They became doctors and lawyers. One became the first female manager of any department at northrop airlines. They became principals, surgeons, politicians, pilots, and they were able to do that because they had access to professional baseball. So when i asked them what did it mean to you to play in the league and they say everything, its exactly right. What did it mean for this country and the efforts of these women to help during wartime . It meant everything. Ive asked a number of these women, so, what was it like to have to play baseball in a dress . Of course their answers varied. Some i can repeat. Some i cant. Basically the message is we would have played naked, whatever it took. We got to play baseball and we truly believe we helped keep baseball alive during the war. As i said, the league ended in 1954. It lasted 11 years. The league expanded over that 11 years from four teams to 12 teams. Its possible that the expansion maybe happened too quickly. I think the fact there was expansion in the league, the fact that the war was over, women were being told to maybe go back to some of those more traditional roles. All of those things including the arrival of television in Major League Baseball on television helped to bring about an end to the allamerican girls professional baseball league. If we look at the impact of africanamericans, women, japaneseamericans, any other group you could possibly think of, if we start to pick that apart, to look at their actual role in winning the war and surviving the war in some cases, we start to see a more full picture of what life was like for people involved in the war and those involved even on the periphery. When we started this conversation today, this discussion today, we talked about the fact that total war, that war was this completely allconsuming thing, that it was not just about two armies shooting at one another. We started to think about that and what that meant and how can we further understand world war ii if we bring all these pieces and parts together. Well, we can try and thats my thats what im trying to do here is to get us to understand, again, my mantra, its all about perspective. Because theres not one of those pieces thats less important or more important. We have to understand them all to have a full view of world war ii. For me, because, of course, i am a womans sport historian, for me the role of women in professional baseball during world war ii is an extremely important piece of this story. Its one most of us dont know about. Also because those women, those 600 women, believe they made a difference in the war effort and they did. The number of women that ive talked to who worked in factories, those rosies, they believe they made a difference in the war effort, and they did. Every Single Person who went to work in a factory, who grew a Victory Garden, every Single Person who participated in blackouts, gas rationing, food rationing. Every single one of those people participated in and helped to win world war ii. Go ahead, kaitlyn. This is another picture, though, i wanted you to see. Standing on the lawn outside the hall of fame in cooperstown, new york, is a statue and it is a statue that is patterned after this swing. By the way, that just happened in 2006. This is an example what happened before every single baseball game. Women lined up in the v for victory sign. And finally a league of their own. 1992. The movie that finally brought these womens story to the forefront. For every single one of these individuals, for every single one of these groups weve talked about they play a role in world war ii. They played a role in surviving world war ii. And for us to fully understand it, they have to understand all of those perspectives. Questions, comments . Yes . You mentioned there were four cubans and canadians in the league . There were africanamericans, too, right . No, there were not. There were no africanamerican women in the league. It is a bit of a contentious subject. Probably one of the best scenes in the movie a league of their own is geena davis there in the catchers gear missed a ball and the ball went past her and two or three africanamerican women were standing off to the side and she ran and told the woman to throw it to her, instead she threw it past her and into the hands of someone who was standing behind her and realized what an incredible arm that woman had. If you ask any of the players they will tell you there were no rules about segregation necessarily. Black women just didnt try out. Segregation from cradle to the grave. No, no black women played in the league. However, there were a number of black women who did play successfully in the negro leagues with the men. Tony stone was one. The allamericans did not have any africanamerican players. Did other countries have did france or britain how did they treat their women compared . Great britain did have and i dont remember the name of their womens pilot corps but they did have one and they had one before the u. S. Did. As far as how they treated them after the war was over, i dont have that information. But they did make use of them and, in fact, Jackie Cochrane spent time there flying with those women and it was, as a result of they are time there and that experience, she was able to come back here and encourage strongly encourage the United States to do the same. It was supplies, that kind of thing, not combat related. Although, of course, its all combat related. Other questions, comments . Does anyone know what a Victory Garden was . Go ahead. You dont have to buy as much. You were doing your part by providing your own. They started in great itain, didnt it . Yeah. Victory gardens were exactly. Rations. Yeah. It was a time where you can only buy certain foods and we were rationing things. Victory gardens were exactly that. Women were told, grow a garden. Go out into your backyard, grow a garden, help to feed not only your family but maybe another family. There were lots of ways that women participated in the war effort and certainly that was one. And if you were at home, you had kids, maybe you didnt have an opportunity to go off and work in a factory or play professional baseball but there were things you