Julie Charlotte Van Camp, college professor, attorney, and Mount Holyoke College alumna, was born on June 5, 1947. Her father, Leon Van Camp, was a tool and die maker. She graduated from Davenport West High School in Davenport, Iowa. She attended Mount Holyoke College from 1965-1969 and majored in philosophy. She was active in the school newspaper, serving as its editor from 1968-1969, and was instrumental in changing its name from the Mount Holyoke News to Choragos. She received a Doctor of Law degree from Georgetown University in 1980 and a Ph.D. in philosophy from Temple University in 1982. She became an attorney in 1980 and a professor of philosophy at California State University: Long Beach in 1990.

The Julie C. Van Camp Papers, spanning the years of 1964-1999 (bulk 1965-1969) are comprised of course records, correspondence, writings by Van Camp, memorabilia, newspaper clippings, graduation cards, invitations, biographical information and photographs. Most of the material in the collection relates to her years as a Mount Holyoke student, 1965-1969, particularly to her role as editor of the school newspaper, Choragos. Course records include examinations and papers written for several courses in the departments of education and English. The records of a music course and several philosophy courses, including two taken at Amherst College, contain her class notes as well as papers and examinations. Some records are for an education course tat Smith College. Much of the correspondence relates to Van Camp's role as editor of the student newspaper. Correspondence dates from 1964-1973 and concerns her acceptance to Mount Holyoke College, her concern about her grades during her first semester, her work as editor of Choragos, and her plans for graduate school. There is correspondence with Mount Holyoke professors John Piper, Elizabeth Green, Richard Johnson and James Ellis, Richard Robin, Professor David Riesman at Harvard University and fellow students Barbara Stallings, Aimee Garn, and Ellie McGrath. Her writings are comprised of two versions of a paper "Some Thoughts on Women's College Newspapers" which was presented in a national workshop on Women's college Papers August 1968. Memorabilia for her years as a student includes receipts for gynecological examinations (with a note by Van Camp describing the difficulties Mount Holyoke students had obtaining birth control pills). Biographical information consists of newspaper articles mentioning Van Camp's work on Choragos, her participation in journalism conferences, and her participation in activities protesting the war in Vietnam, 1966-1968. There is also a copy of a 1993 interview with Van Camp published in the Mount Holyoke News. Photographs are of Van Camp as a student, events such as Commencement, the newspaper headquarters, two dormitory room interiors, and the contestants and judges for the Glascock Poetry Prize contest in 1968.

This collection is organized into six series:

• Course Records (1966-1969)
• Correspondence (1964-1973, n.d.)
• Writings (1968)
• Memorabilia (ca. 1966-1969)
• Biographical Information (ca. 1966-1969, 1993, 1999)
• Photographs (1965-1969)