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Biographical Note

Arrangement

Scope and Content

Restrictions on Access

Restrictions on Use

Processing Info

Inventory   [ + ]

Subject Terms











Preliminary Guide to the Bernice F. Stern Papers
1925-2002



 
Manuscript Collection No.:1936
Creator:Stern, Bernice F. (Bernice Friedman), 1916-, creator
Title:Bernice F. Stern papers
Date Span:1925-2002
Quantity: 82.99 cubic feet (57 boxes, 25 scrapbooks, 1 folder, and 2 sound cassettes)
Languages:Collection materials are in English.
Location:Click on individual accession number in inventory





Biographical Note

Bernice Friedman Stern was born in 1916. After her marriage in 1934, she became active in the Council of Jewish Women on both the state and national levels. She argued against the Council's active support of Israel. Stern was concerned with women's issues and helped to found both the King County Women's commission and the First Woman's Bank of Washington. She was a King County Councilwoman from the Council's beginning in 1970 until her retirement in 1979.

Stern served as chairwoman of the Council from 1977 to 1978. She also served as chair of the county Environmental Planning Committee, as well as the Planning and Community Development Committee (PCDC) from 1973 to 1977. The PCDC worked closely with the citizen's group, Policy Development Commission, and other King County community councils to develop policies for community growth planning.

Arrangement

Organized into 9 accessions by date of receipt:

Accession No. 1936-001, Bernice F. Stern papers, 1958-1970
Accession No. 1936-002, Bernice F. Stern papers, 1970-1972
Accession No. 1936-003, Bernice F. Stern papers, 1969-1975
Accession No. 1936-004, Bernice F. Stern papers, 1970-1973
Accession No. 1936-005, Bernice F. Stern sound recordings and transcript, 1975
Accession No. 1936-006, Bernice F. Stern subject files, 1970-1978
Accession No. 1936-007, Bernice F. Stern papers, 1972-1979
Accession No. 1936-008, Bernice F. Stern papers, 1977-1979
Accession No. 1936-009, Bernice F. Stern scrapbooks, 1925-2002

Scope and Content

Correspondence, agendas, minutes, reports, memoranda, notes, subject files, committee files, proposed ordinance, legislation, speeches, transcript, sound recordings, scrapbooks, sound recordings; 1925-2002.

Restrictions on Access

Open to all users, but access to portions of the papers restricted. Contact repository for details.

Access to archival recordings: Due to the fragility of archival tape recordings, potential users may be required to arrange for transfer to digital format before the material can be accessed. Please contact Special Collections for further information.

Note: This material is not available for use on Saturdays and holidays.. For general information on our normal business hours, please see our hours of operation listing.

Restrictions on Use

Creator's literary rights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Processing Info

Processing Level 1.


Inventory

 
Accession No. 1936-001
Bernice F. Stern papers, 1958-1970
0.42 cubic foot (1 box)
Scope and Content
Minutes, reports, speeches, ephemera; 1958-1970.
Restrictions on Access
Open to all users.
Acquisition Info
Received from Bernice Stern, April 1, 1972.
Processing Info
Processing Level 1.

 
Accession No. 1936-002
Bernice F. Stern papers, 1970-1972
4 cubic feet (4 boxes)
Scope and Content
Correspondence, proposed ordinance, minutes, agendas; 1970-1972.
Physical/Technical Access
Records stored offsite; advance notice required for use.
Restrictions on Access
Open to all users.
Acquisition Info
Received from Bernice Stern, March 30, 1973.
Processing Info
Processing Level 1.
Other Finding Aids
Container list available in the repository.

 
Accession No. 1936-003
Bernice F. Stern papers, 1969-1975
6 cubic feet (6 boxes)
Scope and Content
Correspondence, minutes, subject files, legislation, ephemera; 1969-1975.
Physical/Technical Access
Records stored offsite; advance notice required for use.
Restrictions on Access
Open to all users.
Acquisition Info
Received from Bernice Stern, June 16, 1975.
Processing Info
Processing Level 1.
Other Finding Aids
Inventory available in the repository.

 
Accession No. 1936-004
Bernice F. Stern papers, 1970-1973
6 cubic feet (6 boxes)
Scope and Content
Files, general subject, incoming memoranda; 1970-1973.
Physical/Technical Access
Records stored offsite; advance notice required for use.
Restrictions on Access
Open to all users, but access to portions of the papers restricted. Contact repository for details.
Acquisition Info
Received from Bernice Stern, October 17, 1975.
Processing Info
Processing Level 1.
Other Finding Aids
Container list available in the repository.

