urn:taro:utsa.00007 A Guide to the League of Women Voters of the San Antonio Area Records, 1930-1997 (bulk 1947-1980) Text converted by SPI Content Sciences Inc., July 2003. Finding aid written in English. April 15, 2004 Edited in XMetal 3 by Traci JoLeigh Drummond according to instructions in TARO 2 EAD 2002 Editing Instructions 27 November 2007 Edited with XMetal 3 by Nikki Lynn Thomas according to instructions in TARO 2 EAD 2002 Editing Instructions. Edited for subject terms and formatting issues. March 27, 2008 Edited with XMetal Author by Angela McClendon to reflect addition of audiovisual use copy (UC-MS005/1). Descriptive Summary League of Women Voters of the San Antonio Area League of Women Voters of the San Antonio Area Records 1930-1997 1947-1980 Materials are in English. MS 05 5.4 linear feet (about 4,000 items) Archives and Special Collections Department, The University of Texas at San Antonio Library The League of Women Voters of the San Antonio Area is a non-partisan organization promoting active and informed participation of citizens in government. The collection contains annual reports, meeting minutes, membership directories, newsletters, state convention materials, financial records, publications, statements of position, newspaper columns, Voter's Guide, and newspaper clippings. Collectively the records document the organization's topics such as downtown revitalization, education, economic development, health, housing, environment, and issues in state and local government including revision of the Texas Constitution. Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], League of Women Voters of the San Antonio Area Records, 1930-1997, MS 5, Archives and Special Collections, University of Texas at San Antonio Library.

 Historical Note

The League of Women Voters of the San Antonio Area is a non-partisan organization promoting active and informed participation of citizens in government. In 1940, Mrs. Claude Hill, then President of the Texas League of Women Voters, worked with Mrs. Clayton (Myra) Scott and Mrs. George (Georgia) H. Smith to start the San Antonio League. The organization held its first meeting in August of 1940.

The San Antonio League conducts annual meetings, and regularly holds board and general meetings. General meetings for the entire membership occur at least four times a year for all members to attend and exchange opinions. Small groups within the San Antonio League, called Units, also meet regularly. Unit meetings serve to maximize member participation by encouraging members to participate in gathering information, solving problems, planning actions, developing programs, and discussing League programs and activities. At each unit meeting, report forms (as opposed to minutes) are completed to document discussions.

The League does not endorse or oppose candidates or political parties, however, the League does research, write, and support statements of position on certain political issues. The San Antonio League has held positions on issues regarding municipal council-manager government, revision of the Texas Constitution, the presidential impeachment process, San Antonio Missions National Historic Park, Edwards Aquifer recharge zone, and growth and land use issues in San Antonio. The League takes action providing information, building public opinion, and supporting/opposing legislation. One of the most recognized and visible projects of the League is the Voter's Guide, published in the local newspaper before election time. The Voter's Guide provides non-partisan information on candidates and issues on the ballot of an upcoming election.

 Scope and Content Note

The collection contains records that document the organization's structure, history, purpose, positions on political issues, and projects. The San Antonio League researches positions on political issues concerning education, economic development, health, housing, justice, and water resources, among others.

League of Women Voters is divided into five series: History, Administrative Records, Projects, Subject Files, and Publicity. History is particularly strong in recounting the beginning years of the organization from 1940-1946. However, a compiled written history for subsequent years does not exist in the series.

Administrative Records consists of annual reports, meeting minutes, membership directories, newsletters, state convention materials, and financial records. This series is effective in documenting the San Antonio League's organizational structure, however, it is limited in documenting the level of cooperation between the national, state, and other local chapters of the League.

Ways in which the League set out to meet its purpose and role in the public are evident in Projects. This series documents positions the League took on pending local issues concerning topics such as downtown revitalization, education, and the environment; as well as issues in state and local government such as revision of the Texas Constitution. Position statements and Viewpoint newspaper columns are especially strong in documenting the League's stand on particular issues. Also included in this series is a near complete set of Voter's Guide for the years 1961-1993. The League researched and compiled Voter's Guide to inform citizens on candidates and issues before an election.

