Women and the UN: An examination of Virginia Gildersleeve’s Contributions to the United Nations

This project will examine Virginia Gildersleeve’s role in the creation of the United Nations Charter at the 1945 San Francisco Conference. Gildersleeve was one of nine female delegates sent overall to the conference (out of 160) and the only woman on the American delegation. She significantly shaped the UN Charter and the foundation of the United Nations itself. Despite the importance of her contributions, her work remains largely unacknowledged and under-researched. Gildersleeve was a former dean of Barnard College; most primary source material on her life and accomplishments are held at the Columbia University archives in New York. This project will enable Jordan Kantypowicz to conduct original archival research on Gildersleeve’s diplomatic accomplishments that have been largely overlooked. Specifically, the findings of this project will contribute to the United Nations History Project, the leading website devoted to creating resources for teaching and researching the history of international organizations that is managed by Professor Heidi Tworek.

Faculty Supervisor:

Heidi Tworek

Student:

Partner:

Columbia University

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program: