IOWA WOMEN’S ARCHIVES
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA LIBRARIES
IOWA CITY, IOWA
ROXANNE BARTON CONLIN (1944- )
PAPERS, 1969-1996
45
linear feet and audiovisual material
|
ACQUISITION: |
The papers (donor no. 6) were donated by Roxanne Barton Conlin in
1975 and succeeding years. |
|
ACCESS: |
The papers are open for research. |
|
AUDIOVISUAL: |
Sixty-one audiocassettes shelved in the audiocassette collection (AC55-AC101, AC192, AC294-AC308, AC312) and twenty-eight videocassettes shelved in the videocassette collection (V60-V87). One audio reel-to-reel is in box 2. Professional gubernatorial campaign audio and video reel-to-reels can be found in boxes 68 and 69. |
|
COPYRIGHT: |
Copyright has been transferred to the University of Iowa. |
|
PHOTOGRAPHS: |
In boxes 3, 45 and 107. |
|
PROCESSED BY: |
Special Collections Staff (MsC 317, MsC 423); Tammy Lau and Randel W.
Lackore, 1996; Sharon M. Lake, 2001.
[ConlinRoxanne.doc] |
Biography
Roxanne Barton Conlin, lawyer,
feminist and civil justice activist, was the oldest of Marion W. and Alyce M.
Barton's six children. Born on June 30,
1944 in Huron, South Dakota, Roxanne Barton and her family moved to Sioux City,
Iowa, when she was four years old. She
also lived in Clinton, Iowa, before moving to Des Moines in 1958. She graduated from high school after her
junior year to attend Drake University in Des Moines. After receiving her B.A., Conlin earned a law degree from Drake
University in 1966 and a master's degree in public administration in 1979, also
from Drake. In 1964 Roxanne Barton
married James Conlin, a real estate broker.
They had four children, two of whom came to the Conlin family when they
were teenagers.
Conlin worked as a lawyer in private
practice from 1966 to 1967 before serving as Deputy Industrial Commissioner in
Des Moines from 1967 to 1968. Conlin
was an Assistant Attorney General for the state of Iowa for seven years
(1969-1976), heading the Civil Rights Section of the Iowa Department of
Justice. She also did anti-trust work
in this position and handled several cases involving willful misconduct by
public officials.
Conlin was appointed United States
Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa by President Jimmy Carter in
1977. In this position, she
concentrated her efforts on the prosecution of white collar crime, fraud
against the federal government and narcotics trafficking. She and her staff had great success in each
of these areas. She was honored for her
work with a special commendation from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
and received the United States Secret Service's Award for Outstanding
Assistance. During her term, she was
president of the Federal Executive Council and served on the Attorney General's
Advisory Committee of United States Attorneys.
Conlin also taught law at the University of Iowa from 1977 to 1979.
Conlin has been active in Democratic
politics since 1960, serving in various positions including national
committeewoman of the Iowa Young Democrats, vice-president of the Iowa
Delegation to the Democratic Mid-term Convention in 1974 and on many committees
for the state party convention. From
1981 to 1982, Roxanne Conlin ran unsuccessfully for governor of Iowa as the
Democratic Party's candidate. Conlin
also campaigned for Jimmy Carter, Tom Harkin, and Walter Mondale, and she
served as the National Policy Chair for John Glenn’s unsuccessful bid for the
1984 Democratic presidential nomination.
Since the
mid-1980s Roxanne Conlin has been involved in the Association of Trial Lawyers
of America (ATLA), a professional litigators' organization with 65,000 members
committed to "fostering a safer, more just society." After serving on several ATLA committees,
Conlin was elected parliamentarian (1988-1989), secretary (1989-1990),
vice-president (1990-1991), president-elect (1991-1992) and ultimately,
president (1992-1993), ATLA's first female president.
Conlin's community activism has
included service on the boards of directors of the Iowa Shares Program, the
River Hill Day Care Center in Des Moines, and the Polk County Rape and Sexual
Assault Care Center. She also founded
and was the first chair of the Iowa Women's Political Caucus.
