FeMail (organization)
Correspondence, 1982-2013

SC23215

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Historical Note:

FeMail was a "correspondence magazine" group of women that was formed in the mid-1960s with members from the United States and the United Kingdom. "Correspondence magazines" were fairly popular groups beginning in the mid-twentieth century.  The primary qualification for membership in this particular group was that all the women were also members of Mensa, a social organization for individuals with a high IQ.  FeMail membership fluctuated but there were typically seven or eight women from each country. By the twenty-first century, membership dwindled.  However, members Martha Grutchfield, Madelon Hambro, Carol Conkey, Becky Smith, Jo Roberts, Margaret Aitchison and Sheila Noble all remained in the group throughout most of its tenure.   

Each month, members would write a letter and send a copy to each of the two coordinators or editors – one in the United States and one in the United Kingdom. Martha Grutchfield served as the coordinator for the U.S. and Rebecca (Becky) Smith for the U.K. Each coordinator would compile the letters into the "magazine" and create a monthly rotation for the members in her country. The "magazine" would then circulate among the members. By the late 1990s, the "magazine" began to circulate via email but a paper copy continued as well. Eventually, the group phased out paper copies except for one hard copy that was archived by the coordinator in the United States.

Most of the members had met in person on at least one occasion but the majority of communication that occurred among these women was in the form of the correspondence magazine. Phone calls to one another were seldom made, and letters and e-mails outside of FeMail were rarely sent.

Scope and Content Note:

This archive consists almost exclusively of letters written by members of FeMail from its beginning in 1982 to the present. All the letters have the same basic format. The heading typically includes the names and ages of the writer and her family as well as her address. The body is divided into two parts, "news" and "personals." The "news" section was like a member's diary for the month, discussing topics such as health, travel, children, work, politics, cultural events, family events, religion, hobbies, pets and gardens. Members also expressed their opinion on current events and the letters have discussions about Princess Diana's death in 1997, Y2K, the September 11 attacks, Hurricane Katrina, the mad-cow-disease epidemic in Britain, the housing crisis of 2008, the U.S. presidential election campaign of 2008, and the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  Generally, there was little restriction on the subject matter but some members avoided very personal matters. The "personals" section allowed members to address each other individually and respond to past letters. This section became a complex, rich and multi-layered dialogue. Occasionally, the exchanges resulted in disagreements and conflicts. Usually the disagreements were resolved but not always; one member in the late 1990s chose to leave the group after developing a major rift with another member.

Most of the letters were typed, but some of the earlier exchanges were handwritten. The letters have been arranged chronologically, mainly by month, with letters not specified by day located at the end of each folder.

Research Use and Access Note:

This collection is open for research use with explicit restrictions relative to quoting and publishing information from the documents. Provisions in the deed of gift indicate the restrictions apply for 30 years (from April 2011 to April 2041). During this period, researchers seeking access should obtain written permission from members of FeMail, or their heirs or representatives. No material from the collection may be reproduced or published during this period without express written permission.

Box and Folder List: