Collections : [Central Connecticut State University]

This collection reflects the nature and expanse of the GLBTQ Archives at the Elihu Burritt Library. Coming from a variety of donors, these buttons give an overview of the interests within the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender communities of the Greater Hartford area, especially during the late twentieth century.

The Hartford Women's Center (HWC) was organized in October of 1977 to serve women of the city of Hartford. The goal was to create a network of organizations with resources for women. Newsletters and calendars were ways to reach out to the community. The HWC helped to establish the first Hartford Feminist Library in 1979. The collection consists of newsletters, minutes, flyers, photographs and slides and extensive correspondence.

The collection consists of material related to activities of Mrs. Irene Dubicka-Morawska within organizations that supported Solidarity after the introduction to Martial Law in Poland on December 13, 1981. Mrs. Dubicka was also active within other Polish American organizations before 1981. The bulk of the material covers the years from 1981 till 1984. The support for Solidarity was widespread and many organizations were established not only in the US but also in Western Europe and other countries. It was a tremendous effort among Polish Americans and recent Polish immigrants to create a network of support for the Solidarity movement and for people imprisoned by the communist government of Poland. The collection consists of documentation of the establishment of such organizations, and includes correspondence, reports on political and economic situations in Poland, and the program of ongoing help for political prisoners.

From 1971-1979, Betty Hudson was a Selectwoman for the Town of Madison, CT and a two-term Democratic State Senator representing Connecticut's 33rd District. She continued to work for the state in the field of Human Services under Governors Grasso and O'Neill until 1985. This collection includes materials from her endeavors since 1970, including correspondence, articles, and clippings regarding local, state, and national events, community projects, and legislation pertaining to gender and homosexual rights.

Holy Name Athletic Club (HNAC) was established in 1925 by members of the Polish American community in Stamford, Connecticut. HNAC had strong ties with the local Polish American parish, The Holy Name of Jesus Church. The Club received support from the parish and supported many charitable events at the church. The club organized athletic and social events to promote and to preserve activities and customs of Polonia. Material in the collection illustrates activities and membership in the Club through several decades. It also includes photographs from various sporting and social events.

This collection contains documents and objects from the life and career of Henry J. Gwiazda and his family. Gwiazda was a former Mayor of New Britain, Judge of Probate, and considered a leader in New Britain's Polonia. Collection includes papers and documents on the Gwiazda and Cieszynski families, including Dr. Genevieve Cieszynski, as well as information on local New Britain politics. Also includes books from Henry J. Gwiazda's collection, awarded plaques, scrapbooks, a campaign poster, and a typewriter featuring letters from the Polish alphabet.

The first Hartford, Connecticut Lesbian and Gay PRIDE Festival took place on the lawn of Hartford's Old State House June 26, 1982, from noon to three in the afternoon. Each of the eight organizers invited several friends, hoping that it would help boost the turn out. To their surprise, between 200 and 250 people showed up. By 2011, the festival had grown to accommodate well over 10,000 people. The day-long festival eventually adopted a format that began with a rally, then a march to the festival grounds. For many years, the rally began at the State Capitol, with the festival being held at Bushnell Park. The festivals were political, celebratory, and helped to foster communication between the different groups within the gay community. In addition to political speakers, another component of the early festivals included performances.

This collection documents the life and service of Mieczysław Stanisław Władysław "Mike" Gorzula (1919–2015), a Polish fighter pilot who flew with British and Polish squadrons in the Royal Air Force during World War II. His career spanned the latter part of the Battle of Britain through the war's end, including bomber escorts, night fighter operations, ground attacks, and the rare feat of shooting down a German Me 262 jet fighter. Materials include military records—flight logs, promotion documents, aircraft data, and operational reports—alongside family correspondence, photographs, biographical narratives, genealogical information, and printed works related to his aviation career. Together, they present a vivid portrait of a distinguished pilot and the broader role of Polish airmen in the Allied victory.

The Solidarity Information Office in Canada was opened in Toronto in 1981, and served as a satellite office of the Solidarity Coordinating Office Abroad in Brussels. Zygmunt Przetakiewicz was the director of the office from 1981 until 1983, and in 1983 Wojciech Gilewski was a director of the office until 1990, when it discontinued operation. The collection consists of extensive correspondence, reports, official publications, press releases and clippings. It covers the years from 1981 until 1990.

The collection consists of correspondence between Roman Galinski, who immigrated to the U.S. in 1922, and other prominent political figures in Poland, who were sympathizers of Narodowa Demokracja, the nationalist Polish political party. Mr. Galinski was himself very active in various political organizations and wrote extensively on the issue of Polish politics and nationalism, sometimes under the pseudonym Miroslaw Kosinski. He was a great opponent of Jozef Pilsudski and his political party and was devoted to Roman Dmowski and his political views of Narodowa Demokracja. The collection includes photographs of local Polish American prominent figures, as well as a dozen or so antisemitic publications from pre-war Poland.