Interview with Louise H. Branscomb, M.D., conducted at Birmingham, AL, October 7-8, 1985, by Martha E. King, 1985 October 7-8

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From the series: Oral History Interviews, 1985 September-October

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Containers:

Box 1 > Audio-cassette RL00145-CS-0003

Box 1 > Audio-cassette RL00145-CS-0007

Digital-materials RL00145-SET-CS0003 > Audio-file RL00145-CS-0003_001.wav

Digital-materials RL00145-SET-CS0003 > Audio-file RL00145-CS-0003_002.wav

Extent:

90 minutes

Scope and content:

From interview worksheet:

"Tape 3 Side 1, October 7, 1985. Louise was a participant in the Consultation in Africa in 1968, which emphasized Rhodesia. She relates an experience with Mildred Taylor, a missionary, and gives her first-hand observation of the rigid rules on separation of the races. Louise's realization that we think so differently from South Africans. Another missionary, Lorena Kelley, was Louise's rommate at the consultation and she was very helpful. The purpose of the consultation was two fold: (1) to listen to what the African said and (2) to help them understand what the Mission Board is doing and why. Incident she observed of a man's going through the garbage pails and finding only a small bit of banana left in its peel. Bishop Shunga and his district superintendents were present for the consultation. She felt that some of the requests made were unreasonable; e.g. request for a new Toyota to replace on which a district superintendent had driven into a stream and left. Louise felt that Bishop Shunga launched a verbal attack on her when she asked the group to tell her what they wanted. Then, the bishop requested (more nearly ordered) her to lead the devotional the next morning. Relunctantly she agreed and decided to use the topic 'What It Means to Me to Be a Christian.' After the consultation she felt that had not accomplished much but then realized that she had learned a great deal. Staff members were more optimistic of the outcome of the consultation. Reference to Maya Angelou's 'Heart of a Woman,' with emphasis on the 'palaver' over her situation. She concluded that she had failed to recognize the fact that the husband should made the decision rather than the wife. They recommended that she give the husband another chance. The Bishop concluded that the palaver plan called for too much talk and he had decided to do most of the talking himself. October 8, 1985. Louise was elected to the Board in 1964 and found her previous experience valuable. She was intensely interested in finding younger women to serve. Being named to the Board Executive Committee, she found herself in a new situation -- that of interpreting the position of the Women's Division on matters. The men treated her as a peer. She recounts appearing before the Council of Bishops in Nashville to relate the work of the Commission on Status and Role of Women.

Tape 3 Side 2, October 8, 1985. Louise felt good about the presentation and related that when the bishops reconvened they sang 'Rise Up, O Men of God.' She observed that humor is often a signal for the beginning of understanding. She cited Birmingham, Alabama, as a good example of cooperation among its citizens. She referred to the unrest among the Black persons on the Board of Missions and their attempt to speak to the Board. The youth on the Board invited Board members to a caucus and Louise was the only member to respond except the two Board Members assigned to the Youth. Following a confrontation with one of the young women Louise was better able to understand the attitude of the youth. Subsequently Louise was able to get the bishops to hear the youth in the plenary. In 1984 Louise was a delegate to the General Conference; previously she had been an alternate and had attended quite a number of conferences. At the Portland General Conference she gave the minority report on 'Term Episcopacy.' She had assistance especially from Augusta Carruth and Nan Self. Her own conference was very supportive of her as a person, although they did not agree with her report and its position. She believes that the ecumenical movement will bring term episcopacy. She reviewed her report to the Atlanta General Conference on 'abortion' in which she used reference to Albert Schweitzer's philosophy, 'reverence for life.' She stressed the need to consider quality of life for those affected in making the decision. She concludes from this experience 'It's all right to make a fool of yourself for Jesus.' Louise Branscomb has given 28 consecutive years on committees, agencies, commissions and/or Boards of the larger church. During these years she emphasized that women must be brought into the mainstream of both church and society. One group met in Chicago to discuss 'Status of Women' and a petition to the General Conference did set up a Study Committee but a proposal from the floor bo bypass the Study Committee report and go ahead and set up a working commission was made -- it passed. A technique which Louise finds useful is that of pretending she has come to Earth from Mars and she questions if what is being done makes any sense. She repeated her concern that United Methodist Women no longer has a leader to work with Status of Women. Another concern is for clergy women. She made an analogy of her own experience in thinking initially that she had to set up her medical practice in the same manner as did male physicians."

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