League of Women Voters of Bellingham/Whatcom County records

League of Women Voters of Bellingham/Whatcom County records, 1930-2019

Overview of the Collection

Creator: League of Women Voters of Bellingham/Whatcom County.
Title: League of Women Voters of Bellingham/Whatcom County records
Dates: 1930-2019 (inclusive)
19302019

1960-1990 (bulk)
19601990
Quantity: 16.5 linear feet
Collection Number: XOE_CPNWS0155lwv
Summary: The collection includes the records of the Bellingham chapter of the League of Women Voters. Records concern membership, activities, elections, and publications by both the local and national offices.
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 League of Women Voters formed in 1920, the same year that women’s suffrage became incorporated into the United States Constitution. The Bellingham/Whatcom County Chapter incorporated in 1956.

The founding of the League was in direct response to the women’s suffrage movement of the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth centuries. The League sponsors national, state and local chapters. Because Washington State enjoyed full suffrage since the year 1910, it claims one of the oldest state chapters in the United States.

The League originally focused on the rights and status of women, and then broadened to include all political, economic, social, and environmental issues relevant to women in the United States. The ongoing mission of the League is to “promote political responsibility through informed and active participation of citizens in government.”* The League is religiously unbiased and nonpartisan, seeking to liberate women from inequality through educational programs and political lobbying.

The League of Women Voters of Bellingham/Whatcom County focuses primarily on educating voters through information on voter registration, where and when to vote, what the issues are and who the candidates are. The League also focuses on a number of social, political, economic and environmental issues, and lobbies actively at local, state, and national levels.

The local League frequently sponsors candidate debates which have often been televised and/or aired on the radio. The League also sponsors nonpartisan speaker panels that give pro and con viewpoints on important issues and legislation. The local League also distributes a yearly publication titled They Represent You, which provides the names and contact information for elected officials.

Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top

* Karen Dawson, “A Brief History of the League of Women Voters,” 1985.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The League of Women Voters of Bellingham/Whatcom County records span the dates 1930-2019, with the bulk of the material dating from the 1960s to the 1990s. The collection is comprised of administrative materials, financial materials, and materials related to League activities, issues, and advocacy. The collection also includes League publications and reference materials, awards and publications, and audio/visual materials.

Administrative materials date from 1946-2018 and consist of articles of incorporation, bylaws, and historical information about the League. The series also contains meeting minutes that document the activities and interests of the local chapter over the past four decades. The materials include information about annual meetings and conventions, and guidelines and handbooks for the League’s board of directors. There is information about recruiting and retaining members, and tools for planning and implementing the League’s programs. There are also records from the League’s finance, nominating, and telephone committees.

Financial records span the dates 1959-1998 and include information and tools for fundraising, income and expense records, budget reports, bank statements, check registers and treasurer’s materials.

Materials related to the issues and activities of importance to the League date from 1930-2019 and contain both reference materials and records of League activity. The League’s primary areas of interest included campaigns and elections, especially voter support and education, and campaign finance reform. The League was also very active on issues related to the environment such as shoreline management, solid waste disposal and recycling, and water quality issues. The League often focused on economic issues and taxation, and closely monitored both the juvenile and adult justice system. They also collected a lot of information regarding voter services, support, and education.

League publications and reference materials date from 1959-2012. The materials come from local, state, and national branches of the League of Women Voters. The bulk of the series is made up of issues of the Corner 4 Voter, the official newsletter of the Bellingham/Whatcom County League. There are also various issues of the Voter from other regions within Washington, as well as the national branch. The series also contains informational and educational publications issued by the national branch.

Awards and publications about the League span the dates 1960-2013 include materials related to League recognition, and newspaper articles highlighting League activities.

Audio/visual materials date from 1970-1997 and consist of audiocassettes, reel-to-reels, slides and VHS tapes, produced by or in conjunction with the League. The materials relate primarily to local campaigns and candidate debates, although some of the materials are educational in content, documenting issues of concern to the League.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

League of Women Voters of Bellingham/Whatcom County records, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Heritage Resources, Western Washington University, Bellingham WA 98225-9123.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The League of Women Voters of Bellingham/Whatcom County records are organized in accordance with the following series arrangement:

Series I: Administrative materials, 1946-1999
Series II: Financial records, 1961-1998
Series III: Issues and activities, 1930-1997
Series IV: League publications and reference materials, 1959-2000
Series V: Publicity and recognition, 1965-1993
Series VI: Audio/visual materials, 1970-1997

Acquisition Information

The League of Women Voters of Bellingham/Whatcom County records were donated by the Bellingham/Whatcom County branch of the League of Women Voters in 1998.

