Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Seattle, WA 98195

Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard). University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections 1829 Powell, Mildred T., 1886- Mildred T. Powell papers 1928-2000 2.21 cubic feet (4 boxes) Collection materials are in English. Materials related to Mildred T. Powell, political activist and civic leader

Mildred Towne Powell was a Seattle area political activist and civic leader. She served as the only woman member of the Seattle City Council from 1935-1955, and is the second longest serving woman on the council. She was born on February 9, 1886, in New London, CT, to parents Walter Alanson Towne and Alice Nichols Warner. Following her graduation from New London's Williams Memorial High School (a public school for girls), Powell attended Wellesley College for one year before transferring to Smith College where she received a bachelor’s degree in 1908. She taught school in Connecticut and Massachusetts until 1910, when she married Francis Foster Powell and moved to Montana. In 1923, the Powell family--including children Francis, Jr., Alanson, and Alice--moved to Seattle. Powell was actively involved in the local community, including serving as the president of the Seattle Parent Teacher Association. After her husband died in 1934, she was urged by prominent leaders, among them Bertha Knight Landes, to run for the City Council. She ran as Mrs. F. F. Powell (in honor of her husband) and was elected in 1935. She was re-elected for her second term in 1938 with the highest number of votes of any candidate and was the third woman to ever sit on the City Council. She served in many positions on the Council including the Council President and acting Mayor of Seattle (three times).

At the end of WWII, she was chosen to represent the U.S. to lecture on municipal government in England and Germany. In 1950, she ran unsuccessfully as a candidate for the First Congressional District. She was active in the Moral Re-Armament (MRA) movement, which was based on Christian ideals that promoted world peace and unity and opposed Communism. It was founded by Frank Buchman in the 1920s, was ecumenical in nature, and by the 1950s, encouraged the spread of the MRA ideology through the production of plays such as The Vanishing Island . At that time it maintained a popular international following and worked to stop the spread of Communism. In 1955, she was invited to join a peacemaking journey to 28 countries in Asia and the Middle East by the MRA. She encouraged Myrtle Edwards to fill her Council position. When Mildred resigned from the City Council, more than 40 organizations and leaders, including the Governor of Washington, praised her years of service on the Council. She continued to be active in the MRA for many more years until her health brought her home to Seattle, where she died on June 16, 1977.

Organized into 3 accessions.

Accession No. 1829-003, Mildred T. Powell papers, 1928-1965 Accession No. 1829-004, Mildred T. Powell papers, 1940-1955 Accession No. 1829-005, Mildred T. Powell papers, 1930-2000

Correspondence, speeches and writings, newsletters, news releases, speech notes, travel notes, ephemera, clippings. Documents Powell's activities on behalf of the international movement, Moral Re-Armament, ca. 1945 to 1965. Other material relates to her election campaigns for the Seattle City Council and Congress, ca 1935 to 1955, and civic activities.

Open to all users.

Request at UW

Creator's copyright varies by accession.

Material Described Separately: Mildred T. Powell Photograph and Ephemera Collection (PH Coll 558) Powell, Mildred T., 1886- --Archives Landes, Bertha Knight, 1868-1943 Langlie, Arthur B. (Arthur Bernard), 1900-1966 Seattle (Wash.). City Council United States. Congress. House--Elections, 1950 Washington (State)--Politics and government--1889-1950 Washington (State)--Politics and government--1951- Seattle (Wash.)--Politics and government Women--Political activity--Washington (State) Municipal government--Washington (State) Moral re-armament City councils--Washington (State) Elections--Washington (State) Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington) Civic Activism

Accession No. 1829-003: Mildred T. Powell papers, 1928-1965 1 cubic foot (1 box)

Scope and Content: Correspondence, speeches and writings, newsletters, news releases, speech notes, travel notes, ephemera, clippings. Documents Powell's activities on behalf of the international movement, Moral Re-Armament, ca. 1945 to 1965. Other material relates to her election campaigns for the Seattle City Council and Congress, ca 1935 to 1955, and civic activities.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: Donated by Mildred Powell, 1/20/1972.

