A Guide to the Records of the Organized Women Voters of Arlington County, 1923-2015
Organized Women Voters of Arlington County, Records of
RG 17
A Collection in Arlington Public Library, Center for Local History
Collection number RG 17
Repository
Arlington Public Library, Center for Local History
Collection number
RG 17
Title
Records of the Organized Women Voters of Arlington County,
1923-2015
Extent
27 boxes .
Creator
The Organized Women Voters of Arlington
Language
English
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Use Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Preferred Citation
Records of the Organized Women Voters of Arlington County, Collection # RG 17, Arlington Public Library, Center for Local
History
Acquisition Information
Gift of the Arlington Historical Society and Nancy Renfro.
Custodial History
These records were collected by one of the members of the Organized Women Voters and donated to the Arlington County Historical
Society. The group was donated to the Library as part of a larger donation from the Arlington Historical Society. Further
donations were made by Nancy Renfro.
The Organized Women Voters of Arlington County was founded in 1923 as the Arlington County League of Women Voters, and later
that same year changed its name to the Organized Women Voters in order to remain clearly independent of the now nationally
known League of Women Voters. As of 2017, the organization was still active in Arlington County.
The objectives of the organization were "to collect and disseminate political and civic information; to be non partisan; and
to be free to take action on any County problem." The Organized Women Voters has been active in educating Arlington County
voters on voting procedures and political candidates, as well as actively supporting women candidates for County Board positions.
The organization also sponsored two yearly local events for a number of years -- the Woman of the Year Award and the annual
Birthday Luncheon.
Record Group 17 houses the scattered records of the Organized Women Voters of Arlington County. The collection measures 9.2
linear feet, and ranges from 1923 to 2015. Found in this group are scattered meeting minutes, membership lists, meeting announcements,
by laws and constitution, financial documentation, memorabilia, and newsclippings. Of particular interest are the early meeting
minutes and correspondence for the 1923 through 1925 period. The collection also houses several photographs of members at
their various functions.
Series 18 and 19 are binders put together by Nancy Renfro and Mimi Simms as a sort of yearbook for the club. These contain meeting agendas,
minutes, Treasurer's Reports, correspondence (usually related to organizing OWV meetings and special events), and published
material that supported meeting speakers. Some binders contained materials for multiple years, and cover the 1960s through
the 1990s.
Series 20 are materials collected and organized by longtime member Nancy Renfro, and contain meeting minutes, correspondence, and published
material documenting the OWV's activities from the 1990s through 2015. There are committee reports, supporting material for
invited meeting speakers, membership directories, OWV's constitution and bylaws, and detailed reports on larger events such
as Candidate's Night.
Series 21 are materials created and collected by Sue Renfro, Nancy's mother and another longtime member of OWV. This series mostly
deals with issues surrounding school integration and public housing, but also touches on other school issues such as appointment
of School Board members and school curriculum and a Virginia state sales tax. There are clippings, drafts of speeches and
correspondence, meeting minutes and other published material with notations made by Mrs. Renfro, and occasional personal papers
scattered throughout. Series 20 and especially Series 21 show conservative viewpoints to local, state, and national issues,
and contain published materials that support these viewpoints.
Record Group 17 is arranged into series by either type of material or organizational event. Most of the series are incomplete
and scattered.
Series 18 and 19 are organized chronologically by binder. Series 20 is organized by binder; the creator, Nancy Renfro, placed selected materials in plastic sleeves (some labeled), so each folder
is the contents of one sleeve. Series 21 , Sue Renfro's materials, were originally filed in several accordion folders, many of which were labeled, and with some smaller
mailing envelopes inside. Each subseries reflects one of those accordion folders, and Renfro's titles of the larger folders
or mailing envelopes are in quotes [""]. The last subseries contains the smaller accordion folders.
Subjects:
Arlington (Va.)
Arlington County (Va.)
Voting -- United States.
Women -- United States -- Societies and clubs.
Women in community organization
Arlington (Va.)
Arlington County (Va.)
Box 1
File 1: Awards
Box 1
File 2: Background on speakers
Box 1
File 3: Correspondence,
1938-1982
Box 1
File 4: Correspondence,
1982-1991
Box 1
File 5: Invitations
Box 1
File 6: Press Releases,
1961-1987 (incomplete)
Box 1
File 7: Programs,
1949, 1966, 1973-1982
Box 2
File 8: Programs,
1983-1991
Box 2
File 9: Reservation Lists,
1973-1984
Box 2
File 10: Reservation Lists,
1987-1991, n.d.