Subject Files provide insight into issues of interest to the San Antonio League. Some of these files contain reference materials that complement Projects.

Publicity is extremely fragmentary in its coverage. Television and radio publicity materials only date in the 1970s and newspaper clippings on the San Antonio League's activities cover a 15 year span from 1965-1979. Also included are national and local promotional publications of the League.

 Acqusition Information

Received as a gift from the League of Women Voters of the San Antonio Area in 1994 (Acc. 1994-003); subsequent additions date 2001-2007 and are unprocessed, with the exception of the Voter's Guide from 1997 in this collection.

 Access Restrictions

Original audiovisual materials are closed to patron use. Some use copies are available in the collection. Otherwise, collection is open for research.

 Usage Restrictions

Permission to publish from the League of Women Voters Records must be obtained from the UTSA Library, Archives.

 Processing Information

Processed by Toni Jeske, Processing Archivist, December 1998.

Voter's Guide, 1997, added to the collection by UTSA Archives staff at undetermined date.

 Related Material

Information about the League of Women Voters of the San Antonio Area can also be found in the William and Fay Sinkin Papers, located at UTSA Archives and Special Collections.

 Organization of Collection Series 1. History, 1930-1990 Series 2. Administrative Records, 1947-1993 Series 3. Projects, 1953-1997 Series 4. Subject Files, 1951-1984 Series 5. Publicity, 1947-1993 Index Terms Organizations League of Women Voters of the San Antonio Area. Topics Elections--Texas--San Antonio. Local government--Texas--San Antonio. Municipal government--Texas--San Antonio Planning--Texas--San Antonio Political participation--Texas--San Antonio. Public welfare--Texas--San Antonio Women--Texas--San Antonio--Societies and clubs--History. Women civic leaders--Texas--San Antonio Women in politics--Texas--San Antonio. Locations Edwards Aquifer (Tex.) San Antonio Missions National Historical Park (San Antonio, Tex.)--History. San Antonio (Tex.)--Women. Texas--Politics and government. Genres/Formats Annual reports. Brochures. Clippings. Correspondence. Directories. Financial records. Minutes. Pamphlets. Detailed Description of the Collection 1. History

Contains a detailed history of the first six years of the San Antonio League. In addition, the series contains a few newspaper clippings and letters written by long time members that offer brief historical information on the San Antonio organization.

Arranged chronologically

 1 1 San Antonio League of Women Voters, 1940-1946 1 2 A History of the League Program, 1949 1 3 Historical summaries, 1930, 1969, 1987-1990 2. Administrative Records

Included are records of organizational structure, annual reports, membership directories, minutes, state convention materials, and financial records. Of particular note is a near complete set of board minutes from the organization's inception through 1978, annual and general meeting minutes spanning 1947-1975, and a run of The Voter newsletter from 1965-1979.

Arranged by type

 1 4 Organizational structure, 1946-1967 1 Annual Reports 1 5 1970-1979, 1990 1 Annual and General Meeting Minutes 1 6 1947-1966 1 7 1967-1975, 1990 1 Board Minutes 1 8 1947-1948 2 1 1949-1951 2 2 1952-1953 2 3 1954 2 4 1955-1956 2 5 1957-1958 2 6 1959-1961 2 7 1962-1964 3 1 1965-1966 3 2 1967-1968 3 3 1969 3 4 1970-1971 3 5 1972 3 6-7 1973-1975 4 1 1975-1978 4 2 1984 4 3 Unit Reports and Interest Indicators, 1953-1971 4 Membership Lists 4 4 1953-1959 4 5 1966-1987 4 Newsletter The Voter 4 6 1965-1966 4 7 1966-1968 4 8 1968-1969 5 1 1973-1975 5 2 1975-1976 5 3 1977-1979 5 4 1984 5 5 Local Program Book, 1990-1993 5 State Convention Materials 5 6 1956 5 7 1968 5 8 1979 5 Financial Records 5 9 Audits, 1952-1976 5 10 Budgets, 1954-1973 5 11 Exemption Tax Forms, 1964-1975, 1980 3. Projects

This series contains correspondence and informational materials used for projects on which the San Antonio League worked. Projects mainly concern education, and local and state government. Also included are Statements of Position (1964-1978), and significant runs of Viewpoint newspaper columns (1953-1966), and Voter's Guide (1961-1993).