 
Accession No. 1936-005
Bernice F. Stern sound recordings and transcript, 1975
0.07 cubic foot (1 folder, 2 sound cassettes)
Scope and Content
Tape-recorded interview covering the years 1909-1969, conducted by Meta Kaplan and Frances Posner, Feb. 9, 1975, with edited transcript.
After briefly talking about her parents' origins and Friedman's Meats, Stern relates her own early experiences teaching sewing at the Educational Center. She married Edward Stern in 1934 or 1935, and her mother-in-law immediately told her that Council of Jewish Women (CJW) would be her activity. Working on the braille project under Helen Blumenthal was her first major project. Stern became president of Seattle CJW at 26, National Board member at 30, 4th Vice President at 36, all the youngest ever to attain those positions. She talks about CJW's war-related work during the Second World War and how she was able to bring young women into CJW. She gives her impressions of the National CJW and talks about her work for National including putting the Canadian CJW on an independent footing.
She relates a full account of the development of the Thriftshop and its related activities. She discusses the important change in CJW outlook with the CJW's resolution on the Abrogation of the Palestinian White Paper; taking the CJW from exclusively community service into social and political action. CJW's "Speak Up - Freedom Needs Exercise" program was created to combat McCarthyism. CJW and YWCA worked together to prevent reactionaries from censoring books at the Seattle Public Library, during the McCarthy era. Finally, she talks briefly about her entry into Democratic politics and her election to the King County Council in 1969.
Restrictions on Access
Open to all users.
Acquisition Info
Received from Bernice Stern, February 9, 1975.
Processing Info
Processing Level 1.

 
Accession No. 1936-006
Bernice F. Stern subject files, 1970-1978
18 cubic feet (18 boxes)
Scope and Content
Subject files; 1970-1978.
Physical/Technical Access
Records stored offsite; advance notice required for use.
Restrictions on Access
Open to all users.
Acquisition Info
Received from Bernice Stern, January 25, 1978.
Processing Info
Processing Level 1.
Other Finding Aids
Container list available in the repository.

 
Accession No. 1936-007
Bernice F. Stern papers, 1972-1979
20 cubic feet (20 boxes)
Scope and Content
Committee files, subject files, memoranda, minutes, correspondence; 1972-1979 (bulk 1977-1979).
The records in this accession reflect for the most part Stern's activities during her final two years in office serving on the King County Council. Six boxes are files of the Planning and Community Development Committee, of which Stern was Chairwoman from 1973-1977. This committee worked closely with the citizen's group called the Policy Development Commission, and with various King County community councils to develop policies for community growth planning.
Physical/Technical Access
Records stored offsite; advance notice required for use.
Restrictions on Access
Open to all users.
Acquisition Info
Received from Bernice Stern, December 1, 1979.
Processing Info
Processing Level 1.
Other Finding Aids
Container list available in the repository.

 
Accession No. 1936-008
Bernice F. Stern papers, 1977-1979
2 cubic feet (2 boxes)
Scope and Content
Correspondence, minutes, notes, ephemera, related papers; circa 1977-1979.
Records concern efforts by King County government and private citizens to preserve agricultural lands in the county. These were used during 1980-1981 by Charlotte Jacobs in the King County Agricultural Department.
Physical/Technical Access
Records stored offsite; advance notice required for use.
Restrictions on Access
Open to all users.
Acquisition Info
Received from Charlotte Jacobs, September 4, 1981.
Processing Info
Processing Level 1.

 
Accession No. 1936-009
Bernice F. Stern scrapbooks, 1925-2002
26.5 cubic feet (25 scrapbooks)
Scope and Content
Scrapbooks; 1925-2002.
Includes photographs and related ephemera documenting the political career and social life of Bernice Stern and her family. Also includes one scrapbook compiled by her husband, Edward F. Stern, Sr.
Restrictions on Access
Access restricted: For terms of access contact repository.
Acquisition Info
Received from Bernice Stern, January 26, 2006.
Processing Info
Processing Level 1.
Bernice F. Stern Scrapbooks
Volume 11931-1939
Volume 21940-1952
Volume 31950-1955
Volume 41954-1958
Volume 51955-1956; 1975-1979
Volume 61959-1961
Volume 71961-1964
Volume 81964-1966
Volume 91966-1971
Volume 101971-1973
Volume 111974-1977
Volume 121977-1979
Volume 131979-1980
Volume 141981-1983
Volume 151983-1986
Volume 161985-1987
Volume 171987-1989
Volume 181989-19992
Volume 191992-1993
Volume 201994-1995
Volume 211996-1998
Volume 221998-2000
Volume 231998-2002
Volume 242000
Edward F. Stern Sr. Scrapbook
Volume 251925-circa 1967

Subject Terms

Personal Names:
Stern, Bernice F. (Bernice Friedman), 1916- -- Archives.