IOWA WOMEN’S ARCHIVES
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA LIBRARIES
IOWA CITY, IOWA
Janis
Torrence-Laughlin (1926- )
PAPERS, 1976-1990
7 linear inches
|
ACQUISITION: |
The papers
(donor no. 189) were donated by Janis
I. Torrence-Laughlin in 1993. |
|
ACCESS: |
The papers
are open for research. |
|
COPYRIGHT: |
Copyright has been transferred to the University
of Iowa. |
|
PHOTOGRAPHS: |
In box 1. |
|
PROCESSED BY: |
Susan M. Jellinger, 1994. |
Biography
Janis Torrence was a Muscatine
County Supervisor and an Iowa State Representative affiliated with the
Republican Party. She was born Janis
Irene Bein at home in rural Montpelier Township, Muscatine County, Iowa on
September 13, 1926 to Raymond I. Bein and Gladys Bohnsack Bein. She graduated
from Wilton High School and in 1945 married John Torrence. They adopted two children, Ronald and
Barbara. Janis and John Torrence
divorced in 1983.
Janis Torrence worked at banks in Muscatine and
Wilton, then held various Muscatine County Courthouse positions for sixteen
years. Her political career was
triggered by her involvement in
Concerned Citizens Organization, a grassroots movement opposed to a
zoning ordinance. Torrence decided to
run for County Supervisor. She was
elected and served for two terms, a total of six years (1976-1982).
During her second term as County Supervisor Torrence
ran and was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives, District 57. Torrence served from 1983 through 1985. Three days before the end of the 1983
legislative session, Torrence suffered a mild stroke. She was successful in her bid for re-election in 1984, but
resigned for health reasons late in 1985 and moved to Arizona. She married James Laughlin in 1986.
Scope and
Content Note
The papers of Janis
Torrence-Laughlin date from 1976 to 1990 and measure 7 linear inches, with the
bulk of the materials dating before 1986.
The papers are arranged in five series:
Correspondence, Memorabilia, Newspaper clippings, Photographs, and Scrapbook. The papers are especially useful for
researching women's role in local politics.
The Correspondence series
(1980-1985) contains letters and cards from legislators, friends, campaign
workers and constituents regarding Torrence-Laughlin's political life, her
health and her resignation from the legislature. There is little substantive correspondence regarding her
political career.
The Memorabilia series
(1976-1985) contains election papers, legislative materials, political
invitations and campaign materials.
The Newspaper clippings
series (1977-1990) consists of campaign ads, news articles and columns about
Torrence-Laughlin or about issues and people in which she had an interest. Of particular interest are the Legislator
Update columns she wrote for the local newspapers in her district. These presented her positions on specific
issues and views about the political process in the legislature.
Photographs (1976-1985)
contain campaign and political photographs, mostly undated. The Scrapbook series (1976-1982)
covers Torrence's Muscatine County Supervisor career.
Related Collections
A
Political Dialogue: Iowa Women Legislators.
Includes the transcript of an oral history interview with
Janis Torrence-Laughlin.
Box no. Description
Box 1
Correspondence
1980-1982
1983-1985
Memorabilia
1976-1982
1983-1985
Newspaper clippings
1977-1983
1984-1990
Photographs, 1976-1985
Box
2
Scrapbook, 1976-1982
Volume
Photocopies [duplicates of
newspaper clipping in scrapbook]
Correspondence--1980-1982
Torrence-Laughlin note re:
file contents
Nicolaus, Harold; banker, letter
Leach, Deba and Jim;
legislator, postcard
Sturgeon, Bonnie; card
Whisler, Charles Virgil;
friend and country worker, funeral program
Stromer, Delwyn; legislator,
letter
Little Miss Muscatine
Pageant, program and ad
Mason, A. Morgan; special
assistant to President Ronald Reagan, letter and speech
Jepsen, Roger W.; U.S.
Senator, letter
du Pont, Pierre; Governor of
Delaware, letter
Torrence Campaign Committee;
Support letter signed by Iowa Governor Robert D. Ray
Petersen, Stephen; notecard
Nicolaus, Harold G.; banker,
letter
Trent, William B.,
Jr.;businessman, letter
Ray, Robert D.; Iowa
Governor, letter
Crews, Bill; legislator,
notecard
Crooks, Rick and Mary;
friends, card
Carlson, John and Pat;
friends, notecard
Peick, Doris; legislator,
card
Labode, Evelyn; et all;
friends, card
Kiser, Mike and Joanne;
friends, note
Petersen, Jerry and Irene
and Brett and Craig; friends, card
Martin, Cecil; friend,
notecard
Connor, Judi; friend, letter
Subke, Gene and Ruth;
friends, letter
Rigler, John B.; friend, letter
Becker, Paul; credit union
PAC, letter
Parks, W. Robert; ISU
president, letter
Zdychnec, John S.; banker,
letter
Tank, James R.; banker,
letter
Steen, Leslie; friend,
notecard
Sheriff's Office; card with
insert
Correspondence--1983-1985
Joni and crew; Muscatine
County Courthouse, card
Branstad, Terry E.; Iowa
Governor, letter
Baird, Betty; Iowa Women;s
Political Caucus, note and IWPC article draft
Bakrow, William J.; St.
