Iowa Women's Archives
University of Iowa Libraries
Iowa City, Iowa

MAGGIE TINSMAN (1936- )

PAPERS, 1977-1997
14.7 linear feet

Collection Overview

Biography

Margaret Bruce Neir, the daughter of Francis E. and Elizabeth Lourie Neir, was born on July 14, 1936, in Moline, Illinois. She attended Moline public schools and then earned her B.A. from the University of Colorado, Boulder, in 1958. At college, she was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa, Pi Gamma Mu, and Mortar Board. Following her graduation, Margaret Neir lived in Salt Lake City, Utah, and worked as an airline steward for four months until her engagement, when company rules required her to quit. On February 21, 1959, she married Robert Hovey Tinsman, Jr.

The Tinsmans, known to everyone as Maggie and Hovey, began their life together in eastern Iowa, in the area known as the Quad Cities. Hovey Tinsman, trained as a chemical engineer, founded the Twin-State Engineering and Chemical Company. Maggie Tinsman’s primary role in the early years of her marriage was that of wife and mother. The couple had three children, Hovey III, Heidi, and Bruce. Though Maggie Tinsman did not work outside the home, she became very involved in volunteering at the schools and in such areas as juvenile probation.

In 1974, Maggie Tinsman earned a Master of Arts degree in social work from the University of Iowa. Her thesis was entitled The Changing Role of the Middle Class Volunteer. She began doing more community service, working for the next three years with the Children and Youth Project, a division of the Scott County Department of Health. The majority of her work was related closely with social service agencies and nursing and hospital services. She also worked with United Way, and she originated the Women’s Community Leadership Institute Project, which trained women as potential board members for government agencies. In 1979, Maggie Tinsman was named Iowa Social Worker of the Year.

In addition to her interest in social work, Maggie Tinsman was also active in politics. A loyal Republican, Maggie Tinsman acted as precinct Committee Person in Bettendorf, Iowa, as well as a delegate to several county and state conventions. In 1978, she was appointed to fill an unexpired term on the Scott County Board of Supervisors and was elected that same year to a four-year term. She kept her seat for more than ten years, relinquishing it only when she became a State Senator in 1989.

As a County Supervisor, Maggie Tinsman was involved in several organizations of county officials. These included the Iowa Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, the National Association of Counties, Women Officials in the National Association of Counties, and the Iowa State Association of Counties. In 1983, the German Marshall Plan, a project spearheaded by Maggie Tinsman, was selected by the Reagan administration as the United States county government representative to the German-American Federalism Symposium.

As a State Senator, Maggie Tinsman has served on committees dealing with education, human resources, appropriations, the judiciary system, health and human rights, and local government. She has also been an active leader in Medicaid and welfare reform. In 1996, Maggie Tinsman, a pro-choice Republican, who labeled herself a “fiscal conservative and a social centrist,” lost a bid for a seat in the United States Senate.

(Biographical data taken chiefly from Maggie Tinsman’s resume dated 8/97 and from “Margaret Neir Tinsman.” Baraks, Gloria et al. Profiles in Leadership: Dynamic Men and Women of the Quad Cities. Rock Island, Illinois: Quest Publishing, 1981. 220-225.)

Scope and Content Note

The Maggie Tinsman papers date from 1977-1997 and measure 14.7 linear feet. The papers are arranged in five series: Biographical Information, Scott County Board of Supervisors, Organizations of County Officials, Iowa General Assembly, and Artifacts. The collection focuses on the activities of a regional woman politician of the late twentieth century and her interest in social welfare. The majority of the collection consists of topical files relating to Tinsman’s career as a Scott County Supervisor, 1978-1989.

The Biographical information (1979-1997) series consists of resumes, newspaper clippings, political campaign brochures, and personal letters of recommendation.

The Scott County Board of Supervisors (1978-1993) series consists primarily of topical files relating to Maggie Tinsman’s position as County Supervisor. Also included in this series are several plans and reports produced and/or used by the Scott County Board of Supervisors.

The Organizations of County Officials (1977-1988) series consists of three subseries: the Iowa Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations ( Iowa ACIR), the Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC), and the National Association of Counties (NACO). The Iowa ACIR subseries is made up of topical files and reports issued by Iowa ACIR. The ISAC subseries include chronological files, topical files, Board of Directors’ agendas, and manuals created by ISAC. The NACO subseries includes chronological files, general information on the organization, and a series of printed works entitled Local Elected Officials Handbook Series. This subseries also includes the records of Women Officials in the National Association of Counties (WON). The WON materials consist of chronological files, general information and newsletters.