Roxanne Conlin has received numerous
awards and honors, including being named to the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame in
1981. McCall's Magazine called her "one of the forty-four women in
America qualified for a cabinet position." In 1974, she received the Iowa Civil Liberties Union's award for
Outstanding Service to Civil Liberties and was named the Outstanding Young
Woman of Iowa. She is listed in Who's Who in America.
Conlin was a tireless campaigner and
a relentless advocate for her beliefs; she made countless speeches and
participated in an unending stream of conferences. Her output was truly remarkable, and her papers testify to her
ability to initiate, manage, and lead political change within the democratic
process. Conlin’s vibrancy is palpable
in this extraordinary collection that documents her career.
Scope and Content Note
The Roxanne Barton Conlin papers
date from 1969 to 1996 and
measure 45 linear feet. The papers are
arranged in four series: Personal,
Professional, Political and Photographs.
The Personal series (1970-1996 and undated) includes biographical
information, a few letters to Conlin from her father and her daughter Jacalyn
Conlin, and material relating to Conlin’s civic activism.
The Professional series (1969-1995 and undated) forms the second
largest series. The series is further
subdivided by subseries: Association of
Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA), Appointment calendars, Assistant State
Attorney General of Iowa, Association of Trial Lawyers of Iowa (ATLI),
Correspondence, Law practice, Newspaper clippings, Speeches, and United States
Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa.
Throughout the series, however, certain themes predominate; among them
are sexual discrimination and harassment, women's rights, product liability,
and civil rights.
The Association of Trial Lawyers
of America subseries (1985-1993) shows how Conlin campaigned for elective
offices within ATLA and how she rose through the ranks to become the
organization’s first female president.
What she accomplished while president is illustrated through the
interviews and profiles, the letters of appreciation she received, and the
"President's Page" columns she wrote for ATLA's Trial magazine. Some
audiocassettes and videocassettes of talks Conlin gave and courses she offered
on ATLA’s behalf are also included.
Conlin's work as an Assistant State
Attorney General is documented in the Assistant State Attorney General of
Iowa subseries (1969-1977). This subseries illustrates Conlin's efforts on
behalf of women, minorities and the disabled.
Included are several court briefs Conlin wrote as the attorney for the
Iowa Civil Rights Commission.
The Association of Trial Lawyers
of Iowa (1973-1977) is a small subseries containing correspondence and some
legislation the association wished to have enacted by the Iowa State
Legislature.
The Correspondence subseries
(1969-1990) is a chronological file of Conlin's professional communication
between 1969 and 1990.
Conlin's Law practice (1976-1995) materials
are extensive. There are many audiocassettes
and videocassettes of news segments, talks, interviews, debates and panel
discussions on specific legal issues and Conlin's work as a lawyer. (For
Conlin's views on sexual harassment and on the Anita Hill testimony in the
Clarence Thomas Supreme Court confirmation hearings see Box 3, Professional,
ATLA, Presidency, "President's Page" (Trial), letter to Julie Shoop dated March 22, 1993).
Also of note are the newspaper
clippings which describe the 6.3 million-dollar sexual harassment and discrimination
lawsuit Conlin won on Linda Monohan's behalf (Box 23; Professional; Law
practice; Issues; Sexual harassment).
The Newspaper clippings
subseries (1970-1990) includes articles about Conlin’s fight as U.S. Attorney
General against Star Coal Co. to end environmentally destructive strip mining
where reclamation is not possible and a court case on Medicare and Medicaid
fraud (see Box 28, Professional, Newspaper clippings, January 1980).
The Speeches (1971-1994) are
extensive and are arranged by the following topics: civil justice system, commencement addresses, courtroom
procedures and strategies, leadership, rape, sexual harassment and
discrimination, women, and miscellaneous.
The United States Attorney for
the Southern District of Iowa subseries (1977-1981) documents Conlin's work
in this appointed position. Included
are minutes from Conlin's service on the Attorney General's Advisory Board and
notes from various conferences she attended.
