Bethine Church Papers, 1916-2013

The Activities and Subject Files document Bethine Church's varied projects and interests, as well as her leadership roles in political, social, and civic organizations between 1954 and 2009. The series includes her campaign files for each of her husband's senatorial bids and his campaign for the presidency in 1976. Materials consist of correspondence, working notes, photographs, newspaper and magazine articles, social invitations, and her subject files on politicians and politics. The files are arranged alphabetically.

Bethine Church's correspondence has been kept in its original order and is therefore arranged in two groups: 1) Chronological and 2) Alphabetical, according to last name of the correspondent and then chronologically by year within. The files generally include carbon copies of Bethine's outgoing mail as well as incoming correspondence.

The Speeches series documents Bethine Church's public speaking activities throughout her career. Included are annotated drafts, speech notes, speaking engagement files for specific events, as well as a set of indexed speeches delivered between 1989 and 2013. In addition to speech drafts, materials include related correspondence, ephemera, and press.

The series contains scrapbooks compiled by Bethine as well her extensive "scrapbook files" arranged chronologically according to year. The files contain newspaper and magazine articles, correspondence, commemorative items, photographs, and ephemera.

A variety of noteworthy memorabilia are throughout the series including Mother's Day cards from Frank Church, invitations to presedential inaugurations and balls, personal correspondence with first ladies Barbara Bush, Lady Bird Johnson and Hillary Clinton, and LBJ campaign materials. The files also feature items pertaining to John F. Kennedy including correspondence, his funeral card, and Bethine's collection of periodicals honoring his life and career following his assassination.

Additionally included are the many awards and honors presented to Bethine throughout the years, demonstrating her service and committment to a variety of causes.

Consists of Bethine's personal documents and papers relating to friends and family including her father Chase Clark and her uncle, Barzilla Clark, both of whom served as Governor of Idaho.

The series includes two scrapbooks and additional materials collected by Bethine's lifelong friend Augusta McClure (nee Tolles). The scrapbooks feature the earliest photos of Bethine contained in the collection as well as her earliest writing samples.

Of note is Bethine's Boise Junior College yearbook with a lengthy inscription by a then 19-year old Frank Church.