IOWA WOMEN’S ARCHIVES
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA LIBRARIES
IOWA CITY, IOWA
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF
METROPOLITAN DES MOINES
RECORDS, 1936-1995
8.25 linear feet and
audiovisual material
|
ACQUISITION: |
The records
(donor no. 338) were donated by the
League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Des Moines. |
|
ACCESS: |
The records
are open for research. |
|
COPYRIGHT: |
Copyright has been transferred to the University of Iowa. |
|
ARTIFACTS: |
In box 8. |
|
AUDIOVISUAL: |
Three audiocassettes
(AC353-AC355) shelved in the audiocassette collection. |
|
PHOTOGRAPHS: |
In boxes 16, 18 and 22-24. |
|
PROCESSED BY: |
Kristen Rassbach and
Randel W. Lackore, 1996. |
History
The League of Women Voters of
Metropolitan Des Moines was founded as the Des Moines League of Women Voters in
1920, shortly after the League of Women Voters of Iowa was created. The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan
organization which provides community education and public awareness on
political issues. One of the main tenets
of the organization is nonpartisanship, but in 1944 the Des Moines league
endorsed the Republican Party and subsequently lost its charter. Later in the year the organization was
rechartered by a core group of former league members from the area and several
other interested women.
Scope and
Content Note
The League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Des Moines records date
from 1936 to 1995 and measure 8.25 linear feet. The records
are arranged in six series: Administrative
records, Community involvement, History, Programs, Publications, and
Photographs.
The Community involvement
series (1950-1995) contains information about the three main programs which the
league provides for the community: the
Observers, the Speakers Bureau, and Voters Services. The Observers are members of the league who
attend local and regional government meetings and give nonpartisan reports of
what has happened there. They are a
source of information for those in the community who do not have the time to
attend the meetings themselves. The
Speakers Bureau provides the community with knowledgeable lecturers on topics
from the environment to how our local, state, and national government
works. The Voters Services program
provides information to the community on how to vote, who can vote, and when to
vote and gives nonpartisan profiles of the candidates and the issues.
The Programs series
(1947-1993) contains the political topic study guides and consensus forms used
by the league during unit discussions and consensus building. The league studies subjects of local, state,
national and international scope. Among
the issues studied by the league and acted upon locally were the
council-manager form of city government, home rule for local and county
government, reapportionment of legislative districts of the Iowa General
Assembly, desegregation and integration of Des Moines public schools, and the
need for affordable housing in the community.
Related
Collections
The League of Women Voters of Iowa records
Box no. Description
Box 1
Administrative records
Annual Meeting minutes
1952-1975 [24 folders]
1978-1991 [14 folders]
1993
Annual reports
1949/50-1951/52 [3 folders]
1954/55-1955/56 [2 folders]
1957/58-1958/59 [2 folders]
Box 2
1959/60-1970/71 [12 folders]
1975/1976
1978/79-1979/80 [2 folders]
1981/82-1985/86 [5 folders]
1990/1991
Undated
Board meeting minutes
1951-1952 [2 folders]
Box 3
1953-1970 [18 folders]
1973-1979 [7 folders]
Box 4
1983-1991 [9 folders]
Bylaws
Final versions, 1952-1990
Recommended changes, 1975-1992 and undated
Committees
Citizens' Action Committee on County Building, 1974
Nominating committee, 1959-1960
Unit Action Committee, 1982, 1985 and undated
Correspondence
General
1948-1949
1950s
Box 5
1960s
1970s
1980s, 1990, 1994
Official League correspondence
1953-1980
