Smith College’s Sophia Smith Collection — an archive “of the history of women changing the world” — has received its latest donation from a Hollywood and feminist icon. The college announced Jane Fonda contributed her papers to the Collection.
Spanning 1932-2016, Fonda’s 132-box donation includes letters, films, photographs, memorabilia, writings, biographical info, and even the two-time Academy Award winner’s FBI file. [Fonda was a person of interest for her anti-Vietnam War activism.] As Smith stated, the material “reflects her extraordinary impact on American life — and especially on the lives of women — in a remarkably wide range of fields, from acting and film, to political activism, to fitness and body image.”
“History sometimes doesn’t do a good job of remembering or sharing women’s stories,” Fonda said. “And as I worked on my book, I became aware that there are chapters of my life that would be of interest to people — people who care about acting or film or education or the anti-war movement. The Sophia Smith Collection is one of the world’s best collections of women’s histories — dedicated to making the stories of women from all walks of life accessible to scholars and the general public. I’m so pleased that this material from my life now stands alongside that of Gloria Steinem, Alison Bechdel, Loretta Ross, and others. I hope others will find it useful.”
“Smith is honored to be able to include this collection from one of the world’s leading actors and activists in its archive,” stated Beth Myers, director of special collections at Smith. “Ms. Fonda’s papers reflect the extraordinary influence she has had in our nation’s history—not just in the U.S., but around the world. Her collection is critical to our understanding of so many important stories—stories related to women in film, to the Vietnam War, to activism and education, women’s equality, and more. We’re pleased and grateful to make this material available.”
You can catch Fonda in theaters now in “Book Club,” a comedy about four 60-plus friends whose passions are reawakened after reading “Fifty Shades of Grey.” Her Netflix show, “Grace and Frankie,” has been renewed for Season 5 with a premiere date TBA. Fonda and series co-star Lily Tomlin made headlines in 2015 when they revealed that they were making the same amount as the actors playing supporting roles on their sitcom.
