Joan V. Bondurant papers

Collection

Identifier: D.469

Staff Only

Biographical/Historical note

Joan V. Bondurant of Great Bend, Kansas, graduated from University of Michigan in 1942 with a broad-ranging liberal arts education. With United States’ entry into World War II following the December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, Bondurant became deeply conscious of the world struggle and felt compelled to actively participate in the war effort. Unable to pass U.S. military health requirements, she responded to the surge in the U.S. government’s need for Japanese language skills. Bondurant gained entrance into a University of Michigan Japanese language class, which subsequently led to her to work for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in San Francisco, and then to an OSS assignment to New Delhi, India, as Research Analyst in India. Her work included helping to translate intercepted Japanese messages and documents.

During her four years of field research in India, Bondurant developed a deep love of Indian life and culture and, importantly, learned first hand of Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy and practice of non-violence in bringing about social and political change. Bondurant’s booklet, "Sketches of India" (1946, n.p.) was her response to many friends who asked her to share in words and pictures her impressions of life in India.

On her return to the United States in 1948, Bondurant studied at University of California, Berkeley where, in 1952, she earned a Ph.D. in political science. She joined the faculty at Berkeley, where she also served as Research Political Scientist, Institute of International Studies, until 1970. Dr. Bondurant wrote extensively in the field of conflict and conflict resolution, as well as on the government and politics of India. Her definitive work on non-violence is Conquest of Violence: The Gandhian Philosophy of Conflict. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1958. With several subsequent editions, it has never been out of print.

From 1970-73, Dr. Bondurant was professor of Comparative Politics at the University of the Pacific, Stockton, California. She retired and lived in Tucson, Arizona until her death in 2006.

Scope and Contents

The Joan V. Bondurant Papers includes documents relating to Bondurant's life (1918 and 2003). The collection includes documents relating to the non-violence movement and the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, manuscripts and published articles and books, political and personal papers from her work in India, notes and class lectures from her time at Michigan State University and the University of California Berkeley, personal and professional correspondence, photographs, and unpublished family poetry.

Creator

Bondurant, Joan V. (Joan Valérie), 1918- (Person)

Dates

Creation: 1918 - 2003

Language of Materials

English

Extent

73 box(es) (73 boxes, 3 volumes, and 1 oversized flat folder)

Access

The Joan V. Bondurant Papers is open for research use. Researchers are advised to contact the Rare Books Special Collections & Preservation Department prior to visiting. Upon arrival, researchers will also be asked to fill out a registration form and provide photo identification.

Use

In consultation with a curator, reproductions may be made upon request. Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from a curator. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The papers were the gift of Edna Cardish with the assistance of Allison Stokes, 2012.

Preferred Citation

[Item title, item date], Joan V. Bondurant Papers, D.469, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester