Guide to the Elizabeth Clarke Collection, 1980-1998

  • IdentificationMS127
  • Title
    • Guide to the Elizabeth Clarke Collection
    • Clarke, Elizabeth
  • LanguageEnglish
  • Date1980-1998
  • OriginationClarke, Elizabeth, active 1980-1998
  • Physical Description17.00
  • RepositoryCharles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections Deering Library, Level 3 1970 Campus Drive Evanston, IL, URL: http://www.library.northwestern.edu/spec Email: special.collections@northwestern.edu Phone: 847-491-3635
  • AbstractElizabeth Clarke, a resident of Lake Forest, Illinois, served on the Illinois Commission on the Status of Women and its successor, the Citizens Council on Women. Both councils reported to the Illinois General Assembly on issues important to women, including domestic violence, sexual abuse, employment discrimination, health and welfare. Reports and recommendations included information on legislative proposals dealing with Illinois agencies and associations that considered women’s needs.

Elizabeth Clarke, a resident of Lake Forest, Illinois, served on the Illinois Commission on the Status of Women and its successor, the Citizens Council on Women. Both councils reported to the Illinois General Assembly on issues important to women, including domestic violence, sexual abuse, employment discrimination, health and welfare. She often worked alongside Phyllis Schlafly from a more conservative minority position on these committees; their recommendations were regularly filed as a “minority report” and reflect some criticisms of the feminist movement while still advocating for the welfare of women in general.

  • Names
    • Illinois. Commission on the Status of Women
    • Illinois. General Assembly. Citizens Assembly. Citizens Council on Women
    • Clarke, Elizabeth, active 1980-1998
  • Subject
    • Women--Government policy--Illinois
    • Women--Illinois--Economic conditions
    • Women--Illinois--Social conditions

Elizabeth Clarke donated her archive to the Charles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections in 1999.

Sigrid Pohl Perry, November 1999

There are no restrictions on use of the materials in the department for research; all patrons must comply with federal copyright regulations.

This collection consists of Clarke’s working files for the Illinois Commission on the Status of Women from 1980 – 1986 and for the Illinois Citizens Council on Women from 1986 – 1998. Her primary alphabetical arrangement has been retained, so that there are basic chronological files for the work of each commission as well as subject files for interest areas or topics she researched for her subcommittee work. Files have not been rearranged to make one section more comprehensive than another, so both the chronological section for each group, as well as the subject files for particular topics should be consulted. Files include agendas, reports, memos, correspondence, minutes, hearing testimonies and reports, periodical issues and articles, newspaper clippings, brochures, and summaries of legislation and proposed bills. Annual reports to the Illinois General Assembly are also included.