Scope and Contents
Founded in 1971, the Oregon Women’s Political Caucus (OWPC) was a state-wide women’s political organization that mirrored the National Women’s Political Caucus (NWPC) at a state level. Along with fighting to right women’s issues, the OWPC also strove to achieve equal human rights for all people, regardless of sex, color, race or religion, as reflected in this collection.
This collection contains materials from 1971 to 1999 from a wide range of donors including Gretchen Kafoury (the co-founder of the OWPC), Margie Hendrikson, Eleanor Davis, Sara Lichtenstein and Merry Demarest. For more information on Oregon women’s political history, be sure to look through the individual collections of the women listed above, as well as the Oregon National Organization for Women (NOW) collection.
The collections contain correspondence, reports, financial papers, publications, conference proceedings, and training materials, along with many subject files.
Collection is organized into the following series:
Series I: Campaign Materials and Endorsements
Series II: OWPC Organization
Series III: Conventions/Meetings/Events
Series IV: NWPC
Series V: Organizations/Issues/Laws
Series VI: Subject Files
Series VII: Bylaws and Directories
Series VIII: Publications
Series IX: Ephemera/Miscellaneous
Series X: Correspondence
Dates
- 1971-1999
Creator
- Oregon Women's Political Caucus (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time. Collection includes sound recordings, moving images, and digital files to which access is restricted. Access to these materials is governed by repository policy and may require the production of listening or viewing copies. Researchers requiring access must notify Special Collections and University Archives in advance and pay fees for reproduction services as necessary.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights reside with Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries. Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs. All requests for permission to publish collection materials must be submitted to Special Collections and University Archives. The reader must also obtain permission of the copyright holder.
Biographical / Historical
Founded in 1971, the Oregon Women’s Political Caucus (OWPC) was a state-wide women’s political organization that mirrored the National Women’s Political Caucus (NWPC) at a state level. The OWPC primarily focused on helping women interested in running for office within the Pacific Northwest. As their mission statement states, the OWPC was created to “promote equitable representation of women and women’s interests in the decision-making process of government by maximizing the inclusion and involvement of women in political activities through education and action.” Along with fighting to right women’s issues, the OWPC also strove to achieve equal human rights for all people, regardless of sex, color, race or religion, as reflected in this collection.
In 1979, the OWPC created the Oregon Women’s Campaign School in order to educate and support potential Oregon women candidates. Today, the Oregon Women’s Campaign School is held biennially in early spring/late winter in Portland, Oregon and helps prospective Oregon women obtain positions at the local, state and national levels.
Separate, smaller groups of the OWPC were created as the caucus grew in the 70’s and 80’s, such as the Portland Area Women’s Political Caucus (PAWPC) and the Lane Women’s Political Caucus (LWPC). Eventually these groups regressed back into one major caucus, the OWPC, before the Oregon caucus disbanded completely.
Currently about 18 state chapters still exist within the NWPC, including California, New York and Arizona. And since the founding of the NWPC and OWPC in 1971, there has been a dramatic increase in women elected officials.
Extent
46 linear feet (33 containers) : 26 record storage boxes, 4 manuscript boxes, 2 half manuscript boxes, and 1 oversized box
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Founded in 1971, the Oregon Women’s Political Caucus (OWPC) was a state-wide women’s political organization that mirrored the National Women’s Political Caucus (NWPC) at a state level. Along with fighting to right women’s issues, the OWPC also strove to achieve equal human rights for all people, regardless of sex, color, race or religion, as reflected in this collection.
This collection contains materials from 1971 to 1999 from a wide range of donors including Gretchen Kafoury (the co-founder of the OWPC), Margie Hendriksen, Eleanor Davis, Sara Lichtenstein and Merry Demarest. For more information on Oregon women’s political history, be sure to look through the individual collections of the women listed above, as well as the Oregon National Organization for Women (NOW) collection.
The collection contains correspondence, reports, financial papers, publications, conference proceedings, and training materials, along with many subject files.
Arrangement
Collection is organized into the following series:
Series I: Campaign Materials and Endorsements
Series II: OWPC Organization
Series III: Conventions/Meetings/Events
Series IV: NWPC
Series V: Organizations/Issues/Laws
Series VI: Subject Files
Series VII: Bylaws and Directories
Series VIII: Publications
Series IX: Ephemera/Miscellaneous
Series X: Correspondence
General
Finding aid must be updated for clarity, and boxes reorganized to arrange folders as they are listed. Presently, folders are in the wrong boxes and the finding aid does not show any signs of organization. 2020 January 23
Processing Information
Collection processed by Austin Pliska, 2013.
This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
- Civic Activism Subject Source: Archiveswest
- Correspondence Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Human rights Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Oregon Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Oregon Women's Political Caucus
- Political activists -- Oregon Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Proceedings Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Reports Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Women Subject Source: Archiveswest
- Women -- Political activity -- Oregon Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Women's rights -- Oregon Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Source
- Kafoury, Gretchen Miller (Person)
- Demarest, Merry (Person)
- Hendriksen, Margie (Person)
- Davis, Eleanor R., 1922- (Person)
- Title
- Guide to the Oregon Women's Political Caucus Records
- Status
- Revise Description
- Author
- Austin Pliska and Kira B. Homo
- Date
- 2013
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is written in English
- Sponsor
- Funding for production of this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) administered through the Oregon State Library.
Repository Details
Part of the University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives Repository
