RECORDS, 1972-1999
13 linear feet and
audiovisual material and artifacts
|
ACQUISITION: |
The records
(donor no. 20) were donated by Roxanne Barton Conlin in 1975 and 1976, and by
Victoria Herring in 1998 and 1999. |
|
ACCESS: |
The records
are open for research. |
|
ARTIFACTS: |
In |
|
AUDIOVISUAL: |
Twenty-eight audiocassettes shelved in
audiocassette collection (AC002-AC013, AC506-AC519). Two videocassettes shelved in videocassette
collection (V215-V216). |
|
PHOTOGRAPHS: |
In |
|
COPYRIGHT: |
Copyright has not been transferred to the |
|
PROCESSED BY: |
Special Collections staff;
Catherine E. Rymph, 1993; Daniel Goldstein, 1998-99; and |
History
In February 1973, Roxanne
Barton Conlin, then assistant to the Iowa Attorney General, attended the first
national convention of the National Women's Political Caucus (NWPC) in
The IWPC was founded as a bipartisan organization,
with the goal of providing women with a political education and increasing
women's political participation and representation. In 1973 the IWPC released a report showing
that women held only 6.7 percent of all elected offices in
The structure of the IWPC was as follows: A state chairwoman presided over the
organization. Statewide committees (such
as Structure and bylaws, Legislation, Priorities, and Publicity) were composed
of IWPC members from across the state.
Administrative decisions were made by the Steering Committee which was
composed of delegates from each local caucus, "at-large" delegates
from across the state, and a black and a Chicano representative.
In the early 1970s, the IWPC was composed of
approximately thirteen local caucuses; by the late 1970s, there were over
thirty-five local caucuses. These local
chapters had their own officers and bylaws and worked on local as well as state
and national issues. Local caucuses
encouraged women to serve on local boards and commissions and to run for city
and county offices. These chapters
provided women with the political education and information needed to make them
qualified and confident to run for public office. Several local caucuses published their own
newsletter.
Initial enthusiasm for the IWPC was pronounced. During its first year, the IWPC reported a
membership of around 1,000 and a mailing list of approximately 2,000. In 1974, Conlin estimated caucus membership
to be around 5,000. State and local
meetings consistently reported having twice the expected attendance.
The annual legislative goals of the caucus were a
major focus, and the IWPC was instrumental in the passage of significant
changes in the state’s inheritance tax laws (which previously required
housewives and farmwives to pay taxes on joint property inherited from their
husbands because they were not viewed as contributors to the estate); changes
in the state's rape and sexual abuse statutes (to eliminate the provision which
required corroborative testimony in rape trials, to eliminate references to
victims of sexual assault in the code as “she,” to protect rape victims from
being questioned about their past sexual histories, and to include marital rape
as a crime); the state Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) by the legislature in 1979;
and legislation requiring gender balance in the composition of state
commissions.
In 1973, the Iowa Women's Caucus Research and
Education Center (IWCREC) was founded as a tax exempt branch of the IWPC. As its name implies, the IWCREC focused on
educational and research (rather than political) work. The IWCREC was involved in grant-funded
projects relating to welfare and the public schools. In the late 1970s, it began a summer
leadership camp for high school girls, and sponsored an ambitious series of
conferences entitled “Women 2000”in nearly twenty communities around the state.
In 1974, the Win With Women Campaign Support
Committee was established to raise money to contribute to women
candidates. It was separated from the
IWPC in order to comply with legal requirements governing organizations that
make financial contributions to political candidates; in addition, this step
made contributions to the fund eligible, as political contributions, for tax credit.
Although the Committee meetings and minutes were separate from the IWPC, Win
With Women was governed by the Executive Committee of the IWPC, and their
meetings were held on the same day in the same location—one following the
other. At these meetings, the committee
decided which candidates should receive contributions, and how much each should
receive, in accordance with the policies established by the IWPC
membership. In later years, a lobbyist
was also paid from this fund.
