Central Washington University Faculty Papers, Alice Yee, 1968-2009

Alice Low Yee came of age in 1930s-1940s Spokane, WA. Yee earned a master’s degree and began teaching at Wenatchee Valley College. In 1960, she assumed a position as Dean of Women at Central Washington College of Education. In that position, she challenged restrictive curfews and dress codes for women. She remained at Central until 1966, then took a position as Dean of Women Students at Grinnell College in Iowa. There she encountered the quintessential ambience of the ‘60s—drugs, anti-war protests, and agitation for civil rights. In 1970, she returned to Central and soon married Robert Yee. In 1972, she established the university’s first Women’s Center, which aimed to support women at the university and in the wider community. Over the next few years, Yee built up the center, raising funds for educational outreach and special projects and establishing contacts with women’s organizations across the state.

In July of 1977, Central witnessed a key moment in the modern feminist movement, as the Washington State Conference on the Status of Women met in Ellensburg to elect 24 delegates to the National Women’s Conference, to be held that November in Houston, TX, in observance of International Women's Year (IWY). Two thousand church women, including a significant population of Mormon women, surprised local organizers in Ellensburg by showing up without pre-registering. As a result, the 4280 attendees often disagreed as they attended the conference’s 80 workshops. Feminists and fundamentalists were unable to reach consensus about the controversial women's issues of the day, including the Equal Rights Amendment, affirmative action, and gay and lesbian rights. This cleavage occurred in most International Women’s Year conferences, all of which enacted the nationwide debate about the necessity of reforms in women’s rights. Despite the inability of the delegates to reach agreement on key issues, 23 of the 24 delegates elected by the conference were strong proponents of the rights of women. Later that year, they represented Washington state at the national conference in Houston and together with delegates from across the nation, effectively agreed upon a final plan of action, which was presented to President Jimmy Carter.

Over the course of her career, Yee was involved not only in International Women’s Year but also in the League of Women Voters, the National Organization for Women (NOW), and Planned Parenthood. She served as member of the Ellensburg IWY Coordinating Committee, Vice Chair of the Ellensburg City Planning Commission, and member of the board for the Washington State League of Women Voters.