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Collection Overview
Title: Geneva-St. Charles League of Women Voters Records, 1921-1980
ID: RHC/RC/149
Extent: 4.0 Linear Feet
Arrangement: The minutes and newsletters are arranged chronologically
Date Acquired: 05/11/1982
Subjects: Constitutional Conventions, Illinois, Geneva (Ill.), Illinois State Training School for Girls, Kane County (Ill), League of Women Voters, League of Women Voters (Geneva-St. Charles, Ill.), St. Charles (Ill.), United States--Politics and government, Women--Societies and clubs.
Languages: English
Scope and Contents of the Materials
The Geneva-St. Charles League of Women Voters (LWV) records date from 1947 to 1979. Included are by-laws, meeting minutes, annual reports, treasurer’s records, correspondence, subject files, and scrapbooks. A separate series contains records from the Kane County Council LWV (1921-1972) and surveys and reports dealing with different aspects of Kane County. Since the League began as the Geneva LWV in 1947, combined with St. Charles in 1949, split into two Leagues in 1960, and recombined again in 1975, the minutes and newsletters are arranged chronologically. The League names appear to facilitate access. Both of these record groups exhibit gaps between 1960 and 1975, but are fairly complete otherwise. In general, the majority of the materials date after 1960.
The subject files comprise materials on a wide variety of topics such as the Illinois Constitutional Convention, day care, housing, public school finance, and land use. Local, state, and national publications and records document these areas. Also included are studies done in the 1950’s on the boys and girls Illinois State Training Schools. Materials can be found on the executive branch, solid waste disposal, and child welfare as well.
The county records include minutes and correspondence for the Kane County Council LWV (1921-1972). There also are county surveys on education, government, the justice department, public health and welfare, and school reorganization. A Know Your County publication provides information on these topics as well as zoning, planning, highways, and recreation.
The collection also contains three oversize maps: a drainage map of the State of Illinois (1956), a map indicating the principal watersheds in Illinois (1958), and a city map of St. Charles (1965).
Collection Historical Note
Historically, the Geneva-St. Charles League of Women Voters (LWV) underwent several organizational changes. The group began with 34 members on September 24, 1947 as the Geneva LWV. On April 25, 1949 the members changed the name to the LWV of Geneva and St. Charles. This phase lasted until March 30, 1960 when the group split into two separate Leagues, the Geneva LWV and the St. Charles LWV. The final change occurred on April 15, 1975 when the two groups merged to form the current Geneva-St. Charles LWV.
The League formed to educate area citizens on politics, government, election procedures, and special topics of public concern. Studies completed during the initial years revolved around gathering information on local schools and on city and township governments. During 1949-50 the members worked to stimulate awareness of school reorganization into districts. The 1950’s included a study of local and county health problems as well as a recommendation to the state board in support of a state constitutional convention. The constitutional convention (Con-Con) eventually required most of the member’s time during the 1960’s. However, the League also concentrated on various local topics in the 1960’s -- school budgets, crime prevention and law enforcement, and a study of local government. The next decade exhibited the widest variety of research projects including a coalition for change in the county’s administration of public aid, the need for low income housing in the St. Charles area, and a report on the effect of proposed airport expansion on area schools. More recently, the League worked for, and is working for, the passage of the ERA amendment in Illinois.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
Northern Illinois University
Access Restrictions:
There are no restrictions on access to the collection.
Use Restrictions:
Property rights in the collection belong to the Regional History Center; literary rights are dedicated to the public.
Physical Access Note:
On September 20, 2013, folders 1-3 from Box 1 have been placed in the freezer for conservation concerns
Acquisition Source:
Helene Ing
Acquisition Method:
Helene Ing, President, and several past and present members of the Geneva-St. Charles League of Women Voters donated the organization’s records to the Northern Illinois Regional History Center on May 11, 1982.
Related Materials:
For additional information on the League of Women Voters in northern Illinois, please consult the other League collections held by the Center. Additional information on the Illinois State Training School for Girls in Geneva, Illinois is located in the Lela Trager folder in UA 18, Box D.
