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Jean M. Westwood papers, 1934-1995

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Westwood, Jean M. (Jean Miles), 1923-1997
Title
Jean M. Westwood papers
Dates
1934-1995 (inclusive)
Quantity
38 linear feet, (79 boxes)
Collection Number
MS 0112
Summary
The Jean M. Westwood papers (1934-1995) contain much that is applicable to national, Utah, and Arizona politics, as well as the women's movement. Included are correspondence, speeches and articles, and a variety of documents resulting from her affiliation with various political and civic organizations, as well as her leadership in the Democratic party at both the state (Utah and Arizona) and national levels.
Repository
University of Utah Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library
University of Utah
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, UT
84112-0860

Telephone: 8015818863
special@library.utah.edu
Access Restrictions

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

One original letter has been removed and placed in Reserve. A photocopied version is available in the collection for access purposes. Access to the original must be given by the Manuscripts Curator and by appointment. An archivist must remain with the item if being used.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

Francis Jean Miles Westwood was born November 22, 1923, in Price, Utah, to Francis M. and Nettie Potter Miles. She was married September 6, 1941, to Richard E. Westwood, and has two children and ten grandchildren. She and her husband have been in business as owners of the Westwood Mink Farms of West Jordan and Highland, Utah, for over twenty-five years. She and her husband are also equal partners in Westwood Enterprises, which is involved in the construction of middle and low-income housing and apartment buildings.

Jean Westwood was educated at Carbon Jr. College, San Diego State University, the University of California at Los Angeles, Utah State University, and the University of Utah, taking courses in history and political science. She was a winner of the Eugene Field Award, Writer's Digest Short Story Contest, and has had numerous stories and articles published.

Jean Westwood worked in politics at the grassroots level for several years in Utah, and served as a member of the Utah Women's Legislative Council from 1952-56 and 1965-68. She began her service as a member of the Democratic National Committee in 1967, and was elected committee chairman in 1972, becoming the first woman to head a major American political party.

Westwood was on the staff of Congressman David S. King of Utah and also worked for Senator Robert F. Kennedy in Utah, until his assassination. She then switched to Hubert Humphrey, becoming Utah chairman of the Humphrey presidential campaign. She has spent most of her adult life campaigning for liberal Democratic candidates for school board, state legislature, Congress and the presidency, and working within the Democratic Parties of Utah and Arizona. Mrs. Westwood has involved herself with youth groups at universities, and supervised the educational program at Girl's State in Utah.

Jean Westwood was treasurer and executive committee member on the Charter Commission which wrote the National Democratic Party Constitution, ratified at the 1974 Kansas City Convention. She has served as vice chairman of the Western States Democratic Conference, and was a delegate to the 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, and 1980 conventions, serving on the platform committee in 1968, the rules committee in 1972, and in official capacities at more recent conventions. In 1976, Mrs. Westwood was the campaign director for the Terry Sanford for President campaign.

Jean Westwood was one of a small band of liberals who pushed for the creation of the McGovern Commission and the O'Hara Commission, to open up the party to greater grassroots participation in the selection of the presidential candidates and party policies. She worked with George McGovern on his commission, and upon his decision to run for the presidency in 1972, became co-chairman of his campaign. She was chosen by McGovern to be Democratic National Committee Chairman, and was elected to that post immediately after the Chicago convention.

She presided over a newly enlarged and more representative National Committee as a result of a resolution she helped to author at the 1972 convention. During her tenure, she presided over the first selection in history of a replacement nominee for national office. She won a narrow vote of confidence at the December 1972 meeting by promising to step down immediately after the vote, which she did.

In addition to her national political posts, Westwood was an executive board member of Americans for Democratic Action, on the editorial board of the Democratic Review, the advisory board of the Democratic Forum, a board member of the Congressional Action Fund, and an active member of the National Women's Political Caucus. Mrs. Westwood continues to participate in many Arizona and national political groups.

In the 1970s Mr. and Mrs. Westwood began spending winters in Arizona, and they have since taken up permanent residence there. Jean Westwood has become involved in Arizona Democratic politics, serving, at the request of Arizona Governor Bruce Babbitt, as a member of the Executive Board of the Arizona Office of Economic Planning and Development since 1979. Correspondence and memos in the collection indicate that Mrs. Westwood has played an important role in behind-the-scenes planning and organizing in Arizona Democratic politics. Most notably, she has advised Governor Babbitt, and was instrumental in organizing Peterson Zah's successful 1982 campaign for Chairman of the Navajo Nation. She has continued to be involved in national, liberal, and women's causes, and with the Democratic National Committee, for which she drafted in 1985 an internal party paper, "Proposals and Suggestions for 1988 Delegate Rules."

