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Guide to the Judy Hart Papers

This finding aid describes the Judy Hart Papers, part of the NPS History Collection. To search this guide for names, places, key words, or phrases enter Ctrl F on your keyboard (command key + F key on a Mac). Request an in-person research appointment or get more information by contacting the archivist.

Collection Overview

Collection Number: HFCA 2773
Creator: Hart, Judy
Title: Judy Hart Papers
Dates: ca. 1970s-2023
Extent of Collection: 10.8 LF
Language of Materials: English

Digitized Copies: This collection has not been digitized.

Conditions Governing Access: This collection is open to research use. Refer to our copyright & restrictions information.
Provenance: Donated to the NPS History Collection by Judy Hart in May 2024.
Processing Note: This collection was processed and described using More Process Less Product (MPLP) methodology by Katherine Hayes in May 2024. This finding aid was updated by Nancy Russell in December 2024.

Rights Statement for Archival Description: This guide is in the public domain.
Preferred Citation: Judy Hart Papers, NPS History Collection (HFCA 2773)
Location of Repository: NPS History Collection, Harpers Ferry Center, PO Box 50, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425

Related Materials:

Biographical Note

Judy Hart earned a degree in English Literature from Cornell University, and a Master of Arts in law from Goddard College in Vermont. She began her career in publishing at Little, Brown and Company, and as a company newsletter editor for the Boston Safe Deposit and Trust Company, both in Boston, Massachusetts. Hart worked for the Boston Redevelopment Authority, City of Boston, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as director of the Bureau of Relocation. She also worked for the Federal Highway Administration on environmental impact statement reviews.

Hart began her National Park Service (NPS) career working on park legislation out of the NPS regional office in Boston. She lived for six years in Seneca Falls, New York. While there she suggested the idea of a park focused on women’s rights because at the time only three of the 316 parks were about women’s history. She worked on the study and the legislation to establish the park, which was created in 1980, and became the first superintendent of Women’s Rights National Historical Park.

Hart moved to the NPS Washington Office at the end of 1989 to work on the “National Park Service 2000” project. In May 1990 she moved to the Office of Legislation. She worked in that office for six years, supporting the creation of Petroglyphs National Monument, Marsh Billings National Historical Park, the Mary McLeod Bethune National Historic Site, and Manzanar National Historic Site, as well as many other park units. Although she felt ready to retire at that point, NPS Director Roger Kennedy convinced her to stay. She developed the Conservation Study Institute, operated in partnership with the University of Vermont and Marsh Billings National Historical Park. When Congress failed to fund the Conservation Study Institute’s expansion, she became the first national program coordinator for National Heritage Areas, partnership areas privately owned and managed in cooperation with the NPS.

Hart conducted the four-year study that led to creation of Rosie the Riveter/WWII Homefront. In 2001 she became that park’s first superintendent. She retired in 2005 after 27 years with the NPS. Her accomplishments were recognized in the Congressional Record upon her retirement. In 2023 Hart's book A National Park for Women's Rights: The Campaign That Made It Happen" was published by Cornell University Press.

Scope and Content Note

Materials related to Judy Hart's efforts to establish Women’s Rights National Historical Park (WORI), including correspondence, oral histories, and publications. Drafts and edits from Hart’s book A National Park for Women’s Rights: The Campaign That Made It Happen with comments from her male editor reflect the struggle she faced in bringing her story and that of WORI to print. Research files, photographs, negatives, and magnetic media her research and events during creation of WORI and from her role as the park's first superintendent.

Arrangement

Organized into four series, as follows:
Series I: Subject Files
Series II: “A National Park for Women’s Rights” Book Materials
Series III: Prints and Negatives
Series IV: Magnetic Media.

Series I: Subject Files, ca. 1970s-ca. 2023

Volume of the series: 3.3 LF
Unarranged.

Scope and Content Note

Publications and other materials from the establishment of Women’s Rights National Historical Park, the design competition program and book, correspondence, personal papers, planners, and oral histories related to Judy Hart’s involvement with the historical park.

General Box Inventory

BOX 01
Time Magazine
1982 History Conference with A. Alda Speech
Promotion
About NPS
SF Power Point
NWHF Nomination 2018
Correspondence
Alan Alda Book
More Readings

BOX 02
Readings on Law
History
Crenshaw Initiative Committee
Women’s Sites in NY
Written Up in Books Authored by Others
Written Up in Articles by Others
Women in the NPS Polly Kaufman Work
Survey of All Historic Properties Women’s Rights
Corinne Guntzei Leader of the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Foundation
25th Anniversary of Park Legislation July 2005
Hanns Kuttner
Hall of Fame Nomination
Servant Leadership Papers
1988 New Yorker Article

BOX 03
WORI Administrative History Draft #1
WORI Administrative History Draft #2
WORI Administrative History Draft #3
WORI Administrative History Final

BOX 04
Federal Design Achievement Award for Wesleyan Chapel Design Competition
NEA Agreement, 1986
National Register Nominations
WORI Legislation
NPS Legislation
Amendments to Park Authorizing Legislation

BOX 05
WORI Study of Alternatives, 1979
The Department of Everything else, 1988
WORI Amendment to the General Management Plan of 1986, 1991
WORI Design Competition, A Vision Realized
WORI General Management Plan, 1986
WORI Administrative History Final, with notes
Seneca Falls Urban Cultural Park Management Plan (1 of 2)
Seneca Falls Urban Cultural Park Management Plan (2 of 2)

BOX 06
WORI Timeline
Press Clips
Declaration of Sentiments
WORI Research Plan
Archaeological Resources Protection Act, 1979
WORI Design Competition Mailing List
WORI Design Competition Book
WORI Design Competition Book, signed version
Design Award NEA, 1995

BOX 07
WORI Design Competition Program
Pamphlets and brochures
Blueprints/plans for building
Program packet

BOX 08
Telephone Book
A Women’s Place
Talks
Articles
Conrad Interviews
Judy’s Life There
Judy’s Story
Oral History: UC Berkely 1981 and CD-ROM
Encouragements I hung on my Wall
About Judy Hart
Encouragement Mobile

BOX 09
Personal Telephone Books
Planners/Calendars

BOX 10
Published Articles Written by Judy Hart
Planners/Calendars
Note Cards
Oral History 2005
1978 Dissertation

Series II: "A National Park for Women's Rights" Book Materials

Volume of the series: 5.3 LF
Unarranged.

Scope and Content Note

Drafts, edits, research, reader reviews, and contracts which led to Hart's book A National Park for Women’s Rights. Includes correspondence with editors and other publishing companies, and reference copies of legislation.

Series III: Prints and Negatives, ca. 1970s-ca. 2023

Volume of the series: 2.0 LF
Unarranged.

Scope and Content Note

Photographs and negatives relating to Hart's work establishing and as superintendent of Women’s Rights National Historical Park and for research for her book, A National Park for Women’s Rights.

General Box Inventory

BOX 01
Prints

BOX 02
Prints

BOX 03
Prints

BOX 04
Prints

BOX 05
Negatives and Prints

BOX 06
Negatives and Prints

Series IV: Magnetic Media

Volume of the series: 0.4 LF
Unarranged.

Scope and Content Note

Audiocassette tapes containing conference meetings and interviews with Hart pertaining to the Women’s Rights National Historical Park and other personal recordings. Recordings have not been transcribed.

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Women's Rights National Historical Park

Last updated: December 9, 2024