Iowa Women's Archives - Beverly A. Hannon - The University of Iowa Libraries

IOWA WOMEN’S ARCHIVES

UNIVERSITY OF IOWA LIBRARIES

IOWA CITY, IOWA

TITLE:»BEVERLY A. HANNON (1932- )

PAPERS, DATES:»1968-1995

»16 linear feet and audiovisual materialand a aa

QUANTITY:»

Processing of this collection was supported through funding from the Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) Act through a Historical Resource Development Program (HRDP) grant from the State Historical Society of Iowa.

ACQUISITION:	The »papers (donor no. 119) were donated by »Beverly A. Hannon in 1993 and succeeding years.
ACCESS:	The »papers are open for research.
ARTIFACTS:	»In box 35.
AUDIOVISUAL:	Twenty-two audiocassettes (AC423-AC443, AC1097-AC1098) shelved in audiocassette collection. Eight videocassettes (V173-V179 and V346) shelved in videocassette collection».
COPYRIGHT:	»Copyright has been transferred to the University of Iowa.
PHOTOGRAPHS:	In boxes 33 and 34».
PROCESSED BY:	Natalie Brody, 1998, Bobby Jett, 1999.
REVISION:	Suzanne A. Vesely, 2001. [HannonBeverly.doc]

Biography

Beverly A. Hannon, two-term Iowa state senator from 1985 to 1992, was born on March 30, 1932 in Manchester, Iowa, to John and Kathryn Hahesy. She attended St. Xavier's Elementary School and graduated from Manchester High School in 1950. In 1961 she married David L. Hannon, a program manager at Rockwell-Collins in Cedar Rapids. When the youngest of their six children entered kindergarten, Hannon enrolled in Kirkwood Community College, receiving an Associate of Arts degree in 1982 and in 1990 a bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa.

Hannon first entered Democratic Party politics in Jones County. Dismayed with the Democratic county chairman's stand on abortion and his attitude toward women, she was preparing to run for his position in 1984 when she was asked to run for the state senate instead. The District 22 lines had been redrawn following the 1980 census, making the district more Democratic. She defeated the incumbent, Merlin Hulse, by 200 votes, served a four-year term, and in 1988 defeated Hurley Hall by about 2500 votes, an incumbent senator who moved into her district and changed parties to run against her.

Following redistricting in 1990, Hannon’s residence was situated in the new District 20, but she lost most of her base of support. In the 1992 election, incumbent Jack Rife, a ten-year Republican senator and Senate Minority Leader, was placed in the same district as incumbent Republican Richard Drake. Rife used the address within District 20 for his campaign address but continued to reside outside District 20.

During her eight years in the Iowa Senate Hannon chaired the Human Resources committee and was vice-chair of the Small Business and Economic Development committee. She also served on the Energy and Environment and the Local Government committees as well as the appropriations sub-committee of Health and Human Resources.

Hannon's legislative activities focused on health and family issues. She was an outspoken supporter of reproductive rights and an opponent of parental notification legislation requiring that parents of minors wishing to have an abortion be notified in advance. Hannon was deeply committed to her constituents, conscientiously responding to their inquiries and concerns. In each of her three senatorial races she was an avid campaigner.

Hannon made two trips to Central America, the first in 1986 to Honduras and Nicaragua as one of four legislators went to determine the advisability of sending an Iowa Guard medical and dental unit to Honduras. The following year she was part of a twelve-woman delegation to Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador, sponsored by the Augsburg College (Minneapolis, Minnesota) Center for Global Education. In 1989 she attended the United States/Salvadoran Women's Conference in Mexico, under the auspices of the Foundation for a Compassionate Society. These trips confirmed Hannon's strong opposition to United States policy in Central America.

In 1992 Hannon helped form the Democratic Activist Women's Network (DAWN) to focus on recruiting, educating, supporting and electing pro-choice Democrat women in Iowa local and state government. In 1993, Hannon worked for the University of Iowa Pre-Vocational Training Program, which was designed to place women in nontraditional employment and education programs. Hannon was instrumental in founding the Iowa Women’s Foundation based in Iowa City. Hannon received numerous honors and awards for her legislative leadership and her academic achievements.

Scope and Content Note

Begin text here:The »Beverly Hannon papers date from »1968 to 1995 and measure 16» linear feet. The »papers »are arranged in »seven series: »Biographical information, Campaigns, Senatorial District 22 (20), Legislative service, Media, Legislative issues, and Photographs. The papers reveal the myriad concerns and responsibilities of a state legislator. Each series consists primarily of correspondence, memoranda, notes, and newspaper clippings, which relate to Hannon's activities as a state senator

Before donating her papers to the Iowa Women's Archives, Hannon wrote extensive notes explaining the issues and people especially significant to her during her legislative service, and explaining the content of various files. These notes and comments provide valuable insight into her interpretation of a senator’s role. The comments and the materials to which they refer appear throughout the collection. Those not incorporated topically are included in the Legislative service series.