The Iowa General Assembly (1990) series consists of the original results of a survey sent out by State Senator Maggie Tinsman in February 1990. The ten-question survey was designed to elicit residents’ feeling on many budget-related issues.

The Artifacts (c. 1989) series includes two items: a political campaign pin which reads, “Maggie Tinsman Republican,” and a poster which reads “Elect Maggie Tinsman Iowa Senate.” The poster is housed in the map case.

Maggie Tinsman’s thesis for her Master of Arts degree in social work from the University of Iowa is entitled The Changing Role of the Middle Class Volunteer. It has been separately catalogued and is shelved in the Iowa Women's Archives printed works collection.

Box List

Box 1

Biographical information, 1979-1997

General (newspaper clippings, excerpts, campaign brochures) Letters of recommendation (2 folders) Resumes (2 folders) Social work

Scott County Board of Supervisors, 1978-1993

Topical files

Administration and Evaluation, 1978-1988 (2 folders) Agenda--First Meeting (1/20/78) Ambulance Service Bill of Rights for the chronically mentally ill, mentally retarded and developmentally disabled. (2 folders)

Box 2

Bi-State Metropolitan Planning Commission

Budget Plans and Minutes, 1986-1989 Finance and Personnel Committee, 1981-1983 Great River Bend Area Agency on Aging (2 folders) Joint Purchasing Organization, 1985-1986 Project Review Committee, 1983-1984

Box 3

Transportation Policy Committee, 1983-1987

Blue Grass Road Board Organization Board of Social Welfare, 1984 Bonds Budget Indicator Reports Cemetery (Oakdale Cemetery Company) Charter Home Rule City Assessor, 1981-1984 (2 folders) City/County Assessor Merger Cleaveland Associates Ltd. Community Health Care, 1979-1983 (2 folders)

Box 4

Community Mental Health Center, 1978-1983 (2 folders) Comparable Worth Compensation Board (2 folders) Correspondence

1978-1985 Incoming, 1986-1988 Outgoing, 1986-1988

County Assessor , 1982-1984 (2 folders)

Box 5

County Attorney , 1982-1984 County Engineer, 1983-1984 County Finance Bill Countywide Addressing System Courts and Computer Equipment Criminal Justice Davenport Chamber of Commerce

Legislative Committee, 1984-1989 (4 folders) Local Government Council

Davenport Community School District Long Range Planning Advisory Committee Davenport Special Charter Decategorization Deinstitutionalization Department of Human Services, 1983-1987 Deputy Sheriff Detox Center Developmental Disabilities Forum ( University of Iowa) Duck Creek Flood Plain Economic Development (2 folders) Emergency Medical Services Employee Programs Energy Equal Employment Opportunity Expenses

Box 6

Fair Labor Standards Act Federal Budget Balancing, 1985 Finance Award Funeral Services and Burials General Relief, 1978-1983 (2 folders) General Relief Court Suit, 1978 General Relief Guidelines General Services German-American Symposium, 1983 (3 folders) [includes photographs]

Box 7

German Marshall Fund, 1984 Goal Setting Session, 1982 Goals, 1980-1988 (4 folders) Governor’s Budget, 1987 Great River Bend Services, Inc. Grievances Handicapped Development Center Health Insurance Health Policy in Iowa (regarding the elderly) Hills and Dales (child development center in Davenport, Iowa) Home Rule Homeless/Mentally Ill Human Resources Appeals Humane Society Hyvue (home for mentally retarded adults in Davenport)

Box 8

Illinois/Iowa Construction Labor Management Council Iowa Citizen Assembly, 1987 Iowa Caucus, 1988 Iowa Homecoming, 1986 Iowa Quad Cities Night, 1989 Industrial Park International Trade Intergovernmental Cooperation Issues in Iowa Jail Advisory Committee Jail Bond Referendum Jail Health Care

Box 9

Jail Inspection Jail Lawsuit Jail overcrowding/alternatives to incarceration Jail Project, 1980 Jail Remodeling, 1988 Job Descriptions Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) Junior League Training Juvenile Detention Center (2 folders)

