Collections : [Virginia Commonwealth University, Cabell Library]

The Patricia Fishback papers, 1973-2009, is a collection of feminist literature and materials used by Patricia Fishback during her career advocating for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in the 1970s and 1980s. The materials consist of correspondence with state officials, news clippings, ERA promotional materials, and general feminist materials. The collection provides insight into the efforts of second-wave feminists in their fight to ratify the ERA in Virginia. The bulk of the collection is comprised of materials used by Fishback while working with the ERA Ratification Council. Included are ERA promotional materials such as pamphlets, flyers, bumper stickers, petitions, and buttons. Fishback's administrative files contain copies of the ERA Ratification Council's bylaws, membership lists, and selected meeting minutes from 1982 to 1989. Copies of winning submissions to the ERA Ratification Council's essay contest are also within the collection.

The collection covers Mr. McSweeney's involvement in water issues in the Richmond area from 1958-1987. There is only one item from 1958 and the bulk of the collection ranges from 1977 to 1985. The collection particularly covers his involvement with the R.R.P.D.C., which he joined in 1977. The R.R.P.D.C. water materials cover many topics. The bulk of it concerns the Richmond-Crater 208 program, which was a coalition of Richmond and Petersburg R.R.P.D.C. members as well as private citizens concerned with water problems in the metropolitan area. The 208 program concerns Sewage Treatment Plants (STP), James River Water Quality Management Plan, and James River Water Quality Monitoring Program (both abbreviated JRWQMP), Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO), and Non-Point Source (NPS) pollution. There are also a great deal of correspondence and reports concerning the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit, a federal permit about which there is some controversy over Richmond's compliance. Materials in the collection include correspondence, notes, reports, agendas, minutes, some legal documents, publications and newspaper clippings. The newsclippings that could be identified by source, date and page and are held in the James Branch Cabell Library periodicals collection were discarded and are noted in the series listing. The correspondence is largely between Mr. McSweeney, the R.R.P.D.C. and the State Water Control Board (SWCB).

The collection contains materials relating to Dr. Nagel's professional and literary career including teaching, administration and drafts of his books. The bulk of the collection relates to the development, research and publication of Nagel's work on the Adams and Lee families.