Conference Examines Rebirth of Midwifery in 20th-Century America

"Of Women Born: The Rebirth of Midwifery in 20th-Century America," a conference examining the future of contemporary midwifery and placing it in anthropological, feminist and political contexts, will take place at Smith College Saturday and Sunday, March 6 and 7. The conference, hosted by Smith's Sophia Smith Collection (SSC), marks the opening for research use of the Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA) records, which are housed in the SSC.

Among the conference participants are Valerie Lee, professor of English and women's studies at Ohio State University and author of "Granny Midwives and Black Women Writers: Double Dutched Readings"; Charlotte Borst, professor of history at St. Louis University and author of "Catching Babies: The Professionalization of Childbirth, 1870-1920"; Penfield Chester, midwife, teacher and author of "Sisters on a Journey: Portraits of American Midwives"; and Carol Leonard, midwife, cofounder and past president of MANA and coauthor of "Women's Wheel of Life: Thirteen Archetypes of Woman at Her Fullest Power."

The conference, which will take place in the reading room of the SSC in Alumnae Gymnasium and in Seelye Hall 201, is designed to appeal to a broad audience both within and beyond the college community, including students and scholars of history, American studies, women's studies, anthropology and sociology, as well as students preparing for careers in the health sciences. Regional midwives and health care professionals working in related fields will also find the conference of interest.

The conference will also serve as the opening of an exhibit of material from the MANA collection in the SSC and will include a viewing of selected videos about midwifery and childbirth from 7:30 to 9 p.m., Saturday, March 6, in Seelye Hall 201.

This event is open to the public at no charge. For more information, call the Sophia Smith Collection at (413)585-2970 or visit the Collection's web site at www.smith.edu/libraries/ssc/.