Series 1 Moral Re-Armament 1/1 1829-003 Incoming Letters regarding "An Idea to Win the World" 1957 1/2 1829-003 Invitations 1955 1/3 1829-003 Notes re: Travel 1949-1956 1/4 1829-003 "An American in Postwar England" undated 1/5-7 1829-003 Miscellaneous speeches and writings 1950-1958 1/8 1829-003 Writings of Evans, Vincent 1955 July - August 1/9 1829-003 Howard, Peter and Cecil Broadhurst - "The Vanishing Island" 1955 1/10 1829-003 Writings of Others: "Inspirational Material" 1940-1954 1/11 1829-003 Writings of Others re: Education 1942-1958 1/12 1829-003 Writings of Others: Children's undated 1/13 1829-003 Writings of Others: Jokes and Stories undated 1/14-15 1829-003 Newsletters 1955-1958 1/16 1829-003 News Releases 1955 1/17 1829-003 Reports 1955 1/18 1829-003 Ephemera 1955-1956 1/19-20 1829-003 Clippings 1940-1965 Series 2 Personal Papers 1/21 1829-003 Biographical and Historical Features 1970 1/22 1829-003 Incoming Letters regarding "An Idea to Win the World" 1936-1966 1/23 1829-003 Outgoing Letters 1937-1956 1/24 1829-003 Outgoing Letters - Cards 1955-1956 1/25 1829-003 General Correspondence - Langlie, Arthur B. 1956 June 1/26-32 1829-003 Notes 1935-1952 1/33-35 1829-003 Speeches and Writings 1936-1961 1/36 1829-003 Writings of Landes, Bertha K., Mayor 1928-1963 1/37 1829-003 Campaign Materials 1935-1952 1/38 1829-003 Campaign Speeches 1935-1944 1/39-40 1829-003 Clippings 1933-1977 1/41 1829-003 Scrapbook 1937-1939 1/42-43 1829-003 Ephemera 1937-1949, 1968 OSVF042 1829-003 Ephemera undated 1/44 1829-003 Miscellaneous speeches and writings 1949 1/45 1829-003 "Nathan Hale" 1915, 1939 Accession No. 1829-004: Mildred T. Powell papers, 1940-1955 (bulk 1955) 0.21 cubic foot (1 box)

Scope and Content: Contains speeches, writings, and correspondence from Powells' time in public service.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: Donor: Marbeth S. Powell, 11/9/2012.

1 1829-004 Powell's Speeches, News Clippings, & Tributes. 1942-1949 2 1829-004 Community Letters & Acknowledgment, Correspondence re: retirement. 1955 3 1829-004 Moral Re-armament (MRA) Organization News Clippings, Writings, and Correspondence. 1940-1950 4 1829-004 MRA "Report of Address of Mrs. Mildred Powell at Civic Reception and Dinner" & Media Mentions 1949-1950 Accession No. 1829-005: Mildred T. Powell papers, 1930-2000 1 cubic foot (2 boxes)

Scope and Content: This collection contains materials primarily related to Mildred Towne Powell's twenty years of service on the Seattle City Council, as well as her later involvement with Moral Re-Armament. Materials include newspaper clippings, correspondence, an election scrapbook, and photographs. Miscellaneous materials include a 1938 issue of "Better Homes and Gardens" featuring the Powell home, obituary and funeral information for Mildred Towne Powell and her husband (Francis F. Powell), biographical information, 1970s newspaper clippings/information on women's progress, and exhibit posters with biographical information and photographs.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: Gretchen T. Bersch, 2014-05-29

1 1829-005 Biographical information, newspaper clippings, photographs, correspondence, City Council materials, and Moral Re-Armament materials. circa 1930s-1970s 2 1829-005 Exhibit posters: "Mrs. F. F. Powell: Seattle’s City Councilwoman and Feminist" 2010