The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, volunteer organization whose purpose is to promote political responsibility through the informed and active participation of citizens in government. Its major concern is voter education, and before most elections, it publishes a voters guide with information about the candidates and the various ballot proposals. The League also sponsors public forums, interviews candidates, and otherwise works to get out the vote. As a nonpartisan group, the League does not take a position on political parties or candidates, only on issues, and only after it has made a thorough study of the subject and its membership has reached a consensus.
The development of the Dearborn-Dearborn Heights League of Women is somewhat more complicated than other local leagues. It began first as a unit discussion group of the Detroit LWV. Here the group studied a wide range of Detroit, state, and national issues, but very little about local Dearborn affairs. As a result, the leadership of this group began working to have their own league chapter. In March 1951, a provisional league was formed; in December 1951, that provisional league was formally recognized as the League of Women Voters of Dearborn.
With the growth and development of this area of the state in the 1950's and 1960's, some felt there might be a need for a separate league for Dearborn Heights. A provisional league was recognized in 1967, but after five years, its members voted to disband. At the same time as that dissolution, April 20, 1972, the members of the Dearborn LWV voted to reorganize, enlarging the basis of their organization, and changing its name to the League of Women Voters of Dearborn-Dearborn Heights.
From the guide to the League of Women Voters of Dearborn-Dearborn Heights records, 1953-1978, (Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)