The Political series (1970-1990) comprises the bulk of the
collection. Conlin's involvement in
women's political causes, her service on state commissions and task forces, her
campaign for Governor of Iowa and her political affiliations are reflected in
this series. The series is subdivided
into nine subseries: Civil rights,
Democratic Party, Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), Gubernatorial election,
International Women's Year, Iowa Commission on the Status of Women, Iowa Higher
Education Task Force, National Organization for Women (NOW) and Women's
political caucuses.
The Civil rights subseries
contains more papers related to Conlin's work with the Iowa Civil Rights
Commission. Of interest is an opinion
written by Conlin on the commission's jurisdiction in police matters concerning
public accommodation.
The Democratic Party
subseries (1974-1990) contains documents from Conlin's participation at the
Conference on Party Organization and Policy, a mini-convention held in 1974 in
Kansas City, Missouri. The purpose of
the conference was to draft a national charter for the Democratic Party, a
first for major political parties in the United States (see box 45, Political,
Democratic Party, Conference on Party Organization and Policy, letter to Conlin
from Morris K. Udall, September 17, 1974).
The Equal Rights Amendment
subseries (1972-1980) contains the transcript of a debate between Conlin and
Phyllis Schlafly, the national head of Stop ERA, which aired on WHO talk radio
in Des Moines in March 1978. Also
included are three drafts of an article written by Conlin for the Winter 1975 Drake Law Review "Equal Protection
vs. Equal Rights Amendment--Where Are We Now?"
The Gubernatorial election subseries
(1978-1982) chronicles Conlin's unsuccessful bid as the democratic candidate
for Governor of Iowa in 1982. The subseries
is sorted into the following categories:
fundraising records, campaign documents, audiovisual material, issues,
correspondence and donation forms.
The International Women's Year
subseries (1975-1977) concerns Conlin's work on the coordinating committee in
Iowa and her compilation of papers on the legal status of homemakers in all
fifty states and the District of Columbia.
The Iowa Commission on the Status
of Women subseries (1970-1981) contains annual reports and minutes of the
commission during Conlin's tenure and studies of sex discrimination against
women in employment, education and health insurance.
The Iowa Higher Education Task
Force subseries (1973-1989) contains the administrative records of the task
force and the testimony presented to the task force at six hearings held around
the state in 1988.
The National Organization for
Women (NOW) subseries (1972-1989) covers administrative records of Conlin's
involvement on national NOW committees as well as position papers and materials
connected to women's rights.
The Women's political caucuses
subseries (1973-1986) is divided into two categories: Iowa Women's Political Caucus and National Women's Political
Caucus. Included are papers
illustrating Conlin's role as an activist for women's political causes and
social problems. (A note from Ruth
Bader Ginsburg dated December, 1974 regarding an article Conlin wrote that she
had asked Ginsburg to review is in box 105, Political, Women’s Political Caucuses,
IWPC, Articles and letters first draft, undated, folder 1.)
The John Glenn Presidential
Campaign subseries (1983-1984) covers Conlin’s work as the chair of Glenn’s
National Policy Council in his unsuccessful bid for the 1984 Democratic
presidential nomination. It also
contains extensive press clippings related to the campaign, Glenn’s position
papers, and the text of many of his speeches.
See also Box 45 for papers related to Conlin’s work on the Glenn
campaign.
The Photographs (1969-1982 and undated) are mostly professional
publicity shots (including gubernatorial contact proofs) and snapshots of
Conlin at conferences or in groups. The
photographs have been removed from the various accessions to be filed together.
Related Collections
Margaret Davis Collison papers
Collison was coordinator of polling volunteers for
Roxanne Conlin's 1982 gubernatorial campaign.
Iowa Women's
Political Caucus (IWPC) records
In 1973 Roxanne Conlin founded the Iowa Women's Political
Caucus after attending the first convention of the National Women's Political
Caucus in Houston. She served as the
first IWPC president from 1973 to 1975.
