Jane Barus

Jane Ellen (Garey) Barus (1892 – August 9, 1977) was a civil rights leader and suffrage advocate. Barus served as a delegate to New Jersey's 1947 Constitutional Convention, which drafted the constitution in current use (as of 2015). Barus graduated in 1909 from the Beard School (now Morristown-Beard School) in Orange, New Jersey. She then completed her bachelor's degree in psychology at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1913 and received induction into Phi Beta Kappa society.

Social justice and reform activities Barus led activities to promote social justice in Northern New Jersey and reform municipal services. Some of her activities are:

Women's suffrage and justice system reform

Barus served as president of the New Jersey League of Women Voters (1943-1947), and she chaired the Nominations Committee of the national League of Women Voters. In 1957, Barus founded the New Jersey Association of Correction to advocate for prison reform and promote social justice and human dignity in criminal justice programs. She also served on the State Juvenile Court Revision Committee to promote similar goals for young offenders. The collection focuses on her work as an activist with the League of Women Voters, delegate to the New Jersey Constitutional Convention, and prison reformer.