Biographical Note Laura X is the director of the National Clearinghouse on Marital Rape. She was born and raised in St. Louis, MO and received her bachelor's degree in the Social Sciences from University of California-Berkeley. She founded the Women's History Research Center in 1968. One year later, she changed her name to Laura X to represent women's anonymity in history. She successfully led the campaign to make marital rape illegal in California in 1979. In 1980, she founded the National Clearinghouse on Marital Rape.Â
Resume (1983):
Education:
University of California at Berkeley- B.A. Social Sciences
Additional Course Work:
St. Mary's College, Moraga, CA
Bank Street College of Education, New York, NY
New York University, New York, NY
University of Puerto Rico
University of Vera Cruz, Mexico
Washington University, St. Louis, MO
Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY
Professional Activities:
Director, National Clearinghouse on Marital Rape
Executive Director, Women's History Research Center
National Secretary, Organizations for Unique Radio (OUR)
Campaign Director, California Spousal Rape Bill
Director, Save KMPX Campaign
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, KMPX Listener's Guild
Founder, Women's History Library
Headstart Teacher, New York, Puerto Rico, and California
Awards and Honorariums:
University of Pennsylvania
Washington University
Southern Illinois University
Syracuse Public Library
Ithaca Women's Center
High School of Music and Art, New York City
University of California- Los Angeles
Boston University
California Western Law School
University of Washington Law School
University of Minnesota Law School
New York University Law School
Far Western Regional Women and Law Conference
New York County Lawyer's Forum on the Law and Psychology of Marital Rape
Barnard College
Rutgers's University
First World Congress on Victimology: Innovative Programs and Services Award
Washington University
University of Missouri, St. Louis
University of Wyoming
Northwestern University
Miss Hall's School, Pittsfield, MA
California Association of School Librarians
Soroptomists Honorarium
Mademoiselle Woman of Achievement Award
Diana Award
American Library Association, unanimous Member's commedation
Publications:
"Combating Marital Rape," Sojourner, 1981.
"Men Who Rape Their Wives: New Law and Other Information." Western States Shelter
Network Newsletter, 1981.
"Letter to the Editor," New Directions for Women, 1981.
"Women's History Library: Notes on a Decade," Library History Review, 1980.
"What Price Our History?" Off Our Backs, 1980.
"Movie Review: 'Rape and Marriage'" and "NCOMR," Monthly Memo: National
Technical Assistance Center, 1980.
"The Women's History Research Center- The Annotated Revolution, a Footnote to the
Revolution," California Librarian (Bicentennial Issue), 1976.
"Untitled," Long Island NOW Newsletter, 1979.
"Queen Christina,"Â Women Out of History: A Herstory Anthology, 1974.
"Grow Your Own Women's History Research Center," School Library Journal, 1973.
Selected Consultations:
University of Wyoming Library
Princeton University Library
Northwestern University Library
The Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Ohio State University Library
Washington, D.C. Women's Center
Honolulu Women's Center
National Public Radio, Women in Science
Rape in Marriage (Diana Russell, author)
License to Rape (David Finkelhor, author)
Men on Rape (Tim Beheke, author)
On Equal Terms (Joan Marshall, author)
Victimology (special issue on spouse abuse), 1977
Masculine/ Feminine (Ted and Betty Roszak, ed.).
Producer/ Editor/ Publisher/ Distributor:
National Clearinghouse on Marital Rape- 5 publications
Women & Law Microfilm
Women & Health/ Mental Health Microfilm
Herstory Microfilm
Female Artists Past & Present
Women's Studies Course Outlines
Bibliographies on Rape
Bibliography on Women and Religion
Films By and/or About Women, Internationally Past and Present
Women's Song Book
"It Ain't Me, Babe"- first newspaper of the current women's movement
Women In World History: International Women's Day, 1969.
"Spazm" (1969)- only national women's liberation newsletter of this period.
Professional Organizations:
Association for Women in Psychology
Sociologists for Women in Society
American Anthropology Association
American Library Association
Coordinating Committee for Women in the Historical Professions
Association of Feminist Consultants
Keynote Address:
American Revolution Bicentennial Women's History Meeting (Washington, D.C.)
Panelist:
Seneca Falls Women's History Conference for Opening of National Women's Rights Historical Park, 1982.
National Coalition Against Sexual Assault, 1981.
National Women and Law Conference, 1980, 1981, 1982.
American Society of Criminology, 1980.
National Legal Aid and Defender's Association, 1980.
American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, 1980.
Organization of American Historians, 1972.
Training Seminars:
Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, 1982.
Lower Naugatuck Valley Battered Women's Project, 1982.
St. Louis Rape Task Force and Women's Self-Help Center, 1982.
Association for Women in Psychology, 1981.
Media Appearances:
Appeared on national and local television and radio to address the issue of Women's History and Marital Rape.
CBS-TV (Chicago)
CBS-TV (New York)
ABC-TV (Seattle)
*Hour Magazine- Westinghouse
*Up to the Minute- CBS
KMOX Radio (St. Louis)
KCBS Radio (Santa Barbara)
KPFX Radio (Los Angeles)
WTWM Radio (Grand Rapids)
* Also paid consultant for these and Donahue segment on Today Show.
Additional Information:
Born in St. Louis.
Traveled extensively to study the status of women and children including Greece, Spain, USSR, Romania, Venezuela, Puerto Rico. Languages studied include Spanish, Russian, French and Latin.
Sources:
Resume for the Durfee Award (1983) and "A Crusade Against Marital Rape" (1983), Daily Californian, both found in folders "Experts-Pro: X, Laura," Nation Center on Marital Rape Subject File: Box 5, University Archives, University of Illinois- Urbana-Champaign.
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