mnsss524 Women's Suburban Clinic Records, 1973-1995 Finding Aid Sophia Smith Collection
Smith College Northampton, MA
2012

Sophia Smith Collection. All rights reserved.

 Finding aid exported into EAD from InMagic DB/Textworks 13.0. Encoded by Margaret Jessup. February 20, 2012 Finding aid written in English. Collection Overview Women's Suburban Clinic (Paoli, Pa.) Women's Suburban Clinic Records1973-1995 MS 685 2 boxes (.75 linear ft.) English Sophia Smith Collection
Smith College Northampton, MA
Abortion rights advocacy group; Health care organization. The Women's Suburban Clinic Records include pamphlets, brochures, newspaper articles, and correspondence. There are also a large number of photographs of both staff and protestors, audio recordings (2) of a 1995 interview with Sherley Young; and a documentary film: "Casting the First Stone: Views from Both Sides of the Abortion War," (1991) which focuses on the clinic. Historical Note

Founded in 1973 by Sherley Hollos Young (Smith '61) who served as Executive Director until it closed in 1995 when the landlord refused to renew the lease, the Women's Suburban Clinic in Paoli, Pennsylvania, was, according to its first brochure, "a nonprofit, outpatient facility offering an alternative to unwanted pregnancy." By the 1990s, the Clinic was also offering educational programs and counseling services. Beginning in 1982, anti-abortion activists were a regular feature outside the Clinic and hundreds were arrested throughout the 1980s, including 596 members of Operation Rescue in 1988. Beyond the direct health services that the Women's Suburban Clinic provided, it was also instrumental in challenging Pennsylvania's strict abortion laws in a case that went all the way to the US Supreme Court in 1992 (Planned Parenthood of SE Pennsylvania v. Casey).

 Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Women's Suburban Clinic Records include pamphlets, brochures, newspaper articles, as well as one slim folder of correspondence and anecdotal statements regarding the closing of the clinic. There are also a large number of photographs of both staff and protestors, audio recordings (2) of a 1995 interview with Sherley Young; and documentary film: "Casting the First Stone: Views from Both Sides of the Abortion War," (1991) which focuses on the WSC.

[NOTE: The contents list for this collection is not online. Contact the Sophia Smith Collection if you would like one sent to you.]

The records are open to research according to the regulations of the Sophia Smith Collection with the following caveats: Access to audiovisual materials may first require production of research copies. This collection has not been fully processed and therefore may be difficult to use.

The Sophia Smith Collection owns copyright to the unpublished works in this collection created by the Women's Suburban Clinic orgnization. Copyright to materials authored by others may be owned by those individuals or their heirs or assigns. Permission must be obtained to publish reproductions or quotations beyond "fair use." It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.

 Preferred Citation

Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:

Women's Suburban Clinic Records, Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College, Northampton, Mass.

The Women's Suburban Clinic Records were donated to the Sophia Smith Collection by Sherley Hollow Young in 2011.

Accessioned by Kathleen Banks Nutter, September 2011

Abortion services -- United States -- History -- 20th century Abortion -- Law and legislation -- United States -- History -- Sources Reproductive rights -- United States -- History -- Sources Young, Sherley Hollos Women's Suburban Clinic