League of Women Voters of Orange County records, 1946-2011

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Summary

Creators:

League of Women Voters of Orange County (Orange County, Calif.)

Abstract:

The League of Women Voters of Orange County (LWVOC), California is a nonpartisan organization committed to educating the public about elections, the voting process, and political and social issues. This collection comprises the records of the LWVOC beginning with 1957. It contains the records of the LWVOC Inter-League Organization and its four chapters, Capistrano Bay, North Orange County, Central Orange County Area, and Orange Coast. It documents league activities and reflects the concerns of the league and the Orange County community, including environmental issues, childcare, healthcare, transportation, and Orange County's bankruptcy in the 1990s.

Extent:

17.5 Linear Feet (17 boxes and 4 oversize folders) and 8.4 unprocessed linear feet

Language:

English .

Preferred citation:

League of Women Voters of Orange County records. MS-R088. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California. Date accessed.

For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection comprises the records of the League of Women Voters of Orange County (LWVOC), California beginning with 1957. It contains records of the LWVOC Inter-League Organization (ILO) and its four chapters, Capistrano Bay, North Orange County, Central Orange County Area, and Orange Coast. Materials include articles of incorporation and by-laws, league publications, meeting minutes, directories, correspondence, notes, personal papers, fliers, news clippings, photographs, and audio and video recordings. The materials reflect the concerns of the LWVOC and the Orange County community, including environmental issues, childcare, healthcare, transportation, and Orange County's bankruptcy in the 1990s.

Biographical / historical:

The League of Women Voters of Orange County (LWVOC), California is a grassroots organization that encourages citizens to actively participate in government. It is open to both men and women and is committed to educating the public about elections, the voting process, and social and political issues. The LWVOC conducts studies on issues of public concern, develops a position on each issue, and then takes action on the issue or advocates for a cause.

The LWVOC traces its roots to the formation of the California Civic League in 1911, following the success of the campaign to allow women the right to vote. The League of Women Voters (LWV) was first proposed by Suffragist movement leader Carrie Chapman Catt at a convention of the National Women Suffrage Association (NAWSA) in 1917. It was conceived of as a nonpartisan, nonsectarian organization with representation from every state. Its chief aims were to provide international support for woman suffrage, to watch over state legislatures to prevent legal discrimination on the basis of sex, and to strive to make American democratic institutions fair for all those governed by them. Following the adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, Catt suggested the reorganization of the two million-strong NAWSA into the LWV, an organization that would work for progressive legislation on a national and local level.

In 1921 Catt convinced the California Civic League to merge with the LWV when they adopted the name California Civic League of Women Voters. In 1946 the name was changed to the League of Women Voters of California. In the beginning the LWV California was comprised of local leagues that belonged to either the northern or southern section. By 1963 the LWV California was comprised of many area and county leagues. The LWVOC is an Inter-League Organization (ILO) comprised of four local chapters: Capistrano Bay, Central Orange County, North Orange County, and Orange Coast.

Acquisition information:

Gift of Joan Cohen, Patricia Harrigan, Carol Kirkwood, Beverly Toy, and unknown 2001, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2013.

Processing information:

Processed by Karen Rosen, 2002. Finding aid completed by Andre Ambrus, 2005. Revisions by Cyndi Shein, 2008.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged in two series and Series 2 is divided into four subseries:

Series 1. Inter-League Organization records, 1957-2001. 6.5 linear feet
Series 2. Chapter records, 1957-2005. 11 linear feet
Subseries 2.1 Capistrano Bay chapter records, 1969-2002. 2 linear feet
Subseries 2.2 North Orange County chapter records, 1959-2002. 3 linear feet
Subseries 2.3 Central Orange County Area chapter records, 1957-1997. 5 linear feet
Subseries 2.4 Orange Coast chapter records, 1977-2005. 1 linear foot

The collection also contains five unprocessed additions:

Accession 2009.015. Orange Coast Chapter chronological files unprocessed addition, 1977-2007. 2.4 linear feet
Accession 2011.006. Orange Coast Chapter unprocessed addition, 1967-2004. 3 linear feet
Accession 2013.017. Position statement publications and documents unprocessed addition, circa 1970-1993. 0.2 linear feet
Accession 2013.029. Inter-League Organization and League of Women Voters of California unprocessed addition, 1946-2009 (Bulk, 1977-2009). 2 linear feet
Accession 2018.034. Orange Coast Chapter files, 1991-2011. 0.8 linear feet

Accruals:

Accruals are expected.

Rules or conventions:

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Indexed terms

Subjects:: Women -- Suffrage -- California -- Orange County -- History -- Sources
Child care -- California
Environmental management -- California
Women in politics -- California -- History -- Sources
Regional planning -- California -- History -- Sources.
Photographic prints -- California -- Orange County -- 21st century.
Sound recordings -- California -- Orange County -- 20th century.
Video recordings -- California -- Orange County -- 20th century.
Photographic prints -- California -- Orange County -- 20th century.

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research.

Access to original audiovisual recordings is restricted; researchers may request use copies.

Unprocessed additions may contain restricted materials. Please contact the Department of Special Collections and Archives in advance to request access.

Terms of access:

Property rights reside with the University of California. Copyrights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permission to reproduce or to publish, please contact the Head of Special Collections and Archives.