IOWA WOMEN’S ARCHIVES
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA LIBRARIES
IOWA CITY, IOWA
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN.
DES MOINES CHAPTER.
RECORDS, 1971-1987
2.5 linear inches
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ACQUISITION: |
The records (donor no. 15) were donated by Virginia
Watkins in 1987. The Task Force on Volunteerism file was received from the
Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe College, 1999. |
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ACCESS: |
The records are open for research |
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PROCESSED BY: |
Bridget M. Butler, 1992; Kären Mason, 1999. |
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REVISION: |
Bobby Jett, July 13, 1999 version WORD 7. |
History
Early in 1971 Virginia Watkins convened the
Des Moines Chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW), having sought
out the required ten founding members. Membership
was built primarily through word-of-mouth in the early days. Louise Noun, future president of the
chapter; her sister-in-law Dannie Rosenfield; and Sally Hacker, future NOW
national board member, were among the founding members. By June the chapter had elected Watkins as
president along with a full slate of officers.
In the fall of 1971 Watkins moved to Minnesota, where she later served
as president of the Twin Cities and then Minnesota chapters of NOW and as a
member of the NOW national board.
The Des Moines chapter of NOW grew in its
first two years from ten to ninety members and by 1973 had almost three hundred
people on its mailing list. Early
issues and activities of the chapter included a petition drive to support the
Federal Child Care Bill, efforts to legalize abortion, and action against
Northwestern Bell and General Mills for unfair labor practices. In 1971 the Des Moines chapter raised money
to help establish a lobby office for NOW in Washington, DC. The chapter supported Drake University
students in establishing the Drake Women's Center and helped local high school
students establish a women's liberation group.
The chapter also established and ran a series of workshops and
consciousness-raising groups exploring issues such as reproductive rights,
sexuality, fair employment, and legal rights in marriage.
Researchers should consult Louise R.
Noun's, Journey to Autonomy (1990)
and More Strong Minded Women (1992) for further information about
the early history of the Des Moines chapter of NOW.
Scope and Content Note
The records of the Des Moines chapter of
NOW measure 2.5 linear inches and date from 1971 to 1987. They consist primarily of newsletters with some correspondence and lists of
activities. The bulk of the material dates
from 1972 to 1975. The newsletters
carry information on items of interest to women, activities of the chapter,
calls for action and letter-writing appeals, news of other chapters,
announcements of upcoming workshop topics, and contributions from readers which
range from poetry to stories of breaking the discrimination barrier in
employment situations. The printed material contains such items as
a committee membership list, a fund-raising appeal to friends and members, a
printed statement before the school board in 1973, the agenda for a "Think
Tank Session," and a list of accomplishments in the chapter's first two
years. A letter written by Virginia
Watkins in 1987 that describes the early history of the Des Moines chapter of
NOW has been placed in the collection.
The Task Force on Volunteerism conducted a
study of the United Way of Greater Des Moines in 1973-74, finding economic and
sex discrimination in the practices of the United Way. The initial report, along with an open
letter to the United Way and a report of a meeting between the task force
members and the United Way's board of directors are included.
Box no. Description
Box 1
Correspondence, 1971, 1987
Newsletters, 1972-1973,
1976?
Printed material, 1972-1973
Task Force on Volunteerism:
Report and Action against the United Way of Greater Des Moines, 1974-75