Although the IWPC advocated the inclusion of women
of all races and backgrounds within the organization, the precise meaning and
application of this goal was a subject of continued controversy. Some members advocated explicit affirmative action
programs and the selection of delegates to represent various "special
interests" within the organization.
Others felt that an open membership policy was adequate and feared the
diffusion of the organization's goals.
The IWPC's efforts were criticized by some African-American women who felt
that their concerns and participation were not central to the work of the IWPC.
Another ongoing controversy centered on the criteria
for endorsing candidates and for contributing to their campaign funds. During the early days, IWPC campaign
contributions were limited by scarce funds.
Members debated whether the IWPC should endorse and fund any woman
running for office or only those women who promoted certain women's
issues. They also considered the issue
of whether or not male candidates who supported women's issues and had female
employees as paid members of their campaign staffs should be eligible for IWPC
endorsement and/or funds. It was
decided that male candidates could be endorsed by the IWPC but that the
distribution of scarce funds would be limited to women candidates. Later, when funds increased, male candidates
were also financially supported by the IWPC.
Co-endorsements were made at times when the caucus believed that both
candidates running would support their agenda.
This policy was also controversial at times, as Republican women charged
that the caucus was inclined to favor Democrats. The records reveal a great deal of discussion
and concern over the issue of candidate endorsement.
The IWPC steadily declined in membership throughout
the 1980s and 1990s, although its influence at the legislative level continued
to be significant, and the annual auction was a successful fundraising event
through 1990. The caucus continued to
sponsor workshops, lobby in
Elections for chair were held in the fall; hence for
each calendar year, there were two chairs.
Chairing the state-wide organization have been: Conlin (1973-1975); Margaret "Peg"
Anderson (1975-1977); Nancy Norman-Uhl (1977-1979); Nancy Sweetman (1979-1981);
Alice Claypool (1981-1983); Linda Kirkman (1983-1984); Katherine Ella (1984-1985);
Betty Baird (1985-1987); Chris Michalek (1987-1989); Anne Webber (1989-1991);
Nancylee Ziese (1991-1993); Janet Fife (1993-1995); Victoria Herring
(1995-1997); and Christine (Tina) Manbeck (1998-1999).
A more detailed chronological history of the caucus
can be found in the 1996 Member Handbook, in
Scope and Content Note
The Iowa Women's Political
Caucus records contain materials dating from 1972 to 1999 and measure 13 linear
feet. The bulk of the material dates
from June 1973 (when the first IWPC meeting was held) until 1984 (when a strong
campaign was mounted to mobilize women voters to turn out for the precinct
caucuses and elections). The records
from the 1970s depict an organization bursting forth with a vision and engaged
in many activities designed to realize it; the 1980s records are of an
organization reaping the benefits of those earlier activities, reflecting on
its successes, and considering its future.
The 1990s records show an organization in decline—there are few records
beyond Steering Committee minutes, annual convention minutes, and occasional
newsletters; in other words, established mechanisms continued to operate, but
nothing new was being generated. The
IWPC collection is strong in its documentation of the second wave women's
movement; the issues confronted by middle class women; the priorities, goals,
and rhetoric of the movement; and the successes as well as divisions and
controversies within it. It demonstrates
the vibrancy, energy, and vision of these women, and documents the networks
they established as they strove to accomplish their goals. The collection includes a series of studies,
questionnaires and surveys that document the condition of
The IWPC collection is arranged in the
following series: Administrative files, Committees, Conventions and
conferences, Correspondence, Elections and political activities, Events and
activities, Fundraisers, Local caucuses, Membership, Newsletter, Newspaper
clippings, Position papers, Topical files, Iowa Women’s Caucus Research and
Education Center (IWCREC), National Women’s Political Caucus (NWPC), Other
organizations, Photographs, and Artifacts.
The original bylaws, as well as
subsequently amended versions, can be found in the Administrative files.