Processing Note

Duplicates and non-archival materials were removed from the collection.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series I: Administrative Materials, 1946-2018Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
1/1	Articles of incorporation and bylaws	1946-2018
1/2	Informational and historical materials	1960-1980
	Annual meetings and conventions
Box/Folder
1/3-1/5	Annual meetings	1970-1993; 1998-2015
1/6	75th Anniversary	1995
1/7	90th Anniversary and 21st Century Suffragist Awards	2010
1/8	National Convention	1981
1/9-1/10	State Conventions	1971; 1991
	Board of Directors
Box/Folder
2/1-2/2	General reference materials	circa 1968-1997
2/3	Annual reports	1971-1990
2/4-4/5	Meetings and minutes	1980-2011
4/6	Policies	2004
4/7	“In League” - Guidelines for League Boards	1980; 1989
4/8	Recommendations to State and National Boards	1974
4/9	Training Workshop	1986
	Committees
Box/Folder
5/1	Finance	1986-1990
5/2	Nominating	circa 1986-1992
5/3	Telephone	1985-1986
5/4	Voter Services	2010-2012
	Correspondence
Box/Folder
5/5	General	circa 1990-1997
5/6	State Chapter	circa 1990-1993
5/7	National Chapter	circa 1990-1994
Box/Folder
5/8	League forms (blank)	undated
5/9-6/3	Logbooks	1981-1995
	Membership
Box/Folder
6/4	General information	circa 1970s-2013
6/5	Dues	1994 July–1995 April
6/6	Handbooks	circa 1973-2011
6/7	Job preference lists	circa 1992
6/8	Maintenance lists	1992-1993
6/9-6/10	Membership cards	circa 1974-1995
6/11	Membership lists	1949-2000, 2002
6/12	Tools	circa 1976-1992
	Programming
Box/Folder
7/1	General reference materials	circa 1956-1990
7/2	Guidelines and tools for action	circa 1970-1990
7/3	Local planning	1968
7/4	National planning	1968-1986
7/5	State planning	1981; 1993
	Public Relations
Box/Folder
7/6	Public access to meetings	1985-1986
7/7	Public relations tools	circa 1962-1988
Box/Folder
7/8	Secretary's Portfolio	2010
7/9	Speakers’ Bureau	1964-1977
7/10	Stationary (blank)	circa 1992
7/11	Unit discussions	1968-1971

Series II: Financial records, 1959-1998Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
	Bank account and budget statements
Box/Folder
7/12-8/3	Statements	1982-1988; 1991-1997: 1998-2002
Box/Folder
8/4	Budget planning materials	1961-1986
8/5-8/9	Check registers	1984-1996
	Education Fund
Box/Folder
8/10	General reference materials	circa 1970-1990
8/11	Planned Giving (Legacies)	1982-1988
8/12-8/14	Portfolios	1997-1998
	Fundraising
Box/Folder
9/1	Allied Arts Festival yearly fundraiser	1990-1993
9/2-9/7	Contributor cards	circa 1965-1995
9/8-10/3	Finance drives	circa 1963-1996
10/4	Finance tools	circa 1964-1981
10/5	Fundraising ideas	1989-1992
10/6	“In League” sample letters	1959-1981
Box/Folder
10/7-10/10	Expenses	1986-1987; 1993-1996
11/1-11/3	Income	1986-1987; 1992-1995
11/4	Invoice book	1980
11/5-11/8	Reports	1979-1982
	Treasurer’s Materials
Box/Folder
11/9	IRS records and information	circa 1967-1992
11/10	“Ledger-de-Main” for local League treasurers	1974
Box/Folder
11/11	Violet E. Rudd estate	1986-1996