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[
Series I.: Geneva-St. Charles League of Women Voters (LWV) Records],
[
Series II.: Kane County Records],
[
Oversize Drawer 17],
[All]
- Series I.: Geneva-St. Charles League of Women Voters (LWV) Records
- Box 1
- Folder 1: Geneva and Kane County History
- Folder 2: Historical Information on the League
- Folder 3: By-Laws, 1947-1960
- Folder 4: Annual Reports: Geneva-St. Charles League of Women Voters (LWV), 1948-1959
- Folder 5: Annual Reports: Geneva League of Women Voters (LWV), 1960-1962
- Folder 6: Annual Reports: St. Charles League of Women Voters (LWV), 1968-1973
- Folder 7: Annual Agendas, 1948-1954, 1959-1961
- Folder 8: Meeting Minutes: Geneva League of Women Voters (LWV), August 1947-April 1949
- Folder 9-12: Meeting Minutes: Geneva-St. Charles League of Women Voters (LWV), May 1949-April 1959
- Folder 13: Meeting Minutes: Geneva League of Women Voters (LWV), June 1960-March 1964; January 20, 1970; September 25, 1972
- Folder 14: Meeting Minutes: St. Charles League of Women Voters (LWV), April 1961; April 1962-November 1973; April 1974
- Folder 15: Meeting Minutes: Geneva-St. Charles League of Women Voters (LWV), February 1975-December 1976
- Box 2
- Folder 1: Meeting Minutes: Geneva-St. Charles League of Women Voters (LWV), January 1977-April 1979
- Folder 2: League Split and Re-merge, 1959-1975
- Folder 3: Budgets and Treasurer's Reports: Geneva League of Women Voters (LWV), 1947-1950; 1961-1963; 1970-1975
- Folder 4-5: Budgets and Treasurer's Reports: Geneva-St. Charles League of Women Voters (LWV), 1949-1959; 1974-1978
- Folder 6-7: Treasurer's Ledgers, Geneva-St. Charles League of Women Voters (LWV), 1971-1975
- Folder 8-11: Correspondence, 1948-1963; 1966; 1971; 1982
- Folder 12: Committee and Special Events Reports, 1949-1961
- Folder 13: Lease of the Geneva Civic Center, 1958
- Folder 14: Officer and Membership Lists, 1950; 1961-1965
- Folder 15-17: Newsletters: Geneva League of Women Voters (LWV),, January 1948-April 1949; 1963-1964; March-April 1972; November/December 197
- Folder 18-20: Newsletters: St. Charles League of Women Voters (LWV), 1961; October 1964-1969; 1970-May 1975
- Box 3
- Folder 1-3: Newsletters: Geneva-St. Charles League of Women Voters (LWV), June 1949-November 1959; 1960-1962; June 1975-November 1977
- Folder 4: Subject Files: Campaign Financing, 1973
- Folder 5: Subject Files: Child Welfare, 1976-1977
- Folder 6: Subject Files: Conservation, 1969-1973
- Folder 7: Subject Files: Constitutional Convention: Local League Materials, 1968-1969
- Folder 8: Subject Files: Constitutional Convention: State League Materials, 1961-1971
- Folder 9: Subject Files: Constitutional Convention: Convention Records, 1969-1970
- Folder 10: Subject Files: Constitutional Convention: Publicity Materials, 1970
- Folder 11: Subject Files: Constitutional Convention: Con Con Comments, 1967-1970
- Folder 12: Subject Files: Constitutional Convention: The Weekly Illinois Constitutional Convention Summary, 1970
- Folder 13: Subject Files: Crime, 1967-1968
- Box 4
- Folder 1-3: Subject Files: Day Care, 1966-1976
- Folder 4: Subject Files: Education Conference Kit, 1955
- Folder 5: Subject Files: Executive Branch Study, 1973-1975
- Folder 6: Subject Files: Housing: Local League Materials, 1972-1976
- Folder 7: Subject Files: Housing: State and National League Materials, 1970-1976
- Folder 8: Subject Files: Human Relations, St. Charles Community Council-Minutes and Constitution, 1964-1970
- Folder 9: Subject Files: Human Resources: Local, State, and National League Materials, 1970-1977
- Box 5
- Folder 1: Subject Files: Human Resources: Pamphlets, no date
- Folder 2: Subject Files: Illinois State Training School for Boys, Study, 1950
- Folder 3: Subject Files: Illinois State Training School for Girls, Study, 1951, 1955
- Folder 4: Subject Files: Land Use: Local League Materials, 1971-1974
- Folder 5: Subject Files: Land Use: State and National League Materials, 1972-1975
- Folder 6: Subject Files: Library Study, St. Charles, 1962
- Folder 7: Subject Files: Local Government-Home Rule and Townships, 1969- 1976
- Folder 8: Subject Files: Loyalty Study, 1951-1958
- Folder 9: Subject Files: Primary Elections, 1976
- Folder 10: Subject Files: Public School Finance: Local League Materials, 1970-1973
- Folder 11: Subject Files: Public School Finance: State and National League Materials, 1972-1977
- Folder 12: Subject Files: Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) Study, 1973-1974
- Folder 13: Subject Files: Solid Waste Disposal, 1971-1972
- Folder 14: Subject Files: State Income Tax, 1966, 1969
- Folder 15: Subject Files: Water Studies, 1969-1973
- Folder 16: Press Releases, 1960-1962
- Folder 17: League Plays or Skits, no date
- Folder 18: Local League Handbook, 1969
- Folder 19: Guide for Local League Treasurer, 1967
- Series II.: Kane County Records
- Box 5
- Folder 20-21: County Council League of Women Voters (LWV), Minutes, Correspondence, History, 1921-1941; 1961-1972
- Folder 22: Preliminary Survey, 1947
- Folder 23: Annual Report, 1970
- Folder 24: Education, 1948
- Folder 25: Government, 1971-1972
- Folder 26: Justice Department Survey, 1948
- Folder 27: Kane County Public Aid Coalition, 1968-1972
- Folder 28-29: Public Health, 1965-1973
- Folder 30: Public Welfare, 1949, 1971-1977
- Folder 31: School Reorganization, 1947-1950
- Folder 32: Publication, Know Your County, 1966
- Folder 33: Directory of Interleague Organizations, 1971
- Folder 34-36: Newspaper Clippings, 1959-1980
- Box 6
- Volume 1-4: Scrapbooks (4 volumes), 1947-1957
- Oversize Drawer 17
- Folder 1
- Item 1: Drainage Map, State of Illinois, 1956
- Item 2: Principal Watersheds of Illinois Map, 1958
- Item 3: City Map of St. Charles, 1965
Browse by Series:
[
Series I.: Geneva-St. Charles League of Women Voters (LWV) Records],
[
Series II.: Kane County Records],
[
Oversize Drawer 17],
[All]
Regional History Center 