Box 2
File 11: Supporting documents
Box 2
File 1: Original drafts
Box 2
File 2:
1928-1939
Box 2
File 3:
1945
Box 2
File 4:
1950s
Box 2
File 5:
1960s
Box 2
File 6:
1970s
Box 2
File 7:
1980s
Box 2
File 8: Not dated
Box 2
File 1:
1925-1927
Box 2
File 2:
1928-1929
Box 2
File 3:
1930
Box 2
File 4:
1931
Box 2
File 5:
1932
Box 2
File 6:
1933
Box 3
File 7:
1934
Box 3
File 8:
1935
Box 3
File 9:
1936
Box 3
File 10:
1937
Box 3
File 11:
1938
Box 3
File 12:
1939
Box 3
File 13:
1940
Box 3
File 14:
1941
Box 3
File 15:
1945
Box 3
File 16:
1946
Box 3
File 17:
1947
Box 3
File 18:
1950
Box 3
File 19:
1951
Box 3
File 20:
1952
Box 3
File 21:
1953
Box 3
File 22:
1954
Box 4
File 23:
1955
Box 4
File 24:
1956
Box 4
File 25:
1957
Box 4
File 26:
1958
Box 4
File 27:
1959
Box 4
File 28:
1960
Box 4
File 29:
1961
Box 4
File 30:
1962
Box 4
File 31:
1963
Box 4
File 32:
1964
Box 4
File 33:
1965
Box 4
File 34:
1967
Box 4
File 35:
1968
Box 4
File 36:
1969
Box 4
File 37:
1970
Box 4
File 38:
1977
Box 4
File 39:
1978
Box 4
File 40:
1979
Box 4
File 41:
1980
Box 4
File 42:
1981
Box 4
File 43:
1982
Box 4
File 44:
1983
Box 4
File 45:
1984
Box 4
File 46:
1985
Box 4
File 47:
1987
Box 4
File 48:
1988
Box 4
File 49:
1989
Box 4
File 50:
1990
Box 4
File 51:
1991
Box 4
File 52: List of correspondents,
1973-1985
Box 4
File 53: Personal correspondence to Sue Renfro,
1984-1985
Box 4
File 54: Not dated
Subseries 1: Bankbooks, bank statements, cancelled checks
Box 5
File 1:
1928-1969 (incomplete)
Box 5
File 2:
1923-1941
Box 5
File 3:
1942-1949, 1953
Box 5
File 4:
1954
Box 5
File 5:
1955
Box 5
File 6:
1956
Box 5
File 7:
1957
Box 5
File 8:
1958
Box 5
File 9:
1959
Box 5
File 10:
1960
Box 5
File 11:
1961
Box 5
File 12:
1962
Box 5
File 13:
1963
Box 5
File 14:
1964
Box 5
File 15:
1965
Box 5
File 16:
1966
Box 5
File 17:
1967
Box 5
File 18:
1968
Box 5
File 19:
1969
Box 6
File 20:
1971
Box 6
File 21:
1972
Box 6
File 23:
1974
Box 6
File 24:
1976
Box 6
File 25:
1977
Box 6
File 26:
1978
Box 6
File 27:
1979
Box 6
File 28: Cancelled checks,
1940-1953, 1974 (incomplete)
Subseries 2: Check Stubs
Subseries 3: Returned Checks
Box 6
File 1:
1936-1941
Box 7
File 2:
1926-1941
Box 7
File 3:
1951 , 1956-1963
Box 7
File 4:
1964-1969
Box 7
File 5:
1970-1978
Box 7
File 6:
1974-1978
Box 7
File 7:
1979-1980, n.d.
Subseries 3: Returned Checks
Box 7
File 1:
1936-1941
Box 7
File 2:
1926-1941
Box 7
File 3:
1951, 1956-1963
Box 7
File 4:
1964-1969
Box 7
File 5:
1970-1973
Box 7
File 6:
1974-1978
Box 7
File 7:
1979-1980, n.d.
Subseries 3: Reports
Box 7
File 1: Auditor's reports,
1960-1979
Box 7
File 2: Treasurer's reports,
1945-1962
Box 7
File 3: Treasurer's reports,
1958-1977 (incomplete)
Box 7
File 4: Treasurer's reports,
1962-1969
Box 7
File 5: Treasurer's reports,
1972-1978 and DAR, 1974-1978
Subseries 5: Notebooks
Box 8
File 1: Tax revenue notebooks,
1958-1959
Box 8
File 2: Programs, timetables, log type lists,
1960, 1986, n.d.