Of particular interest in the Biographical information series are the speeches, articles, and statements by Hannon; articles written about her; and questionnaires she completed on a wide variety of topics. Letters written in the 1980s to her mother, Kathryn Hahesy by various correspondents are also included in this series.

The materials which relate to her three Campaigns are organized chronologically, with subseries devoted to the 1984, 1988, and 1992 campaigns. Each consists of materials about the campaign: strategy and organization, budgets, publicity, events, and

her opponents: Merlin Hulse in 1984, Hurley Hall in 1988, and Jack Rife in 1992.

The Senatorial District 22 (20) series consists of constituents’ responses to questionnaires and correspondence with constituents in the various towns of the district. Hannon resided in District 22 until redistricting in 1990 changed the boundaries; thereafter her same residence was in District 20.

The Legislative Service series comprises materials which relate to Hannon's role as a senator: calendars, correspondence with national and state officials, Political Action Committee (PAC) activities, and Hannon’s participation in a numerous national legislators’ conferences.

Regular columns Hannon wrote for newspapers in her district and the press releases from her senatorial office are included in the Media series.

Hannon was concerned with a wide variety of issues but focused primarily on social issues: family, health, environment, reproductive rights and women. Materials about these issues are included in the Legislative Issues series.

The Photographs series documents Hannon's legislative campaigns and senatorial duties as well as her family.

The Artifacts series consists of campaign buttons, T-shirts and banners.Begin text here:»

Begin text here:»

Box no. Description

Box 1

»Biographical information

Articles about Hannon, 1984-1994

Awards, 1988-1993

Correspondence (3 folders), 1968, 1978-1995 and undated

Democratic Activist Women's Network (DAWN), 1992-1994

Flyers

Audiotapes [shelved in audiocassette collection, AC423-AC441]

Videotapes [shelved in videocassette collection V173-V179]

Education

Kirkwood Community College, 1979-1991

University of Iowa

Alpha Sigma Lambda, 1986-1990

Papers

"Abortion in Iowa: History and Players,” 1990

"I Make Tortillas," 1988

Box 2

"Survey: Spouses of Iowa Women Legislators," 1989

Miscellaneous, 1981-1990

Family, 1982-1991 and undated

Financial, 1986-1994

Gender issues, 1982-1994

Hahesy, Kathryn [mother of Beverly Hannon]

Correspondence, 1980s and undated (5 folders)

Box 3

Application for employment with Harkin-Clinton, 1992-1993

Health, 1983-1986

Internships, 1990-1991

Oral history interview by Suzanne Schenken ("A Political Dialogue: Iowa's Women Legislators")

Religion and the Catholic church, 1978-1994

Resumes, 1986-1992 and undated

Questionnaires (2 folders), 1984-1992

Speeches and articles by Hannon (2 folders), 1983-1994

Miscellaneous

Box 4

Campaigns

1984

Background

Brochure

Correspondence

Events

Finances

Budget

Campaign disclosure

Contributions

Fundraisers

Hulse, Merlin (opponent)

Jones County Democratic Committee

Kaul, Donald, correspondence

Newspaper clippings

Box 5

Strategy and organization

1988

Announcement

Background

Campaign calendar [oversize: shelved in map case]

Congratulatory letters

Correspondence

Election results

Events

Finances

Budget

Contributions (2 folders)

Box 6

Fundraisers

Hall, Hurley (opponent)

Iowa Democratic Party

Issue positions

Primary election

Publicity

Media (2 folders)

Signs

Strategy and organization

1992

Announcement

Campaign letters

Box 7

Correspondence and notes (3 folders)

District 20

Finances

Contributions (2 folders)

Fundraisers (2 folders)

Box 8

Strategy and organization (2 folders)

Publicity

General

Printing

Radio and television

Signs

Rife, Jack (opponent)

General

Box 9

Hannon/Rife positions and legislation

Newspaper clippings (2 folders)

Senatorial District 22 (20), 1985-1992

General

Constituent congratulatory letters

Maps

Redistricting

Questionnaires returned by constituents

1985 [with Representative Andy McKean]

1988

1991 (3 folders)

Box 10

1992 (2 folders)

Correspondence

Cedar county

Bennett

Clarence

Durant

Box 11

Mechanicsville

Stanwood

Tipton (3 folders)

West Branch

General (2 folders)

Herbert Hoover Historic Site

Wilton

Miscellaneous

Box 12

Jones county

Anamosa

General (2 folders)

Grant Wood Festival

Martelle

Monticello (2 folders)

Morley

Jones county

Olin

Box 13

Oxford Junction

Wyoming

Miscellaneous

Linn county

Ely

Cedar Rapids

General (3 folders)

Indian Creek Nature Center

Linn County Medical Society

Fairfax

Lisbon

Mount Vernon (1 folder)

Box 14

Mount Vernon (1 folder)

Springville

Miscellaneous

Scott county

Legislative Service, 1985-1992

Notes and recollections (3 folders)

