Pierce, Patricia, 2005 December 2

Part of Collection

Call Number: RU 1055, Series Accession 2008-A-001

Scope and Contents

In 1970, recently separated and the mother of four small children, Patricia Pierce chose to attend the May Day demonstrations on the New Haven Green. The event marked a turning point in her political activism and awareness. Pierce grew up in an upper-middle class family and attended Vassar. She came to New Haven in 1964 because her then husband, attorney Cheever Tyler, got a job at the Wiggin and Dana law firm. Although the couple had separated by the spring of 1970, Tyler instructed Pierce to take their four children to Branford to avoid potential violence on May 1. She left her children with a friend and came back to New Haven to observe the activity for an hour or so. Pierce reflects on the events of the day and the political consciousness that she began to develop in their aftermath. She talks about becoming an activist in the 1970s, the women's movement, her decision to get a Ph.D., and her later community involvement with Planned Parenthood and the Amistad Academy charter school. Pierce, the Dean of the Yale School of Management at the time of the interview, also discusses the political apathy that she perceives among undergraduates today.

Interviewer: Hung, Annie

Dates

2005 December 2

Conditions Governing Access

As a preservation measure, original materials may not be used. Digital access copies must be provided for use. Contact Manuscripts and Archives at mssa.assist@yale.edu to request access