Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time. Collection includes sound recordings, moving images, and digital files to which access is restricted. Access to these materials is governed by repository policy and may require the production of listening or viewing copies. Researchers requiring access must notify Special Collections and University Archives in advance and pay fees for reproduction services as necessary.
Founded in 1971, the Oregon Women's Political Caucus (OWPC) was a state-wide women's political organization that mirrored the National Women's Political Caucus (NWPC) at a state level. The OWPC primarily focused on helping women interested in running for office within the Pacific Northwest. As their mission statement states, the OWPC was created to "promote equitable representation of women and women's interests in the decision-making process of government by maximizing the inclusion and involvement of women in political activities through education and action." Along with fighting to right women's issues, the OWPC also strove to achieve equal human rights for all people, regardless of sex, color, race or religion, as reflected in this collection.
In 1979, the OWPC created the Oregon Women's Campaign School in order to educate and support potential Oregon women candidates. Today, the Oregon Women's Campaign School is held biennially in early spring/late winter in Portland, Oregon and helps prospective Oregon women obtain positions at the local, state and national levels.
Separate, smaller groups of the OWPC were created as the caucus grew in the 70's and 80's, such as the Portland Area Women's Political Caucus (PAWPC) and the Lane Women's Political Caucus (LWPC). Eventually these groups regressed back into one major caucus, the OWPC, before the Oregon caucus disbanded completely.
Currently about 18 state chapters still exist within the NWPC, including California, New York and Arizona. And since the founding of the NWPC and OWPC in 1971, there has been a dramatic increase in women elected officials.
Founded in 1971, the Oregon Women's Political Caucus (OWPC) was a state-wide women's political organization that mirrored the National Women's Political Caucus (NWPC) at a state level. Along with fighting to right women's issues, the OWPC also strove to achieve equal human rights for all people, regardless of sex, color, race or religion, as reflected in this collection.
This collection contains materials from 1971 to 1999 from a wide range of donors including Gretchen Kafoury (the co-founder of the OWPC), Margie Hendrikson, Eleanor Davis, Sara Lichtenstein and Merry Demarest. For more information on Oregon women's political history, be sure to look through the individual collections of the women listed above, as well as the Oregon National Organization for Women (NOW) collection.
The collections contain correspondence, reports, financial papers, publications, conference proceedings, and training materials, along with many subject files.
Collection is organized into the following series: Series I: Campaign Materials and Endorsements Series II: OWPC Organization Series III: Conventions/Meetings/Events Series IV: NWPC Series V: Organizations/Issues/Laws Series VI: Subject Files Series VII: Bylaws and Directories Series VIII: Publications Series IX: Ephemera/Miscellaneous Series X: Correspondence