Calendars and events

1985-1986

Box 15

1992 (3 folders)

Correspondence

Iowans outside district

National officials

State officials (2 folders)

Democratic politics (2 folders)

Directories and Registers, and maps (1 folder)

Box 16

Directories and Registers, and maps (2 folders)

Department of Human Resources

Human Resource Committee

Issues

Bills (2 folders)

Iowa Democratic Party

Box 17

Legislators’ conferences

Council of State Governments, Lake of the Ozarks, August 1986

Health Care, Rensselaerville, New York, July 1987

Midwestern Legislative Conference, St. Paul, Minn., August, 1989

National Council of State Legislators, Nashville, Tenn., August 1990

Health Care Ethics, Charlottesville, Va., November, 1990

Center for the American Woman and Politics (CAWP), San Diego, Ca., November 1991

Women State Legislators’ Roundtable, Kansas City, Mo., June, 1992

Miscellaneous

Newspaper clippings, 1984-1985

Office staff

Political Action Committees (PACs)

Correspondence, 1985-1992

Labor, 1984-1992 (2 folders)

Box 18

Legislators' voting records [as compiled by various PACs]

Miscellaneous (2 folders)

Media

Correspondence

1984-1985

1986-1991

Newsletter/Media file, 1984-1988

Newspaper columns by Hannon

1986-1992 (2 folders)

Box 19

1992

Press releases, 1985-1992 (8 folders)

Legislative Issues, 1985-1992

Central America

Citizens' Hearing on Central America, March 15, 1986

Correspondence (2 folders)

Box 20

Iowa activists

Iowa National Guard in Honduras report, July 17, 1986

Newspaper clippings

United States-El Salvador conference, Cuernavaca, Mexico, 1989

(2 folders)

Corrections

Blue Ribbon Panel on Sentencing

Anamosa Reformatory

Economic development

Americans for Economic Rights

Box 21

General issues (3 folders)

Family Farm and Small Business committee

Small Town and Rural Interest in Development and Employment (STRIDE)

Tourism

Box 22

Education

American College Testing

Correspondence (3 folders)

Cornell College, Mount Vernon, Iowa

Drop Out Prevention Study Committee

Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Non-public schools

Multicultural non-sexist education

Regents' institutions (2 folders)

Iowa State University,

University of Northern Iowa, University of Iowa

Box 23

Environment

Backbone State Park

General (2 folders)

Harry Powell, Sr.

Deer

Department of Natural Resources

Energy conservation

Exxon

Iowa Beef Processors Inc. (IBP)

General (2 folders)

MacEachern correspondence

Box 24

Natural resource issues

Oxford Mills dam

Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP)

Recycling

Soil conservation

Trails (2 folders)

Trees Forever

Waste management

Ethics

Box 25

Family

Adoption

Children

Abuse

Child support committees (4 folders)

General issues

Domestic violence

Box 26

Elderly

Family therapy

Hospice

Housing

Living will

Parental leave

State Human Investment Policy (SHIP)

Surrogate parenting [shelved in audiocassette collection: AC442-443]

Farm

Iowa Farm Bureau

Iowa Farmers Union

Health

Medical ailments

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

Box 27

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

Chlamydia

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)

Disabilities

Head injury

Infertility

Mental health

Smoking

Substance abuse

Health Professions

Clinical laboratory licensing

Emergency Medical Service (EMS)

Indigent health care

Midwifery

Nursing

Optometry

Gary Fisher case (1 folder)

Box 28

Gary Fisher case (1 folder)

Physician assistants

Miscellaneous

Health care

Healthy Iowans 2000

Insurance

Other health issues (2 folders)

Military

Armory funding

Correspondence (2 folders)

Box 29

Department of Defense “Boss Lift”

Education

Iowa National Guard

Newspaper clippings

Procurement Office, Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Veterans

Reproductive rights

Abortion

Correspondence (2 folders)

Crime statistics

Insurance

Legislation

Notes

Overview of Issues (Hannon)

Box 30

Planned Parenthood (2 folders)

Right-to-Life organizations and literature

“A Reflection on Life, V346 [shelved in videocassette collection]

“Post Abortion Syndrome, AC1097 [shelved in audiocassette collection]

Project 600 Aid to Women, AC1098 [shelved in audiocassette collection]

Statistical reporting

Adolescent pregnancy

Correspondence

Legislation (3 folders)

Box 31

Reports

Parental notification

Correspondence (5 folders)

Hearing (2 folders)

Box 32

Legislation

Newspaper clippings

Stalker bill

Taxes (2 folders)

Women

Athletics

Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), 1991-1992

Female-dominated Jobs Study committee

Government

Iowa Women's Political Caucus (IWPC)

Rest rooms in government buildings ["potty parity"]

Box 33

Women's Legislative Caucus (WLC) (2 folders)

Miscellaneous issues (2 folders)

Other issues

Photographs

Political (3 folders)

Box 34

Political (3 folders)

Family

Box 35

Artifacts