IOWA WOMEN’S ARCHIVES

UNIVERSITY OF IOWA LIBRARIES

IOWA CITY, IOWA

JEANNE BRIDENSTINE (1923- )

PAPERS, 1960-1996

1 linear foot

ACQUISITION: The papers (donor no. 266) were donated in 1995 and subsequent years by Jeanne Bridenstine.

ACCESS: The papers are open for research.

COPYRIGHT: Copyright has been transferred to the University of Iowa.

PROCESSED BY: Jennifer Holden, 1995 and Randel W. Lackore, 1996.

Biography

         Jeanne Bridenstine, a mother of five and resident of Newton, Iowa, became active in Iowa politics in 1968 when she joined the Democratic Party in Jasper County, Iowa. Bridenstine was also a member of the Iowa Women's Political Caucus and the Iowa League of Women Voters. In 1972 she was elected chairperson of the Jasper County Democratic Central Committee and retained the position until 1974, when she was elected to a four-year term on the Jasper County Board of Supervisors. After an unsuccessful reelection bid in 1978, Bridenstine served two more terms from 1982 to 1990. She was elected chairperson of the board during her 1972 term. Bridenstine is married to Eugene Bridenstine, a school guidance counselor.

Scope and Content Note

         The Jeanne Bridenstine papers date from 1970 to 1995 and measure 1 linear foot. The papers are arranged in three series: Personal, Jasper County Board of Supervisors and Women in politics.

         The Personal series (1993-1995) contains one item, Bridenstine's 1993 Christmas letter.

         The bulk of the collection consists of the Jasper County Board of Supervisors series (1970-1991) that documents Bridenstine's role as a three-term county supervisor. The series contains materials from Bridenstine's campaigns for office, some administrative minutes and correspondence, records of two court litigation's against the board and unbound scrapbooks of extensive newspaper clippings spanning Bridenstine's terms of office. A bright orange binder contains the journal she kept during 1975 and 1976. As the only women supervisor on the board, Bridenstine received little cooperation initially from the other two board members. Carrying the bright folder and writing entries convinced the others to become more cooperative when they felt their adversarial comments and actions were being documented.

         The Women in politics series (1971-1984) contains material pertaining to Bridenstine's involvement in the Democratic party and in women's political caucuses in her community and the state.

Box no. Description

Box 1
Personal
                               Christmas letter, 1993

Jasper County Board of Supervisors
                               Campaign materials
                                   Advertisements, 1974, 1978, 1982 and undated
                                   Biographical sketches, 1982, 1986 and undated
                                   Candidate profile booklet, 1982 and undated
                                   Financial disclosure, 1986
                                   News releases, 1974 and undated
                                   Newspaper clippings, 1982, 1990
                                   Posters, undated [oversize: shelved in map case: drawer 1]
                                   Speeches, 1986 and undated
                               Correspondence
                                   1975-1978
                                   1987-1989
Jasper County Free Press
                                   1973, 1976-1979
                                   1980-1991
                               Journal (orange binder), 1975-1976
                               Litigation
Jasper County Auditor vs. Jasper County Board of Supervisors
                                         Correspondence, 1987-1990
                                         Deposition exhibits, 1987-1990 and undated
                                         Legal briefs, 1988
                                         Notes, undated
                                         Speech, undated
KCOB/KLVN Inc. and The Newton Daily News vs. Jasper County
                                               Board of Supervisors vs. Jasper County Auditor
                                         Correspondence, 1975, 1987, 1989-1990 and undated
                                         Deposition
                                               Exhibits, 1975, 1988-1990 and undated
                                               Transcript, 1990

Box 2
                                         Legal briefs, 1989-1990 and undated
                                         Newspaper clippings. 1990-1991 and undated
                               Minutes, 1987, 1990
                               Scrapbooks of newspaper clippings (unbound)
                                   1970-1977
                                   1971-1981
                                   1973-1977
                                   January-August 1983
                                   August-May 1984
                                   June-December 1984
                                   1985
                                   1986
                                   1987
                                   1988
                                   1989

Box 3
                                   1990 (2 folders)
Women in Politics
                               Correspondence, 1971-1972, 1974
                               Iowa Women's Political Caucus, 1973
                               Jasper County Women's Political Caucus newsletters, 1974-1975
                               Newspaper clippings, 1974, 1975, 1980-1981
                               Poster "Vote Mondale and Ferraro November 6," [1984]
                                           [oversized: shelved in map case: drawer 1]