This piece was composed by IWA graduate assistant Andrea Leusink. In the spring of 1965, Marion Helland, a fifth-grade teacher in New Hope, Minnesota, was flipping through the latest issue of the American Federation of Teachers newsletter when an ad calling for Freedom School teachers caught her eye. Helland, whose teaching career had begun in Iowa almost 20 yearsContinue reading “Marion Helland: Teaching from IA to MN to MS…and Back!”
Tag Archives: women in politics
The 2024 Kerber Grant gave one researcher renewed appreciation for rural women’s advocacy
IWA’s 2024 Kerber Travel Grant recipient found a wealth of resources for her dissertation on rural women’s grass-roots coalition building.
Eagles, and donkeys, and elephants, oh my!: Politics and animals in IWA
What do an eagle, a donkey, an elephant, and a chicken have in common? They can all be found in the political collections of the Iowa Women’s Archives!
YOU make the government: The Iowa League of Women Voters and civic responsibility
A non-partisan organization, the LWV focuses on voters understanding their power and responsibility in government at all levels. It also emphasizes that for democracy to be for the people, citizens must engage with government at every level. In a 1947 project entitled You are Democracy, the LWV aimed to educate voters on the democratic process.
What Would You Attempt to Do If You Knew You Could Not Fail?
This post is by IWA Graduate Assistant Erik Henderson Taking a risk can be one of the most difficult things you must do. However, how would it feel knowing that you cannot fail no matter what you do? One thing that holds us back in life is our clouded judgment when making a major move.Continue reading “What Would You Attempt to Do If You Knew You Could Not Fail?”
25 for 25: Lenabelle Bock
Today, the Iowa Women’s Archives commemorates Lenabelle Bock. Bock, whose name is spelled variously Lenabelle and Lena Belle, was politically active in Iowa for over twenty-five years before her election to the Iowa House of Representatives. Bock, a Republican, campaigned for and won the House seat for Hancock County. She was one of five women electedContinue reading “25 for 25: Lenabelle Bock”
“Unbossed and Unbought”: Shirley Chisholm and the Voice of the People
Sunday, November 30 is the 90th anniversary of the birth of Shirley Chisholm. The following blog post was written by Anna Bostwick Flaming. Image via usps.com Shirley Chisholm, the “unbought and unbossed” African American congresswoman and 1972 Presidential candidate from the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn is the subject of a 2014 limited edition stamp. Chisholm’sContinue reading ““Unbossed and Unbought”: Shirley Chisholm and the Voice of the People”
Election Day! Politics in the Archives
As the site of the Iowa caucuses as well as the home state of countless policy makers and political activists, Iowa is rich with electoral history. As we cast our votes today, we reflect on the decades of campaigning that has brought some of the 20th century’s biggest political names to Iowa, as well asContinue reading “Election Day! Politics in the Archives”
Women in Politics 2014: Historic & Current Perspectives
Women in Politics 2014: Historic & Current Perspectives Friday, April 18th, 2014, 8:15 AM to 5:00 PM Old Capitol Museum Senate Chambers The Louise Noun – Mary Louise Smith Iowa Women’s Archives was founded by two women who understood the critical importance of women participating in politics at all levels. Join us for a day-longContinue reading “Women in Politics 2014: Historic & Current Perspectives”
Women on the Chautauqua Circuit: Winsome Lasses and Ardent Advocates
This post by Kären Mason, Curator of the Iowa Women’s Archives, was originally written for Akashic Books. Chautauqua was an eagerly anticipated event in towns across the United States in the early 20th century. Huge tents were erected and a variety of speakers, performances, and children’s activities took place over the week the Chautauqua wasContinue reading “Women on the Chautauqua Circuit: Winsome Lasses and Ardent Advocates”