In this interview, Rita Duarte Marinho discusses her experiences pursuing a doctoral degree in political science at Brown University from 1975 to 1979.

Marinho begins by sharing some personal background. She describes growing up in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and being raised primarily by women. She sets herself in the context of the Second World War, recalling how her father joined the war effort six weeks after her birth, landed on the beaches in Normandy, France, and did not return home until she was three years old. Marinho also describes her mother, grandfather, aunts, and uncles, who were Portuguese-Americans, and their dedication to education.   

She goes on to explain that after one year of undergraduate education she married her first husband and had three sons after which point she attended the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, for her undergraduate degree in political science. She explains that after graduating in 1974 she decided to pursue her PhD in political science at Brown.

In speaking of her time at Brown, Marinho shares memories of deeply rooted misogyny in the Political Science department. As the only woman in her cohort, she describes many of the ways she was challenged by her male colleagues, while also highlighting the male colleagues who were her allies. She addresses Louise Lamphere vs Brown University – a landmark class action lawsuit that in 1975 charged Brown University with sex discrimination – and the reaction to it within her department. She explains that despite the many obstacles in the department, she truly enjoyed her experience within the larger institution. 

With regard to her life after Brown, Marinho details her political activism in New Bedford, Fall River, and Massachusetts more broadly, as well as her career in higher education at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, and several other institutions along the eastern seaboard. She concludes her interview by sharing her thoughts on women and the 2019 political climate and thanking Brown for the life it afforded her.

Marinho's personal and professional papers reside at the Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese American Archives at the University of Dartmouth. View finding aid here. For information on how to access these papers, please contact the University Library at 508-999-8678.