mnsss333 National Order of Women Legislators Records, 1933-1988 Finding Aid Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College

Northampton, MA

Finding aid exported into EAD from InMagic DB/Textworks 7.01. Encoded by Margaret Jessup and Jennifer Smar. 2006-04-07 Finding aid written in English. Sophia Smith CollectionSmith College National Order of Women Legislators Records, 1933-1988 Finding Aid MS 357 2005 Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Collection Overview National Order of Women Legislators National Order of Women Legislators Records1933-1988 MS 357 5 boxes (3.75 linear ft.) English Sophia Smith Collection

Smith College Northampton, MA

Legislators' organization. The records include minutes, reports, publications, and other administrative records, as well as scrapbooks about individual legislators and NOWL meetings.. Historical Note

The National Order of Women Legislators was founded in 1938 when woman legislators from more than a dozen states assembled in Washington to establish a national group. The first meeting of the organization was a social one, a tea given by the organizing Connecticut group. This affair, attended by over thirty legislators, was followed by a business meeting at which participants formulated and approved by-laws and a constitution for a national organization. The group also chose an insignia of a small gold owl (prompting the nicknaming of "Owls" to the Order) to be worn only by those elected to state legislatures. The group had a private audience with the president followed by tea at the White House. The National Order of Women Legislators is a non-partisan organization. As outlined in its constitution, the group's members are interested in promoting "a spirit of helpfulness" among women members of state legislatures, acting as a "clearing house for information," and promoting the election of competent women to public office. All women who have ever served in either house of a state legislature are eligible to join.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The National Order of Women Legislators Records is a somewhat fragmented collection of minutes, reports, publications, and other administrative records. The bulk of the collection consists of scrapbooks of clippings, photographs, correspondence, and printed material, about individual legislators and NOWL meetings, mostly dated 1970s and 1980s.

NOTE: The container list for this collection is available in the Sophia Smith Collection. Please contact us to request a copy.

Information on Use Terms of Access and Use

The papers are open to research according to the regulations of the Sophia Smith Collection.

This collection has not been fully processed and therefore may be difficult to use.

Copyright to unpublished materials may be owned by the creator, or their heirs or assigns. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights. Permission to publish reproductions or quotations beyond "fair use" must also be obtained from the Sophia Smith Collection as owners of the physical property.

Preferred Citation

Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:

National Order of Women Legislators Records, Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College, Northampton, Mass.

Additions to the Collection

Periodic additions to collection are expected and may not be reflected in this record.

Search Terms National Order of Women Legislators Women in politics--United States--History--Sources Women legislators--United States--History--Sources