The papers of Katharine Hayden Salter document her career and life as a political writer, feminist, radical, and activist. They consist of biographical materials, correspondence, writings by Katharine Hayden Salter such as her poetry, pamphlets, letters to the editors of various publications, and books, and writings about Salter. The materials cover the period from 1915, the time of Salter’s earliest writings, to 1989, the year of her death. Her pamphlets and writings span topics including democracy in the United States, a “counter-action to Catholic Action,” and discrimination against atheistic public sentiment. These writings make up the largest portion of the collection and are a fairly complete collection of what Salter considered her life’s work.

Many of the writings express her strong belief that one should speak out against injustices committed by publications, such as those of conservative Catholic groups, and by individuals, including the President of the United States, other members of government, and individuals who wielded power in educational institutions including Oberlin College. Her writings and writings by others included in the collection provide a look at the contrasting opinions that were engaged in dialogue by her publications. This engagement in dialogue was a strong motivating force behind her writing.

The correspondence in this collection includes her letters to Oberlin College personnel, such as the Director of the Library, members of the Alumni Office, and the College President, as well as letters to officials at other colleges and universities, letters to the editor of a variety of newspapers, and open letters intended to provoke discussion and voice her political stances and concerns.

The collection is organized into five series: Biographical Files; Correspondence Files; Subject Files; Writings by Katharine Hayden Salter; and Writings about Salter and her publications.

Series I. Biographical Files, 1921-89, n.d.

This series consists of papers documenting the life of Katharine Hayden Salter, and primarily includes official forms and reports from the Oberlin College student records and alumni surveys.

Series II. Correspondence Files, 1943-78

These letters include those written by Katharine Hayden Salter as criticisms of Oberlin College and the handling, by its officials, of her own writings. The majority of the letters are official in nature, and include “open letters” intended as public statements. However, some personal correspondence is also included in the series.

Series III. Subject Files, 1945-46, 1955, 1967-87

The contents of this series are somewhat diverse and range from pamphlets written by Salter to writings in reaction to her letters to the editors of several newspapers. They are grouped together because they are the components of original files kept on Salter by Oberlin College prior to the accumulation of the existing collection.

Series IV. Writings by Katharine Hayden Salter, 1915-65

This series makes up the bulk of the collection and spans from her earliest poems as an undergraduate student of Oberlin College to her late publications and letters. Most of these writings were published, either privately, as pamphlets to be distributed as part of a “pamphlet war” against conservative Catholic publications, or publicly, as letters in various newspapers or as books. They provide an accurate depiction of both Salter’s opinions on current events and the political climate of the era as well as a fairly comprehensive view of her work.

Series V. Writings about Salter and her publications, 1943-46, 1975-78

Writing by others about Katharine Hayden Salter and her writings make up the final series. This series includes advertisements for her writing, as well as newspaper articles reacting to her published letters and articles about her during the latter period of her life that describe her activity in the community and memories of Oberlin College.

The papers of Katharine Hayden Salter were received from three sources – in 2001, (2001/94) as part of the transfer of materials from the Oberlin College Library Special Collections Department, from the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs, and from the Archives’ vertical file.