Box 8
File 1: Hendrick case, re: Waycroft Subdivision, Ruby Simpson,
1930-1931
Box 8
File 2: Arlington Investment Corporation, Ruby Simpson,
1931-1935
Box 8
File 3: Legal citations
Box 8
File 1: Applications,
1976-1983
Box 8
File 2: Lists of members,
1931-1939
Box 8
File 3: Lists of members,
1940s-1950s
Box 8
File 4: Lists of members,
1960s
Box 8
File 5: List of members,
1970s
Box 8
File 6: List of members,
1977-1979
Box 8
File 7: LIst of members,
1980s
Box 9
File 8: Lists of members,
1980s
Box 9
File 9: Directories,
1982-1986
Box 9
File 10: Directories,
1982-1986
Box 9
File 11: Directories,
1990s
Box 9
File 12: Not dated
Subseries 1: Announcements and Meeting Notices
Box 9
File 1: Announcements,
1960-1991
Box 9
File 2: Notices,
1969-1989
Subseries 2: Committee Minutes
Box 9
File 1: General,
1976-1978
Box 9
File 2: Budget,
1961
Box 9
File 3: Civic,
1929, 1930, 1939, 1990
Box 9
File 4: Constitution and Bylaws,
1978
Box 9
File 5: County Government,
1978
Box 9
File 6: Education,
1924
Box 9
File 7: Education,
1967-1969
Box 9
File 8: Federal,
1977-1980
Box 9
File 9: Hospital, n.d.
Box 9
File 10: Legislative,
1935, 1939
Box 9
File 11: Membership,
1967-1968
Box 9
File 12: Nominating,
1931-1986 (incomplete)
Box 9
File 13: State and County Government,
1939-1940, 1978
Box 9
File 14: Sunshine,
1969
Box 9
File 15: Tax and revenue,
1958, 1960, n.d.
Subseries 3: Executive Meeting Minutes
Box 10
File 1:
1925-1927
Box 10
File 2:
1928-1929
Box 10
File 3:
1930-1931
Box 10
File 4:
1932-1935
Box 10
File 5:
1936-1937
Box 10
File 6:
1938-1939
Box 10
File 7:
1940-1941
Box 10
File 8:
1944
Box 10
File 9:
1945
Box 10
File 10:
1946
Box 10
File 11:
1947
Box 10
File 12:
1950-1953
Box 10
File 13:
1954
Box 10
File 14:
1955
Box 10
File 15:
1950-1953
Box 10
File 16:
1957
Box 10
File 17:
1958
Box 10
File 18:
1959
Box 10
File 19:
1960
Box 10
File 20:
1961-1965
Box 10
File 21:
1961
Box 10
File 22:
1963
Box 10
File 23:
1964
Box 10
File 24:
1966
Box 10
File 25:
1967
Box 10
File 26:
1968
Box 10
File 27:
1969
Box 10
File 28:
1970
Box 10
File 29:
1975
Box 10
File 30:
1976
Box 10
File 31:
1977
Box 10
File 32:
1978
Box 10
File 33:
1979
Box 10
File 34:
1980
Box 10
File 35:
1981
Box 10
File 36:
1982
Box 10
File 37:
1983
Box 10
File 38:
1984
Box 10
File 39:
1986
Box 10
File 40:
1987
Box 10
File 41:
1988
Box 10
File 42:
1989
Box 10
File 43:
1990
Box 10
File 44: Not dated
Subseries 4: General meeting minutes
Subseries 5: Summary of minutes
Box 11
File 1:
1963, 1982, 1984
Box 11
File 1:
1929-1990, n.d.
Box 11
File 2: Juvenile Jail,
1960
Box 11
File 3: Schools,
1957, 1959
Box 13
File 1: Arlington County Civic Federation,
1935-1991 (incomplete)
Box 13
File 2: Arlington County Government,
1957-1983 (incomplete)
Box 13
File 3: County Manager Newsletter,
October 1960 - July 1961
Box 13
File 4: Federation of Homemakers and housing material,
1962, 1965, n.d.
Box 13
File 5: Neighborhood civic associations,
1950-1984 (incomplete)
Box 13
File 6: Schools
Box 13
File 7: Speaker's bureau,
1980s
Box 13
File 8: Numerous clubs A-M
Box 13
File 9: Numerous clubs N-W
Box 13
File 1: Photographs
Box 13
File 2: Slides
Box 13
File 1: Candidate brochures
Box 13
File 2: Candidate correspondence,
1981-1989 (incomplete)
Box 13
File 3: Candidate questionnaire,
1959, 1976, n.d.
Box 13
File 4: Election,
1982
Box 14
File 5: Legislative packages,
1985-1988
Box 14
File 6: Legislative issues,
1961, 1976-1989
Box 14
File 7: Miscellaneous
Box 14
File 8: National politics
Box 14
File 1:
1923-1930s
Box 14
File 2:
1940s
Box 14
File 3:
1950s
Box 14
File 4:
1960s
Box 14
File 5:
1970s
Box 14
File 6:
1980s
Box 14
File 7:
1990s
Box 14
File 8: Not dated
Box 14
File 1:
1920s
Box 14
File 2:
1930s
Box 14
File 3:
1940s
Box 14
File 4:
1950s
Box 14
File 5:
1960s
Box 14
File 6:
1970s
Box 14
File 7:
1980s
Box 14
File 8:
1990s
Box 14
File 9:
1982
Box 14
File 10:
1983
Box 14
File 11:
1984
Box 14
File 12:
1986
Box 14
File 13:
1987
Box 14
File 14: Not dated
Box 15
Files 1-7: Scrapbook,
1941-1988
Box 15
File 8: Scrapbook,
1935-1961
Box 15
File 9: 1970s Scrapbook,
1970-1974, n.d.
Box 16
File 1: Aging,
1959-1962
Box 16
File 2: Agriculture foreign investment,
1978
Box 16
File 3: American Farm Land Trust
Box 16
File 4: Arlington County board meetings
Box 16
File 5: Arlington County budgets,
1963-1984
Box 16
File 6: Arlington County - County manager form of government
Box 16
File 7: Arlington County Ad HOc Advisory Committee on Alternative Services Delivery System,
1981-1982
Box 16
File 8: Arlington County Jail,
1930
Box 16
File 9: Birthday party for U.S. Senator Harry Byrd Jr.,
1982
Box 16
File 10: 3 x 5 cards with gifts and costs with names
Box 17
File 11: Civil Rights,
1957-1960
Box 17
File 12: Civil Rights,
1977
Box 17
File 13: Civil Rights,
1978
Box 17
File 14: Civil Rights,
1980s
Box 17
File 15: Commission on Aging,
1983-1984
Box 17
File 16: Daycare Center,
1978-1980
Box 17
File 17: Drug smuggling
Box 17
File 18: Education,
1930-1977, n.d.
Box 17
Files 19-22: Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
Box 18
File 23: Foreign affairs El Salvador and Nicaragua
Box 18
File 24: Health,
1962-1977
Box 18
File 25: Histories,
1923-1983 (incomplete)
Box 18
Files 26-27: Housing,
1982-1984
Box 18
File 28: Miscellaneous
Box 18
File 29: Obituaries,
1954-1989, n.d. (incomplete)
Box 18
Files 30-31: Panama Canal,
1977-1978
Box 18
File 32: Playgrounds report
Box 18
File 33: Police and fire department pension system
Box 18
File 34: Report on clean-up campaign in Arlington County particularly the Negro settlment in Queen City and East Arlington,
1937-1938
Box 18
File 35: Senior citizens,
1976-1984
Box 18
File 36: Sheriff's office
Box 19
File 37: Sketches written and performed at the first annual meeting
Box 19
File 38: Solicitations from organizations (for money)
Box 19
File 39: Television
Box 19
File 1: "Simms Papers 1950s-1980s, Book I,"
1956, 1958, 1962, n.d.
Box 19
File 2: "Simms Papers 1950s-1980s, Book II,"
1970-1979, 1982-1984, 1989, 1991
Box 19
File 3: "Simms Papers 1989-1999,"
1988-1999
Box 19
File 1: "O.W.V., 8/93-5/98,"
1993-1998
Box 19
File 2: "OWV 9/1998-5/1999,"
1998-1999
Box 19
File 3: "OWV 9/1999-5/2000,"
1999-2000
Box 19
File 4: "OWV 9/2000-5/2001,"
2000-2001
Box 19
File 5: "OWV 9/2001 to 5/2002,"
2001-2002
Box 19
File 6: "OWV 2002-2003,"
2002-2003
Box 19
File 7: "OWV 2003-2004, 2004-2005,"
2002-2005
Box 19
File 8: "Organized Woen Voters, 2005-2006, 2006-2007,"
2005-2007
Box 19
File 9: "Organized Women Voters, 2007-2008,"
2007-2008
Box 19
File 10: "OWV June 2008 to May 2009,"
2008-2009
Box 19
File 11: "OWV 2009-2010,"
2009-2010
Box 19
File 12: "OWV 2011-2013,"
2011-2013 (1)*
Box 19
File 13: "OWV 2011-2013,"
2011-2013 (2)
Box 19
File 14: "Organized Women Voters of Arlington, June 2013-May 2015,"
2013-2015*
Subseries 1: "2nd Vice President" Folder
Box 19
File 1: OWV Board Activities,
1961
Box 19
File 2: Speaker Invitations,
1961-1962
Box 19
File 3: County Board Dealings,
1958, 1961
Box 19
File 4: Drafts of Public Statements,
1957, n.d.
