About Us

Established in 1994, the Women and Leadership Archives (WLA) collects, preserves, organizes, describes, and makes available materials of enduring value to researchers studying women's contributions to society.

The WLA collection strengths include Second Wave Feminism, Catholic Women, Social Justice Activism and, more broadly, women in leadership in business, academics, community, and politics. Not limited to individual women, the WLA possesses the records of many women's organizations, mainly from Chicago or the Midwest. Further, we also care and preserve the records of Mundelein College, the last four year Catholic women's college in Illinois. Mundelein was renowned for its rigorous liberal arts curriculum and emphasis on nurturing women's individual skills and talents.

The WLA is a special collection of Loyola University Chicago's library system as well as an integral part of the University's Gannon Center which also includes Loyola's Women's Studies Program and other projects and programs that support women's scholarship, education, and networking.

Mollie West Papers