Jane Hiers Papers

Collection

Identifier: MSS 0621

Staff Only

Scope and Content

The Jane Hiers Papers date from 1955 to 2004 and contain correspondence, newspaper clippings, reports, committee notes, and other records related to Criminal Justice, Civil Rights, and local politics in Gainesville and Alachua County created by Gainesville local community activist Jane Hiers.

The papers are arranged into six series including:

Series 1. “Criminal Justice, 1958-2004” containing the bulk of the collection including Jane’s involvement on a number of committees and task forces including Florida Governor Bob Graham’s Task Force on Sex Offenders and their Victims, the Alachua County Department of Rehabilitative Services (ACDRS) Advisory Board, and the Alachua County Department of Corrections (ACDC) Citizens Committee on Law Enforcement. Also included are a number of files related to juvenile justice, sex offenders, and prison reform. Also included are a number of newsletters related to criminal justice.

Series 2. “Civil Rights, 1955-1972” containing subject files primarily containing newspaper clippings related to national, state, and local issues regarding the civil rights movement and desegregation during the 1950s and 1960s. Of special interest is a survey produced by the Gainesville Women for Equal Rights (GWER) concerning segregation policies of recreational facilities in the Gainesville area.

Series 3. “Politics, 1964-1980” containing subject files primarily containing newspaper clippings related to national, state, and local elections, especially presidential.

Series 4. “Organization Files and Notes, 1963-2001” containing files on local organizations including the Gainesville Women for Equal Rights (GWER) and National Organization for Women (NOW). Also included are a number of legal pads containing Jane’s notes from a variety of different organizational meetings/events from 1972 to 1980.

Series 5. “Personal, 1967-1987” containing a photograph of Jane and Richard Hiers, an award from the League of Women Voters (LWV), and a personal papers file.

Series 6. "Prison Ministry - Correspondence, 1977-1983” containing correspondence between Jane and Richard Hiers and various prisoners.

Dates

Creation: 1955 - 2004

Creator

Hiers, Jane, 1929-2016. (Person)

Access

The collection is open for research.

Biographical/Historical Note

Jane Leslie Gale Hiers was born in Norfolk, Virginia in 1929. She attended Bucknell University in Pennsylvania. In the 1950s she worked in Washington, D.C. for the American Psychological Association and later in New Haven, Connecticut as research assistant to Professor Roland Bainton at Yale Divinity School and as a social worker in New Haven public housing. She also organized local and national political campaigns in Virgnia and New Haven.

After moving to Gainesville she devoted her life to community activism, she became a founding member of the Gainesville Women for Equal Rights (GWER), Chair of the Gainesville League of Women Voters' Criminal Justice Committee, a member of the Bell Nursery Board, President of 4-Cs Child Care, a member of Governor Bob Graham's Task Force on Sex Offenders and Victims, a member of the Alachua County Commission's Advisory Committee on planning and staffing of the Alachua County Detention Center (later renamed the Sheriff's Jail) and a member of Gainesville Police Chief Adkins Warren's Citizens Advisory Committee. Jane was also a life member of the League of Women Voters.

Jane's husband Richard Hiers was a University of Florida Professor of Religion and Affiliate Professor of Law who was also very active in local Gainesville community organizations.

Jane passed away on December 1, 2016.

Source:

"Jane Hiers Obituary (2017) - Gainesville, FL - Gainesville Sun." Legacy.Com, www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/gainesville/name/jane-hiers-obituary?id=14559344. Accessed 5 June 2023.

Extent

7 Linear Feet (7 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Correspondence, newspaper clippings, reports, committee notes, and other records related to Criminal Justice, Civil Rights, and local politics in Gainesville and Alachua County created by Gainesville local community activist Jane Hiers.

Location

Please note that this collection is housed in the Auxiliary Library Facility off campus and will require advance notice for timely retrieval. Please contact the Special and Area Studies Collections department prior to your visit.

Acquisition Information

Donated by Becky and Peter Hiers (daughter and son of Jane Hiers) in January 2023.

Existence and Location of Copies

Digital reproductions of selected items in the Jane Hiers Papers are available online via the University of Florida Digital Collections (UFDC). Please read the Permissions for Use statement for information on copyright, fair use, and use of UFDC digital objects.

Related Materials

Richard H. Hiers Papers

Records of the Gainesville Women for Equal Rights (GWER)

Records of the League of Women Voters of Florida

Processing Information

Some materials with particular local focus transferred to the Matheson History Museum.

Newsletters and meeting minutes for League of Women Voters (LWV) and Gainesville Women for Equal Rights (GWER) found in the Jane Hiers Papers have been transferred over to their respective collections to fill any gaps in records.