Series III: Issues and activities, 1930-2019Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
	Agriculture
Box/Folder
11/12	General reference materials	circa 1984
11/13	Agriculture study	1988
11/14	Composting and soil enhancers	1990-1993
	Campaigns and elections
Box/Folder
12/1	Campaign financing	circa 1980
12/2	Campaign financing – state study	1983-1985
12/3	Campaign finance reform	circa 1997
12/4	Election reporting for KOMO	1981
12/5	Fair campaign practices	1976-1988
12/6	Initiative 99 – Presidential primary	1988
12/7	Initiative 582 – campaign reform	1992
12/8	Presidential debates	1976-1992
12/9	Redistricting and reappointment in Washington	1978-1980
12/10	TCI cable presentation of candidates	1992; 1996
12/11	Voters pamphlet	1999
12/12	Voter registration information	undated
12/13	Whatcom County election guidelines	1992
12/14	Whatcom County Judicial campaign	1991-1992
	Coal
Box/Folder
12/15	Gateway Pacific Terminal, Cherry Point, WA	2011-2019
12/15a	Gateway Pacific News Clippings	2010-2011
	Child welfare
Box/Folder
12/16	General reference materials	circa 1983-1993
12/17	Childcare	circa 1989-1992
12/18	Child support and custody – state study	1993
12/19	Family Initiative – Washington State Dept. DSHS	1991
12/20	“Kids Count” – data book	1991
	Conservation
Box/Folder
13/1	“Preserving a Way of Life: A Natural Heritage Plan for Whatcom County”	1991
13/2	Whatcom County Conservation District Annual Plan & Report	1992-1994
	Economy
Box/Folder
13/3	General reference materials	1989-1999
13/4	Economic conversion – military to civilian	circa 1986-1988
13/5	Economic conversion	1989-1991
13/6	Economic diversification	1990 November
13/7	Economic policy – presentation at WWU	1992
13/8	“The New International Economic Order: A Promise or Peril for the Indigenous Peoples of the World”	1979 March 29-31
	Education and schools
Box/Folder
13/9-13/11	General reference materials	1968-1997
13/12	Bellingham Public Schools – Finance Program Survey	1969
13/13	Early Education - study	2008
14/1-14/2	Federal role in education - studies	2001; 2011
14/3	Washington Schools - state study	1982
	Energy
Box/Folder
14/4	"Nuclear Power: Blessing or Blunder?" - study	1977-1978
14/5	Study	1980-1981
14/6	Washington State Transmission Project – draft Environmental Impact Statement	1993 November
	Environment
Box/Folder
14/7	General reference materials	circa 1968-1977
14/8	Guidelines for Implementation of the State Environmental Policy Act of 1971	1971
14/9	Oil in Washington waters - conference	1977 April
14/10	Pollution control	1966-1967
14/10a	Forestry Study and Reference Materials	1999-2001
	Foreign Policy
Box/Folder
14/11	General reference materials	1967-1989
15/1	International relations – trade	circa 1959-1968
15/2	International relations – United Nations	1963-1976
15/3	United States foreign policy	1966-1977
	Government - City of Bellingham
Box/Folder
15/4-15/6	General reference materials	circa 1970s-1982
15/7-15/8	Bellingham City Charter	1930; 1963-1972
15/9	Citizen Participation in Government	2002-2003
15/10	“Know Your Town”	1961
	Government - Whatcom County
Box/Folder
15/11-16/3	Home Rule Charter	circa 1967-1978; 1985-1986
16/4	“Know Your County”	circa 1959-1992
16/5	Newspaper clippings	1979
	Government - Washington State
Box/Folder
16/6-16/7	General reference materials	circa 1960s
16/8-16/9	Alternatives for Washington survey materials	1975-1976
17/1	Alternatives for Washington - Cost/Trade-off Survey Findings	1976 October/November
17/2	Alternatives for Washington - Area-wide Conference Policy Goals Summary by Geographical Area	1974 September
17/3	Alternatives for Washington - Questionnaire Results from the Community Public Discussion Program	1976 September/October
17/4	Alternatives for Washington - Meeting Results from the Community Public Discussion Program	1976 September/October
17/5	Congressional interview – Congressman Al Swift	1989-1993
17/6	Constitution and Constitutional Reform	circa 1965-1970
17/7	Exercise in State Budget Choices	1995 January 25
18/1	Fiscal Issues	circa 1970s
18/2	Legislature	circa 1970s
18/3	Legislative newsletters	1995 April
18/4	Public Disclosure Law	1974-1975; 1986
18/5	“The State We’re In: Washington – A Citizen’s Guide to Washington State Government”	1990
18/6	“The State We’re In: Washington: - A Teacher’s Guide to Washington State Government”	1990
18/7	"The State We're In: Your Guide to state, tribal & local government"	2008
18/8	Washington State Unicameral Government	circa 1970s
	Government - National
Box/Folder
19/1	General reference materials	circa 1961-1980
19/2	Budget process	1974-1983
19/3	Executive Branch – national study	1974-1975
19/4	National Security Study	1983-1984
19/5	“Women in Congress, 1917-1990”	1991
	Growth management and planning
Box/Folder
19/6	General reference materials	1957-1962
19/7	Bellingham Comprehensive Plan – recommendations of the Bellingham Planning Commission	1994
19/8	City Planning bus tour	1936 April 24
19/9	Critical Areas Taking	1992
19/10	Growth Management Act	1996-1997
19/11	Growth management strategy	1990-1991
19/12	“Visions for Bellingham”	circa 1992
	Human resources
