Title: Wisconsin Women's Legislative Council Records
Inclusive Dates: 1919-1967

Creator:

• Wisconsin Women's Legislative Council

Call Number: Mss 502

Quantity: 1.2 c.f. (3 archives boxes)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Records of the Wisconsin Women's Legislative Council, the first women's organization in the United States to promote the passage of beneficial legislation and to serve as a clearinghouse for legislative information. The collection includes organizational records, correspondence, bulletins, minutes, membership lists, and financial records. Topics of interest to the group included food legislation, adoption of children, and the progress of other legislation. Included are the papers of Elizabeth M. Nelson, 1950 president of the WWLC and officer in the Wisconsin Home Economics Association, who was active in the promotion of legislation concerning food additives and labeling. Also included is a small amount of material dealing with the National Council on State Legislation, and correspondence with Governor Walter Kohler.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss00502

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The Wisconsin Women's Legislative Council (WWLC) was founded in 1916 to promote the passage of beneficial legislation and to protect that which already existed. It was the first such women's organization in the United States. Originally named the Legislative Clearing House, the name was changed in 1921 to the Women's Legislative Committee. A few years later the name Wisconsin Women's Legislative Council was adopted. The Council was non-partisan in nature, and excluded from membership political and economic interest groups. In 1939 the WWLC became a charter member of the National Council on State Legislation, founded in 1938. The NCSL coordinated the work of state legislative interest groups.

The WWLC was composed of representatives of large state and local organizations and served as a clearinghouse for legislative information. Each representative brought to the meetings legislative programs approved by her organization. The Council studied current bills; reported on state legislative action, hearing schedules, and status of legislation; discussed legislative procedures and techniques; and heard speakers. By unanimous vote the Council could lobby for and against bills. A majority vote would allow a Council representative to testify at a legislative hearing. Bulletins reporting on the work of the Council and on the status of legislation, were published and mailed to member organizations.

The Wisconsin Women's Legislative Council disbanded in 1967 because of declining membership.

The records of the WWLC consist of organizational and financial documents; correspondence; bulletins; and the papers of Elizabeth M. Nelson, president of the Council in 1950. A small file of records of the National Council on State Legislation is also present.

Organizational papers include a brief history of WWLC; a constitution; by-laws; minutes of the Council and of the executive committee, containing membership lists and addresses; and a roll book listing voting and non-voting members, and member organization representatives. The correspondence covers such routine matters as announcements of meetings, dues, and requests for support of legislation, as well as specific topics including adoption, food legislation, membership applications and withdrawals, and programs of other state legislative councils. The financial papers contain the treasurer's records of dues paid and disbursements. In the bulletins may be found reports on the progress of bills through the legislature; information on the WWLC radio program on WHAM, which began in 1931; and lists of Council officers and membership, 1939-1953.

The papers of Elizabeth M. Nelson illustrate her long-time activities as legislative program committee chair for the Wisconsin Home Economics Association, and focus mainly on legislation concerned with food additives and labeling. The correspondents include state legislators and officials, and Governor Walter Kohler. There are also speech notes, WWLC meeting notes, newspaper clippings, and miscellaneous material. Most of the papers date from the early 1950's.

The records of the National Council on State Legislation consist of two folders of correspondence and organizational material. Also included are by-laws, constitutions, membership lists, minutes of national conventions and annual meetings, and newsletters. The papers are fragmentary, and date from about 1950.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Elizabeth M. Nelson and Lena Ehrensperger, Madison, Wisconsin, 1977. Accession Number: M77-355

Processing Information

Processed by Menzi Behrnd Klodt and Claire Collier, October, 1979.

	Series: Wisconsin Women's Legislative Council Records
Box   1 Folder   1	Organizational and Historical Papers, 1927-1963
Box   1 Folder   2	Roll Book, 1925-1955
Box   1 Folder   3	List of Member Organizations, 1927-1966
	Minutes
Box   1 Folder   4-8	1919-1921, 1923-1935, 1937-1949, 1951-1963
Box   2 Folder   1	1964-1967
Box   2 Folder   2	Mailing Lists
	Correspondence
Box   2 Folder   3	General, 1927-1967
Box   2 Folder   4	With Legislative Councils in Other States, 1937-1956
Box   2 Folder   5	With Governors of Wisconsin, 1932-1962
Box   2 Folder   6	Organizations Applying for or Withdrawing from Membership, 1935-1964
Box   2 Folder   7	Reports from Member Organizations, 1932-1933
Box   2 Folder   8	Ledger and Check Stubs, 1946-1967
Box   2 Folder   9-11	Bulletins, 1925-1937, 1939-1953, 1955-1965
Box   2 Folder   12	Materials on Adoption of Children, 1958-1962
Box   2 Folder   13	Materials on Food Additives and Labeling of Food, 1960
Box   2 Folder   14	Miscellaneous
	Series: Elizabeth M. Nelson Papers	⇧
Box   2 Folder   15	Correspondence, 1950-1964
Box   3 Folder   1	Notes for Speeches and Meetings
Box   3 Folder   2	Miscellaneous
	Series: National Council on State Legislation Records	⇧
Box   3 Folder   3	Correspondence with WWLC, 1939-1953
Box   3 Folder   4	Organizational Papers, 1942-1952