Administrative/Biographical History
The Aurora League of Women Voters held their organizational meeting on May 9, 1947. Seventy-five women attended, but only twenty-four paid the $3.00 membership fee. The group elected Mrs. Chester Carson, president, Mrs. Orville Westlund, 1st vice president, Mrs. Phillip Wright, 2nd vice president, Mrs. H.E. Bonham, treasurer, and Mrs. May R. Simpson, secretary. They also decided to do a “Know Your City” study for their first project. In November 1949 the Aurora League received official recognition from the National League office and by 1958 they had 94 members.
The Aurora League organized “to promote political responsibility through informed and active participation of citizens in government.” To fulfill this purpose the group researched, studied, evaluated, and held community meetings on topics of public concern. During the 1958-1959 year they evaluated Kane County and Aurora area public health. Their conclusions resulted in the creation of a Health Board by the city of Aurora, the reactivization of a Council of Community Services Health Committee, the unearthing and codification of Aurora’s old health ordinances, the evaluation of Kane County health facilities, legislation by the Kane County Medical Association, and a community health program by the National Council of Jewish Women. Their 1960’s work included pushing for an Illinois Constitutional Convention, studying local planning and land use, doing interviews for a poverty survey administered by a civic committee under the Office of Equal Opportunity, surveying public health facilities available in Kane County, and studying a proposed fair housing ordinance.
Other projects for the League involved studying the Council/Manager form of government (1970) and the problem of growth in the Aurora area and its effect on government, land use, transportation, and related problems (1973). The League also worked for the passage of the ERA amendment and provided voting information for all local, state, and national elections.