The Committee
series has a fairly complete record of Steering Committee meetings from
1973-1995 including agendas, minutes, attachments, and attendance lists for
many, but not all, of the meetings. The
legislative priorities are also of interest, especially in the mid-1970s where
they document not only the priorities but the activities and progress being
made towards the passage of the desired legislation.
The IWPC held annual conventions and
sponsored numerous conferences. The Conventions and conferences series
contains material pertaining to these events including organizational
materials, brochures, and the minutes of the state conventions where general
business (such as officer elections, committee reports, and discussion of
caucus priorities) was discussed by the membership. The Conventions series includes typed
transcripts of the 1973 and 1974 convention business meetings. In addition, the collection contains twelve
audiocassette recordings of the 1973 convention. Seven of these tapes are
recordings of the Sunday business meeting (a transcript of which is located in
the Convention series noted above).
Other tapes include the keynote address by Sissy Farenthold and tapes of
several of the workshops.
Conlin's correspondence with legislators
and individual members of the IWPC, and various requests for information from
Statistics on women candidates and office
holders in statewide offices in
Most of the material in the Events and activities series is
from the 1980s. Of particular interest
is the women’s concerns poll in “A Day with Dee Jepsen,” and the founder’s
questionnaire in “A Decade of Action.”
The main fundraising activity of the IWPC was an
annual auction held from 1980 to 1990.
The Fundraising series
includes extensive materials relating to this high profile and successful
event.
The Local
caucus series includes an organizing manual as well as a practices and
procedures manual written by Conlin. It
also contains material on thirty-four local caucuses. This material varies in size and scope from
caucus to caucus, but the materials on the
Of particular interest in the Membership series is the “1985 Penultimate Iowa Women’s
Political Caucus Membership Questionnaire” and the membership handbooks which
include the history of the caucus as well as lists of the officers and active
members.
The Newsletter
series contains issues from 1973 to 1995 of the IWPC newsletter which was
eventually (although not initially) called "Caucus Comments." While some issues are missing, it is a fairly
comprehensive collection.
Newspaper clippings are sorted by date. Many are from the Des Moines Register, but other
Position
Papers were
generated by the IWPC to assist in the passage of legislation. They are a rich source of the views and
priorities of the caucus. Additional
position papers can be found scattered throughout the collection in Steering
Committee meeting packets, topical files, and legislative priorities.
The Topical
files contain materials primarily related to issues with which the IWPC
was associated. This series is arranged
alphabetically by topic. It includes
questionnaires related to rape and physical abuse, and a number of hard to find
academic papers and analyses on sexism in education, employment, and women’s
history. Also included are nine folders
of Conlin's longhand drafts of letters, newsletter articles, and brochures.
The Iowa
Women's Caucus Research and Education Center series consists of the
bylaws, articles of incorporation, minutes, and tax materials of this
organization. This series also contains
materials assembled for grant proposals to the Iowa Humanities Board for
several projects, as well as materials relating to the IWCREC's association
with a television project on education.
There are extensive records relating to “Women 2000,” IWCREC’s most
ambitious conference, including some evaluations from attendees and
correspondence with the Iowa Humanities Board.
An educational program complete with slides and audiocassette entitled Recovering our Past: The
Struggle for Woman’s Suffrage, developed by the Feminist History Research
Project in 1974, is also part of this series.
The IWPC was an affiliate caucus of the National Women's Political Caucus
(founded in 1971). This series consists
of one linear foot of material relating to the NWPC and the IWPC's association
with it. Materials relating to their
conventions (1973-1985), mailings, newsletters, and steering committee are part
of this series. Also included is
material relating to a challenge by Betty Friedan to the selection of national
steering committee delegates at the 1973 convention. The Credentials Committee folders are the
most unusual and important of the NWPC materials. They date from the years that Peg Anderson
served on the committee and reveal the internal workings of the NWPC and some
of the conflicts among its members.
Speeches given at the 1977 convention as well as public service
announcements for the NWPC are catalogued with the audiocassettes.