Box/Folder
19/13-19/14	General reference materials	1979-1985
20/1	Cities/Urban Crisis	circa 1968-1988
20/2	Health care	1990-1992
20/3	Housing Authority reports	1970-1973
20/4	Hunger	1990
20/5	Local position	1988
20/6	Long-term Care Report and Recommendations	1991 January
20/7	Welfare Reform	circa 1970s
20/8	Women and work	1972-1983
	Justice system
Box/Folder
20/9	General reference materials	circa 1980s
20/10-20/11	Administration of Justice	1968-1976; 1980-1986
21/1	Administration of Justice Committee report	1985 April
21/2	Adult Correctional Systems – state study	1979-1982
21/3	Diverse Judiciary project materials	2011-2012
21/4	Evaluation of juvenile justice system - Whatcom County	1987
21/5	Juvenile justice	circa 1970s
21/6	Symposium on Justice	1977
	Native Americans
Box/Folder
21/7	General reference materials	circa 1970s
21/8	Lummi Nation response to testimony of Marlene Dawson before the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs	1996 September 24
21/9	Treaties and rights	circa 1970-1980
	Natural Resources
Box/Folder
21/10-22/3	General reference materials	1967-1992
22/4	Land use positions and study material	circa 1972-1980
22/5	Natural Resources Planning Council correspondence	1970
22/6	Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan	1970
22/7	Whatcom County Land Use Code Committee	1974-1975
	Nuclear waste
Box/Folder
22/8-22/9	General reference materials	circa 1980-1991
	Outdoor Recreation
Box/Folder
23/1	Whatcom County outdoor organizations reference material	circa 1965-1993
	Ports
Box/Folder
23/2	General reference materials	circa 1970s-1990s
23/3	Spokane County Port - District Primer	1982
23/4-23/6	Studies	circa 1970s-1990s
	Poverty
Box/Folder
23/7	General reference materials	circa 1980-1991
23/8	“Meeting Basic Human Needs” – study	1987-1988
23/9	“Unmet Needs – the Growing Crisis in America”	1988
	Shoreline management
Box/Folder
23/10	General reference materials	1971; 1978
24/1	Cherry Point shoreline development battle	1975 December
24/2	"The Public Trust Doctrine and Coastal Management Zone"	1991
24/3	Shoreline Management Act	1971
24/4	“Shoreline Management Symposium”	1971
24/5-25/1	Whatcom County Shoreline Management Program	1975-1978; 1986
	Solid waste and recycling
Box/Folder
25/2-25/5	General reference materials	1973-1990
25/6	Comprehensive Sewer and Water Plan	circa 1966-1969
25/7	Hazardous waste	circa 1982-1986
25/8	Recycling Workshop	1973
25/9	Solid waste management	1973
26/1-26/2	Solid Waste Management Plans	1990-1991
26/3	“Toxics in the Home”	1991
26/4	Waste reduction study	1988
	Taxation
Box/Folder
26/5-26/9	General reference materials	circa 1966-1990
26/10	Civic Engagement Project	2009
27/1	Civil Discussion Workshop	2010
27/2	"Civility in our Democracy"	2011
27/3	Report of the Tax Advisory Council	1983 February
27/4	Washington State Tax Reference Manual	1991 January
27/4a	County Finance Study Summary	1999
	Transportation
Box/Folder
27/5	Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act handbook	1991
	Voting
Box/Folder
27/6-27/7	General reference materials	circa 1980s-1990s
27/8	“A Citizen’s Guide to Community Education on Global Issues”	1988
27/9	“Choose the President”	1984
27/10	Election laws and reform	circa 1968-1969
27/11	Electoral College vs. Popular Vote - public forum	2009
27/12	“Making a Difference” – a voter’s service/citizen information handbook	1978
27/13	“Promoting Voting” – a citizen’s guide to the media	1988 June
27/14	State initiatives – reference materials	circa 1988
27/15	Voter forums	2012
27/16	Voter Registration Manual	2011
27/17	Voting equipment	circa 2004-2010
27/18	Voting Patterns in Whatcom County - study	2003
27/19	Voting Rights Act	circa 1965-1981
27/20	Sumas Judicial Protocol Breach 2002
27/21	2015 Bail Tax Ballot
	Water
Box/Folder
28/1-28/7	General reference materials	1965-1993
29/1	Newspaper clippings	1978
29/2	Amendment to the Water Quality Act	1972
29/3	Bellingham Bay Action Plan	1991
29/4	Columbia River Task Force – Hanford Reservation cleanup	1987-1988
29/5	Johnson Creek watershed project	1981
29/6	Nooksack Instream Resources Protection Program	1985
29/7	“Puget Sound and adjacent waters – Comprehensive Water and Related Land Resources Study”	1970
29/8	Puget Sound Water Quality Management Program	1987
29/9	“Regulation relating to Water Quality Standards for Interstate and Coastal Waters of the State of Washington and a Plan for Implementation and Enforcement of Such Standards” – Water Pollution Control Commission	1967 December 4
29/10	Water quality studies	1987, 1990
29/11	“Water Resources Development” – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers	1979
29/12	“Water resources of the Nooksack Basin and certain adjacent streams,” – Washington State Department of Conservation	1960
29/13	Policy 2A-14	2016
30/1	“Washington’s Water Resources” – recommendations to the Legislature	1977 January
	Women’s advocacy
Box/Folder
30/2	General reference materials	circa 1970s
30/3	Coalition for Women	1989-1990
30/4	Equal Rights Amendment	1977-1988
30/5	“Peace Links: Women Against Nuclear War”	undated
30/6	Reproductive choice	1982-1989

