Abigail Quigley McCarthy Papers

Collection

Identifier: SC-008

Staff Only

The Abigail Quigley McCarthy Collection contains various documents from both when she was alive and information about her death/funeral. The McCarthy Collection is mostly made up of news clippings and articles she wrote for various news outlets. The clippings are primarily reviews or information about her books "Private Faces, Public Places" and "One Woman Lost." There are also other articles describing various events that occured both during and after her separation from Senator Eugene McCarthy. There is also information specifically about her marriage and what happened to her during her time as a politician's wife. The McCarthy Collection also houses information specifically about her involvement as a columnist with the magazine, Commonweal. In addition to these items, there are various documents regarding her connection to St. Kate's. The documents include her time on the Board of Trustees and the Abigail Quigley McCarthy Center for Women's Research, Resources, and Scholarship. There are also a variety of miscellaneous documents including her personal correspondence, biography, death and funeral. The collection also holds photographs and tapes. The final items in the collection are the original manuscripts for the books "Private Faces, Public Places," "One Woman Lost" and a copy of "Private Faces, Public Places."

Dates

1940 - 1990
Majority of material found within 1970 - 1980

Creator

McCarthy, Abigail Q. (Abigail Quigley) (Person)

Biography:

Abigail Quigley McCarthy was born in Wabasha, Minnesota April 16, 1915 and died February 1, 2001 in Washington D.C. She went to St. Catherine University, graduating in 1936 with a Bachelors of Art in English. She went on to graduate with a Master's in English from the University of Minnesota. She then continued on to study at the University of Chicago and the Bread Loaf School of English. She met her husband Eugene McCarthy when they both were high school teachers in Mandan, North Dakota. During her time with him Mrs. McCarthy was active in political life and campaigning for her husband. Mrs. McCarthy was part of many political and social events during her marriage and interactions with various key politicians. She was a part of different organizations including Church Women United, Women's Equity Action League, and the Women's Campaign Fund.

Mrs. McCarthy is well known for her writing, including her books "Private Faces, Public Places" and "One woman Lost." Her books gained her recognition and she became known for her writing. In addition to the books Mrs. McCarthy, Mrs. McCarthy also was a columnist for Commonweal and wrote numerous articles for them and she also wrote short stories for other publications. Mrs. McCarthy continued to have ties to St. Catherine's after her time at the school had ended. She was a member of the Board of Trustees, was awarded the Alexandrine medal, and the Abigail Quigley McCarthy Center for Women's Research, Resources, and Scholarship was named in her honor in 1986.