By Megan Bell Tuesday, Apr 21, 2026

Dr. Bette Sharon Tallen (1950–2023) was the kind of reader whose intellect was matched only by her generosity of heart and love of justice. An influential Jewish lesbian feminist scholar with an era-spanning career in Women’s Studies and LGBTQ social movements, Bette taught the very first accredited college course in New York on lesbianism and would go on to teach Political Science and Women’s Studies at universities in Michigan, New Jersey, Illinois, Minnesota, and Florida. 

We are proud to present both the archive of Dr. Bette S. Tallen and an accompanying e-list of books from her collection—and truly moved to finally share with you the meaningful material we've been so absorbed in. Thank you for reading—and we hope, as it has for us, this collection encourages you. The struggle for equality is a long one (and admittedly full of errors alongside so many landmark achievements), but we're not alone, friend, and we stand upon the shoulders of giants. Onward!

 

The Dr. Bette S. Tallen Archive

 

[Approx. 16 linear feet in 16 banker’s boxes]  The archive of Dr. Bette S. Tallen (1950–2023), a Jewish feminist scholar, lesbian activist, author, and early contributor to the development of Women’s Studies programs in the United States.
 
Included are over 1,000 pages of handwritten lecture notes, course materials spanning Tallen’s teaching career, academic correspondence and materials, early notes and drafts from her own scholarly writings, National Women’s Studies Association and other activist/collective materials, three audio cassette tapes, including both Tallen and Octavia Butler’s speeches from a 1992 Association for Women in Psychology (AWP) conference, photographs, and personal items and correspondence, including letters from several romantic partners and professional collaborators—Rosemary Keefe Curb (author of bestselling book Lesbian Nuns Breaking Silence) and Billie Potts (author of Witches Heal: Lesbian Herbal Self Sufficiency). This archive provides an in-depth personal and professional look at late 20th century Women’s Studies, feminism, and LGBTQ+ movements. 

 

 

From the Shelf of Dr. Bette S. Tallen E-List

 

Browse the bookshelves of Dr. Bette Sharon Tallen (1950–2023), an influential Jewish lesbian feminist scholar with an era-spanning career in Women’s Studies and LGBTQ social movements— and the kind of reader whose intellect was matched only by her generosity of heart and love of justice. Browse available books from this collection here.