Series IV: League Publications and Reference Materials, 1959-2012Return to Top

This series contains publications from various chapters of the League of Women Voters. The Corner 4 Voter is the official newsletter of the Bellingham-Whatcom County chapter and comprises the bulk of this series.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
30/7	“A Report to the Nation on the Activities of the League of Women Voters”	circa 1970
	Corner 4 Voter
Box/Folder
30/8-31/7	Corner 4 Voter	1959-2000
31/8-31/9	The Voter (previously Corner 4 Voter)	2001-2012
Box/Folder
31/10	State Voter	1964; 1984-1987
32/1	National Voter	1979-1987
32/2-32/5	Non-Whatcom County Voters	circa 1980s-1990s
32/6	"Membership Matters"	1963-1964
32/7	Pamphlets, etc.	circa 1960-1999
Box/Folder
32a/1	2019 Pamphlets
32/8	Publications catalog and order forms	circa 1985-1992
	They Represent You (TRY)
Box/Folder
32/9	General information	circa 1983-1994
33/1	Pamphlets	1969-2013
Box/Folder
33/2-33/5	Voters’ services	1971-1992
32a/2	DNET Website Documentation 1998

Series V: Awards and Publicity, 1960-2013Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
33/6	Awards and certificates	1980s
33/7-33/9	Newspaper clippings	circa 1960-2013
33/10	Publicity information	circa 1985-1992

Series VI: A/V and Mixed Media, 1970-1997Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
	Audiocassettes
Box/Folder
33/11	Local radio commercials	1997
33/12	National Security - Dr. Karlstrom	1983 March 16
34/1	"National Security – Not for Experts Only!”	undated
34/2	“What’s in US for You?”	undated
	Reel-to-reels
Box/Folder
34/3	Unidentified	1970 January 28
34/4	“Vote to Promote,” LWV PSA’s	1979
	Slides
Box/Folder
34/5	Land Use slides and narrative	circa 1980
34/6	Unidentified	circa 1970s
	VHS tapes
Box/Folder
35/1	Decision making	1990 October 13
35/2	Federal Budget Deficit	1985 October
35/3	Hanford Site Char. SC. 36, Office of Nuclear Waste Management	undated
35/4	KCTS 9: State Budget 101	undated
36/1-36/2	“Meet the Candidates – Volume 1”	1994 October
36/3-36/4	“Meet the Candidates – Volume 2”	1994 October
36/5	Correspondence re. “Meet the Candidates" videotapes	1994
37/1	“Membership Development: Flexible Strategies”	1992
37/2	Representative Bill Gorman, Energy Corridor Expansion	circa 1980s
37/3	“Staging League Debates: Format Options, Moderating Techniques, and Set Designs”	1987 March 1
37/4	“Tools for Drinking Water Protection”	undated
37/1	Meeting Tape 09/18/1999

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Community education--Washington (State)--Whatcom County--History--Sources.
Conservation of natural resources--Washington (State)--Whatcom County--History--Sources.
Environmental protection--Washington (State)--Whatcom County--History--Sources.
Voter registration--Washington (State)--Whatcom County--History--Sources.
Voting--Washington (State)--Whatcom County--History--Sources.
Water-supply--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--Political Activity--Washington (State)--Whatcom County--History--Sources
Women--Washington (State)--Whatcom County--History--Sources
Women--Washington (State)--Whatcom County--Societies and clubs--History--Sources

Corporate Names

League of Women Voters of Bellingham/Whatcom County.

Geographical Names

Bellingham (Wash.)--Politics and government.
Whatcom County (Wash.)--Politics and government.

Form or Genre Terms

Records (Documents)

Archives West Finding Aid

Table of Contents