Catt, Carrie Chapman, with the Iowa Suffrage Memorial Commission, 1936,
1939
Financial reports
1947
1950
1956-1966 [11 folders]
1970
Box 6
1975
1977
1979-1981 [3 folders]
Membership
Brochure, undated
General information, undated
Lists, 1976-1989 [scattered]
League directory (officers and workshop chairmen), 1961-1987 and
undated
Local league directory, 1965-1989 [scattered]
Policy and procedure
Board policy, 1960, 1984-1987
Board policy changes, 1975-1982 and undated
Board procedures, 1985-1988
Board orientation, 1983
Citizens Information Services (CIS) projects and procedures, 1979, 1989
Consensus-forming process, 1979, 1984-1985 and undated
League policies and positions, 1972-1989 and undated
Local league handbooks, 1966, 1969
Position descriptions, 1979, 1983, 1984 and undated
Unit leadership, 1970
Unit organization, 1979
Public relations
General, 1977
Correspondence, 1974-1983
Box 7
Pamphlets, undated
Press releases
1956-1962 [7 folders]
1964-1970 [7 folders]
1975
1977-1986 [9 folders]
Summary, 1974
Community involvement
Observers
General, 1974-1976, 1982, 1985
Guides, 1974, 1984 and undated
Packets, 1981
Program information, 1975-1976 and undated
Speakers Bureau
General information, 1955-1978
Speeches
Additional information, 1963, 1987-1988
Handouts, 1974 and undated
Outlines, 1957, 1961 and undated
Box 8
Sample speeches, 1958-1978 and undated
Speaking aids, 1959 and undated
Speaking engagements, 1959-1964
Voters Services
Artifacts
Necklace and buttons, undated
Candidate profiles
1957-1962 [6 folders]
1973
Undated
Democracy handbook, 1958
Des Moines Annual Citizenship School, 1941
Election report, 1974
General information
1950
1952
1955-1963 [9 folders]
Box 9
1968
1970
1972
1974-1976 [3 folders]
1978-1982 [5 folders]
1984-1985 [2 folders]
1988-1989 [2 folders]
Undated [also oversize: shelved in map case: drawer 4]
Instructions for local coordinators, 1982
Press releases
1957
1961
1963-1969 [7 folders]
1972
1980-1983 [4 folders]
Undated
Box 10
Program study, 1956, 1968, 1970 and undated
Tax paying guides
1963
1967
Voters guides, 1971-1995
History
Awards
Certificates of Appreciation, 1953, 1979 and undated
Governor's Volunteer Award, 1995
International Women's year certificate, 1975
Lane Bryant Award, 1950
League of Women Voters of Metro Des Moines Month, undated
Outstanding Performance in Support of National Non-partisan Register
and Vote Campaign of 1952, 1953 [oversize; shelved in map case: drawer 4]
Cartoons, 1962 and undated [also oversize; shelved in map case: drawer
4]
General League history
Questions and answers, 1952
Fiftieth Anniversary, 1969
Local government history, 1959 and undated
Local league history
Accomplishments, 1964, 1966 and undated
Handwritten history, 1974
History committee reports, 1975
Program record, 1956
"This is Our Life," 1956
Timeline (1922-1985), 1985
Newspaper clippings
1965-1990
Press books
1979-1980
1980-1981
1983-1984
1987-1988
Box 11
Scrapbooks
1942 and undated [oversize: disbound and shelved in map case: drawer 4]
1949-1951
1953-1956 [oversize: in box 22]
1956-1958
Box 12
1958-1967
1967-1969
Box 13
1969-1972
1972-1973
Box 14
1973-1975
1975-1977
1981-1983 [oversize: in box 23]
Box 15
City Manager Campaign [disbound], 1948-1949
Correspondence
Editorials
Letters to newspapers
Newspaper clippings
January to April 15, 1949
April 16 to May 2, 1949
Opposition propaganda and advertising
Operation Ballot Box, 1952 [oversize:
in box 24]
Campaign to preserve the council manager government in Des Moines, 1959
Programs
Planning, 1958-1990
City/Local
Broadlawns Medical Center, 1984, 1990
Central city redevelopment, 1974-1991 and undated
Box 16
"Cities: Yesterday, Today
and Tomorrow" audiovisual presentation
Audiocassettes #1-3 [1980] [shelved in audiocassette collection: AC353-AC355]
Photographic slides, 1980
Des Moines Municipal Airport, 1980, 1987 and undated
Education
Desegregation and integration of the Des Moines schools, 1966-1989 and
undated
