Washington Women United Records

Washington Women United Records, 1975-1986

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Washington Women United (Organization)
Title: Washington Women United Records
Dates: 1975-1986 (inclusive)
19751986
Quantity: 2.75 Linear feet of shelf space, (6 Boxes)
Collection Number: Cage 529 (collection)
Summary: Business records, correspondence, pamphlets, writings, and other records of the Washington Women United organization.
Repository: Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Access Restrictions: This collection is open and available for research use.
Languages: English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The statewide organization Washington Women United (WWU) was established in 1979 by Washington State Women's Political Caucus members as an independent unit to replace the services of the defunct Washington State Women's Council. WWU's primary purpose is to promote equal rights through legislative action, education, and networking. Members include individuals and organizations who are advocates of women's rights and proponents of the Equal Rights Amendment. Membership dues and pledges are the basis of support for WWU. The primary activity of WWU is to lobby the Washington State Legislature on issues of especial concern to women such as child care programs, domestic violence, abortion, comparable worth, and education. An annual poll of members determines WWU's position and lobbying priorities and guides its legislative efforts. The group maintains a staff, office, and full-time lobbyist in Olympia, and coordinates a statewide referral and information service on legislative activity. In addition, WWU provides telephone lists, mailing lists, a hot-line telephone service, information on lobbying techniques, news releases on political positions and issues, annual meetings, and six yearly newsletters. The organization also sponsors an annual legislative reception for elected officials which allows women to become acquainted with their legislators.

Officers are elected by and from the Board of Directors, and include: President, First Vice-President, Second Vice-President for Eastern Washington, Third Vice-President for Western Washington.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The records consist of business records of the Washington Women United (WWU) organization and contemporary information about the Washington State legislature.

The collection is organized as five series: Business Records, Correspondence, Miscellanea, Women's Legislative Reception Reports, and Writings.

Business Records contain Board of Directors election results, committee reports, financial information, meeting agendas and reports, membership lists and delinquencies, minutes of meetings, and policies and bylaws. The Board of Directors meeting minutes are filed under the heading "Minutes."

Within the Correspondence files are letters and memoranda to the Board of Directors, general correspondence and memoranda, and thank-you letters to legislators. Letters from legislators to WWU are in the general correspondence files. A photograph of Linda Clifton, WWU President for 1981, is filed in the Board of Directors Letters folder.

The Miscellanea series contains files on statewide general elections, King County Women's Political Caucus Candidate Questionnaires, original forms and letters of the organization, information on other organizations, pamphlets on WWU complete with application forms, and other materials.

The Women's Legislative Reception Reports series contains information on the organizers of the Reception, attendance lists of legislators and the public, and invitations to the event.

The Writings series includes a booklet documenting the Fifth Annual Meeting, the book IMPACT: A Woman's Guide to Legislative Action, legislative reports and newsletters, and the WWU newsletters.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Preferred Citation

[Item description]

Washington Women United Records, 1975-1986 (Cage 529)

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The collection is organized as five series. All papers are arranged chronologically within each file.

Acquisition Information

The records were donated to the Washington State University Libraries by Washington Women United in July 1986 (MS 86-25).

Related Materials

Washington Women United Records, 1983-1986 (Cage 625)

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series 1: Business RecordsReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
		Board of Directors
Box	Folder
1	1	Agendas and Related Materials	undated, 1980-1981
		Elections
Box	Folder
1	2	1981
1	3	1982
		Committees
Box	Folder
1	4	Board of Directors Committee Reports	undated, 1979-1980
1	5	Committee Roster and Sign-ups	undated
1	6	Education and Communication Committee Reports	1979-1980
1	7	Finance Committee Recommendations	1979
1	8	Membership Committee	undated
Box	Folder
1	9	Finances	1978-1980
1	10	Forms and Letterhead	undated
1	11	Legislative Task Force and Workshops	undated, 1980-1982
		Meetings
		Annual
Box	Folder
1	12	undated
1	13	1979
1	14	1980
1	15	1981
1	16	1982
		Board of Directors
Box	Folder
2	1	January 30 1982
2	2	March 27 1982
2	3	May 15 1982
2	4	June 25 1982
2	5	September 18 1982
2	6	November 6 1982
		Memberships
Box	Folder
2	7	Corporate Members	1981
2	8	Former Organizational Members and Deliquencies	1979-1981
2	9	Membership Fee Payment (oversize folder)	1979
2	10	Organizational Members	1981
		Minutes
		Board of Directors Meetings
Box	Folder
2	11	1979
2	12	1980
2	13	1981
2	14	1982
Box	Folder
2	15	Executive Committee Meetings	1979-1980
2	16	First Meetings	1978
2	17	Implementing Board of Directors Meeting	1978
Box	Folder
2	18	Policies and Bylaws	undated, 1980-1981
2	19	Telephone Number Lists	undated, 1979, 1981

Series 2: CorrespondenceReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
		Board of Directors
Box	Folder
2	20	Letters	undated, 1981
2	21	Memoranda	undated, 1979-1982
		General
Box	Folder
3	1	undated
3	2	1978
3	3	1979
3	4	January-June 1980
3	5	July-December 1980
3	6	January-June 1981
3	7	July-December 1981
3	8	January-June 1982
4	1	July-December 1982
4	2	1983-1986
Box	Folder
4	3	Memoranda	undated, 1979-1982
		Thank-you Letters to Legislators
Box	Folder
4	4	1979
4	5	1980
4	6	1981
4	7	1982

Series 3: MiscelllaneaReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
4	8	Displaced Homemaker Organization	1980, 1982-1983
4	9	General Elections of 1982	undated, 1981-1983
4	10	House Standing Committee Assignments and Senate Standing Committee and Committee Assignments	1978-1980
4	11	Issue Poll	1980
		King County Women's Political Caucus
Box	Folder
4	12	State Legislative Candidate Interview Questions	1980
5	1	Candidate Questionnaires	1982
Box	Folder
5	2	Legislative Platforms of other organizations	undated, 1976-1977
5	3	Miscellanea	undated, 1975, 1979-1980, 1983
		Original Forms and Form Letters
Box	Folder
5	4		undated
5	5		1979-1982
5	6		1981
Box	Folder
5	7	Pending Requests for Membership Information and Options for Typewriter Rental/Lease/Purchase	undated
5	8	Tax Surveys	undated, 1982

Series 4: Women's Legislative Reception ReportsReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description
Box	Folder
5	9	1975-1979
5	10	1980
5	11	1981

Series 5: WritingsReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
5	12	Fifth Annual Meeting of Washington Women United Meeting Booklet and Flyer	1983
6	1	IMPACT: A Woman's Guide to Legislative Action	1984 (?)
6	2	Pamphlets with Membership Applications	undated
6	3	Speeches	undated
6	4	Washington Women United Legislative Reports and Legislative Newsletters	1979-1982, 1985
6	5	Washington Women United newsletters	1979-1982, 1984-1985
6	6	Information for publication in newsletters	undated, 1979, 1981

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Women -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- Washington (State)
Women's rights -- Washington (State) -- Societies, etc. -- Records and correspondence

Corporate Names

Washington Women United (Organization) -- Records and correspondence

Geographical Names

Washington (State) -- Politics and government -- Societies, etc.

Archives West Finding Aid

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