Welcome to Women and Labor: The Story of Mollie West!
This digital exhibit explores events in the 20th century, with a focus on the labor movement and the women’s movement. Mollie Lieber West’s life of activism, spanning almost 100 years, serves as the lens through which to view major historical trends.
Using the extensive collection of papers, photographs, and objects that Mollie West donated to the Women and Leadership Archives at Loyola University Chicago, this exhibit tells the story of one extraordinary woman’s efforts to support the rights of workers and women.
Navigating the Exhibit
The tabs at the top of this site lead to chapters in the story of Mollie West and the labor movement. Each chapter contains multiple stories, illustrated with images and videos from the digital collection. Click any tab to explore a topic that interests you, or follow the story chronologically by following the links at the bottom of each page. Click any image to learn more about the item from the collection. Get started with the Introduction!
To explore all of the items in the Mollie Lieber West digital collection, click here!
About the Exhibit
The exhibit was created by Caroline Lynd Giannakopoulos with the support and assistance of the Women and Labor Project Committee: Nancy Freeman, Stephanie Seawell Fortado, Michelle Nickerson, Kyle Roberts, and Kathleen Maas Weigert. Funding for the exhibit was generously provided by the Illinois Labor History Society, Steven West, Loyola University Center for Textual Studies and Digital Humanities, the Gannon Center for Women and Leadership, Loyola University Women’s Studies and Gender Studies, and the University Libraries at Loyola University Chicago .
Visit the About This Project page to learn more about this exhibit and other phases of the Women and Labor Project.
Women and Labor: The Story of Mollie West 