League of Women Voters of Illinois (LWVIL) collection, Bulk, 1950-1982

Old Resource ID was LWVIL

Spawned from the National American Woman Suffrage Association's 72-year campaign for woman's suffrage, the National League of Women Voters was formed in Chicago in October of 1920. That year, housewives and professional women started the Illinois state league to "foster education in citizenship to increase the effectiveness of women's votes, and further better government." The League maintained a non-partisanship reputation while focusing on key issues of interest to women such as a woman's status in the United States, social issues, and preventing war. Throughout its history, the League of Women Voters of Illinois has distributed election and government information to members and non-members alike. Each year league members create specific programs of action that direct lobbying efforts on issue-oriented subjects at the local, state, and national level of government. Membership in the League has fluctuated throughout the 20th Century. When the Depression occurred, membership dropped from over 10,000 to just under 3,000. After decades of increasing membership numbers, a major decline in participation occurred in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Illinois League of Women Voters accepted its first male member in 1976 and in 1984 a man was elected president of the National League of Women Voters' for the first time. The league has maintained its budget through membership dues, donations, and several yearly fundraising drives. Because of its status as a non-profit, budget problems continually plagued the women's organization.

The Illinois League of Women Voters has lobbied for many legislative reforms. The league successfully lobbied for passage of the Sheppard-Towner Act (1921) that brought aid for expectant mothers and child care for working class and impoverished families. Additionally, the League supported the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (1938) and amendments to the Civil Rights Act and Economic Opportunity Act (1967 and 1969 respectively). On a national and global front, the League lobbied for the United Nations Charter (1945), the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (1969), and the Water Resources Planning Act (1965). The Illinois League of Women Voters called for several state constitutional conventions to allow women on juries, to reapportion Congressional districts, and to provide for easier passage of Constitutional Amendments. In the 1960s and 1970s, the league began arguing for more comprehensive urban planning policies, environmental preservation, and bureaucratic accountability. Also during this time, the Illinois League filed amicus curiae briefs in several court cases. These cases included Tometz v. the Board of Education of Waukegan City School District No. 61 (which involved gerrymandered school boundaries that perpetuated racial segregation), and the Metropolitan Sanitary District v. U.S. Steel (Lake Michigan pollution). In 1981, the League decided to hold its biannual convention in Wisconsin because Illinois had rescinded its vote on the Equal Rights Amendment. The league continued to host several local, state, and national office debates throughout the 1970s and 1980s. During the latter decade, the league focused more on print media to educate voters in the state of Illinois.

Sources:

"Facts: League of Women voters of the United States, 1973-1974." Pamphlet. Box 20 Folder 154

"Illinois League of Women Voters Constitution." 1922. Box 18 Folder 136

"1920-1970: Fiftieth Anniversary League of Women Voters of Illinois." Booklet. Box 21 Folder 155

This collection reflects the activities of the League of Women Voters of Illinois. The bulk of the collection consists of reports, pamphlets, booklets and correspondence between the state board of directors and local league presidents. Though the league began operations in 1920, most of the documents within this collection relate to the years between 1950 and 1982. Though the collection contains documents from around Illinois, members and local leagues in and around the Chicagoland area produced most of the materials. The collection contains board reports, staff correspondence, newsletters, memoranda, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, brochures, various governmental studies, court cases, and candidate questionnaires.

The League of Women Voters of Illinois is divided into three series: Administrative Records, Voters Service, and League Program. The first series, Administrative Records, is further divided into Board Reports, Membership Services, Conventions, and Budget and Finances. The series illustrates the bureaucratic structure of the league and communication between state and local league officials. The Voters Service series is divided into two sub-series: Community Education and Candidate Information. The series depicts how the League of Women Voters gathered candidate information and disseminated the information to the general public. Finally, the League Program series highlights various lobbying efforts and platforms in which the Illinois League held great interest. The final series is divided into two sub-series: League Platform and Legislative Seminars.

Materials in this collection were donated over the course of several years to the University of Illinois at Chicago Daley Library, Special Collections by the League of Women Voters of Illinois. Originally five separate collections, the LWVIL accessions were arranged into one by the cataloger in June 2004. A supplement was subsequently processed in September 2006.

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League of Women Voters of Illinois (LWVIL) collection, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Illinois at Chicago

• NamesLeague of Women Voters of Illinois. -- Archives
• Subject
  • Apportionment (Election law) -- Illinois.
  • Chicago Political and Civic Life.
  • Child welfare -- Illinois.
  • Civil rights -- Illinois.
  • Education and state -- Illinois.
  • Housing policy -- Illinois.
  • Labor laws and legislation -- Illinois.
  • Midwest Women's History.
  • Social security -- Illinois.
  • Voting -- Illinois.