Voter Registration Drives: University of Illinois, 1971

The DeKalb League of Women Voters, organized soon after the formation of the national League, educated the first women voters of DeKalb County on the mechanics and policies of government. These records document the League’s efforts towards securing legislation of special interest to women, wiping out legal discrimination against women, and educating the general public on city, county, state, and national politics. Information is available on the League’s work to save the DeKalb city park in the 1930’s, it’s support of the city manager form of government and the Unit District for DeKalb Schools, and its efforts at the Illinois Constitutional Convention. In addition, the collection contains an evaluation of the DeKalb County Jail (1976) and a criminal justice study manual (1975) used in a League class. Researchers should note that very little of the core materials-minutes, annual reports, and newsletters-predates 1936. Nevertheless, a history of the organization, located in Box 1, Folder 1 fills in some of the missing information. The minutes (1936-1978) describe the League’s monthly meetings and detail lectures heard by the group. Descriptions of club activities, government policies of interest to the League, local campaigns and projects to educate the public on politics, and national League programs are available in the newsletters (l918-l972). The radio skits aired on WLBK also describe the political concerns of the League (1948-1965).