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Content Description

The Jean M. Westwood papers (1934-1995) contain much that is applicable to national, Utah, and Arizona politics, as well as the Women's Movement. The first box contains an autograph book (to 1934) and two high school yearbooks. The Correspondence section consists largely of business letters, such as arrangements for speaking engagements, notices of meetings, and requests for information, though some letters and memos contain frank political judgments and advice to well known political figures. The Speeches and Articles section provides more information about her career than other parts of the collection. There is an article by Westwood entitled "The Political Status of Women--1974," included in Box 3. There is some general information on women's issues in Boxes 4 and 28, but little that pertains to Jean Westwood, herself. In Box 5, Organizations and Affiliations, is more general information concerned primarily with the purpose and goals of each organization. The Democratic National Committee material in Boxes 6-9 contains information on the organization, committees, and conventions of the Democratic Party from 1968 to 1976. Box 10 includes Jean Westwood's testimony pertaining to her knowledge of the Watergate break-in, and also includes some statistics dealing with [Maurice] "Stans' Secret Slush Fund." There is some information on George McGovern, concerning mainly the logistics of his campaign for the presidency during Jean Westwood's tenure as Democratic National Committee Chairman in 1972. More information on McGovern is contained in the Terry Sanford presidential campaign materials. Jean Westwood was Sanford's campaign manager until he withdrew from the race early in 1976.

The Utah State Democratic Party papers contain the same sort of general materials as the national party papers, but they also include a 1973 analysis of political attitudes in the state that examines and contrasts Utah attitudes with those of the rest of the nation. It also assesses Jean Westwood's chances of success in obtaining the United States Senate seat in 1974, as opposed to those of Wayne Owens and Jake Garn, among others. The material given in 1977 and 1986 contains correspondence and information on women's political organizations, national Democratic politics, and Arizona and Navajo politics. Papers on the Democratic Party include delegate material and correspondence concerning the management and organization of several party conventions and conferences. The Arizona politics papers contain correspondence and literature from the Arizona Democratic Party, and correspondence between Westwood and Bruce Babbitt, Arizona governor. The latter correspondence indicates that Westwood became closely involved with Bruce Babbitt, providing him with political support and advice. Papers from the Arizona Office of Economic Planning and Development, for which Westwood has served as a board member since 1979, deal largely with Arizona's economic future in trade, employment, and rural development.

Addenda to the collection includes materials similar in nature to the original donation. Included are campaign and Democratic Party materials, correspondence, an oral history, speeches, papers on environmental issues, Pinewood Country Club records, plaques, certificates, and other materials.

Click here to view digitized materials from the collection or visit ArchivesSpace for a container level list of digitized materials.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library's Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.

Preferred Citation

Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.

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Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

Boxes 1-20 were donated in 1976.

Boxes 21-28 were donated in 1977 and 1986.

Boxes 29-30 were donated in December 1986.

Boxes 31-66 were donated in 1994.

Boxes 67-72 were donated in December 1995.

Box 73 was donated in January 1996.

Boxes 74-78 were donated in August 1996.

Box 79 was donated in November 1996.

Processing Note

Processed by Debra von Khrum, Brent Andersen, Mark Jensen, and Tad Davies in 1986-1997.

Click here to read a statement on harmful language in library records.

Separated Materials

See also the Jean Westwood photograph collection (P0112) and audio-visual materials (A0112) in the Multimedia Division of Special Collections.

Related Materials

Forms part of the Aileen H. Clyde 20th Century Women's Legacy Archives.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Campaign management
  • Golf courses--Arizona
  • Political Campaigns--Arizona--Records and correspondence
  • Political Campaigns--United States--Records and correspondence
  • Political Campaigns--Utah--Records and correspondence
  • Political party organization
  • Presidents--United States--Election--1976
  • Watergate Affair, 1972-1974--Archives
  • Women political activists--United States--Archives
  • Women--Legal status, laws, etc.--United States--Sources
  • Women--Political activity--United States--History--Sources

Personal Names

  • Sanford, Terry, 1917-1998
  • Westwood, Jean M. (Jean Miles), 1923-1997--Archives

Corporate Names

  • Democratic National Committee (U.S.)--Leadership--Records and correspondence
  • Democratic Party (Ariz.)--Records and correspondence
  • Democratic Party (U.S.)--Records and correspondence
  • Democratic Party (Utah)--Records and correspondence
  • Pinewood Country Club (Munds Park, Ariz.)--Records and correspondence

Form or Genre Terms

  • Autobiographies (literary works)
  • Biographies
  • Business correspondence
  • Campaign speeches
  • Charters and articles of incorporation
  • Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
  • Conference materials
  • Financial records
  • Informational works
  • Membership lists
  • Personal correspondence
  • Promotional materials
  • Records (Documents)
  • Scrapbooks

Finding aid prepared by Debra von Khrum.
1986 (last modified: 2019)

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