Edith Dolan Riley papers, 1876-1965

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Riley, Edith Dolan
Title
Edith Dolan Riley papers
Dates
1876-1965 (inclusive)
Quantity
5.98 cubic feet (15 boxes)
Collection Number
0388 (Accession No. 0388-001)
Summary
Papers of a political activist and civic leader regarding her political career
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

Open to all users

Request at UW

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Edith Dolan Riley, a long-time activist in Democratic politics and civil organizations, was born Edith Rose Dolan in 1885. She was educated at St. Clara Academy and Rosary College in River Forest, Illinois. As a teacher in the public schools in Chicago, she first became involved in politics by lobbying for a teacher's pension bill in the state legislature. In 1913 she married Edward J. Riley, an electrical engineer. The couple lived in Brooklyn for a time before moving to Spokane, Washington. The Rileys soon rose to social prominence in Spokane and Edith became involved in Democratic politics. In 1924 she was elected Chairman of the Spokane County Democratic Committee, the first woman in the state to hold such an office. She also was active in the Spokane Women's Democratic Club, in which she served as president (1934), and helped organize the Spokane League of Women Voters in 1934. In the 1930s she was involved in the Washington State Federation of Women's Clubs as chair of its Motion Picture Committee. Her concern for motion pictures grew out of her interest in education and juvenile delinquency.

The Rileys left Spokane in 1937 and lived in Butte, Montana until the early 1940s when they moved to California. While in the Bay area, Edith Riley continued her involvement with the League of Women Voters and motion pictures. She was active in the Federation of Motion Picture Councils, the East Bay Motion Picture Council, San Francisco Motion Picture and Television Council and the Motion Picture Committee of the San Francisco Council of Catholic Women. The aims of these organizations were the promotion of "wholesome" motion pictures and the safety of theaters for children.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Correspondence, speeches, writings, photographs, and memorabilia from her political career and activities as chairman of the Spokane County Democratic Central Committee, an officer in the League of Women Voters, and a political associate of James Geraghty, Lewis B. Schwellenbach, and Clarence C. Dill.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Organized into 1 accession

