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League of Women Voters of Cache County records, 1920-2004

Overview of the Collection

Title
League of Women Voters of Cache County records
Dates
1920-2004 (inclusive)
Quantity
29 boxes, (14.75 linear feet)
Collection Number
UUS_COLL MSS 155
Summary
This collection contains the papers of the League of Women Voters of Cache County from 1920 to 2004.
Repository
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives Division
Special Collections & Archives
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
Logan, UT
84322-3000
Telephone: 4357978248
Fax: 4357972880
scweb@usu.edu
Access Restrictions

Open to public research.

Languages
English.
Sponsor
Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant, 2007-2008
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Historical Note

In 1920, during the fight for women's suffrage, the national League of Women Voters emerged as a political organization for newly enfranchised women. The beginnings of the league can be traced back to the early nineteenth century, but its official creation occurred during the struggle for the women's vote. Carrie Chapman Catt suggested the idea for the league to replace of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) because after women received the vote, NAWSA had served its purpose. The league's first four national board members were Maud Park (chair), Edna Gellhor (vice-chair and regional director), Marie Edwards (treasurer), and Pattie Jacobs (secretary). The main purpose of the league entailed guiding and training women in government procedures and processes. Members held conventions each year and met to discuss the development of various programs such as education and health. By 1950, members established the format for national, state, and local league procedures.

The state and local leagues of Utah developed alongside the national league, with the League of Women Voters of Utah being founded the same year as the national league. Cache County's league history began when Mrs. E. G. Peterson suggested the idea of founding a local affiliate on March 3, 1922. The USU Faculty Women's League met to discuss the creation but failed to establish an organization. Another attempt was made in 1952 when a local league chapter existed for a short time. Margaret Neilson, the president, registered voters but lacked enough members to sustain the league. Many local women instead belonged to the Women's Legislative Council, but support grew to establish a league chapter in 1970 when the council called for complete unanimity for lobbying. The women of Cache Valley wanted flexibility, and the league provided more diversity concerning important issues.

On November 12, 1970, the League of Women Voters of Cache County was officially created with a provisional status. In order to achieve full national recognition, the league had to carry out numerous studies and activities. For example, the league developed the "Know Your County" study and investigated the inner workings of government. The league began to hold finance drives and studied education, foreign countries, and air and water quality. Finally, on March 30, 1972, Cache County was recognized as an official local league. Since then, the LWVCC has continued to conduct studies and generate public participation in government. The league has studied water conservancy district proposal, hazardous waste disposal, and Logan City government. The league continues to thrive in Cache County and hold candidate debates and annual meetings.

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Content Description

The records of the League of Women Voters of Cache County (LWVCC) cover the period from 1920 to 2004. The LWVCC is a local chapter of the League of Women Voters of Utah and the League of Women Voters of the United States. The collection includes material not only from the LWVCC, but also from the state and national leagues. The LWVCC has been active in local as well as state and national politics throughout its existence, and has served the community in a variety of ways, including voter registration and education.

The first series in the collection includes the agendas and minutes dating from 1970-1994, organized chronologically. Program proposals, telephone trees, phone lists, and bylaws are also included in these six boxes. The second series is presidential papers, which includes president's packets, memoranda, correspondence, history of LWVCC, photographs, and scrapbooks. This series is contained in two boxes and the material is organized chronologically.

The third series, treasurer's records, includes seven boxes along with a separate flat document case. The series contains numerous items such as ledger sheets, finance drive records, IRS materials, cancelled checks, membership lists, and vouchers. The third series is also organized chronologically. The fourth and largest series contains nine boxes concerning the various reports on projects and studies carried out by the LWVCC. These projects range from air pollution to youth services, and, include such topics as the Equal Rights Amendment, different forms of city and county government, mosquito abatement, and spousal abuse. These reports provide a rich supply of information on local and national political issues, the history of Cache County, and the history of the LWVCC.

Series five, State and National Information, contains two boxes and includes league annual meeting workbooks from 1973-1992, conventions and prospectus, lobbying information, state programs, and voter registration. The final series, organized alphabetically, includes the publications of the LWVCC from local, state, and national leagues. Five boxes contain publications such as Action, In Touch, A Voters Guide, The Voter, and Watchdog.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.

Permission to publish material from the League of Women Voters of Cache County records must be obtained from the Special Collections and Archives manuscript curator and/or the Special Collections and Archives department head.

Preferred Citation

League of Women Voters of Cache County papers, 1970-2000. (COLL MSS 155). Utah State University. Special Collections and Archives Department.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Organized into 6 series: I. Local League agendas, minutes, bylaws, and membership materials. II. Presidential papers. III. Treasurer's Records. IV. Various reports on projects and studies carried on by the LWVCC. V. State and National Information. VI. Publications of the LWV from local, state, and national leagues.

Acquisition Information

Donation.

Processing Note

Collection processed by Jenny Stephenson, August 2000, updated by Clint Pumphrey, January and May 2007.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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Subject Terms

  • Women in politics--Utah--Cache County.

Geographical Names

  • Cache County (Utah)--Politics and government.

Finding aid created by Special Collections and Archives.
2008

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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