Athens League of Women Voters Records
Collection DescriptionHistorical NoteThe League of Women Voters of the United States was founded in 1920 by Carrie Chapman Catt during the annual convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. As a non-partisan political organization, the National League has been devoted to promoting voter education, increasing awareness on public policy issues through education and advocacy, and empowering citizens to play active roles in government. The League of Women Voters has focused on issues related to federal legislation such as: international relations with foreign trade and foreign economic policy; the Motor Voter Act; the Bricker Amendment, proposed in the early 1950s to limit the Federal government's treaty–making powers; and the Equal Rights Amendment. In 1974, the National League opened their membership to all U.S. citizens of voting age. The Athens League of Women Voters (ALWV) was established as an official organization in 1948 as a chapter of the League of Women Voters of Georgia. In addition to supporting National League issues, the ALWV continuously studied and distributed information on local issues such as city-county consolidation for Athens-Clarke County, housing studies, juvenile justice, desegregation, and water quality. Many of the issues studied by ALWV also intersect with the broader goals of the state and national league. The ALWV has been influential as a non-partisan organization in studying and supporting local politics around Athens-Clarke County. In particular, they were involved with studying the Athens-Clarke County Charter Commission; issues on education, such as desegregation and school finance; healthcare services; housing studies with relation to city planning; and juvenile justice. Former league presidents have brought their own influence to local politics through proposing studies on local issues. Sophia Deutschberger, president of the league from 1968 to 1970, strongly supported a study on the Athens-Clarke County Charter Commission. The Charter Commission pushed for consolidating city and county services and functions such as the police department, fire department, health care, welfare, and water and power services. In 1981, under the presidency of Marguerite Holmes, the league was the recipient of a grant provided by the League of Women Voters Education Fund to study voting procedures and implementation of the Voting Rights Act in Clarke County. The ALWV also studied the administration of juvenile justice for several years with the aim of improving the juvenile court system in Georgia. During this study it created a committee to analyze the annual reports of the Clarke County Juvenile Court, interviewed agency personnel, developed a needs questionnaire, and presented two programs on juvenile justice. Prominent public figures of the ALWV have included: Phyllis Jenkins Barrow, wife of Judge James Barrow and the first secretary for the ALWV Board; Heidi Davison, former mayor of Athens; and Janice Mathis, former president of the ALWV, board member for the Georgia League, and former director for the National League. The final meeting of ALWV was held on March 23, 2006. Scope and ContentThe Athens League of Women Voters (ALWV) Records document the governance and activities of the league from 1940 to 2006. The records include annual reports; correspondence; financial records; meeting minutes and agendas; publications, including handbooks, newsletters, directories, and programs; and scrapbooks containing clippings and photographs. Meeting minutes document monthly meetings, board meetings, and also committee meetings for the ALWV. Correspondence files include incoming letters and materials from the League of Women Voters of Georgia (LWVGA), the League of Women Voters of the United States, representatives of Georgia's 10th District, and Georgia senators as well as typed carbons of the ALWV outgoing correspondence. The materials document the league's various activities and contain information on county consolidations, the county unit system, Georgia's educational system, pending legislation in both Georgia's General Assembly and the U.S. Congress, redistricting, and other political matters. The publication series includes material from the ALWV, LWVGA, National League, and the League of Women Voters Education Fund. The types of publications in this collection include the Athens Voter, the Georgia Voter, and the National Voter newsletters as well as guides and pamphlets on issues supported by the League of Women Voters such as voter services and education, and membership recruitment. Organization and ArrangementThe Athens League of Women Voters Records collection is arranged into seven series: I. Administrative Files; II. Actions, Studies, and Legislation; III. Publications; IV. Scrapbooks; V. Artifacts; VI. Photographs; and VII. Audiovisual (AV is inventoried separately, here). Administrative InformationPreferred CitationAthens League of Women Voters Records, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, The University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia. User RestrictionsLibrary acts as "fair use" reproduction agent. Copyright InformationBefore material from collections at the Richard B. Russell Library may be quoted in print, or otherwise reproduced, in whole or in part, in any publication, permission must be obtained from (1) the owner of the physical property, and (2) the holder of the copyright. It is the particular responsibility of the researcher to obtain both sets of permissions. Persons wishing to quote from materials in the Russell Library collection should consult the Director. Reproduction of any item must contain a complete citation to the original. Finding Aid PublicationFinding aid prepared on: 2012. Related Materials and SubjectsSubject TermsRelated Collections in this Repository
Athens-Clarke County (Georgia) Unification Files Janet B. Scarborough Merritt Papers Related Collections in Other RepositoriesLeague of Women Voters of Georgia, Georgia Archives League of Women Voters of Atlanta-Fulton County Records, Atlanta History Center League of Women Voters of Savannah-Chatham, Georgia Historical Society League of Women Voters (U.S.) records |
Special Collections Libraries
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602-1641