League of Women Voters of Oregon

The League of Women Voters of Oregon's history dates back to 1920. In February 1920, at its Victory Convention in Chicago, the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) voted to reconstitute itself as the National League of Women Voters. Its mission was the political education of new women voters.

From the description of League of Women Voters of Oregon records, 1958-1975. (University of Oregon Libraries). WorldCat record id: 57228446

The League of Women Voters of Oregon's history dates back to 1920. In February 1920, at its Victory Convention in Chicago, the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) voted to reconstitute itself as the National League of Women Voters. Its mission was the political education of new women voters. It was NAWSA President Carrie Chapman Catt who first proposed a League of Women Voters "to finish the fight" and "aid in the reconstruction of the nation." According to Nancy Newman, "the fight to be finished was winning national woman suffrage and eliminating other forms of political and legal discrimination against women. Reconstruction of the nation meant educating citizens with the goal of strengthening American democracy in a chaotic post-war-period." ( The League of Women Voters in Perspective: 1920-1924 ).

It wasn't until the 1946 convention that the name was changed to the League of Women Voters of the United States to emphasize the shift from being a federation of state Leagues to being a member-based organization.

Source: Information obtained from the League of Women Voters of Oregon website: <http://www.open.org/~lwvor/> accessed on December 4, 2003.)

From the guide to the League of Women Voters of Oregon records, 1958-1975, (Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries)