Guide to the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area records, 1948-2009 League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area C0031

Guide to the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area records, 1948-2009

A Collection in
Special Collections and Archives
Collection Number C0031


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George Mason University Libraries

2008 By George Mason University Libraries. All rights reserved.

Processed by: Special Collections and Archives Staff

Repository
George Mason University. Special Collections and Archives
Collection number
C0031
Title
League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area records 1948-2009
URL:
http://sca.gmu.edu/finding_aids/
Physical Characteristics
35.25 linear feet (71 boxes)
Creator
League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area
Language
English
Abstract
The League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area Records contains materials from the LWVFA's activities from 1948-2009, including studies, information on political issues, meeting minutes, newsletters, correspondence, and photographs.

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area records, Collection #C0031, Special Collections and Archives, George Mason University.

Acquisition Information

This collection was donated by the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area between 1995 and 2009.

Processing Information

This collection was processed in 1995 by Special Collections and Archives Staff. In 2008, the collection was re-processed by Sean Tennant.

Accruals

Further accruals are expected.

Historical Information

The League of Women Voters (LWV) was founded in 1920 by Carrie Chapman Catt, a leader in the women's suffragist movement. Its purpose is to encourage citizens to participate actively in government by supporting the party of their choice. While the LWV is a nonpartisan organization, and therefore does not support individual candidates, it does take a position on issues of a national, state, and local scale selected by the membership. Such issues of the past included support for a minimum wage, child labor laws, and equal opportunity for women in government.

In Virginia, the LWV began as the Equal Suffrage League, which worked diligently for the ratification of the nineteenth amendment. The Equal Suffrage League joined the national LWV and created a state league. The first local league in Virginia was established in Richmond, followed by chapters in Alexandria and Arlington.

The League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area (LWVFA) was granted full league status in 1948. However, the LWVFA of the present day was established in 1964 after the town of Fairfax became a city in 1961 and thus a separate governmental jurisdiction from the County of Fairfax.

Scope and Content

The League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area Records contains material from the LWVFA's activities from 1955-2008, including studies, information on political issues, meeting minutes, newsletters, correspondence, and photographs. The collection is organized in 9 series for easy use and research. The 9 series are: Board Meetings and Minutes, Programs, Publications, Correspondence, Conventions and Meetings, Subject Files, Oral History, Photographs, and Oversized.

The first series, Board Meetings and Minutes, contains the board meetings and minutes of the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area. The documents detail the discussions and planning of the League Board. The series is arranged chronologically and details the activities of the League at their meetings.

The second series, Programs, contains documents pertaining to the programs and activities sponsored by the League, including local, national, and international issues. In addition to voting programs, the League engaged in a variety of other programs, including land use, education, and criminal justice.

The third series, Publications, contains the various publications of the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area. Most notably, this series includes the chapter's newsletter, the "Bulletin." Additionally, the series includes other publications by the League, including recycling and voting guides.

The fourth series, Correspondence, contains the letters and messages between the League and organizations such as the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates, the U.S. Congress, and the office of the Governor of Virginia. The series also contains letters between members of the league regarding various activities of the LWVFA.

The fifth series, Conventions and Meetings, contains information about the annual meetings of the LWVFA. The series also contains workbooks and pamphlets about the Virginia and National Conventions for the League of Women Voters.

The sixth series, Subject Files, contains information concerning the miscellaneous activities of the LWVFA, such as schools, environmental policy, finances, construction site safety, and historic preservation.

The seventh series, Oral History, includes transcripts and audio recordings of LWVFA members, such as Lean Packard and Martha Pennino.

The eighth series, Photographs, contains photographs of LWVFA members and important events.

The ninth series, Electronic Records, contains electronic records in ASCII format on 3.5 inch and 5.25 inch floppy discs. The records accompany the 1994 Election voters guides and candidate questionaires.

The tenth series, Oversize, contains materials such as signs, scrapbooks, and memorabilia.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in 10 series:

Series 1: Board Meetings and Minutes, 1955-1994 (Boxes 1-8) Series 2: Programs, 1962-1999 (Boxes 8-17) Series 3: Publications, 1953-2009 (Boxes 17-30, 71) Series 4: Correspondence, 1972-1998 (Boxes 30-31) Series 5: Conventions and Meetings, 1965-2008 (Boxes 32-34) Series 6: Subject Files, 1953-2006 (Boxes 34-63) Series 7: Oral History, 1995-1996 (Boxes 63-65) Series 8: Photographs, 2002 (Box 65) Series 9: Electronic Records, 1994 (Box 65) Series 10: Oversize, 1964-1980s (Boxes 66-70)

Related Material

The George Mason University Special Collections and Archives also holds other collections for research on the political life of women in Northern Virginia such as the Jean Marburg League of Women Voters collection, the Emilie F. Miller papers, and the Martha Pennino papers.

Index Terms


Adjunct Descriptive Data

Significant Places Associated With the Collection

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Contents List

Series 1: Board Meetings and Minutes,
1955-1994
(7.5 boxes)

Series 1 contains the board meetings and minutes of the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area. The series is arranged chronologically and details the activities of the League at their meetings. Series 1 is contained in 6.5 boxes.

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Series 2: Programs,
1962-1999
(9 boxes)

Series 2 contains documents pertaining to the programs and activities sponsored by the League, including local, national, and international issues. The documents are contained in 9.5 boxes and are arranged chronologically.

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Series 3: Publications,
1953-2009
(14 boxes)

Series 3 contains the various publications of the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area. Most notably, this series includes the chapter's newsletter, the "Bulletin." The series is arranged chronologically in 13 boxes.

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Series 4: Correspondence,
1972-1998
(1.5 boxes)

Series 4 contains the correspondence among League members and between the League and various other agencies, most notably members of the Virginia State Senate and House of Delegates, as well as members of the U.S. Congress. The series is arranged chronologically in 2 boxes.

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Series 5: Conventions and Meetings,
1965-2008
(2.5 boxes)

Series 5 contains information and publications pertaining to the League's meetings and conventions, including important events such as anniversary celebrations. The series is arranged chronologically in 2 boxes.

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Series 6: Subject Files,
1953-2006
29 boxes

Series 6 contains the miscellaneous files of the League, including voting guides and other actions undertaken by the League. The series is arranged alphabetically in 29 boxes.

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Series 7: Oral History,
1995-1996
(2 boxes)

Series 7 contains records relating to the oral history collected about the LWVFA. The series is in 2 boxes and contains files and audio tapes.

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Series 8: Photographs,
2002
(0.25 box)

Series 8 contains photographs of the LWVFA at various events and activities. The series is arranged in one box.

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Series 9: Electronic Records,
1994
(0.25 box)

Series 9 contains electronic records in ASCII format on 3.5 inch and 5.25 inch floppy discs. The records accompany the 1994 Election voters guides and candidate questionaires.

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Series 10: Oversize,
1964-1980s
(5 boxes)

Series 10 contains the oversized materials and memorabilia of the LWVFA. The series is arranged in 5 boxes.

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