Established in 2003, the Feminist Theory Archive documents the work and lives of influential scholars who place sex and gender at the center of their theoretical study. The archive is a research collection that is open to the public and housed at Brown University's John Hay Library.

We use the following definition of feminist theory as our collecting guide:

Feminist theory is discourse that attempts to explain the systemic causes and effects of inequality among the sexes including how factors such as race, class and sexuality affect these inequalities. Feminist theory arises from many domains of knowledge including the humanities, social and natural sciences. Key areas of focus within feminist theory include discrimination and exclusion, objectification, power and oppression, and the social construction of identity.

The Feminist Theory Archive comprises personal and professional papers from pioneering scholars based in the United States and internationally. Notable scholars whose papers are available for research include Ann duCille, Anne Fausto-Sterling, Silvia Federici, Inderpal Grewal, and Hortense J. Spillers. Materials of interest include diaries, correspondence, draft writings, research files, lectures, photographs, and audiovisual recordings, among many other items.

Current collecting places a particular emphasis on Black feminist theory and thinking, as part of the Pembroke Center’s Black Feminist Theory Project.

Users can learn more about all of the collections by viewing the Pembroke Center Archives LibGuide or guide to the archive, or by searching the Brown University Library catalog using the term, "Feminist Theory Archive." Researchers can access the materials by visiting the John Hay Library.

Inquiries from donors of collections and researchers should be directed to pembroke_archives@brown.edu.