Ambrose College President, letter
Doderer, Minnette et all;
legislators, card
Daggett, Horace and Ruth et
all; legislators, card
Muscatine County employees
and electees; flower card
Bennett, Wayne and Barbara;
card
Iowa House of Representive;
flower card
Muscatine County Republican
Party; flower card
Bogan, Gerald; Iowans for
RTW, card
Semple, Virginia; House
phones, card
House GOP staff; card
Renker, Bob et all; card
Joe and Shirley; friends,
card w attachments
Llyod-Jones, Jean et all;
women legislators, card
Gruhn, Josephine;
legislator, postcard
McAndrews, Dr. and Mrs. James,
Palmer College, card
Peick, Doris Ann and Dick;
legislator and spouse, card
Craig; House Page, letter
Puck, Natalie; schoolgirl,
card
Feyen, John J.; House Page,
card
Harbor, William H.;
legislator, letter
Miller, Rev. Martin; Iowa
Annual Conference Legislative Action and Coordinating Committee, United
Methodic Church, letter
Townsend, Herb; farmer and
banker, letter
Martin, Cecil; friend,
letter
Rife, Jack; legislator,
reply on Torrence notepaper
Moylan, Jerald; constituent,
letter
Whipple, Norma; North Scott
Junior High Librarian, card
Schlachter, Diane; Youth
Counselor Services, card
Satin, Larry and Joseph C.
Bluestein, Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities, letter
Drake, Dick and Shirley
Jean; legislator and spouse, card
Daggett, Horace and Ruth; legislator
and spouse, holiday flyer
Al and Billie, Torrence
campaign workers, letter
Wiemers, Irene; card
Nicolaus, Harold G.; banker,
letter
Torbert, John T.; State
Association of Counties, letter
Kaalberg, Marie; letter
Barry, Edmund D.; friend,
note
Luchtel, Keith E.; attorney,
letter
Milnes, Charles C. and
Shirley; friends, letter
Ehrecke, Wes; Iowa Bankers
Association, letter
Dunham, Warren B.; Iowa
Department of Transportati
Director, letter
Vetter, Millie M.; letter
Temple, Thomas R.; Iowa
Pharmacists Association, letter
Connor, Judi; Little Miss
Muscatine Pageant, card
Peick, Doris Ann;
legislator, card
Goegthe, Carol; legislator,
card w/letter insert
Petersen, Stephen J.,
Muscatine County republican Chair, and Charlotte Mohr, Scott County Republican
Chair; letter
Nicolaus, George ; campaign
treasurer, letter
Reagan, Maureen; Republican
National Committee, letter
Norton, Wm. B.; attorney,
letter
Brenda and Alan; friends,
card
Clippings--1977-1983
Eichelberger to fill vacant
post
Shuger to run
Muscatine Councilmembers
Petersen holds out against
pay raises
An everyday housewife --
Helen Terrill
Two seek state posts as
Rural Americans
10 years ago: Torrence
elected chairman
10 years ago: Torrence
re-election bid
First soil sample
County appointments
Classes for snowmobiling,
Torrence instructor
John Nelson Graham obit
WHS Alumni Banquet, Torrence
speaker
Torrence to chair board of
supervisors
Swearing in
Shopping at July Jamboree
Emergency levy in county
budget snarl
Congratulations Wilberta,
Terri and Jan
Sheriff Oppelt is re-elected
Conservation board
Bank ribbon cutting
Muscatine board elects
chairman
Supervisors change to annual
pay
Protecting our heritage
Torrence Ad
Torrence campaign article
Torrence to see her 2nd term
on county board
Election results (3 pages)
Moeller will head land
preservation policy unit
Torrence ends long stint at
Muscatine's courthouse
Muscatine Co. Republican
Campaign Ad (2 pgs)
Torrence Ads
1982 West Liberty Fair Ad
Torrence feels government
experience will help her
Torrence to seek House seat
Goals might be similar;
styles aren't
Torrence bids for House seat
in first try at state office
Three for the legislature
Quad City Times election
announcement
Election results
Republicans Torrence, Rife
share backgrounds
Freshman legislators attend
orientations
Torrence is candidate for
legislature
Hectic pace continues after
victories
Their phones have just
started ringing
Torrence Ad
To begin new career
Know your legislators (3
pgs)
Representing You by Rep.
Dottie Carpenter
Chad James announces
candidacy for supervisor
Local option tax could be an
issue again this year
Notes from Jan
Rife and Torrence begin
their terms
Rep. Torrence criticizes
legislative employee raises
Legislative forums begin
Saturday
How they voted
Stromer picks committee jobs
for Torrence
Change in fence law is
proposed
Wilton News here and there
Opposes widening scope of
bargaining
Lawmakers at work
Rife, Torrence plan meeting
Legislators plan public
reports
How they voted
Open meeting
Notes from Jan 3/31/83
Lawmakers up their salries
and expense money
House votes to boost pay,
expenses
4 percent sales tax gets OK
House OKs $6 million
superfund
Pari-mutuel bill goes back
to Senate
Notes from Jan 4/5/83
Notes from Jan 4/7/83
Notes from Jan 4/28/83
Rife, Torrence hold meeting
Notes from Jan 5/12/83
Notes from Jan 4/14/83
Torrence, Rife meet with few
constituents Saturday
Notes from Jan 4.21/83
Lawmakers at work
Pressure from Des Moines for
pari-mutuel betting is felt in legislature
Recapping the '83 session
Torrence feels senior
citizens should receive fee exemption
Notes from Jan 5/19/83
Torrence intends to run
again
Legislators describe first
round in Des Moines
Notes from Jan 8/28/83
Torrence on panel
Torrence, Rife relate
expenses experiences in state legislature
Torrence names staff
Lawmaker stricken
Lottery bill clears
legislature (5 pgs)
Rife and Torrence visit
Torrence on panel