Sonia Ann Harris was born on 27 February 1936 in Malad City, Idaho, to Alvin and Ida Howell Harris. Her childhood was spent in Preston, Idaho, until the family moved to Logan, Utah, in 1948. She was raised a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (The Mormon Church).
After graduation from Logan High School in 1954 Sonia worked in a bank until she entered Utah State University in January 1955. She received her B.A. in English in 1958.
Sonia and Richard Theodore Johnson were married 21 August 1959. In February 1960 the Johnsons moved to Apia, Western Samoa where they both taught English for a year. They returned to Minneapolis where Sonia did graduate work at the University of Minnesota toward her master's degree. For two years of that time she was also a graduate assistant in the English Department. They moved to New Brunswick, New Jersey, where Sonia received her master's and Ed.D. degrees from Rutgers University.
In 1965 the Johnsons and their two children went to Lagos, Nigeria, where Sonia spent two years as head of testing at the American International School. From Nigeria, they went to Palo Alto, California, for two years, where Sonia had another baby, then on to Malawi where Sonia taught for two years at the University of Malawi.
After a brief stay in California the Johnsons and their three children went to Korea, where Sonia taught diplomats, their wives, and servicemen through the University of Maryland extension. She was also a visiting professor at Seoul University.
After spending almost a year in Western Malaysia, where Sonia had a fourth child, they returned to Califronia in 1974 and finally settled in Sterling, Virginia, in 1976. Sonia spent one year working through the federal Office of Education then became an adjunct professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and the University of Virginia.
Sonia Johnson began speaking out as a Mormon for Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in 1977. Her first national exposure was following her August 1978 testimony in front of the Senate Constitutional Rights Subcommittee where she came into conflict with Utah's junior Senator, Orrin Hatch. She continued speaking and promoting the Equal Rights Amendment and denouncing what she perceived to be her church's political activities against the amendment.
Sonia's August 1979 speech in Kalispell, Montana, to their National Organization for Women convention, the September 1979 paper given to the American Psychological Association, and an October 1979 speech at the University of Utah culminated in her call to an LDS Bishop's Court in November 1979.
After a well-publicized trial on December first, Sonia was officially excommunicated from the LDS Church on 5 December 1979. The decision was affirmed by a Church High Council Court on 6 April 1980. Sonia continued her promotion of the Equal Rights Amendment as president of the national Mormons for ERA group. She spoke at numerous functions throughout the country and appeared on a number of television talk shows, including the Phil Donahue program. In 1981 her book
In 1982 Sonia Johnson made an unsuccessful bid for the presidency of the National Organization for Women. She still continues to be active in promoting feminist issues and women's rights.
The bulk of the collection is concerned with Mrs. Johnson's excommunication from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, her campaign in support of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), and the group "Mormons for ERA" between the years 1978 and 1982. There is a small amount of personal material, mainly family correspondence, included with the collection and dated between 1958 and 1982.
The thirty-five boxes containing the collection have been divided into six major categories. The first, consisting of three boxes is personal material. Included are chronologically arranged family letters. The other portion of the personal material deals with her excommunication trial including an alphabetical file of letters written by supporters of Mrs. Johnson to officials of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Four boxes comprise category two which contains information on the Equal Rights Amendment. Included are alphabetically filed letters from organizations supporting the amendment; information on extension, revision, and ratification; and organizations of the LDS Church opposing ERA and filed by state.
Within the three boxes in the third category are filed materials dealing with the Mormons for ERA groups. Included are articles and clippings about the LDS Church and its reaction to the Equal Rights Amendment, correspondence, speeches, activities, and information by and about state Mormons for ERA. Bylaws, press releases, newsletters, pamphlets, and newspaper clippings are also included.
Even though the correspondence in the twelve boxes comprising the fourth category was sent to Sonia Johnson, much of it is closely tied to the Mormons for ERA organization. The correspondence has been divided into these nine subject areas: LDS, Pro-ERA; Alienated and Ex-LDS, Pro-ERA; Alienated and ex-LDS, Religion; LDS, Anti-ERA; Non-LDS, Pro-ERA; Non-LDS, Anti-ERA; Non-LDS, Religion; Pro-Sonia; and Requests for ERA Information. Each subject area has a list of names included.