Louise Noun papers
The transcripts of Noun’s 1989 interview with Conlin are
included in Noun’s papers. The
interview formed the basis for Noun’s chapter on Conlin in More Strong Minded Women: Iowa
Feminists Tell Their Story
Summary
Contents List
Personal, 1970-1996 and undated (boxes 1 and 2)
Professional, 1969-1995 and undated (boxes 2-44)
Association of Trial Lawyers
of America (ATLA), 1985-1993
(boxes 2-4)
Appointment calendars,
1972-1986 (box 5)
Assistant State Attorney
General of Iowa, 1969-1977 (boxes 6-8)
Association of Trial Lawyers
of Iowa (ATLI), 1973-1977 (boxes 8-9)
Correspondence, 1969-1990
(boxes 10-18)
Law practice, 1976-1995
(boxes 18-25)
Newspaper clippings,
1970-1990 (boxes 25-28)
Speeches, 1971-1994 (boxes
28-33)
United States Attorney for
the Southern District of Iowa, 1974-1981 (boxes 34-44)
Political, 1969-1990 (boxes 44-106)
Civil rights, 1973-1985
(boxes 44-45)
Democratic party, 1974-1990
(boxes 45-47)
Equal Rights Amendment
(ERA), 1972-1980 (box 48)
Gubernatorial election,
1978-1982 (boxes 48-88)
International Women's Year,
1975-1977 (boxes 89-94)
Iowa Commission on the
Status of Women, 1970-1981 (boxes 94-96)
Iowa Higher Education Task
Force, 1973-1989 (box 97)
National Organization for
Women (NOW), 1972-1989 (boxes 97-104)
Iowa Women's Political
Caucus, 1973-1983 (box 105)
National Women's Political
Caucus, 1975-1986 (box 106)
John Glenn Presidential
Campaign, 1983-1984 (boxes 108-109)
Photographs, 1969-1982 and undated (box 107)
Box no. Description
Box 1
Personal
Biographical information,
1987-1992, 1995-1996 and undated
Alcoholism
Personal account and
articles, 1993
Letters of support, 1993
Caricature (chalk drawing),
1989 [shelved in map case]
Civic activities
Certificates of
appreciation, 1975, 1985-1986
"Iowa Shares" food
project, 1979-1981
Mayor's Citizens’ Conference
on Rape (Des Moines), 1974-1976
Polk County Rape/Sexual
Assault Care Center
1974 and undated
June 1976-August 1976
1976-1977
"Write On America"
(Youth for Understanding scholarship project), 1975
Complaints
Milford Overseas, Inc.,
1971-1973
Phase 2, Inc., 1973
Correspondence
Incoming, 1992 and undated
Outgoing
1970-1971
1989 and undated
Drake University
Alumni of the year award dinner
Program and invitation, 1989
Videocassette (VHS), 1989
[shelved in videocassette collection:
V71]
Law Board of Counselors
1978-1981
December 1982-June 1985
Box 2
July 1985-December 1986
Outstanding Young Woman of
Burlington nominations, 1973
Renewal of wedding vows,
1994 and undated [one oversized newspaper article shelved in map case]
White House Fellows
application, 1973
Who's Who: Outstanding Young Women of America,
1973-1975
Women's speakers directory
(Iowa State University), 1977-1978
Audiovisual materials
Audiotape "Eye on Iowa" appearances on WMT-TV (reel-to-reel tape), 1972-1973 Videocassette of Animal Rescue League auction (VHS, 20 minutes), 1995 [shelved in videocassette collection: V70]
Professional
American Bar Association (ABA) victim's committee, 1985-1986
Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) membership handbook, 1985
Association of Trial Lawyers
of America (ATLA)
Administrative
ATLA Advocate, 1989
Background information, 1990
Boards and Committees
Board of Governors minutes, 1988-1990
Education committee, 1987
Executive committee, 1990 and undated
Keyperson committee, 1987
Political action committee (PAC), 1986-1987
Budget documents, 1985-1986
Correspondence, 1985-1987
Box 3
Meetings, conventions, and seminars
1985-1987
Bridge-the-Gap seminar, 1985-1986