Box 19
File 5: Arlington Public Schools Personnel Policies and Salaries,
1953, 1955, 1956
Box 19
File 6: Building Yorktown High School,
1958, n.d.
Box 19
File 7: Schools (general),
1943, 1953-1956, n.d.
Box 19
File 8: "Speech by Father Edmond A. Walsh,"
1952, n.d.*
Box 19
File 9: OWV Stationary and Envelopes
Box 19
File 10: Personal Correspondence and Forms,
1940-1944, 1960-1961*
Box 19
File 11: Miscellaneous,
1961, n.d.
Subseries 2: "School Tuition Grants" Folder
Box 19
File 1: Tax and Revenue Committee,
1958, 1959, n.d.
Box 19
File 2: Legislative Committee,
1959
Box 19
File 3: Correspondence,
1958-1959, n.d.
Box 19
File 4: OWV Proclamations,
1959, n.d.
Box 19
File 5: Notes and Drafts,
1958, n.d.
Box 19
File 6: School Segregation Strategies,
1959, n.d.
Box 19
File 7: Clippings,
1958-1959
Box 19
File 8: "Organized Women Voters Constitution and Bylaws,"
September 1958
Box 19
File 9: Arlington County Civic Federation
Box 19
File 10: Campaign Literature,
1958, n.d.
Box 19
File 11: State and Federal Regulations,
1959
Box 19
File 12: Congressional Record,
1959
Subseries 3: "Redevelopment 1958 Tax and Revenue Committee" Folder
Box 19
File 1: Working Papers,
1958 (1)
Box 19
File 2: Working Papers,
1950 (2)
Box 19
File 3: Federal Publications,
1957, 1958, n.d.
Box 19
File 4: Published Material,
1958
Box 19
File 5: County Board Minutes,
1958
Box 19
File 6: Clippings,
1953, 1954, 1957, 1958
Box 19
File 7: Personal Materials, n.d.
Subseries 4: Public Housing Folder
Box 19
File 1: Material on Public Housing, National Association of Real Estate Boards,
1958
Box 19
File 2: Articles on Segregation and Public Housing,
1954-1957, n.d.
Box 19
File 3: "Public Housing in New York City,"
1957
Box 19
File 4: "Report on the Need to Establish a Housing and Redevelopment Authority, by Tax and Revenue Committee, OWV,"
October 28, 1958
Box 19
File 5: "Public Housing Fact Book,"
1958
Subseries 5: Unnamed Folder
Box 19
File 1: "From Senate Document Room, HR 696,"
1959
Box 19
File 2: State Sales Tax,
1960
Box 19
File 3: School Board Appointments,
1959
Box 19
File 4: County Board and Planning,
1958
Box 19
File 5: Clippings and Publications,
1959-1960
Box 19
File 6: Personal Papers,
1958-1959, n.d.
Subseries 6: Smaller Folders
Box 19
File 1: "Resolution for Public Hearing on School Board Nominations,"
1957
Box 19
File 2: "Election Data on Redevelopment and Housing,"
1958
Box 19
File 3: "Miscellaneous News Clippings,"
1957-1962
Box 19
File 4: Yearbooks,
1984, 1990-1993, n.d.
January 22, 1980,
Martin Brown changes in Income Tax
August 13, 1980
August 13, 1980,
Vietnam Remembered
September 1980
September 1981,
House of Delegates Race
Fall 1981,
Col. Harrington
February 23, 1982,
Dr. Martin Wasserman
March 5, 1982,
Exec. Committee re: Constitutin and By-laws (2 tapes)
March 23, 1982,
County Manager Griffin
April 27, 1982,
Senatory Byrd's birthday (2 tapes)
September 1983,
Candidates County Board and committee officers
April 1984,
VEPC Walter Frankland guest representing Chamber of Commerce (the other side is dated February 27, 1979
May 22, 1984,
63rd Birthday
October 25, 1983,
Candidate meeting Warren Stambaugh
May 11, 1987,
McFarlane (2 tapes)
May 12, 1987
(2 tapes)
May 13, 1987,
McFarlane, Nunn, Rodino
May 14, 1987,
McFarlane, Sigur
May 14, 1987,
Sigur
May 14, 1987,
Sigur (2 tapes)
May 15, 1987
January 23, 1990
March 27, 1990
April 2, 1990
May 21, 1991
March 24, 1992,
Helen E. Fahey Commonwealth
March 24, 1992
March 23, no year Act. County Manager Griffin guest speaker