Box 10

Juvenile Detention Center Staffing Juvenile Diversion Program Land Preservation and Development Policy Land Use Leadership of Iowa Legislation, 1980-1983 (2 folders)

Box 11

Legislation, 1984-1988 (4 folders) Legislation, 1986 (Freezing local property taxes) Legislation, 1986 (Restructuring and downsizing Iowa State government) Legislative Forum, 1985, 1986 (2 folders) Lieutenant Governor’s Iowa & the Future Conference, 1984 Lobbying Local Option Taxes

Box 12

Long Term Care (2 folders) Lost Grove Lake Maintenance Facility Maternity Leave Medic Emergency Medical Services Meetings with F. Glen Erickson, 1985-1988 Mental Health/Mental Retardation Advisory Committee

Box 13

Mental Health/Mental Retardation

Case Management Children Consultant Expenditures National Technical Assistance Center for Mental Health Planning Prevention Planning

Mercy Hospital Psychiatric Costs Microwave Feasibility Report Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency Mississippi Queen Program, “Business Women and the Political World: New Partnerships,” 1986 Mississippi Valley Fair Nashville Draft House (license revocation), 1982 News Releases

Box 14

911 Dispatching Oath of Offices Older Women’s League Open Meetings Law People to People Iowa State Leadership Initiative Personnel, Employee Handbook Pineknoll Health Care Facility (psychiatric care for adults in Davenport, Iowa) Plainview Lawsuit ( Scott County v. Plainview), 1984 Pleasant Valley Economy Task Force Pleasant Valley Theater Group Pre-Trial Release Practicum students, 1979-1988 (4 folders) Public Health Subcommittee, Perinatal Care

Box 15

Public Relations/Communications Task Force Quad-City Council of Chambers of Commerce, Labor-Management ymposium, 1987 Quad-City Development Group, 1987 (4 folders) Quad-City Development Group, 1988 (3 folders)

Box 16

Quad-City Development Group, 1988 (cont.) Quad-City Regional Economic Finance Authority Quad-City Times Roundtable Quad Cities Annual Women’s Conference, 1985-1989 Railroad Taxes Recognition Ceremony – County Employees, 1987 Rejuvenate Davenport Republican Party Revenue Sharing (3 folders) Revitalize Iowa’s Sound Economy (RISE) Risk Management Advisory Committee Rudy’s Softball Field Sears Building Renovation Secondary Roads Department, Class B Road System Secondary Roads Department, Financial Data

Box 17

Seventh Judicial District Department of Correctional Services School of Social Work, University of Iowa Scott County Employee Newsletter, 1986-1988 Scott County Regional Industrial Park (SCRIP) lots Scott County Sesquicentennial Serious Traffic Offender Patrol Program (STOP) Sheriff’s Office Snow Removal Social Security Social Welfare Speeches, 1978-1987 (3 folders) State Papers, Indigent Patient Care

Box 18

Stanley Foundation Conference, 1984 Strategic Planning ( University of Iowa and the Quad-City Times) Subdivision Ordinance, 1979 Suicide Target Issues, 1987-1989 Tax Assessments, 1982-1983, 1985 (2 folders) Tax Deed Properties/Auction Telephone Trunk Study Title XX Advisory Committee (3 folders)

Box 19

Tourism T.R.A.I.N. (Teach, Rehabilitate, Aid Iowa’s Neglected) Community Action gency Transportation, Blue Ribbon Task Force Travel Treasurer Unions (2 folders) United Neighbors, Incorporated United Way United Way, Government Relations (2 folders)

Box 20

United Way, Planning (3 folders) U.S. West Direct Iowa Quad Cities Task Force Valley Shelter Homes, Inc. Venture Capital Fund Visiting Nurse and Homemaker Service, Inc. Veterans

Box 21

Washington Economic Development Meetings, 1987 Welfare Reform Window Replacement Women Active in Scott County Women and the Future: A Celebration of Aging (conference proceedings, September 16, 1985) “Women as Candidates in the 1984 Congressional Elections: A Post-election Survey of Five Congressional Districts, November 1984” (commissioned by the National Women’s Political Caucus) Women Elected Officials Women, Issues Women, National Seminars Women, National Women’s Education Fund Women, Resources for Women and Public Leaders Women Supervisors in Iowa Workfare Zoning