could do and that was certainly one. Were children also sent to the factories to work . No. By the time by the time we get to world war ii we had child labor laws in place. No, children were not no, that didnt mean they didnt help in other ways because, of course, they did but, no, they were not expected to work in factories. In fact, that would have been illegal. We didnt have nurses in the army yes. They were in combat zones. Yes. In theory they were not in combat, right . But, of course, we had nurses who were killed during the war. We had nurses who were taken prisoner of war. So, yes, that happened everywhere but they were not officially in combat. We still have that argument, right . Thats obviously changed a lot because women can, in theory anyway, do any of the jobs in the military that men can do, at least i believe thats the case. [ inaudible ] no. Other questions, comments . The antijapanese propaganda, the most decorated combat unit we had served in italy. One of the hardest places that we had fights, the japaneseamericans. Yes. Yeah, there were any number of stories like that. A number of the male japaneseamericans who were rounded up and sent to camps and places like montana and wyoming had served in the United States military during world war i. These were american citizens in many cases. So, yeah, it was a very dark, i think, difficult time in our history. We understand if you think back about it and certainly we can bring this to the present and think about what we felt like after 9 11. We are fearful certainly when weve been attacked. When were threatened by a group of people. We rounded up japaneseamericans and put them in what amounted to concentration camps in the middle of the country. Sadly there are folks who want to do similar things today. Other questions, comments . For your midterm that is tuesday yes . You could write me a nice essay about total war. Where you talk about the importance of perspective and understanding all of those important pieces and parts. Yes . Okay. Ill be counting on that. Yes . Would you agree that total war means that war was more than just fighting, it means, like, everybody was affected by the war and did their part to help in their own way . Yes. I think you hit the nail right on the head and you said it much more succinctly than i did. It is exactly that. It is about those battles, of course about the, unfortunately, the killing and the protection of your country or your geographic location and the change that happens with individuals. And if we expand our view beyond just that piece of it, then i think we can really get a sense of that. In the same way now most of you were pretty young, but in the same way that, again, i keep using 9 11 because its the most current similar experience. Those of us who were a little bit older on 9 11, yeah, you know, i didnt go to war. I didnt go to battle. But heres what happened to me. I walked into my classroom on that day and a classroom much like this one and we were all devastated, and we talked about that. We talked about what that meant. And then as the weeks went on, there were fewer and fewer young men in my classroom. And then after about, oh, i dont know, a month, six weeks, i looked out into my classroom and i had two or three young men and thats it. I go back to my office and i have an email from someone here at the university saying, by the way, a lot of reservists have been called up. So i stood in my classroom and i watched i watched these young men leave my classroom. They went to war. They literally went to war. I dont know what happened to them. I have no idea. Did i fight in the war . No. Will that memory live with me the rest of my life . Yes. Other questions, comments . Okay. All right. Then i will see you on thursday. Cspans convention coverages today at 7 20. Speakers include and finally, donald trump himself. Making america one again is the theme of the con veng tonight. Our preconvention show starts at 5 30 eastern. Again, live coverage of the Convention Begins tonight at 7 20 eastern. Next, Santa Clara University history professor nancy unger, discusses an activist who was active in the early 20th centuries. She is the author which tell the story of this journalist, suffragist and pacifist who campaigned alongside her husband and son in their own bids for office. The humanist association of the greater sacramento area hosted this event and its about an hour. Todays truly delightful speaker asked me if i could give her only a brief introduction. Lets see if i can. Subject is and i would like to pronounce it, bell la fol et, who lived a full life from 1859 to 1931. In doipg the research for her new book, nancy discovered that the work of previous historians including herself, had drastically underestimated this great humanist. She discovered the surprising truths about the radical reformer who was denounced by some as disgraceful to the white race. What . Disgraceful . She fought for women, peace, civil rights. And for so much more. The New York Times hailed her as perhaps the least known, most influential of all American Woman who had to do with Public Affair this is this country. Today, professor unger will help us to know belle for who she was and is. A marvelous model of progressive reform. Nancy . Hello. Thank you for that lovely introduction. I have given eight talks to the humanist community of Silicon Valley and they are one of my favorite aud u yenss because they stay awake and they ask great questions. So, i really when looking forward to this talk. And i want to thank you for inviting me to the humanist association of greater sacramento area. I want to thank bill potts for his heroic efforts to publicize this talk and make me feel welcome. I have written this brandnew biography and i am tieing to talk with you about it. About her as a representative of the many women who contributed significantly to american politics, even long before women had the vote. Hillary clinton may well be the first female president and if she is, shell deserve the credit for it. But as a clinton herself acknowledges, it took a lot of work by previous women and some men to compellingly make the case that women are capable of political leadership. Even