Also available is a use copy of a 1963 audio recording entitled Woman's Place (UC-MS005/1).

Arranged alphabetically by project

 6 1 American Heritage Foundation Entry, 1962 6 2 Child Watch training photographs and negatives, 1982 6 Downtown Revitalization Forum 6 3 General, 1975-1976 6 4 Proposals, 1972, 1975 6 5 Financial Records, 1975-1976 6 6 Matching Funds, 1975 6 School District Surveys 6 7 Bexar County Metropolitan Youth Agency, Youth Needs Survey, 1977 6 8 Harlandale, Alamo Heights, and Edgewood Schools, undated 6 9 Houston Independent School District, 1981-1982 6 10 Northeast Independent School District, 1978-1982 6 11 Southside Independent School District, 1977 6 Local and State Government Issues 6 12 Information about Citizen's Handbook, 1957-1958 6 13 Citizen's Handbooks, 1957-1964 6 14 City Council-Manager Issue, 1944-1961 7 1 County Government, 1956-1988 7 2 Key to the City Handbook, 1960-1961 7 3 Local Government Handbook: a guide to local Government in the San Antonio metropolitan area, 1974-1975 7 4 Planning and zoning issues, 1964-1966 7 5 Political Fair Photographs, 1962 7 Statements of Position 7 6 1964-1974 7 7 1974-1977 7 8 Local action, 1976-1978 7 9 National action, 1976-1977 7 Viewpoint Newspaper Columns 7 10 International and National issues, 1953-1955 7 11 State Constitutional Revision, 1954-1957 7 12 City Council Manager Charter, 1957 7 13 Federal Fiscal Policy Structure, 1957 7 14 Foreign Trade and United Nations, 1957 7 15 Individual Liberties, Loyalty-Security, 1958 8 1 Multi-topical, 1958-1966 OM1 Voter's Guide OM1 1 1961-1981 OM1 2 1982-1986 OM1 3 1987-1993, 1997 8 2 Woman's Place audio tape reel (Use Copy UC-MS005/1), 1963 8 2 Woman's Place audio tape reel (CLOSED: original audio recording), 1963 4. Subject Files

Contains reference materials such as newspaper clippings, brochures, and publications on issues of interest to the organization. Topics include issues related to education and state and local government.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

 8 3 China Study, 1959-1967 8 Education 8 4 Effectiveness of Schools, 1977, 1980, 1983 8 5 Governor's Advisory Committee on Education, 1968, 1980 8 6 Informational Background Materials, 1968-1984 8 Publications 8 7 1977, 1980 8 8 1982-1985 8 9 Reference Articles, 1970 8 10 United San Antonio Business/Community Network for Education, 1983 8 Local and State Government Issues 8 11 Campaign Financing, 1973 8 12 Charter Revision Commission, 1976 8 13 Government Budget Process, 1974-1975 9 1 Loyalty and Security, 1953-1959 9 2 Civil Action documents of Sierra Club, et al v. George W. Romney, et al, undated 9 3 San Antonio Subdivision Regulations, Chapter 36 of City Code, undated 9 Texas Constitutional Revision 9 4 1954-1969 9 5 1966-1984 Slide Cabinet Slides, undated 9 Publications 9 General 9 6 1947-1968 9 7 1967-1983 9 8 Constitution and Political Parties, 1951-1957 10 1 Rejected draft of Master Plan for San Antonio, 1979 5. Publicity Materials

This series contains a few public service spot scripts and recording, newspaper clippings, and national and local promotional brochures and pamphlets meant to educate the public on the role of the League of Women Voters.

Arranged by type.

 10 2 Publications of the League of Women Voters, 1950, 1971-1986, 1993 10 Newspaper clippings 10 3 1965-1968 10 4 1968-1970 10 5 1978-1979 10 6 Certificates of Award, 1958, 1968 10 Television and Radio publicity 10 7 Print materials, 1976-1978 10 8 Public service spot 16mm film, 1976 Slide Cabinet Slides for Local Scenes, undated