Category five contains four boxes of material on speeches and articles. Included is correspondence arranging various speaking engagements organized chronologically by date of engagement, and a number of speeches and articles by Sonia Johnson. Also included are the drafts, correspondence and other information connected with herbook
The miscellaneous category included seven boxes of newspaper clippings dated from 1978 to 1982 with the bulk falling between November 1979 and January 1980 gleaned from newspapers all over the country. Also included in this section are eight daybooks kept by Mrs. Johnson and other miscellaneous information.
Organized into eight series: I. Personal; II. Equal Rights Amendment; III. Mormons for ERA; IV. Correspondence; V. Speaking Engagements, Speeches and Writings; VI. Newspaper Clippings; VII. Miscellaneous; VIII. Addendum.
Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.
The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library's
Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.
See also the
Donated by Sonia Johnson, David M. Jabush, and Linda Sillito in 1981.
Processed by Marlene Lewis in 1982, 2006 and 2010.
Forms part of the
Letters from Sonia and Rick Johnson to Sonia' s parents, Alvin and Ida Harris, and family. The letters are written from Western Samoa, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nigeria, California, Pennsylvania, Malawi, Korea, Western Malaysia, Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, and Virginia.
Letter to Sonia from her mother about Sonia's activities and the Mormons for E.R.A.
Letters exchanged between Rick and Sonia Johnson including a number of notes, greeting cards and miscellaneous items.
Letters about Sonia and Rick's eldest son and his stay in Logan including a letter from Floyd V. Israelsen and Sonia's reply.
Letter from Sonia to her brother Mark, letters to Sonia from her sister Joyce and Aunt Grace Baugh.
Letter to and from Sonia's brother "Mike" while serving a mission for the LDS Church.
Letters from Sonia's brother Jeff to his mother.
Letters from Ina and Wayne Harris to Ida and Alvin Harris.
Letter from Martha Harris to Ida Harris.
Ida Harris to her husband and son Alvin and Mark Harris.
Letter from Ida Johnson to Ida Harris about a possible visit to their children Rick and Sonia Johnson.
Letter from Mrs. Marion Smith to her aunt Ida Harris.
Letters from Lupe P. Afuvia to Ida Harris. The Harris' had Sinapi Afuvia of Samoa staying with them in Logan, Utah.
Letters to and from Sinapi Afuvia who was living with the Harris' in Logan, Utah. Some of the letters are written in Samoan.
Miscellaneous letters to Ida and Alvin Harris including one about conflicts with the LDS Church home teachers in Logan, Utah.
Letters to Sonia from Barbara Allen, Bill Billingsley, Virginia L. Carter, Peggy and Andrew Creese, Linda Daube, Audrey Grant, Edward L. Meyerson, Candice Osborn, Ron and Hazel Rigby and other personal acquaintances.
Letters from the University of Missouri, Brigham Young University, Utah State University and the University of Utah asking about deposition of Sonia Johnson's papers.
Includes a play program from an itinerary for Richard T. Johnson from 1976, and Sonia Johnson's reports on an open house at the Palo Alto LDS Church in 1972.
Copy of Sonia's partriarchial Blessing from 1960 and 1976.
Letters between Sonia Johnson and the LDS Church hierarchy about her support for the Equal Rights Amendment, her trial and appeal of her excommunication.
Correspondence and statements between Sonia Johnson, her LDS Bishop Jeffery H. Willis, and the L.D.S. Stake President Earl J. Roueche about her excommunication trial and appeal.
Correspondence, articles, and notes about a possible defense against excommunication or possible civil action against the LDS Church from Michael J. Barrett, a lawyer.
Offer from California representative McCloskey to assist with her case.
Copies of "Resolution of Civil Disputes by Mormon Ecclesiastical Courts," by Raymond T. Swenson, and the testimony concerning Reed Smoot in the Committee on Privileges and Elections.
Included are statements by Sonia Johnson, the LDS Church representative, Ralph J. Payne, Nancy Kuhn, Hazel Rigby, Loneta Murphy, William D. Payne, Mary Ann Payne, Nadine Hansen, Kris Green, and the Consortium for Utah Women in Higher Education.
Prayer by Emily Benson, statements by Loneta Murphy and an unnamed individual.
