Descriptive Summary | |
Title: Athens League of Women Voters Records, Series VII. Audiovisual Materials | |
Creator: Athens League of Women Voters | |
Inclusive Dates: 1990s | |
Language(s): English | |
Extent: 11 item(s) | |
Collection Number: RBRL028ALWV_VII | |
Repository: Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies | |
Abstract: Athens League of Women Voters Records, Series VII. Audiovisual Materials includes one DVD, one betacam videocassette, three audiocassettes, and six VHS videocassettes. |
The 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.
Athens League of Women Voters Records, Series II. Audiovisual Materials includes one DVD, one betacam videocassette, three audiocassettes, and six VHS videocassettes.
Athens League of Women Voters Records, Series II. Audiovisual Materials is arranged by format.
Though the collection is open for research, reference copies of the audiovisual recordings are available upon request. Research requests will be filled as soon as possible and will be dependent upon the condition of the recordings.
Athens League of Women Voters Records, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia, 30602-1641.
It is the particular responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission to reproduce material for publication. Persons wishing to reproduce materials in the Russell Library collections should consult the Director. Reproduction or quotation of any item must contain a complete citation to the original.
Finding aid prepared on: 2011.
Athens-Clarke County (Georgia) Unification Files
Janet B. Scarborough Merritt Papers
League 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