will work with the archival items to develop new scholarly and community-based work.
The New Hampshire Social Justice Collection also includes holdings relating to the civil rights worker and Episcopal seminarian Jonathan M. Daniels, Christine Sweeney and her landmark civil rights case, New Hampshire Senator Junie Blaisdell, and the work of the socially conscious New Hampshire filmmaker Louis de Rochemont.
About Keene State College
Founded in 1909, Keene State College is one of the most preeminent public liberal arts colleges in the nation. With more than 40 programs of study, including a new nursing program and the nation’s only baccalaureate degree program in Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Keene State College prepares students to think critically, act creatively, and serve the greater good.
Keene State College: Wisdom to make a difference.