Folder for members of the press at Sonia Johnson's trial which includes copies of earlier newspaper clippings, statements, and testimony by and about Sonia Johnson and the Equal Rights Amendment.
Notes by Arlene Wood and Kathryn McKay about the church meeting attended by Sonia on December 2, 1979 the day following her excommunication.
Included is a letter from Hartman Rector, jr. to Teddie Wood in which he claims if men did not hold the priesthood they "...would problably be eaten by the famale as in the case with the black widow spider [SIC]." Also included is a letter to Sonia from Barbara B. Smith, LDS Relief Society President, and an exchange of letters about Jeffrey Willis's position with the Central Intelligence Agency.
Letters, arranged in alphabetical order, written to LDS Church leaders from her bishop to the First Presidency in support of Sonia Johnson and her position on the Equal Rights Amendment. A name list is included and filed in folder 13.
Acadiana Women's Political Caucus
Alaska Women's Resource Center
Arizonians of Faith for the Equal Rights Amendment
Association for Women in Psychology
Association of Women in Ministry
Augusta Women's Advisory Council
Awake-Worship-Action-Renewal-Education (AWARE--RLDS group)
Brouard County (Florida) Commission on the Status of Women
Buena Vista College, Storm Lake, Iowa.
Catholic Advocates for Equality
Catholics Act for ERA
Catholic Women for ERA
Center of Concern
Church of the Brethren, Women's Caucus
Coalition on Women and Religion
Common Cause
Concord United Church of Christ (Wichita, Kansas)
Includes ERArkansas, and ERAmerica Michigan.
8th Day Center for Justice
Episcopal Church groups
Epsilon Sigma Alpha International, Alpha Beta Chapter
Equal Rights Amendment Ratification Action Coalition
Equal Rights Amendment Ratification Council
Equal Rights Amendment Ratification Project (Illinois)
ERA Illinois
ERA Strike Force
Evangelical Women's Caucus (Bay Area and Michigan)
Federally Employed Women
Florida Impact
Fort Wayne Feminists
Ingham County Women's Commission (Michigan)
Interchange
Junior League of Minneapolis
Kentuchy Pro-EAR Alliance
Labor for Equal Rights Now (LERN)
Leadership Conference of Women Religious
League of Women Voters
Madison (Wisconsin) Coalition for the ERA
Missouri Equal Rights Amendment Coalition
Correspondence, 1978-1981; ERA-NOW Action Packet; ERA National Outreach, press releases, pamphlets, information, 1977-1981
Includes some Utah material
National Assembly of Women Religious
National Coalition of American Nuns
National Council of Churches
National Women's Party
Network (Catholic nuns' group)
Nevadans for ERA
North Miami Beach Commission on the Status of Women
OK-ERA (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
Oklahoma Governor's Commission on the Status of Women
Oklahomans for the Equal Righs Amendment
Oklahoma Homemakers for the ERA
Older women's Liberation
Planned Parenthood-Louisville
Presbyterian Church groups
People of Faith for the ERA
President's Advisory Committee for Women
Prince George's County Commission for Women
Sacramento Valley Ecumenical Women
Santa Clara County Commission on the Status of Women (California)
Sisters of Divine Providence (Kentucky)
Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace (Washington, D. C.)
South Texas Women's Forum
Tacoma Dominican Sisters Consensus Group 2
Thurston County Ministries in Higher Education (Washington)
Unitarian Church groups
United Methodist Church groups
United Teachers of Los Angeles
United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities (Minnesota)
Unity (Texas)
Utah Order of Women Legislators
Virginia Equal Rights Amendment Ratification
Council
Virginians for the Equal Rights Amendment-Political Action Committee
Virginia Polytechnic Institute Women's Network
Virginia Religious Committee for ERA
National materials, 1979-1981; and material arranged alphabetically by state, 1979-1980
Washington Equal Rights Amendment Coalition
Women in Communications, Inc.
Women and Religion Task Force in Kansas City
Women for Sobriety, Washington Group
Women's Issues Forum, Glendale, Arizona
Women Space (Ohio)
Women's Resources for Action (Washington, D. C.)
