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Oral History Interview with Juanita Kreps, January 17, 1986. Interview C-0011. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007).
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Abstract
Juanita Kreps grew up in coal-mining Harlan County, Kentucky, but eventually made her way to Durham, North Carolina, where she earned a Ph.D. in economics, and Washington, D.C., where she served as Secretary of Commerce in the Carter Administration. In this interview, Kreps remembers a career, as she puts it, "of proposing things before people are ready to accept them." Such things included the notion that women should seek out satisfying careers; a proposal to extend the age of eligibility for Social Security; and that day care should be provided for working women. Kreps herself, a female academic during World War II and already a professional success as women began to push for economic equality, was ahead of her time. This interview provides a brief biography of a woman who made a strong case for women's rights before the women's movement gained momentum.
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This interview is part of the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007), a collection of over
4,000 interviews housed at the Southern Historical Collection.
Subjects
Funding from the Institute for Museum and Library Services supported the electronic publication of this title.
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Last updated May 20, 2008