Washington, DC meeting correspondence, 1988
Winter convention and exposition, 1990
Campaigns for office
Parliamentarian
Brochure draft, contract and budget, 1988 and undated
Candidacy statement and
letters of intent, 1987 and undated
Letters of support,
1987-1988
Notes and correspondence,
1988 and undated
Vice-president
Candidacy statement and
letter of intent, 1990 and undated
Letters of support, 1990
President-elect
Candidacy statement and letter of intent, undated
Letters of support,
1990-1991
Presidency
Farewell address, 1993
Interviews and profiles, 1988, 1991-1993 and undated
Letters of appreciation,
1993 (includes one photograph of Conlin)
Message to membership, 1993
"President's Page"
(Trial), 1993 and undated
"A Women's Bill of
Rights" poster (with congratulatory messages), undated
Printed material, 1985-1986
Box 4
Reports
"Bitter Harvest: Dangerous Farm
Machinery,”
undated
"Report On: An Assessment of the Needs of Plaintiff Lawyers," 1988
State-by-state legislative update, 1986
Tort reform research material, undated (4 folders)
Trial advocacy course, 1989-1990 and 1996
Audiovisual materials
Audiocassettes [shelved in
audiocassette collection]
Debate: Epstein v. Shapo (90 minutes), 1992 [AC294]
The Public Law Radio Show (interview),
1993 [AC295]
Videocassettes [shelved in
videocassette collection]
A Celebration of Justice,
(VHS), 1992 [V72]
Meeting in San Francisco
(news report) (VHS, 15 minutes), 1993 [V73]
Presidency inauguration
speech (VHS, 9 minutes), July 30, 1992 [V74]
Trial demonstration (basic
course), 1988
Tape I (VHS, 2:30:00) [V75]
Tape II (VHS, 14:20) [V76]
Trial Masters Forum (opening
statement) (VHS, 41:59), 1991 [V77]
Appointment calendars
1972-1973
1974
Box 5
1975
1976
1977
1978
1980
1984-1986
Assistant State Attorney General of Iowa
Air pollution
Airplanes, 1970
Automobiles, 1970
Treatise, 1970
Committee on the Office of
Attorney General (National Association of Attorneys General), 1970-1972
Court cases
Hawkeye Realty Co., Betty Anderson and George Hill Jr. vs. Iowa Civil Rights Commission, 1970
Iowa Civil Rights Commission vs. City of
Cedar Rapids Police Department Civil Services Organization and Police Pension
Board, 1973
Iowa Civil Rights Commission vs. C. R.
Peterson Realty Company, 1970
C. R. Peterson-petitioner vs. Leo
Oxberger, judge of the fifth judicial district in and for Polk County,
Iowa-respondent, 1972
Iowa Civil Rights Commission and Heriberto Zamara vs. Massey Ferguson Inc., 1972
Iron Workers Local #67 and William Reed vs. John Hart and Iowa Civil Rights Commission, 1971
Joan Parr, Judy McCarthy and Iowa Civil Rights Commission vs. Cedar Rapids Community School District and Cedar Rapids Board of
Education, 1969
Box 6
Leo Griggs and Iowa Civil Rights Commission vs. Wilson-Sinclair Company, 1970
Plumbing fixtures anti-trust
case form letters, 1970
Pottawattamie County Department of Social Services and Board of Social
Welfare vs.
Elliot Landau and Iowa Civil Rights
Commission, 1973
State of Iowa vs. Harvey Bartz and Arnold
Buechele, undated
State of Iowa vs. Arnold Buechele, [1975]
State of Iowa vs. David Kieth Feddersen,
1975
State of Iowa vs. Quentin Linus Hanan,
1969
State of Iowa vs. John Harrington, 1970
State of Iowa vs. James Helter, 1969
State of Iowa vs. Frank Sebben, 1970
State of Iowa vs. Henry Steenhoek, Jesse
Wright and Gary Wright, 1970
State of Iowa vs. Donald Taylor, 1974
State of Iowa vs. Dale Thomas Armstrong and
Shirley Buttolph, 1969
State of Iowa vs. Frank R. West and Robert E.
