Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
National Organization for Women Whatcom County Chapter records, 1972-1977
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- National Organization for Women Whatcom County Chapter
- Title
- National Organization for Women Whatcom County Chapter records
- Dates
- 1972-1977 (inclusive)19721977
1974-1977 (bulk)19741977 - Quantity
- 0.5 linear feet.
- Collection Number
- XOE_CPNWS0134now (collection)
- Summary
- The National Organization for Women (NOW), Whatcom County Chapter formed circa 1973 in Bellingham, Washington. The chapter’s mission was to promote full and equal participation of women in mainstream society. The records span the dates 1972-1977 and include administrative and program materials, and publications and clippings.
- Repository
-
Western Washington University, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Goltz-Murray Archives Building
808 25th St.
Bellingham, WA
98225
Telephone: (360) 650-7534
cpnws@wwu.edu - Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open to the public.
- Languages
- English.
- Sponsor
- Funding for preparing this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the Washington State Legislature to the Washington Women's History Consortium. Funding for encoding the finding aid was awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
The National Organization for Women (NOW), Whatcom County Chapter, formed circa 1973 in Bellingham, Washington following the formation of the Washington State Chapter of NOW in 1972. The Whatcom County Chapter’s mission was to promote full and equal participation of women in mainstream society.
The chapter held regular meetings and fundraisers and, beginning in 1974, distributed a monthly newsletter to its members. The group also created task forces and facilitated workshops focused on women’s issues such as sexual violence and discrimination in educational systems. Other areas of focus were the image of women in society, equal rights, housing and financial concerns, and reproductive rights.
The group dissolved in 1977 due to decreasing membership and participation. This collection documents the activities of a progressive group of women and men in Whatcom County during the seventies and highlights feminist activism in Northwest Washington.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The National Organization for Women (NOW) Whatcom County Chapter Records span the dates 1972-1977 and document the activities of a local feminist group and their pursuit of equal rights and improving women’s situation within society.
Administrative materials span the period of 1972-1977 and contain the bylaws of the Washington State Chapter of NOW, and documents regarding the formation of the Whatcom County Chapter, handwritten meeting minutes, membership applications and mailing lists, and instructions and sample stationary.
Program materials span the years 1974-1976 and contain correspondence, flyers and notices, questionnaires, interviews, instructions, and reports about the organization’s various advocacy efforts. The materials include records of the chapter’s Sexual Violence/Rape Task Force and documents related to their coordination with the Seattle Chapter in conducting workshops about sexual discrimination in educational systems. There are also materials related to the chapter’s work with NARAL to support the pro-choice movement and advocate for abortion and reproductive rights. Other materials include brochures advocating equal rights, improving the image of women in society, and efforts to create shelters for battered women and ensure adequate childcare for women in need.
Publications date from 1974-1977 and include an incomplete set of Women’s Newsletter, the official NOW Whatcom County Chapter publication. There is also one issue of the NOW Snohomish County Chapter newsletter, newspaper articles about NOW activities and other relevant women’s issues, various clippings and notes, and three non-NOW women’s newsletters: Priorities, Northwest Passage, and The Spokeswoman.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
National Organization for Women Whatcom County Chapter records, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections, Western Washington University, Bellingham WA 98225-9123.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The National Organization for Women Whatcom County Chapter records are organized according to the following series arrangement:
- Series I: Administrative Materials 1972-1977
- Series II: Program Materials 1974-1976
- Series III: Publications and clippings 1974-1977
Custodial History
Unkown
Processing Note
During processing, duplicate materials were removed and some newspapers of inadequate condition were replaced with preservation copies.
Processing Note
About Harmful Language and ContentTo learn more about problematic content in our collections, collection description and teaching tools (including how to provide feedback or request dialogue on this topic), see the following Statement About Potentially Harmful Language and Content
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Series I: Administrative Materials, 1972-1977 Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/1 | Bylaws for the Washington State
branch of NOW |
1972-1973 |
1/2 | Materials about the formation of
the NOW Whatcom County Chapter |
circa 1972 |
Membership
|
1974-1977 | |
Box/Folder | ||
1/3 | Applications |
undated |
1/4 | Mailing lists |
1974-1977 |
Box/Folder | ||
1/5 | Minutes and Reports |
1976 June-November |
1/6 | Instructions for addressing the
press and sample stationary |
undated |
Series II: Program Materials, 1974-1976 Return to Top
This series contains cooerspondence from the Feminist Coordinating Council regarding equal rights, the Washington State Women's Council and the Coalition of Women and Religion regarding housing, and a brochure advertising the Chrysalis Women's Union Cooperative at Fairhaven College.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/7 | Sexual Violence/Rape Task Force
materials |
1974 |
1/8 | Sexual violence and educational
systems |
1974 |
1/9 | NARAL - Right to
Choose |
1976 |
1/10 | Equal rights |
1976 |
1/11 | Image of women |
1975-1976 |
1/12 | Housing and childcare |
1976 |
1/13 | Women and banking |
1976 |
1/14 | Reference materials |
circa 1974-1975 |
Series III: Publications and clippings, 1974-1977Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/15 |
Women's Newsletter - NOW
Whatcom County Chapter official publication |
1974-1977 |
1/16 | NOW Snohomish County Newsletter |
1976 August |
1/17 | Newspaper articles |
circa 1970s |
1/18 | Clippings |
circa 1970s |
Non-NOW women's
publications
|
1974-1976 | |
Box/Folder | ||
1/19 |
Priorities
|
1975 August |
1/20 |
Northwest
Passage
|
1974 July/August and 1975 August |
1/21 |
The
Spokeswoman
|
1976 July 15 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Abortion -- Law and legislation -- Washington (State) -- Whatcom County -- History -- Sources.
- Feminists -- Washington (State) -- Whatcom County -- History -- Sources.
- Sex discrimination -- Washington (State) -- Whatcom County -- History -- Sources.
- Women -- Crimes against -- Washington (State) -- Whatcom County -- History -- Sources.
- Women -- Social Conditions -- Washington (State) -- Whatcom County -- History -- Sources.
- Women -- Societies and clubs -- Washington (State) -- Whatcom County -- History -- Sources.
- Women -- Washington (State) -- Whatcom County -- History -- Sources.
- Women in community organization -- Washington (State) -- Whatcom County -- History -- Sources.
- Women social reformers -- Washington (State) -- Whatcom County -- History -- Sources.
- Women's rights -- Washington (State) -- Whatcom County -- History -- Sources.
Corporate Names
- National Organization for Women Whatcom County Chapter (creator)