The Other
organizations series gives an insight into only a few of the many
organizations with which the IWPC collaborated and was associated. Of particular interest are a questionnaire
from the Criminal Justice Minority Employment Research Project of the
The Photographs
contain some national as well as many state and local leaders of the women’s
movement. Many were taken at conferences
and events sponsored by the IWPC.
The Artifacts
collection has a large selection of buttons with political and feminist slogans
such as “Uppity Women Unite” and “Every Mother is a Working Mother,” T-shirts
and sweatshirts, and a large IWPC banner that can be seen in the video footage
of workshops.
It is important to recognize
that materials on any given topic may be found in widely separated
folders. For example, information on the
Girls Leadership Camp is located in a folder in the Events and Activities
series of the collection; but it is also found in many of the financial, state
convention, and steering committee folders in the Organization section.
Related Collections
Peg Anderson
Polk
County Women’s Political Caucus
Roxanne
Conlin
Box no. Description
Administrative files
Bylaws
Original, 1973
1975, 1981-1982, 1994
Finances
Account book
1982-1985
1985-1987
Budgets, statements, and treasurer’s reports
1973-1975
1976-96 (scattered)
Disbursement of funds to
candidates, 1976
Employment
tax forms, 1977
Taxes
(contributions), 1973
Office management
1976-1979
1980-1995
Originals
of copied materials, 1983-1984 (2 folders)
Personnel
Executive director evaluations (Peg Cass), 1981
Executive director job description, 1977, 1981
Lobbyist, Jean Williams, 1982-1986
Lobbyist, Judie Hoffman, 1992, 1994
Purpose, undated
Resumes of workshop
presenters and speakers, undated
Telephone tree,
1977
Committees
Elections and rules, 1973
Executive, 1981-1984
Finance, 1973-1977
Goals and objectives, 1983
Legislative
General
1974-1975
1976-1980
1981-1982
Day care task force, 1974-75
Education programs bill,
1973
Legislation pending, 1973-74
(2 folders)
Legislation proposed, 1974
Omnibus Bill on Legal
Treatment, 1974
Priorities
1974
1975
1976
1977-1994 (18 folders)
Sex discrimination, 1974
Membership, 1974-1975
Priorities, 1973-1974 (2
folders)
Publicity
Press releases, 1974
Steering
Organizational meeting, June
3, 1973
Mailings to
1973-October 1974
November 1974-November
1975 and 1997
Minutes, 1976
Minutes, 1977-1987 (13 folders)
Minutes, 1988-1995 (5 folders)
Attendance forms, undated
Members, 1984-1985
Structure and Bylaws
General, 1973-1974 (2 folders)
Conventions and Conferences
Conventions (
1973
Convention packet
Correspondence
with elected officials
Mailings (2 folders)
Minutes
Organizing meeting, July 8, 1973
Saturday evening session [shelved in audiocassette collection
AC004]
Sissy Farenthold address [shelves in audiocassette collection
AC002]
Sunday business meeting [shelved in audiocassette collection
AC005-011]
Transcript of
proceedings
Workshops
Child care [shelved in audiocassette collection AC003]
How to run and win [shelved in audiocassette collection AC012]
How to Lobby [shelved in audiocassette collection AC013]
Miscellaneous (2 folders)
1974
Brochures and handouts
Correspondence
General
Elected officials
Minutes
Organizational material
Pre-registration list
Registration list
Suggestions
Transcript of proceedings
1975
Conference packet and information on workshops
Minutes and
other business
1976-1984 (8 folders,
lacking 1980)
