Scope and arrangement
The majority of the Rosemary Woodruff Leary papers are arranged in a loose chronological order. Files containing correspondence, photographs, writings, clippings, ephemera, notes, and other items from the 1960s and early 1970s document Woodruff's relationship with Timothy Leary, their extralegal affairs, and her life as a fugitive. Woodruff's time with Leary at the Millbrook Estate and in California; Woodruff's time in the Dutchess County Jail (New York); Leary's imprisonment, and Woodruff's life as a fugitive are well represented in these files. Some items are photocopies or reproductions of originals.
Letters exchanged with Leary, Woodruff's family, and John Schewel (who lived with Woodruff abroad), trace her personal relationships and involvement in the counterculture. Other incoming correspondence was written by friends including Judy Givens; associates, such as Ram Dass and Allen Ginsberg; and lawyers Michael Kennedy and Michael E. Tigar.
The collection provides scant insight into Woodruff's life in the United States in the 1980s; however, the 1990s and early 2000s are documented more extensively. These later files primarily contain personal letters and cards. Woodruff steadily corresponded with her good friend and roommate, Eleanor Dalton of Provincetown, Massachusetts, until Woodruff's death in 2002; multi-page letters from Dalton can be found in boxes 3 through 8.
Woodruff worked on her memoir, The Magician's Daughter, from the 1970s until the end of her life. The memoir is represented by typed drafts, notes, and other writings. Some files contain letters (originals and typed transcriptions) and other primary source material Woodruff used to chronicle her life story.
Photographs consist of many color and black and white printouts, though there are some original snapshots taken throughout Woodruff's life. Several of the reproductions are of images taken in Afghanistan. A professional portrait of Woodruff in her El Al uniform is available. Both are in box 18.
Memorabilia and items pertaining to other aspects of Woodruff's life include a childhood scrapbook, Woodruff's World Service Authority passport, Dam Rass's United States passport, address books, astrological charts, Leary and Woodruff's marriage license, and a rare copy of the couple's psychedelic adaptation of the Tao te Ching, In Tao We Trust. Woodruff's calendars from 1973 to 2002 are available. Sometimes she wrote very brief diary-like accounts of her day-to-day activities in these calendars.
Sound and video recordings contain interviews, lectures, and raw footage for the Ram Dass, Fierce Grace documentary. Sound and video materials are unavailable pending digitization.