at the highest levels. She was one of those women and as we look forward or maybe not looking forward quite so much to the 2016 elections, we have a lot to learn from this Great American and not only about politics. Lesson one. Dont make the mystic of underestimates a woman just because she was first known as a political wife. Although the New York Times eulogized belle in 1931 as perhaps quote the most influential of all american women who have had to do with Public Affairs in this country, she faded quickly from popular memory. And when she is recalled, its usually in relation to her husband and sons and i am afraid that i contributed to this approach in my biography of her husband, finding bob la fol et and in my own defense, he started ilt this min mization of his wifes accomplishments began with this progressive reform giant famously calling her my wisest and best counselor. Bob openly deferred to belles judgment throughout his storied professional life as District Attorney three term congressman, lawyer, threeterm governor of wisconsin and most significantly, during his 19 years in the u. S. Senate. According to their soninlaw, george middleton, except john adams with his abigail, no man in public life was to have so equal a mate. Books, articles, essays, a short film and plays including a full length musical, all hail belle as the little woman behind the great man and only a few go so far as to recognize her as an important reformer in her own right and no account until now reveals the depth and range of her interest, ambitiouses and activism and the contributions she made to meaningful progressive reform. So, lesson two. Dont believe everything that you read or hear. Upon her death in 1931, newspapers across the nation hailed belle for her selflessness, wlingness to remain out of the public eye. Her contentment in a career for herself in favor of carrying out a higher calling that of wife and mother. She had a masculine mind. One back handed accolade conceded, but thep quickly praised her for being essentially feminine, maternal. Like that old compliment, you dont sweat much for a fat girl. Another hers is an interesting career. For those women who of necessity must remain in the background. Famed journalist lincoln stefans, a family friend who should have known better painted la follette as a selfsacrificing woman who consciously surrendered her own ambitions, quote, she could act he said, but she was content to beget action and actors. She played herself, the womans part. She sat in the gallery in the congress or at home with the children and the advisors. She could, but she did not often make the speeches or do the deeds. Although this helpmate behind the scenes assessment came to dominate the historical record, in reality, belle la follette exhibited considerable political leadership. Although she and her husband worked together to promote the many progressive goals they shared, she was far from being merely his assistant. She held no elected office and could not even cast a ballot until she was 61 years old. Yet she overcame her natural shyness to wield tremendous influence as a journalist and public speaker. Activities she took on not only out of idealism, but because her family needed the money. All those who joined lincoln stefans as identifying her as the victorious mother did her a grave disservice. She did make the speeches and do the deeds and the nation improved because she did. So lesson three. Dont buy into tired ideas about gender or anything else. Born belle case in 1859 she grew up in the Farming Community of wisconsin where her commitment to feminist principles was cemented at a young age. In her experience, men and women were both so indispensable to the success of farm life that few couples quibbled over whose work was more important. As she put it, quote, while traditions and laws fixing the legal disabilities and the interior status of women prevailed womens great practical usefulness and highly developed judgment placed them for all practical purposes on an equal footing with men. Such a perspective was consistent with her familys religious views. When her mother, mary case, heard Anna Howard Shaw lecture at the familys free Congregationalist Church promoting womens right to vote she was captivated by the words of this pioneering minister and physician. Mary case later told her daughter that she felt, quite indignant that women did not have the same rights as men. Bel belles brother agreed. Stating matter of factually i do not see any reason why i should vote if belle cannot. Lesson four. Be fearless and challenge authority. Belle case refused to accept the differential meek role assigned to girls. A friend recalled that young belle case quote frequently discomfitted her teachers and fellow pupils by questioning and challenging things that were taught and accepted. And was fearless in insisting on things being understood and being worth while before accepting them. Her years as a student at the university of wisconsin fueled her fearlessness. One professor recalled miss case with her eagerness for knowledge and readiness to pay the price in hard work profited to the full by the universitys opportunities. Lesson five. Remain your own person. Belle cases classmate bob la follette pursued her avidly. It was at her insistence that their engagement remain a secret. And bob grew increasingly frustrated when belle seemed far more interested in pursuing her career than planning a life with him. Only after belle completed two years of teaching did she marry bob on new years eve in 1881 in a ceremony conducted by a unitarian minister who honored the brides request that the word obey be omitted from the marriage vows. Lesson six. Stop wasting your time. Eight months and ten days after their wedding, belle gave birth to the first of their four children. Although belle la follette said the supreme experience in life is motherhood, she also said there is no inherent conflict in a mothers taking good care of her children, developing her own talents, and continuing to work. Even when her children were small, la follette refused to waste her time on the activities most people assumed should take up the day of a middle class wife