Plans and Reports

A Selected Annotated Bibliography on Black Families , 1978 Proposed Policy on the Administrative Structure/Board of Supervisor’s Objectives for the Administration , 1979 Development Plan, Scott County, Iowa, December 1980 (Bi-State Metropolitan Planning Commission)

Box 22

The Region: Information on Scott and Muscatine Counties, Iowa; Henry, Mercer and Rock Island Counties, Illinois, 1981 (Bi-State Metropolitan Planning Commission) Scott County Courthouse, Scott County, Iowa: Final Report , 1987 Scott County, Iowa 1988-1989 Budget Plan , 1988

Box 23

Information and Referral of the Quad Cities : Handbook for Board Members , 1993 (2 folders)

Organizations of County Officials, 1977-1988

Iowa Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations ( Iowa ACIR)

Background Information Bylaws Commission Correspondence, Incoming Correspondence, Outgoing County Government Study, 1985 County Reform, Indianapolis Information

Box 24

County Reform Public Hearings Current Issues Future Issues, 1981-1984 (2 folders) Government Services & Finance Task Force, 1982-1984 (2 folders) Iowa’s Infrastructure Executive Summary, 1986 Legislation, 1983-1984 (2 folders) Legislative Council Meeting, 1984 Legislative Priorities, 1984, 1986 (2 folders)

Box 25

Liquor Regulation Testimony, 1983 Local Government Investment Pools Media clippings Meetings, 1982-1983 Reports, 1983-1986 (2 folders) Speeches, 1982-1984 Tort Liability United States ACIR United States ACIR meeting, Phoenix, AZ, 1984

Box 26

Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC)

General, 1979-1981, 1983, 1985 (5 folders) School of Instruction, 1980-1981, 1983-1987 (9 folders)

Box 27

School of Instruction , 1988 (2 folders) Department of Social Services, 1980-1981 Supervisors and Engineers, 1988 Supervisors’ Winter Meeting, 1988 Board of Directors Meeting Agendas, 1984-1985 (3 folders)

Box 28

Board of Directors Meeting Agendas, 1986 (2 folders) District VI meetings, 1982-1988 (3 folders) Executive Board meetings, 1982-1988

Box 29

Health and Welfare Committee, 1981-1988 (7 folders) Large County Boards of Supervisors

Box 30

Women Supervisors of Iowa A Manual for County Supervisors of Iowa, 1978 Manual of Instruction for Newly Elected County Officials, undated

National Association of Counties (NACO)

Health & Education Steering Committee, 1981, 1983-1988 (7 folders) Health Care Cost Containment Committee, 1984-1985 Rural Health Subcommittee, 1984 Employment Policy and Human Resources Conference, 1984

Box 31

Primary Care, Prevention and Mental Health Subcommittee, 1985-1986 (2 folders) Mental Health Advisory Panel Meeting, 1987 Mental Health/Substance Abuse/Disabilities Subcommittee,1987-1988 Application Procedure and Letters for NACO Board of Directors, 1986 Board of Directors’ Meetings, 1984-1986 (4 folders) Iowa Congressional Meeting, 1986 Legislative Conferences, 1980-1983 (2 folders)

Box 32

Legislative Conferences, 1984-1987 (4 folders) Annual Conferences, 1982-1988 (7 folders)

Box 33

Correspondence, 1984-1986 Directory, staff and presidents, 1987, 1989 Local Elected Officials Handbook Series, 1977 (9 booklets)

Women Officials in the National Association of Counties (WON)

Purposes and Bylaws, 1981-1985 General, 1982-1988 (5 folders) Finances, 1984-1985 Membership, 1984-1985

Box 34

Correspondence, 1984-1985 Conferences, 1985 (2 folders) Legislative Conference, 1986 Board Appointment Nominations, 1986 Meetings, 1986-1987 Newsletters, 1985-1987

Iowa General Assembly

1990 Iowa Legislature Survey results (2 folders)

Box 35

1990 Iowa Legislature Survey results (5 folders)

Artifacts

Political campaign pin ["Maggie Tinsman Republican"], c.1989 Political campaign poster ["Elect Maggie Tinsman Iowa Senate"], c.1989 [shelved in map case]

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