Papers of Dr Mary Brennan: Peace Movement

The papers of Mary Brennan relate to her work for various peace movements, 1982-1996. They include papers and photographs relating to the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (Christian CND, CND in the Midlands), international peace demonstrations (for example in Russia), non-violent direct action, the health effects of Chernobyl and nuclear disasters (including the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki), 1990-1993, and minutes and papers of the Committee to stop war in the Persian Gulf (1990-1991).

Dr Mary Brennan was a lecturer in the Department of Social Medicine, University of Birmingham, 1970-1977, and was appointed Chief Medical Planner for the West Midlands Regional Health Authority in 1977. In 1984 she was appointed medical planner for Walsall Health Authority. She retired in 1993.

Dr Brennan joined CND in 1980, and became Secretary of the Birmingham branch of the World Disarmament Campaign in 1981. The following year she became a member of the National Council of the Christian CND, and in 1983 was a member of both the West Midlands CND Executive and the National CND Council. In 1984 she sat on the CND National Executive and the CND Projects Committee. From 1985-1987 Dr Brennan was on the Disarmament for Development ('Bread not Bombs') working group of the CND and from 1985 she was also on the CND International Committee (except for 1988). In 1988 she was elected Vice-Chair of CND, with responsibility for international work, until 1992. In 1990 she became secretary of CHERB, a humanitarian fund established in response to the Chernobyl disaster. In the same year she was co-chair of the Committee to Stop War in the Gulf. From 1994-1997 Dr Brennan was also a founding member of the Committee for Democracy and Civil Liberties in Russia, becoming the committee's research officer.

These papers were listed by Dr Brennan. A paper copy of her list (to piece level rather than item level as shown on this database) is available in the Centre's searchroom and in the archive - MSS.410/93a.

File list supplied by Dr Brennan.

Apart from some items which are closed to research for varying dates up to 2031, this collection is available to researchers by appointment at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick. See http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/mrc/using/

These papers were deposited with the Centre in December 1999 by Dr Brennan. Additional deposits were added in November 2002 and July 2003.

Link to full catalogue: http://mrc-catalogue.warwick.ac.uk/records/BRE

This collection has been weeded for duplicates.

Further deposits are not expected.

The Modern Records Centre also holds records of : the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, the Labour Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, the Christian Campaign for Nuclear Disamarment, the West Midlands Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Marjorie Thompson, Dr. James Hinton and Victor Gollancz.

Further CND papers are available at the British Library for Political and Economic Science at the London School of Economics.