TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview of the Collection

Historical Sketch

Scope and Contents

Arrangement

Restrictions

Index Terms

Administrative Information

Bibliography

Detailed Description of the Collection

Series I. Correspondence 1940-1990

Series II. Administrative Files 1903-1989

Series III. Annual Meetings and Reports 1947-1985

Series IV. Local Activities & Programs 1935-1989

Series V. Local Activities & Programs, Schools 1940-1990

Series VI. National Activities & Programs 1941-1971

Series VII. Newspaper Clippings 1940-1991

Series VIII. Publications 1938-1987

Series IX. Bulletins 1940-1954

Series X. Voter Newsletter 1954-1985

Series XI. Voter's Guide 1944-1994

Series XII. Scrapbooks 1939-1970

Series XIII. Photographs and Tapes 1958-1985

League of Women Voters of Dallas Collection

1935-1994

Historical Sketch

Dallas became the fifth city in Texas to establish a local League of Women Voters when a group of sixteen women formed the Dallas Branch of the Texas League of Women Voters on April 13, 1938. The name was changed to Dallas County League of Women Voters in 1942, and in 1953 the present name was adopted: League of Women Voters of Dallas.

Mrs. E. L. DeGoyler was elected first president of the Dallas League, and Mrs. H. Abbott, vice president. The Dallas League began its first full year in September, 1939, with 60 members. General membership meetings were held monthly with speakers from outside the League, as well as two study/discussion groups that met every other week. Meetings took place in members' homes, although some special membership teas and other functions took place at the Stoneleigh and Melrose hotels. Some of the first unit meetings in 1942 were conducted by Miss Edna Rowe, longtime teacher at Forest Avenue High School and later principal, at Cokesbury Book Store in downtown Dallas.

Beginning with the "Know Your Town" survey, the Dallas League has studied a variety of governmental issues relating to city and county government, as well as school and hospital districts. League members have also participated in studies of state and national government issues as members of the state and national Leagues. Another important aspect of League activity has been voter service, which involves providing non-partisan information to the community on elections and candidates through Voters Guides, candidates meetings, and encouraging voter registration.

The Dallas League's membership grew primarily by word of mouth and invitation from members to their friends. Most members during the League's first two or three decades did not work outside the home. This contributed to the League's ability to research, study, and inform members about issues of the day. Members had more time to attend meetings in the community and make sure that the League's views were understood. Consequently, the 1950s and 1960s saw the Dallas League's maximum annual membership. The 1970s saw a decline in membership though, and the minutes frequently mentioned "the increasing number of women returning to school and work."

The membership continued to decline in the 1980s and by the 1990s the number of units had dropped from 16 units to 8 units by 1992. However, the Dallas League continued to adapt to an ever-changing world and champion important issues. Through the years, the issues that have been important to the Dallas League of Women Voters are education, voters service, trade, foreign affairs and the United Nations, the judicial process, human resources, city/county government and urban planning, human rights and women's issues, and natural resources.

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Scope and Contents

The League of Women Voters of Dallas (LWVD) Collection, consisting of 31 boxes, is composed primarily of materials collected by the LWVD for their official files. The collection covers the period from 1935-1994; however, the bulk of the material ranges from 1940-1989. Included in the collection are correspondence, administrative files, newspaper clippings, newsletters, publications, scrapbooks, photographs and assorted material associated with League activities and programs.

The collection is organized in thirteen series. The first series is League correspondence, which consist of Action, Equal Rights Amendment, nomination, LWVD presidential, and Texas LWV correspondence. The second series is the administrative files, which includes meeting agendas, financial data, membership, planning, public relations, training and other items associated with the LWVD administration. The third series includes annual meeting workbooks and reports. The fourth, fifth and sixth series consists of material related to the local and national activities and programs in which the LWVD was involved. The seventh series is the newspaper clippings that were collected about the League and its activities and topics that were pertinent to the League's goals or activities. The eighth series contains various printed materials that were published by the League or were related to their activities and programs. The ninth, tenth and eleventh series are printed materials that were produced by the LWVD and include monthly bulletins that announce meetings, events and other League information; Voter newsletters that announce meetings and events and other League information; and the Voters Guide which describes the candidates for various public offices. The twelfth series is the LWVD scrapbooks, an account book and guest book. The thirteenth series is League photographs and an audio tape. The local, school and national activity and program files comprise the bulk of the collection and contain the widest variety of materials.

The League of Women Voters of Dallas collection was processed by Carol Roark, Allison Baker, John Cloninger, and Margaret Foley. The series order was decided by the final processing archivist, Allison Baker. All paper clips and staples were removed from the material.

The LWVD collection contains information on a variety of topics that would be of interest to researchers. The Collection reflects the political, social, and economic environment of Dallas from the middle to latter part of the twentieth century. The changing role of women in society is visible in the membership and the issues that the League faced, and is an important source for women's history. The Collection also contains information on candidates who were running for various Dallas public offices and information pertaining to Dallas City and County government and their programs and activities. Education was important to the Dallas League, and researchers will find material on Dallas area educational issues.

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Arrangement

Box 1 Correspondence

Box 2 Administrative Files

Box 3 Annual Meetings & Reports

Box 4 Local Activities & Programs (A - Co)

Box 5 Local Activities & Programs (Co - Da)

Box 6 Local Activities & Programs (Da - Hu)

Box 7 Local Activities & Programs (J - M)

Box 8 Local Activities & Programs (N - R)

Box 9 Local Activities & Programs (R - Tr)

Box 10 Local Activities & Programs (Tr - W)

Box 11 Local Activities & Programs (B - J) Schools

Box 12 Local Activities & Programs (J - Y) Schools

Box 13 National Activities & Programs

Box 14 Newspaper Clippings 1940 -1977

Box 15 Newspaper Clippings 1977 - 1991,n.d.

Box 16 Publications

Box 17 Bulletins 1940 - 1954

Box 18 Voter Newsletter 1954 - 1969

Box 19 Voter Newsletter 1970 - 1974

Box 20 Voter Newsletter 1975 - 1979

Box 21 Voter Newsletter 1980 - 1985

Box 22 Voter Guide 1944 - 1994

Box 23 Scrapbooks 1939 - 1946

Box 24 Scrapbooks 1947 - 1952

Box 25 Scrapbook/Guest book 1949 - 1962

Box 26 Scrapbooks 1958 - 1961

Box 27 Scrapbooks 1961 - 1963

Box 28 Scrapbooks 1963 - 1970

Box 29 Account Book 1965 - 1989

Box 30 Proclamations 1975 - 1976

Box 31 Photographs and Tapes 1958 - 1985

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Use

Permission to publish material from the League of Women Voters of Dallas Collection must be obtained from the Texas/Dallas History and Archives Division.

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Index Terms

This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.

Organizations:

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

League of Women Voters of Dallas, MA 93.15, Box number, Folder number, Texas/Dallas History and Archives, Dallas Public Library.

Acquisition Information

The League of Women Voters of Dallas Collection was donated to the Dallas Public Library, Texas/Dallas History and Archives Division. The Collection was transferred to the Library in several disbursements in 1993 and 1994, and was received by Carol Roark.

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Bibliography

Key, Ellen Lindsey, Betsy Beesley, and et.al. 55 years of making a difference: an informal history of the League of Women Voters of Dallas, 1938-1993. Dallas, Texas: The League, 1993.

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Detailed Description of the Collection