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Zelda Kingoff Nordlinger Papers, 1970-2007. Accession 31719, 44035. Personal papers collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.
Gift of Zelda Kingoff Nordlinger, Richmond, Virginia, 21 January 1983. Gift of Samuel Markel, executor of the estate of Zelda Kingoff Nordlinger, Richmond, Virginia, 7 July 2008. Gift of Sharon Nordlinger, New York, New York 1 January 2011.
Zelda Kingoff was born 19 January 1932 in Greenville, South Carolina, to Joseph Kingoff and Alice Heiner Kingoff. The family moved to Richmond while she was a teenager and she attended Richmond public schools. Kingoff graduated from Marjorie Webster Junior College in 1952 and from Sally Tompkins School of Nursing in 1963. She married Martin Stanford Nordlinger (1930-2002) 24 December 1963. Zelda Kingoff Nordlinger was a lobbyist to the Virginia general assembly from 1971 to 1976, a free lance writer, and active in the women's movement. She was a co-founder of the Richmond chapter of the National Organization for Women in 1971. Nordlinger was also active in the National Women's Political Caucus and the Virginia Women's Political Caucus. Nordlinger had two children from a previous marriage and two daughters with Martin Nordlinger. Zelda Kingoff Nordlinger died 18 March 2008 in Richmond, Virginia.
Papers, 1970-2007, of Zelda Kingoff Nordlinger (1932-2008) of Richmond, Virginia, consisting of articles, bills, biographies, campaign buttons, church bulletins, circular letters, civil actions, clippings, essays, letters, lists, newsletters, newspapers, pamphlets, press releases, questionaires, resolutions, and speeches relating to Nordlinger's activities as a member of the Women's Liberation movement and the National Organization for Women (NOW).
This collection is arranged into the following series:
Series I: Personal Papers containing Correspondence, 1970-2006; Statements, Speeches, and Writings; Biographical Information; Notes; Financial papers, 1984-1989; and miscellaneous personal papers. Series II: Suits and Complaints. Series III: Subject files. Series IV: Articles. Series V: Newspaper and Magazine Clippings, 1937-2007. Series VI: Magazines and Newsletters. VII: Organization Papers. Series VIII: Miscellaneous Papers. Series IX: Political Campaign Buttons.Series I: Personal papers consist of subseries A: Correspondence, 1970-2006; subseries B: Biographical Information; subseries C: Statements, Speeches, and Writings; subseries D: Notes; subseries E: Financial Papers, 1984-1989; and subseries F: Miscellaneous Personal Papers.
Correspondence, 1970-2006, contains letters between Zelda Nordlinger and other women active in the women's rights movement at the local, state and national levels, discussing meetings, demonstrations, and other plans to advance women's rights, including her successful efforts to integrate the Thalhimer's Soup Bar in Richmond. Also includes correspondence with businesses and individuals regarding women in the workplace and sexism in educational materials. Also contains correspondence with members of the Virginia general assembly and the United States Congress urging their support for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), and other legislation concerning women, including child care, rape, welfare, and abortion. Also includes letters to the Richmond Times-Dispatch , Playboy , and other publications concerning women's rights and issues.
Chronological.
Biographical information contains information about Nordlinger written by her and others.
Statements, Speeches, and Writings concern women's rights, the Equal Rights Amendment, abortion, the media, politics, sexism, and welfare, including stories on integrating the Thalhimer's Soup Bar and on Richmond mayor and Congressman Thomas J. Bliley.
Notes consist of notes made by Nordlinger regarding women's rights, abortion, politics, as well as women and literature, religion, and psychology.
Financial Papers, 1984-1989 consist of acounts of and copies of checks to Nordlinger from Metropolitan Communciations and the Virginian-Pilot and Ledger-Star.
Miscellaneous Personal papers consist of medical information containing information on prescriptions for Martin and Zelda Nordlinger, as well as copies of the Folstein mini-mental state examination; Meyers-Briggs Test contains results for Zelda and Martin Nordlinger; and certificate, 29 June 2003, for Zelda Nordlinger as Correspondent of the Day for the Richmond Times-Dispatch .
Suits and Complaints contains lawsuit papers against the Southwestern General Life Insurance Company and the Richmond Times-Dispatch for sex discrimination, particularly the Times-Dispatch's policy of segregating want ads into male and female, and also a complaint against the Richmond City Public Schools for sex discrimination in athletics.
Subject files contain clippings and articles discussing the media and clippings, articles, and notes concerning feminism and militarism from the late 19th century until the present.
Articles consist of journal and magazine articles, as well as book excerpts concerning women focusing on abortion, art, education, employment and labor, family relations, the feminist movement, literature, gender issues, politics, pornography, religion, reproductive issues, science, sex, and relationship between wives and husbands. Includes articles by Betty Friedan, Germaine Greer, and Shere Hite.
Newspaper and Magazine Clippings, 1937-2007, contains clippings from newspapers and magazines discussing Nordlinger, the feminist movement in Richmond, NOW, the Equal Rights Amendment, and sex discrimination. Articles also concern women's issues and women's rights at the national, state and local levels. Topics covered by these clippings include education, employment, feminism, gay and lesbian rights, marriage and spousal relations, pornography, religion, sex and sexuality, women in politics, women's history, women's rights, as well as the efforts to have women admitted into the Virginia Military Institute (Lexington, Virginia) and the Citadel (Charleston, South Carolina). Includes clippings from the Richmond Times-Dispatch , the New York Times , and the Washington Post .
Chronological
Magazines and Newsletters consist of magazines and newsletters related to the feminist movement, NOW, leftist politics, human rights, reproductive rights, and international peace organizations.
Organization Papers contain circular letters, pamphlets, press releases, questionaires, and other printed materials from the ACLU, Coal Employment Project, Emily's List, the Feminist Majority Foundation, NOW, Planned Parenthood, Richmond Coalition for Choice, Richmond Human Rights Coalition, the Virginia Commission on the Status of Women, Virginia Equal Rights Amendment Ratification Council, Virginia Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights, the Virginia Women's Political Caucus, the Woman Activist, and the Women's Resource Center. Collection also contains a bulletin from a pro-choice service at the First Unitarian Church (Richmond, Virginia).
Miscellaneous Papers include copies of legislative bills and resolutions concerning possible legislation on women's issues; brochures on conferences for women's issues and studies, employment and business, education, prisons, and Cuba; brochures on women's programs at the University of Richmond and at Wellesley College; book catalogs and order forms; miscellaneous papers concerning women, politics, insurance, and self defense; EBay auction information for the July 1972 issue of Ms. Magazine ; list of women activists in the Richmond area; ads for Seagram's wine coolers and for bondage and domination equipment and videos; an i.q. test; miscellaneous printed materials containing anecdotes and fliers concerning women's issues; bumber stickers that say "Crater;" and business and calling cards.