Kathryn W. Hansen
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No requestable containers
Scope and Contents
The Kathryn W. Hansen papers date from 1959 to 2012. The papers are arranged in nine series: Biographical, Education, Peace Corps, Campaign for Sioux County Supervisor, Photography, Non-Governmental Organizations, Publications, Artifacts, and Uganda.
The Biographical series (1974-2007) contains awards and certificates received by Katy and Peter Hansen, as well as materials regarding the purchase, operation, and sale of the ranch they co-owned with John D. Te Paske in the Orange City area.
The Education series (1962-1979) concerns Katy Hansen's post-secondary education and includes academic papers and her graduate chemistry thesis. The Peace Corps series (1964-2007) includes material related to the Hansens' service in Nigeria, their involvement in Returned Peace Corps Volunteers for the Environment, and a Peace Corps alumni trip to the Soviet Union in 1987.
The Campaign for Sioux County Supervisor series (1986) contains publicity and campaign materials, photographs, and news coverage from Hansen's unsuccessful bid as the Democratic candidate for county supervisor.
The Photography series (1969-1994) concerns Hansen's Orange City, Iowa freelance photography business and courses she taught at Northwestern Community College. Examples of photographs, cards, and lesson plans and handouts are included.
The Non-Governmental Organizations series (1985-2005) documents Hansen's involvement in non-profit and activist groups. Materials regarding a cultural exchange trip by women from the Soviet Union to northwest Iowa, the United Nations Association, and her trips to global conferences, including the Rio Di Janeiro Earth Summit and the Roots of the Future conference are included.
The Publications series (1969-2012) contains writings by and about Hansen, the U.N., the Peace Corps, Northwest College, and Orange City.
The Artifacts series (1986-2007) includes plaques Hansen received for her activism and items from her political campaign.
The Uganda series (1976-2003) consists of research files and papers by Katy Hansen concerning the political system and conditions in Uganda under military dictator Idi Amin's regime from 1971-1979.
Dates
- Creation: 1959-2012
Conditions Governing Access
The papers are open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright held by the donor has been transferred to the University of Iowa.
However, copyright status for some collection materials may be unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owner. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility and potential liability based on copyright infringement for any use rests exclusively and solely with the user. Users must properly acknowledge the Iowa Women’s Archives, The University of Iowa Libraries, as the source of the material. For further information, visit https://www.lib.uiowa.edu/sc/services/rights/
Biographical / Historical
Kathryn "Katy" Wirth Hansen, photographer, Peace Corps volunteer, and United Nations activist, was born in Columbus, Ohio in 1940, the middle child of chemistry professor Henry Edgar Wirth and Naomi Thomas Wirth. After graduating magna cum laude from Alfred University in Alfred, New York with a bachelor's degree in mathematics, she received a master's degree in physical chemistry from Iowa State University in 1965. While attending ISU, she met physical chemistry student Peter Jacob Hansen and married him in 1964.
The couple completed a tour as Peace Corps volunteers in Ibadan, Nigeria from 1967-1968, during which Katy Hansen taught chemistry and mathematics at Ibadan Grammar School. Upon returning to the United States, the Hansens settled in Orange City, Iowa, where Peter Hansen taught at Northwestern College from 1969 to 1999. During that time period, Katy Hansen worked as a freelance photographer and photography teacher, conducted independent research in Uganda, and became involved in political activism. She was involved in numerous organizations and publications, including the Sioux county Democrats, the National Peace Corps Association, the Iowa Division of the United Nations Association, the Women, Food and Agriculture Network, Citizens for Sustainable Development, the Center for Rural Affairs, What Works nonprofit and volunteer organization newsletter, the Orange City Library Board, and the Orange City Community Day Care Center. Additionally, Hansen contributed articles, opinions, and photojournalism features to a number of publications. Hansen later returned to her studies and earned a master's in higher education from Arizona State University in 1981.
In 1999, Peter Hansen retired from teaching and the pair moved to Iowa City, Iowa. Katy Hansen has continued to work with similar organizations in the Iowa City area, such as the Iowa United Nations Association, where she served as both CO-Director and Director between 1996 and 2010.
Extent
5.00 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Photographer, Peace Corps volunteer, and United Nations Association leader and member.
Method of Acquisition
The papers (donor no. 1204) were donated by Kathryn "Katy" Hansen in 2010.
Subject
- United Nations Association of the United States of America. Iowa Division (Organization)
- Alfred University (Organization)
- Peace Corps (U.S.) (Organization)
- United Nations (Organization)
- Northwest Iowa Peace Links (Organization)
- Iowa State University (Organization)
- Hansen, Kathryn W. (Person)
- United Nations Association of the United States of America (Organization)
- Arizona State University (Organization)
- Northwestern College (Orange City, Iowa) (Organization)
Genre / Form
- Archives (groupings)
- Cultural artifacts
- Oral histories
- Personal papers
- Photographs
- Scrapbooks
- Sound recordings
Geographic
Occupation
Temporal
Topical
- Author
- Maggie Halterman
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Iowa Women's Archives Repository
100 Main Library
University of Iowa Libraries
Iowa City IA 52242 IaU
319-335-5068
319-335-5900 (Fax)
lib-women@uiowa.edu