Arrangement
The collection is divided into four series: Organizational Records, Subject Files which are arranged alphabetically, Scrapbooks, and Byron Nuclear Plant Intervention.
Administrative/Biographical History
The Rockford League of Women Voters was founded April 22, 1922, two years after the state organization had been established. Among the Rockford Leagues's charter members were: Julia Lathrop, noted for her work on the Children's Bureau and the League of Nation's Commission; Mabel Ashton Johnson, the founder of the Visiting Nurses Association; and Kate O'Connor, a founder of the State League of Women Voters and coordinator of Illinois' welfare program for women and children. The Rockford League's first President was Mrs. William C. Free.
Through a concentration on such topics as International Relations, Economic Welfare, Government Structure, Public Health, and Voter Services, the Rockford League pursues its purpose "...to promote political responsibility through informed and active participation of citizens in government." (By-laws, amended April 26, 1980). These efforts have involved the Rockford League in redevelopment projects, the push for a state constitutional convention, and a serious review of local government structure. In all their activities, the Rockford League of Women Voters remains politically nonpartisan.
