Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction . Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Organization of Women Architects and Design Professionals Records, Ms1988-080, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The Organization of Women Architects and Design Professionals Records were donated to Special Collections in 1988, 2003, and 2006.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Organization of Women Architects and Design Professionals Records was completed in March 2011.

Administrative History

The Organization of Women Architects and Design Professionals (OWA), an organization for women architects and designers in the San Francisco bay area, officially became incorporated in 1973. Originally titled, The Organization of Women Architects, it evolved from the informal gatherings of twelve women architects looking for a supportive forum to exchange their experiences in a traditionally male-dominated profession to a valuable networking resource and a mechanism to promote the professional and personal lives of its members.

The organization is run by a volunteer Steering Committee staffed by members and the programs and focus of the OWA vary with the interests and talents of the current members. Previous meetings and seminars have focused on job-sharing, flexible work schedules, childcare, portfolio review, public speaking skills, financial seminars, health care, and occupational hazards.

Over its lifetime the OWA has undertaken many important programs and actions for the benefit of architects and design professionals in general, not only women. It developed a Mock Exam to prepare and train young architects for the California State licensing exam, and it set up a health insurance plan (1976) for uninsured architects and designers. The Mock Exam was so successful that the OWA eventually sold it to the American Institute of Architects.

The OWA is also very in active in collaborating with other like minded institutions and helped to establish a new umbrella organization called California Women in Environmental Design (CWED). CWED's purpose was to lobby governmental agencies and provide designing women with public exposure through statewide conferences and exhibitions of their work.

- from Horton, Inge, "Presentation on the History of OWA at The Colegio de Arquitectos in Quito, Ecuador," 26 June 2003

Scope and Content

The collection contains documents, reports, agendas, membership directories, photos, slides, and publications concerning the history and activities of the Organization of Women Architects and Design Professional dating from 1965-2005.

Arrangement

The Organization of Women Architects and Design Professionals Records is divided into the following series: I. Administrative, 1972-2005; II. Committees and Initiatives, 1974-1986; III. Newsletters, 1972-1991; IV. Financial Records, 1975-1991; V. Alternate Media, 1971-1991; and VI. Professional Women's Organizations, Documents, Pamphlets, and Clippings, (non-OWA), 1965-1995. Each series is arranged in chronological order.

Related Material

See also California Women in Environmental Design Records, Ms1990-059 at VT Special Collections and University Archives.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Architects
• California Women in Environmental Design
• History of Women in Architecture
• International Archive of Women in Architecture (IAWA)
• Women -- History

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the Organization of Women Architects and Design Professionals Records by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).