Box 7
1985
1986 (1 folder)
Videocassettes
Mary Louise Smith keynote speech, “The National Outlook
for Women” [shelved in the videocassette
collection: V215]
(VHS, 33 minutes)
Panel Discussions/Presentations [shelved in the videocassette
collection: V216]
“Running for Office,” Rhonda Menke and Joe Shannahan (VHS, 25
minutes)
“Campaign Finance, ”Peggy Huppert (VHS, 25
minutes)
“Marital Rape,” Roxanne Ward and Rep. Johnie Hammond (VHS, 45
minutes)
1987-1997 (five folders)
Conferences
“So You Want to Be in Politics,” January,
1974
General
Evaluations
“I’m Not a Woman’s Libber but…,”
April 1975
Handouts for “Women in Continuing
Education,” October 1975
“We the People: A Look at Out
Parties,” October 1981
Pay equity in the marketplace conference, keynote speaker Nina
Rothchild; panel 1 Carpenter, Corderman, David; panel 2
Binnie,
Doderer, Kramer [1985?] (2 ½ hours) [shelved in audiocassette
collection AC510-511] (see also Photographs,
Miscellaneous conferences and
workshops, 1976-1993
Correspondence
Congresspeople, 1973-1975
Individual members, 1973-1976
Legislation, 1973-1974
Requests for information, 1973-1974 and 1978-1980 (2 folders)
Box 8
State and federal, 1980-1984
Miscellaneous
1973-1974 (2 folders)
1978-1979
1983-1984
Elections and Political Activities
Boards and commissions
State, 1974
State and county, 1979, 1981
Candidates (national), 1984
Congressional candidate’s questionnaire, 1974
Conlin, Roxanne B., gubernatorial campaign, 1982
Endorsement
Guidelines and debate, 1974
Procedures, 1976
Guidelines from NWPC, 1983-1984
Iowa
National, 1984
General information for candidates, 1974
“Iowa Campaign Finance Disclosure Act, Questions and Answers”, undated
Iowa Caucus Project [also called the “Purple Ribbon” project], 1984 (see
also
Precinct caucuses, 1984, Box
9)
Iowa
Women candidates, 1974 (2 folders)
Women office holders, 1974?, 1975, 1986, and undated
Legislation, federal, 1983-1984
Box 9
Lobbying Proposal, 1988-89
Maps, 1980-1984
National, 1984
Precinct caucuses
1974
1984 (3 folders, see also
Iowa Caucus Project, Box
8
Requests for support, 1974
Statements to state party platform committees, 1984
Voter registration, 1984
Win With Women
Establishment of fund, 1974
1983
1984
Financial disclosure reports
1974-1975
1984
Events and Activities
Citizen lobbying workshop, 1981
A Day with Dee Jepsen, 1983
General
Speeches
Women’s concerns poll
Decade of Action, 1983
Anniversary celebration
Iowa Women’s Political
Caucus founders’ questionnaire
Media awards
Predictions for 1993
Retreat, July 23-24, 1983
(see
Meeting held at retreat)
Equal pay for work of comparable value workshop, 1983
Exhibit on women in government at state capitol, 1993-1994
“Feminist Forum” television
show, 1974-1975
Girls Leadership Camp, 1983-1984 and 1987 and undated
“Good Guys Awards,” 1987
Phyllis Fry Memorial Fund, 1984
Twentieth Anniversary, 1993-1994
Miscellaneous, 1976-1996
Fundraisers
Auction
1980 (2 folders)
1981
Box 11
1982-1987 (10 folders)
Box
12
1988-1990 (4 folders)
1996
Auction items, 1980
Auctions, 1980s
Books, 1978
Coloring book, 1981
Cookbooks
1978
Box 13
1979
“Dinners for Winners”, 1981, 1983 (2 folders)
Mary Louise Smith tribute, 1984
Merchandise reports, 1978-1979
Receipts, 1978
Strategies, 1979-1982
Miscellaneous, 1976-1997 and undated
Local Caucuses
Organization
Affirmative action
Plan sent, 1973
Plan, 1981
Evaluations, 1983
Application for affiliate caucus approval, undated
Ballots concerning delegates
[1975]