"Employment in the Des Moines Area: An Overview," 1979
Government
Boards and commissions, 1969-1991
Council-Manager form, 1947-1979
Finance, 1953, 1976-1984
Home rule, 1966, 1975
Metropolitan form, 1973-1976
Ombudsman, 1971
Police, fire protection and emergency medical services, 1980
Precinct polling places, 1970
Public recreation, 1955
Box 17
Taxation
"Beyond the Property Tax," 1987-1990
Tax base sharing, 1985
County government
Charter commission, 1981-1993
Government structure, function and form, 1971-1983 and undated
Home rule, 1976
Polk County Jail, 1978-1991
State
Courts
Adult correctional system, 1984-1985
Juvenile justice system, 1974-1979
Unified court, 1972
Election laws and procedures, 1970
Executive branch, 1960
Legislature, 1971-1986
Reapportionment, 1964, 1976-1991
Revisions to the Iowa State Constitution, 1962-1968, 1979-1980
Shaff plan, 1963 [state constitution amendment on apportionment]
Tax system, 1972-1983
National
Agriculture, 1987-1988
"Campaign Spending: The
Great American Treasure Hunt," 1973
Electoral college reform, 1968
"Examining the Presidency," 1975, 1980
Federal finance, 1985-1986, 1990
Human resources
Day care/Children at risk, 1981, 1990
Equality of opportunity, 1966-1986
Box 18
Health care, 1982, 1992
Housing needs
General
1949, 1961-1968
1971-1978
Photographic slides, 1975
Presentation, 1976
Income assistance, 1969-1970, 1978
Mental health facilities, 1958
Welfare reform, 1970-1989
Natural resources
The Brundtland report, 1990 [environmental protection and sustainable
development]
Energy, 1975, 1977
Environmental quality, 1971-1979
Hazardous waste, 1981
Land use, 1971-1984
Mass transit, 1969-1982
Solid waste, 1970-1992
Water conservation, 1957-1989
Box 19
National security, 1983-1984
Revenue sharing, 1974
"U.S. Congress: Evaluation
of Structure, Procedure and Practices, and Their Effect on Responsive
Legislative Process," 1972
Voting rights, 1971
International
Central America, 1981
China, 1965, 1967
European Community, 1992
Foreign policy, 1959-1985
Foreign trade, 1962-1991
United Nations, 1976-1977
Publications
Polk County Guide, 1977, 1983
The Des Moines Voter
1953-1966 [14 folders]
Box 20
1967-1989 [23 folders]
Box 21
1990-1992 [3 folders]
Photographs
Polk county jail, undated
1977-1983 and undated
Box 22
Oversize:
History
Scrapbooks
1953-1956
Box 23
1981-1983
Box 24
Operation Ballot Box, 1952
Box 25
Sherry
Hutchison series
Constitutional Convention (Con Con), 1980
Constitutional Convention, correspondence and notes, 1980
Constitutional Convention, publications, 1979-1981
Constitutional Convention, newspaper clippings, 1980
Election laws and procedures, 1969-1972
Electoral college, 1968-1971
Electoral college, 1968-1976
Home rule, 1964-1965
Home rule, 1964-1974
Home rule, publications, 1955-1969
Home rule, newspaper clippings, 1964-1982
Box 26
Home rule, county, 1975-1976
Home rule, county 1976-1978
Home rule, county, newspaper clippings, 1974-1976
Home rule, county, resources, 1975-1976
Institute of Public Affairs, publications (partial copies), 1962-1975 (see
University of Iowa Archives collection for originals)
Iowa Constitution, 1963-1971
Iowa Constitution, 1966-1973
Iowa Constitution, 1969-1982
Iowa Constitution, other state examples, 1972-1974
Iowa Legislature, 1965-1972
Box 27
Intergovernmental relations, 1965-1973
Miscellaneous, 1975, 1980
Miscellaneous, publications, 1955, 1958, 1962
League pamphlets, 1977, 1979
Police civilian review board, research, undated
Reapportionment, 1963-1982
Reapportionment, Shaff Plan, 1962-1963
Reapportionment, publications, 1962-1965
Reapportionment, newspaper clippings, 1964-1981
Reapportionment, resources, 1974-1978
State government reorganization, 1966-1974
State government reorganization, notes, 1967-1968
Box 28
State government reorganization, newspaper clippings, 1966-1974
Support positions, 1971-1986
Unified court, 1966-1971
Unified court, 1971-1975
Unified court, newspaper clippings, 1966-1986