  • Accession No. 388-001, Edith Dolan Riley papers, 1909-1965

Acquisition Information

Donated by Edith D. Riley, 1963 and June 20, 1967

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Series 1:  Personal and Family Papers, 1876-1965Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Subseries 1: Incoming Letters
1909-1964
Box/Folder
1/1
Banker, E.F.
1936
1/2
Boettiger, Anna Roosevelt
1937
Box/Folder
1/3
Christensen, George F.
1926
1/4
Church, Frank
1960
1/5
Gannon, George H.
1935
1/6
Leavy, Charles H.
1941
1/7
Magnuson, Warren G.
1941
1/8
Martin, Clarence D.
1935, 1940
1/9
Roosevelt, James
1949
1/10
Stevenson, Adlai
1956
1/11
Truman, Harry S.
1948-1963
1/12
U.S. Works Projects Administration
1935-1936
1/13
Federation of Women's Clubs, Washington
1935-1936
1/14
Wilson, William W.
1911
1/15-20
Miscellaneous A-Z, Unidentified
1909-1964
Subseries 2: Outgoing Letters
1928-1955
Box/Folder
1/21-22
Outgoing Letters, chronological
1928-1955
Subseries 3: General Correspondence
1926-1964
Box/Folder
1/23
Bone, Homer T.
1936-1938
1/24
Brown, Edmund G.
1960-1963
1/25
Bullitt, A. Scott
1926-1930
1/26
Dewson, Mary W.
1931-1933
1/27
Dill, Clarence
1926-1937
1/28
Geraghty, James M.
1926-1937
1/29
McGrath, D. Harold
1936-1959
1/30
Reilly, Edward J.
1936-1937
1/31
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano
1928-1941
1/32
Schwellenbach, Anne D. (Mrs. L. B.)
1964
1/33
Schwellenbach, Charles H.
1935
1/34-2/11
Schwellenbach, Lewis B.
1931-1945
2/12
Society for the Propagation of the Faith
1956-1962
2/13
Re: Senator Dill - Grand Coulee Investment
1933
Subseries 4: Speeches and Writings
1964-1965
Box/Folder
2
Development of Political Parties in the State of Washington Part I: 1920-1928
1964
2
Development of Political Parties in the State of Washington Part II: Citizen Participation in the Party Politics 1929-1934
1964
3
Deterioration of the Democratic Party in the State of Washington
1964
3
Profiles of Political Patriots
1964
3/1
Audiograms
undated
3/2
Audiogram Transcriptions
undated
3/3
UW Project Drafts: Preliminary Notes
1965
3/4
UW Project Drafts: Interview Procedure
1965
3/5
UW Project Drafts: Project Drafts
1965
3/6
UW Project Drafts: Project Drafts
1965
3/7
UW Project Drafts: "Odds and Ends of Project Material"
1965
3/8
UW Project Drafts: "1924-25"
1965
3/9
"Rewrites to 1929"
1965
4/1
UW Project Drafts: "1930"
1965
4/2
UW Project Drafts: "Chapter III 1931"
1965
4/3
UW Project Drafts: "Chapter V 1933"
1965
4/4
UW Project Drafts: "Chapter VI 1934"
1965
4/5-8
UW Project Drafts
1965
4/9
UW Project Drafts: "Party Deterioration 1924"
1965
4/10
UW Project Drafts: "1924"
1965
4/11
UW Project Drafts: "1926"
1965
4/12
UW Project Drafts: "1927"
1965
4/13
UW Project Drafts: "1929"
1965
4/14
UW Project Drafts: "Quotes on Geraghty"
1965
4/15-25
UW Project Drafts
1965
4/26-5/13
Miscellaneous
Includes notes, partial drafts, complete drafts and duplicates of various speeches and writings
undated
Subseries 5: Notes
1943
Box/Folder
5/14-15
Notes
undated
5/16
Class Notes - Personnel Counseling
undated
5/17
Class Notes - Parliamentary Law
undated
5/18
Miscellaneous
1943
Subseries 6: Ephemera
1901-1964
Box/Folder
6/1
Photographs
undated
6/2-3
Ephemera
1912-1964, undated
6/4
Pamphlets - Editorial Research Reports by Richard Boeckel
1928
6/5
Miscellaneous
1949-1964, undated
6/6
Memorabilia
1901-1963
6/7
Scrapbook - Clippings About Son Clifford Riley
1937-1941
6
Clippings
1922-1935
7
Clippings
1925
15
Scrapbook - "Democracy" column written by E. D. Riley for Spokane Chronicle
May-November 1928
7/1
Clippings - Personal/Biographical
1913-1937, 1953-1957, undated
7/2
Clipping - "Democracy column written by E.D. Riley for The Spokane Chronicles
1928
7/3-8/2
Miscellaneous
1898-1960s, undated
Subseries 7: Subject Series
1923-1965
Box/Folder
8/3
American Education and the Causes of Juvenile Delinquency - Outgoing Letters
1955-1965
8/4
American Education and the Causes of Juvenile Delinquency - General Correspondence
1961
8/5-10
American Education and the Causes of Juvenile Delinquency - Writings
1960-1965
8/11
American Education and the Causes of Juvenile Delinquency - Writings of Others
1960
8/12-14
American Education and the Causes of Juvenile Delinquency - Notebooks
1961-1965
9/1
American Education and the Causes of Juvenile Delinquency - Notes
1965, undated
9/2
American Education and the Causes of Juvenile Delinquency - Charts and Graphs
undated
9/3
American Education and the Causes of Juvenile Delinquency - Clippings
undated
9/4-7
Testimony Before Federal Communications Commission
1964
9/8
Home Education Project (H.E.P.)
1966
9/9
Educational TV
undated
9/10
Russian Education
undated
9/11
Observers' Club
1923-1939
9/12
Sinsinawa Dominican Federation
1955
9/13
War Work: American Women's Voluntary Service, San Francisco Unit
1945
Subseries 8: Family Papers
1876-1953
Box/Folder
9/14
General Correspondence
1876-1953

Series 2:  Democratic Party, 1923-1963Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
10/1-9
General Correspondence
1923-1963
10/10
Ephemera
undated
10/11
Proxies - State Democratic Convention, Centralia
1930
10/12
Grange Power Bill (Bone) Misc.
1930
10/13-15
Miscellaneous
undated
10/16-18
Clippings
undated
10/19
East Lake Democratic Club (Alameda County, CA)
1962-1963
10/20
Spokane County Democratic Central Committee
1928-1930