Women's Campaign Fund
Women's Caucus for Art/Coalition of Women's Art Organizations
Women's Center of Eastern Montgomery County (Pennsylvania)
Women's Center, University of Tennessee
Women's Information Network (Missouri)
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
Women's Ordination Conference of Rhode Island
The Women's Room and Resource Center (Virginia)
Testimony before Senate committee by Rugh Bader Ginsburg, Judith Hertz and Mildred Jeffrey in 1978 statements by Eleanor Smeal, Jan Tyler, and Carol Caston; a memorandum of law prepared by Lippman and Hart; and various fact sheets on the proposed ratification time and proposal to allow recision of approval of the Equal Rights Amendment.
Judge Callister, a high ranking LDS Church leader was to sit on the case to decide if the recision of ratification of a constitutional amendment, in this case the Equal Rights Amendment, was legal in the Federal District Court for the District of Idaho. An attempt was made to disqualify him based on his authority in a church so vocal against the ERA Included here are copies of the disqualification motions and orders, 1979-1981; information sheets, press releases and newspaper clippings, 1979-1980; and the NOW Press Kit.
Statements supporting ERA including rebuttals to Senator Sam Ervin's Minority Report in relation to the Yale Law Journal report on ERA.
Includes speeches, statements and fact sheets.
Reports made by the National Organization for Women.
Pamphlets, brochures and flyers in favor of ERA.
Includes flyers and newsletters from the Eagle Forum and STOP ERA, statements of Senators Sam Ervin and Orrin G. Hatch, a transcript of the Utah State Senate discussion of the Equal Rights Amendment Rejection Resolution in 1979, and information on the Republican and Democratic Parties' attitudes toward the Equal Rights Amendment.
Information sent by Lou Ann Stoker Dickson about anti-ERA activities carried on in the LDS Churches in Tempe, Arizona, and news-clippings about Mormons in Arizona.
Information and financial records on FACT-PAC (Families Are Concerned Today-Political Action Committee), its backing by LDS Church members, and its activities.
Information, correspondence, flyers about the Missouri Citizen's Council and its connection with the LDS Church.
Letters, articles, and information on the LDS Church's influence on Nevada politics from Renee and Sheldon Rampton, including Renee Rampton's paper "The Role of the Mormon Church in the 1978 Nevada Election."
Articles, statements, and other information on Citizen's Quest for Quality Government, its activities in Nevada, and its connection with the LDS Church.
Clippings, articles, and summary statements on the connection of Nevada Mormons and polictics including materials on Mormons and the ERA, The Mormon Voting Bloc, Beehive, and LDS Church publication and its political role; Ezra Taft Benson; the Conservative Caucus; Karen Hays Campaign; the Holt Campaign; International Women's Year in Nevada; Douglas Wallace; and other miscellaneous items.
Includes correspondence, articles and other information on the LDS Citizen's Coalition, including a typed transcript of the organizational meeting, and much about the coalition's involvement in Virginia politics in opposition to ERA Also included is a pamphlet and flyers on the "Equality Yes! ERA No!" link between the Virginia LDS Citizens Coalition and Phyllis Schlafly's STOP ERA movement, and some miscellaneous information.
Information about LDS Church activities against the ERA from California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Information on LDS Church political activities.
Sets of notes made by Sonia Johnson and by Jan Tyler on a meeting between Sonia Johnson and Jan Tyler and two members of the LDS General Conference October 3, 1981, made by Gayle Brooks Freeman.
Letters, press releases, interviews, speeches and other statements by church leaders about the Equal Rights Amendment and the role of women in society.
Correspondence and information concerning the controversy over a girls' LDS primary lesson about honoring the priesthood.
Information statements, articles, and other information about the LDS Church and its role in opposition to the ERA by the Mormons for ERA group.
Paper by Sally Mercurio Pusill titled "Mormon Children's Present Sex and Future Sex-Role Preferences."
Including a number of articles by Loneta Murphy, articles pro and anti-ERA, and newspaper clippings from 1975-1981 and undated.
Includes Sonia Johnson's travel voucher and testimony, a typed transcript of the hearing, a statement by Sonia Johnson about how she became involved which is partly a journal of events following the testimony, and a supportive statement by Hazel Rigby.
Copies of letters written by Sonia Johnson or other members of the Mormons for ERA central organization about the groups activities, opinions, and business.