Lee, 1977
Wilson and Co., Inc. a Delaware corporation and Frank Harvey-plaintiffs vs. The Honorable Leo Oxberger, judge of the fifth judicial district of
Iowa-defendant, 1970
Notes, undated (2 folders)
Fair employment, 1971
Federal aid to elderly, 1972
Human rights
Correspondence, 1973
Handicapped, 1973-1974
HEW (Department of Health,
Education and Welfare), 1977
Box 7
Presentation by the Iowa
Manufacturers Association Human Rights Committee to Minority Groups Study
Committee, 1973
Iowa Civil Liberties Union
roast of former Attorney General Richard Turner, 1980
Job interview requests,
1970-1972
Legal notes, undated
Memo: response to last attack of external
activities, undated
Opinions
Disabled accessibility,
1973, 1976
Height and weight
requirements for employment, 1974
Job discrimination, 1972-1976
Legal status of women and
marriage, 1974 and undated
Sex discrimination in high
school industrial arts programs, 1974 and undated
Pending legislative bills
for review, 1975-1976
Rape
Correspondence, notes and newspaper
clippings, 1973-1975
Research paper by LeAnn
Roling, 1975
Sex discrimination
Ms. Lorene
Bunner-complainant vs. J. I. Case-respondent
Transcript of the
proceedings, 1973 (2 folders)
Box 8
Complaint against Roxanne Conlin by Ms. Lorene Bunner to
The Iowa Bar Association, 1973-1976
Grinnell Baseball Association, 1974-1975
Highway commission, 1974-1975
Ella May Jones (Des Moines
school district), 1973
Legislation, 1977
Termination of participation
in Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System (IPERS), 1976
Association of Trial Lawyers of Iowa (ATLI)
Constitutional challenge
materials, 1988
Correspondence
1984-1986
1986
1987-1988
Legislation
1985-1986
1986-1987
Box 9
Legislative Day, 1985
Materials sent to
legislators, 1985-1987
Correspondence
Drug letters, 1969
1970
1971-1972
Miscellaneous newsletters,
1972-1973
1973
January
February
March
April
Box 10
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
1973
December
1974
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
Box 11
November
December
1975
January
February
March
April
May
Box 12
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
1976
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
1977
January-March
Box 13
March-May
June-July
August-September
October-December
1978
January-February
March
April-May
Box 14
June-September
October-December
1979
January-March
April-June
July-September
October-December
Box 15
1980
January-March
April-June
July-September
October-December
1981
January-March
April-May
June-August
Box 16
1982-1983
1984
January-June
July-September
October-December
1985
January-May
June-August
September-December
1986
January-March
Box 17
April-May
June-July
August-September
October-December
1987
January-March
April-October
1989
1990
1996-98
Box 18
Undated (2 folders)
Law practice
Audiovisual materials
Audiocassettes [shelved in
audiocassette collection]
"The Civil Justice
System: Can it be Saved?," 1993 (30
minutes) [AC296]
"Defensive
Medicine," 1993 (15 minutes) [AC297]
Ex-convict suggestions for
prison reform ("addressed to Mrs. Roxanne Conlin, the next governor of
Iowa"), undated [AC298]
Homemakers' rights
("Today" show), 1978 (10 minutes) [AC299, side 1]
Interview - Mary Jane Odell
weekly, 1979 (30 minutes) [AC299, side 2]
Iowa Women's Political
Caucus (keynote speech), 1979 (30 minutes) [AC300]
"Making the Opposing
Expert Tell the Truth," (30 minutes), 1991 [AC301]
Million dollar arguments (Gail vs. Western Convenience Stores), undated (60 minutes) [AC302]