Oral History Interview, Jane Ayer (1752)

Abstract

In her 2017 interview with Pat Calchina, Jane Ayer details her life in Madison, Wisconsin. She spoke of the time period between 1952 and the present and of the following topics: educational experiences, through the PhD, discrimination and isolation, her relationship of 33 years, protests at UW Madison in the 1960s, socialization with other lesbians in Madison and around the US, her experience of being in a public, male dominated position during a time when it was impossible to be “out” as a lesbian, her travels around the world, Madison lesbian cultural events, her awareness of being different from a very early age, her organization of the School of Education Association of Faculty Women and the lack of support of the UW administration and her spearheading a study on the status of women at the University.