Letters to state and national legislators from individuals and the Mormons for ERA group, 1978-1979; response from national legislators, 1978-1979; correspondence with the executive branch, 1978-1980; response from Virginia legislators and other state legislators, 1978-1979; and correspondence with representatives of the written and televised media, 1979-1981, and undated.
Speeches and statements about Mormons for ERA by Jan L. Tyler, Christine Arlene Chapman, James E. Chapman, Shirlie Kaplan, Sheldon Rampton, and Cheryl L. Dalton. Also included are some speeches with no name given.
Permits for demonstrations on the United States Capitol grounds given to the Mormons for ERA by the United States Capitol Police Board.
Materials relating to the arrest of Sonia Johnson and twenty other people for chaining themselves to the gates of the L. D. S. Temple in Bellevue. Also included is material about the personal injury suit filed by Marty La-Brasse against the church members in charge of the temple. Included are letters, legal papers, name lists, news letters, press releases, and newspaper clippings.
Information, including the model program for sending people door-to-door to speak for the ERA in Utah in the same way LDS Church missionaries operate.
Press releases, newsletters, flyers.
Press releases, newsletters, statements, flyers
Invitation to join, press release, newspaper story.
Temporarily Restricted.
Correspondence, minutes, memoranda.
ERA supporters contact list, media representatives.
Copies of newsletters, articles for the newsletter, and name lists.
Pro-ERA pamphlets a document to encourage ratification, and Anti-Mormon pamphlets.
Included are flyers, information on Mormons for ERA and a number of feminist songs and poems.
Copy of the , Vol, III, No. 1, September 1976, a newspaper for Mormon Women.
Alphabetical list of LDS, Pro-ERA Correspondents from boxes 11, 12 and 13.
LDS Pro ERA.
List of speaking engagements accepted.
Correspondence, flyers, information regarding Sonia Johnson's personal appearances.
Information and flyers on Sonia Johnson's availability as a speaker through an organization.
Correspondence and information about Sonia Johnson's attendance at this conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Speech given on a panel, on the 10th of February 1982. ERA Referendum Strategies, Washington Institute for Women in Politics, Mt. Vernon College, Washington, D. C.
Paper presented at the American Psychological Association Meetings, September 1, 1979, New York City; and a summary of the paper.
Speech given at the Utah Women's Conference, October 1979. Included are notes and drafts of the speech.
Includes Sonia Johnson's testimony to the Senate Subcommittee in 1978,a speech of the National Organization for Women's Religious Panel in 1978; comments at a "Labor for Equal Rights Now" press conference, 1979; comments at the ERAmerica strategy session, 1979; a speech at the Montana NOW state conference, 1970; a speech at the Alice Louise Reynolds Women's Forum in Provo, Utah in 1979; and some other comments and remarks.
Transcripts of interviews of Sonia Johnson; Barbara B. Smith, LDS Relief Society President; and Beverly Campbell of the monetary reward on moral grounds. Included is a letter from Christie Hefner.
A copy of the book is found in the Print and Journal Division of Special Collections.
No chapter numbers, typed with numerous revisions and inserts.
Chapters 1-15, typed with revisions and additions.
Chapters 1-14, photocopy of typescript with revisions and additions.
Correspondence, including editor notes and comments, from Doubleday about the publication of .
Transcripts of taped material for use in the book with comments by Arlene Wood.
Typescript.
Correspondence between Jabusch and Sonia Johnson about his article and a copy of the paper he presented to the Speech Communication Association Convention in 1980 titled "Sonia Johnson and the Mormons for ERA Campaign."
Letters between Sonia Johnson, Barbara Butler, Susan A. Grade, Sonia Johnson's lawyer, and others concerning the rights to Sonia's story.
Spiral bound steno pads containing phone messages, notes on things to be done, notes for articles or speeches, address and phone numbers.
Clippings and information about this politically right wing, moral-majority rally and convention in Dallas, Texas 21-22 August 1980. (See also: Speaking Engagements, about Sonia Johnson's speech in Dallas on August 24, 1980.)
Articles, statements and pamphlets by and about politically right wing and "Moral Majority" groups.
Includes a cartoon on wage discrimination and an article about resistance movements.
Small sampling of envelopes from letters mailed to Sonia Johnson which contain a number of editorial comments, or odd or incomplete addresses which still reached her.
Correspondence
Various Materials