Skip to main content

League of Women Voters of New Mexico Records

 Collection
Identifier: MSS-471-BC

Scope and Content

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico Records contain file documents created by and collected by the State wide organization of its state and some of its local chapters. The material is organized into the following series:

Scrapbooks: The series consists of scrapbooks of newspaper clippings compiled by the League of Women Voters of New Mexico, Albuquerque, Gallup, Roswell, Los Alamos, Las Cruces and other areas in the state. Clippings report on League activities including meetings, conventions, field trips, educational programs, voter registration drives and candidate forums. Several scrapbooks also contain clippings relating to current issues under study by the League, or on which the League had taken an official position.Some scrapbooks contain additional materials such as photographs of League events and pamphlets produced by the League. These are noted in the contents list.

Administrative: In this series are the bylaws, board organization and orientation information, League history, including 50th and 75th anniversaries, board minutes 1949-2003 (missing 2000-2001), board reports, 1965-1978, 1984-1985, annual reports, 1970-1984, treasurer's reports 1969-1997 and budgets, correspondence, photographs, commemorative programs, membership information, state membership directories, state convention programs, council meeting minutes, information on workshops, fundraising, media public relations (news releases), local Leagues' annual reports,1955-1979, legislative session reports and newsletters.

Programs:(Committees, Reports and Studies): In this series are found general information about the programs and topics of study. Topics covered include campaign finance, collective bargaining, the Constitution of New Mexico, daycare, drug policy, D.W.I., education, election reform, finance, Four Year Term Study, government, health care, human resources, Indians, international relations, judiciary system, Know Your State, legislative, natural resources, New Mexico Equal Rights Amendment, state government, state personnel, taxation, urban issues, voter service, welfare and women's issues.

Local Leagues:This series is arranged alphabetically by location covering all parts of the state including Alamogordo, Grants, Gallup, Roswell, Las Vegas, Belen/Valencia, Farmington, Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Tucumcari. There are correspondence, minutes and publications. Also includes a CD of Governor Campbell's speech to the Roswell League on September 10, 1963 about the New Mexico Constitution and Constitutional Revision Commission.

League Publications:This series contains pamphlets, booklets, brochures, newsletters and The New Mexico Voter, which was issued by the League of Women Voters of New Mexico.

Dates

  • 1920-2004, 2011-2013

Creator

Language of Materials

English

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Copy Restrictions

Limited duplication of CSWR material is allowed for research purposes. User is responsible for compliance with all copyright, privacy, and libel laws. Permission is required for publication or distribution.

Biography/History

The League of Women Voters is a non partisan organization that promotes citizen participation in government and the electoral process. Their emphasis is on education for informed decision making. While the League does not support political parties or candidates, they do actively support positions on issues concerning government, natural resources and social policy. Positions are arrived at by consensus following extensive study of an issue.

TThe League of Women Voters was founded by Carrie Chapman Catt in 1920 to help women utilize their new right to vote. The present League of Women Voters of New Mexico was formed in 1949, but Leagues already existed in Albuquerque, Los Alamos and Las Vegas. Since then, many local Leagues have formed and several have been disbanded. In 1974 the New Mexico League voted to admit men as members.

Activities that the League has been involved in include helping with media coverage of elections and legislative sessions; sponsorship of candidate forums, publication of information on candidates for statewide office, and voter registration, with special registration drives aimed at Native Americans and newly enfranchised (under 21) voters.

Among the positions supported by the League of Women Voters of New Mexico was the drive to change the outdated New Mexico Constitution. Although the idea received much support statewide and a Constitutional Convention was called in 1968, the proposed constitution was not ratified. Other issues actively supported by the League have been jury duty for women, the absentee ballot, four year terms for the governor, a state personnel system based on merit, mandatory kindergarten, and expansion of services for troubled children.

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico publishes a monthly newsletter entitled La Palabra in addition to the educational and public service pamphlets produced each year. Local Leagues also publish their own newsletters, Know Your City/County, and studies and pamphlets concerning matters of local interest. For more information see the League of Women Voters of New Mexico website: http://www.lwvnm.org/index.html Source: The Voter. League of Women Voters of Albuquerque. (newsletter) La Palabra. League of Women Voters of New Mexico. (newsletter)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico publishes a monthly newsletter, La Palabra in addition to the educational and public service pamphlets produced each year. Local Leagues also publish their own newsletters, Know Your City/County studies and pamphlets concerning matters of local interest.

Extent

30 boxes (24 cu. ft.) + 1 oversize folder

Abstract

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico Records, 1920-2004 contain administrative documents such as minutes, correspondence, budgets, league histories and convention information. The collection also includes scrapbooks (1947-1987), programs and studies, as well as information on the local leagues.

Arrangement

Divided into five series:
  1. Scrapbooks, 1947-1987
  2. Administrative, 1920-2003
  3. Programs (Committees, Reports and Studies), 1951-2004
  4. Local Leagues (arranged alphabetically by location), 1952-1995
  5. League Publications, 1951-1982

Separated Material

  1. The Voter (League of Women Voters of Albuquerque/Bernalillo County)
  2. La Palabra (Santa Fe, N.M.)
  3. League of Women Voters of Albuquerque Members' Handbook
  4. Folmar, Richard H. Piecemeal Amendment of the New Mexico Constitution, 1911-1971
  5. Santa Fe, N.M.: New Mexico Legislative Council Service, August 1, 1971
  6. Folmar, Richard H. Piecemeal Amendment of the New Mexico Constitution, 1911-1983
  7. Santa Fe, N.M.: New Mexico Legislative Council Service, July 1, 1983
  8. Substance Use Among Albuquerque's Adult Population, Albuquerque, New Mexico: New Mexico Criminal Justice Statistical Analysis Center, Institute for Social Research, University of New Mexico, 1996.
Master CDs are stored in B3.

The following publications were sent to cataloguing for the CSWR general collection:

Processing Information

Original collection was called League of Women Voters of New Mexico Scrapbooks. The collection title was changed to League of Women Voters of New Mexico Records when the addition was processed in 2009. Folder titles are generally those supplied by the League, however, when folder labels were insufficient, processing staff supplied titles based on a cursory examination of folder contents. Audio material was reformatted to CD in April 2009. Three scrapbooks added June, 2019.

Processing Information addition

Inquire with reference staff for access to unprocessed additions (April 2022), 10 boxes, B3-6B. Box 1 includes misc. material for 2000-2006. Box 2 contains misc. material from 1988-1999. Researcher is required to sign confidentiality form to look at unprocessed material.
Title
Finding aid of the League of Women Voters of New Mexico Records, 1920-2004
Status
Approved
Author
Processed by CSWR staff; Addition by IR
Date
©2000
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid is in English

Revision Statements

  • June 28, 2004: PUBLIC "-//University of New Mexico::Center for Southwest Research//TEXT (US::NmU::MSS 471 BC::League of Women Voters of New Mexico Scrapbooks)//EN" "nmu1mss471bc.sgml" converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02.xsl (sy2003-10-15).
  • Monday, 20210524: Attribute normal is missing or blank.

Repository Details

Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository

Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451