Tulane University Joins LSU Reilly Center Partnership to Document, Preserve Women’s Legacies in State Politics

December 18, 2022

Article reprinted with permission from LSU's Manship School of Mass Communication.

The Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs at LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication is partnering with Tulane University’s H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College Institute to document women’s experience as political leaders through oral histories.

This partnership will expand the geographical footprint and constituencies for the Louisiana Women in Politics Oral History Project. The effort provides a historical record of female political figures who played important roles in some of Louisiana’s most notable historical moments. It also documents their career reflections and how they navigated challenging moments. Their stories will serve as a resource for both scholars and future generations of women considering careers in the political sphere.

“We have been looking forward to this collaboration for some time. Giving our students this kind of research opportunity is precisely the mission of Newcomb Institute, and we look forward to illuminating the many stories of Louisiana trailblazers,” said Newcomb Institute’s Director of Research Anna M. Mahoney.

Dedicated to achieving gender equity, Newcomb Institute has long been a pioneer in elevating the contributions of women to civic life, business and beyond. Newcomb Institute joins existing project partners the Waggonner Center at Louisiana Tech University, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Public Policy Center at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and the Department of History at Xavier University of Louisiana.

“Having partners like Tulane’s Newcomb Institute expands the reach of the project and our ability to document the stories of women who have played important policy roles across Louisiana,” LSU Reilly Center Director Jenée Slocum said. “We are excited to have them on board.”

The recordings are housed at LSU Libraries T. Harry Williams Center with secondary repositories around the state. As women are elected to positions in future years, their oral history accounts may be added to the collection.

For more information, contact acharbonnet1@lsu.edu.