Bev Hickok

Bev Hickok (1919-2014) was a very big supporter of the Mazer.  As a UCLA Alumna, Bev was thrilled about our relationship with UCLA, so much so that she donated her collection (spanning more than 9 decades) to us. It’s now at the UCLA Library with info online.  As a young librarian, Bev built the Transportation Library at UC Berkeley from scratch in 1948. Before that she had been a riveter in the Douglas Aircraft defense plant and began to self-identify as a lesbian. In 1944, she enlisted as a member of the U.S Navy W.A.V.E.S. and served until 1946.

Did you know that Bev went on over 19 Olivia Cruises and made a scrap book after each one?  The Mazer will make sure that Bev is always in a room full of lesbians as that was her favorite place to be.

We still have some signed copies of her wonderful book about coming out in the 40’s Against the Current  but you can get regular copies or a kindle copy on amazon.com.

See the finding aid to Bev’s collection here : Click here to see it.

Next time you come to the Mazer ask to see the statue of an Olympic swimmer that Bev donated .  She bought it  because it inspired her but  Bev was sure that statue was of a lesbian because, “she just looked so sure of herself.”  Many years later she found out that she was right!  

Repository:  The Beverly Hickok papers includes a variety of personal and professional documents, photo albums, journals, travel notes, newspaper and magazine clippings, correspondence, published and unpublished manuscripts, ephemera, lesbian pulp and popular fiction, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender organization materials & is physically located at UCLA Library, Department of Special Collection.

The June L. Mazer Lesbian Archive at UCLA is an outreach and collection-building partnership between the June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives and the UCLA Library. Read More About The June L. Mazer Lesbian Archive at UCLA