Correspondence, 1973, 1989
“How to” organizing manual for
caucus leaders, undated
Mailing to local caucus coordinators, 1973
Officer lists, 1974-1978 (2 folders)
Box 14
Organizing local caucuses, 1973-1975
Practices and procedures
manual, undated [1973-1974]
Black Hawk County, 1974-1975
Buena Vista County, 1976-1977
Delaware County
Grinnell, 1974
Lakes Caucus for Informed Women,
1975, 1977, 1980 [northwest counties
of Emmet, Clay, and Dickinson]
Linn County
Marshall County
Muscatine County
North Iowa ,
1974-1984 (folder 1)
Box 15
North Iowa ,
1974-1984 (folder 2)
Northeast Iowa ,
1975
Ottumwa
Polk County
Application for affiliation, bylaws and priorities, 1973-1974
Fliers and mailings, 1973-1975
Membership lists, 1974-1976
Newsletters
1973-1975 (scattered)
1976-1982 (scattered)
Pottawattamie County
Scott County
Siouxland, 1974-1982 (scattered)
Southeast Iowa ,
1974-1976
Story County
West Central, 1982-1984
Winnishiek County
Box 16
Membership
Form letters, 1973-1974 and undated
Lists
1973, 1983, 1984-1985, 1995-1997 and undated (4 folders)
Committee volunteers, undated
Convention attendance, 1974
Convention pre-registration,
1973
Delegates to state steering committee, 1974-1975
Official lists
Sent to local caucuses, 1973
Sent to NWPC
1973
1974-1975 (drafts)
1983
Miscellaneous, 1973-1974 (2 folders)
“The 1985 Penultimate Iowa Women’s Political Caucus Membership
Questionnaire,” 1985
Box 17
Handbook [with history]
Originals, 1985
1979-1996, (scattered) (2 folders)
Holiday
greeting, 1983
Reporting forms, 1985 and undated
Newsletter
September 1973-Nov/Dec 1975
"Caucus Comments"
January 1976-October/November 1981 (scattered) [shelved in map case:
drawer
3]
1982-1995 (14 folders)
Newspaper clippings
1973-1974 (2 folders)
1974 (folder 1)
Box 18
1974 (folders 2 and 3)
1975 (2 folders)
1976
1977-1990
1991-1996
Undated
Box 19
Position
papers
1973-1974
1975
1980-1983 (4 folders)
Undated
Adoption, 1973-1975?
Childcare, 1973-1975?
Rape, 1973-1974
Topical files
Academic freedom, 1981
Affirmative action
1975-1981
“City
of Des Moines
1979
Des Moines Human Rights Commission, “A Study of the City’s 1972 Affirmative Action Program,” 1978
Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)
1973-1981 (3 folders)
Box
20
“Iowa
Brochures and pamphlets
First printed brochures, 1973
Miscellaneous brochures, 1973-1976
Campaign finance reform,
1989
Child care
1972-1975
1975-1980 (2 folders)
Child care barrier planning council reports, 1979, 1980
Conlin, Roxanne B., drafts
Newsletter information
October 14, 1973
1974
Original practices and
procedures manual [1973-1974]
Miscellaneous
June to October 28, 1973
1973-1974 (4 folders)
Divorce, 1979, 1981
Box
21
Domestic violence
Battered women survey, undated
Physical abuse questionnaire, 1975
Education
1973-1982 (scattered, 2 folders)
A Look at Women in Education, Department of Health, Education, and
Welfare, 1972
Area educational agencies, 1975
“Dick and Jane as Victims: Sex
Stereotyping in Children’s Readers,” 1972
Equal Rights for Women in Education, Education Commission of the
States, 1975, 1977
Iowa Civil Liberties Union’s formal charge of sex discrimination against
the
“Jack and Jill” booklet on sex role stereotyping, 1972 AAUW
Report of the 17th Annual Conference on Human and Civil Rights in
Education, undated
“Sex Bias in Educational TV,” S. S. Truse, 1973
“Sex
Equity in Vocational Education in
Voters,
1981
“Sex Role Stereotyping: An Analysis of Houghton Mifflin Series,”
M. McCue, 1973<