Defiance League of Women Voters records

Collection

Identifier: MS-0221

Staff Only

Collection Overview

Abstract

The records, dating from 1967 to 1975, consist of bylaws, minutes, letters, news clippings, and literary materials.

Dates

Creation: 1967-1975

Extent

0.37 Cubic Feet (1 letter size archives box)

Creator

Defiance League of Women Voters (Ohio) (Organization)

Scope and Contents

The Defiance League of Women Voters collection is comprised primarily of bylaws, minutes, newsletters, news clippings, and handbooks. There are two sets of bylaws contained in the collection, national and local. The national bylaws give information on the way the organization should be run including material about the members, officers, conventions, and finances. This concerns the entire organization and the chapters across the country. The local bylaws contain similar information but on a local level. It details membership, elections, and meetings of the Defiance chapter specifically.

The minutes detail the secretary’s notes on the local meetings held. They are arranged in chronological order and give the reports of the officers, any discussions, and new members of the chapter. The minutes are taken for every months meeting and also tell the date and location that the meeting took place.

The “Vision” is the Defiance chapter’s monthly newsletter which gives information about the events of the chapter. Locations of meetings, lists of new members, messages from the president, and topics of discussion are all contained in these newsletters. They are arranged in chronological order.

There is also a collection of newspaper clippings with articles about the Defiance League of Women. No dates are given as to their publication and only two specify their original location, in the Defiance Crescent-News. In the articles it describes local meetings and events put on by the chapter. In some cases they also contain pictures of the events published next to the corresponding article.

The handbooks contained in the collection include a city history, a president’s handbook, and a guide to local programs. The history was written and released by the members of the Defiance chapter in 1968. It contains not only the history of the foundation of the city but also information regarding the economy, politics, and community. The guide in the collection details the planning and development of local programs. It also includes different guidelines for the members of the chapter. The handbook is given to incoming presidents and helps to explain how to run certain parts of the chapter and their responsibilities. Addresses and phone numbers of officers and directors throughout the state of Ohio are included as well.

Biographical / Historical

The Defiance chapter of the League of Women Voters is a part of the League of Women Voters (LWV) in the United States, whose primary purpose is “to promote political responsibility through informed and active participation of citizens in government”. The national organization was founded in 1920 by Carrie Chapman Catt leading up to the ratification of the 19th Amendment. Catt was the President of the International Alliance of Women and used her experiences to create a group based on informing new female voters. Beginning in 1973 the league allowed men to join. The organization has become increasingly popular and currently contains chapters in every state and even countries such as Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

The League of Women Voters educates men and women voters on the various political topics. The LWV is nonpartisan and does not support or oppose any member of government. Rather than choosing sides, the organization looks to inform its members on the issues and hand and only takes a stand on issues if the league comes to a consensus.

The materials in the collection were donated by one of the past presidents of the Defiance chapter, Mary G. Kampe. While the Defiance League of Women Voters is currently defunct, chapters still exist in the area in places like Toledo, Perrysburg, Bowling Green, and Lima.

Conditions Governing Access

No known access restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers using this collection assume full responsibility for conforming to the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright, and are responsible for securing permissions necessary for publication or reproduction.