Series 3:  League of Women Voters, 1922-1963Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Subseries 1: League of Women Voters, San Francisco
1946-1963
Box/Folder
11/1
Organizational Features
undated
11/2
Incoming Letters
1947-1952, undated
11/3
Outgoing Letters
1949-1951, 1954, undated
11/4
Minutes/Agenda
1948-1963
11/5
Speeches and Writings
1947, 1949, undated
11/6
Informational Materials
1949-1950, undated
11/7
Conferences and Conventions: League of Women Voters, California, 28th Annual Convention
May 1949
11/8
Newsletters
1949-1950
11/9
Newsletters - Other California League of Women Voters Newsletters
1949-1952, 1960
11/10
Ephemera
1946-1950, undated
11/11
Publications
1948, 1963, undated
11/12
Notes
undated
11/13-16
Clippings
undated
11/17
Subject Series: Election Reform and Assembly Reapportionment
1961
11/18
Subject Series: Neighborhood Meetings
1949
11/19
Subject Series: Teas for TV
1955
Subseries 2: League of Women Voters, San Francisco, Citizen Participation in Government Committee
1947-1950
Box/Folder
12/1
Organization
1949
12/2
Annual Report
1949-1950
12/3
Reports
1949
12/4
Writings
undated
12/5
Informational Materials
1947-1950
12/6
Workshops
1949
12/7
Notes
undated
12/8
Clippings
undated
12/9
Subject Series: Study of Primary Laws
undated
Subseries 3: League of Women Voters, Oakland, CA, State Item Committee
1952-1953
Box/Folder
12/14
League of Women Voters, Oakland, CA, State Item Committee
1952-1953
Subseries 4: League of Women Voters, Spokane
1922-1937
Box/Folder
12/15
General Correspondence
1922-1937
12/16
Miscellany
1937, undated
12/17
Publication
1923
12/18
Clippings
1922, 1933, undated
12/19
Subject Series: Organizing a Society
1936
12/20
Subject Series: Women's Democratic Club
1936-1937

Series 4:  Women's Magazine of the Air, 1949-1950Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
12/10
General Correspondence
1949-1950, undated
12/11
Program Planning Materials
1949
12/12-13
Scripts
1949

Series 5:  East Bay United Nations Council, 1943-1953Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
12/21
Miscellany
1945, 1953
12/22
Publications
1943, 1953
12/23
Workshop Committee - E.D. Riley Chair
1953

Series 6:  Motion Picture Councils, 1939-1962Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Subseries 1: Federation of Motion Picture Councils
1930-1960
Box/Folder
13/1
Organization
1955
13/2
Incoming Letters
1939-1959, undated
13/3
Outgoing Letters
1947, 1956-1960, undated
13/4
General Correspondence
1957-1959
13/5
Conferences and Conventions - Annual Conference
May 4, 1960
13/6-9
Conferences and Conventions - Regional Conference: Federated Motion Picture Councils of the Bay Area
October 16, 1958
13/10
Conferences and Conventions - Annual Conference Programs
1955-1960
13/11
Speeches and Writings
1957-1960, undated
13/12
Reports
1955, 1959
13/13
Legislation
1960
13/14
Ephemera
undated
13/15-16
Clippings
1950-1960
13/17
Subject Series: Northern California Motion Picture Workshop
undated
13/18
Subject Series: Reference Material Saved from Earlier Years
1930s
13/19
Subject Series: Ronald Reagan Visit
October 1957
Subseries 2: East Bay Motion Picture and Television Council
1956
Box/Folder
14/1
East Bay Motion Picture and Television Council
1956
Subseries 3: San Francisco Motion Picture and Television Council
1956-1962
Box/Folder
14/2
Incoming Letters
1956-1958
14/3
Outgoing Letters
1956, 1960
14/4
Scrapbook
1960-1962
Subseries 4: National Council of Catholic Women, San Francisco County Council, Motion Picture Committee
1947-1959
Box/Folder
14/5-6
General Correspondence
1947-1951
14/7-8
Reports
1946-1947
14/9
Ratings Reports: Legion of Decency Ratings for Irving and Sunset Theaters
1946-1947
14/10
Speeches and Writings
1947-1948, undated
14/11
Lists
1947
14/12
Notes
1947
14/13
Clippings
1959

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Personal Names

  • Riley, Edith Dolan--Archives

Other Creators

  • Personal Names
    • Bone, Homer Truett, 1883-1970 (creator)
    • Dewson, Molly, 1874-1962 (creator)
    • Dill, Clarence C. (Clarence Cleveland), 1884-1978 (creator)
    • Geraghty, James M., 1870-1940 (creator)
    • McGrath, D. Harold (creator)
    • Reilly, Edward J (creator)
    • Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945 (creator)
    • Schwellenbach, Anne D (creator)
    • Schwellenbach, Charles H (creator)
    • Schwellenbach, Lewis B. (Lewis Baxter), 1894-1948 (creator)
    Corporate Names
    • Democratic Party. East Lake Democratic Club (Alameda County, Calif.) (creator)
    • East Bay Motion Picture and Television Council (creator)
    • East Bay United Nations Council (creator)
    • Federation of Motion Picture Councils (creator)
    • KNBC (Radio station : San Francisco, Calif.). Woman's Magazine of the Air (creator)
    • League of Women Voters of Oakland. State Item Committee (creator)
    • League of Women Voters of San Francisco (creator)
    • League of Women Voters of Spokane (creator)
    • National Council of Catholic Women. San Francisco County Council. Motion Picture Committee (creator)
    • San Francisco Motion Picture and Television Council (creator)
    • Society for the Propagation of the Faith (creator)
    • United States. Work Projects Administration (creator)

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)