The National Organization for Women (NOW) was formed in June, 1966. Its origination was a result of frustration experienced by women while attending the Third National Conference of Commissions on the Status of Women in Washington, D.C. It had been three years since the Commission reported findings of women being discriminated against in virtually every aspect of life. However, the 1966 Conference delegates were prohibited by the administration's rules for the conference from even passing resolutions recommending that the Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforce its legal mandate to end sex discrimination.
Betty Friedan, a Conference guest and author of The Feminine Mystique, invited a group of women to her hotel room one night to discuss alternative strategies. It was decided that the only solution was to form a separate civil rights organization dedicated to achieving full equality for women; it was Friedan who christened it "NOW". Kathryn Clarenbach, head of the Wisconsin Commission on the Status of Women, was named temporary coordinator, and the women drafted a statement of purpose:
"To take action to bring women into full participation in the mainstream of American Society NOW, assuming all the privileges and responsibilities thereof in fully equal partnership with men."
In addition to Clarenbach and Friedan, NOW's 28 founding members were: Ada Allness, Mary Benbow, Gene Boyer, Analoyce Clapp, Catherine Conroy, Caroline Davis, Mary Eastwoop, Edith Finlayson, Dorothy Haener, Anna Roosevelt Halstead, Lorene Harrington, Mary Lou Hill, Esther Johnson, Nancy Knaak, Min L. Matheson, Helen Moreland, Pauline Parish, Eve P. Purvis, Edna Schwartz, Gretchen Squires, Mary Jane Snyder, Betty Talkington, and Caroline Ware.
NOW was incorporated officially in Washington, D.C., on February 10, 1967, after finalization of its National Constitution and By-Laws by an appointed committee. Task Forces were set up to deal with problems of women in employment, education, religion, poverty, law, politics, and image in the media among others. Committees were organized to handle finance, membership, public relations, legislation, and legal activities.
The National Organization for Women (NOW) continues to exist today, actively pursuing full equality for women.
The earliest record contained in the National Organization for Women Collection is the NOW Statement of Purpose dated October 29, 1966. Generally, the collection concentrates on the early to mid-seventies, with the majority of the information gathered during 1973 and 1974. There is no dated material covering the years 1974 to the present. The collection is divided into four series: the Administrative Series, the Task Forces Series, the Issues & Interests Series, and the Newsletters Series.
The Administrative Series includes Board of Directors minutes and reports, by-laws, budget & financial information, correspondence, policies & resolutions, state structure, etc. The Task Force Series contains organizational information of the Task Forces as well as correspondence of the various Task Forces. The Issues & Interests Series contains any information relating to subject matter of the Task Forces, but not specifically originating from their offices. It also contains a variety of information on numerous topics thought pertinent by NOW members. The Newsletter Series contains local chapter newsletters as well as state and national newsletters.
The records in this collection were received in a single accession from Lynn Cleary in 1995. Lynn was using the papers for research, after receiving them from Amy Medell, state president of NOW. They were originally collected and stored for many years by Renee Diamond.
Physical Description: The National Organization for Women Collection consists of 8 boxes ( 3 ½ linear feet)
Restrictions: None
Location of Collection: Lied Library Special Collections Department, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV
Processed by: Caryll Batt Dziedziak
Date Completed: December 5, 1995
Inventory and Container List
National Organization for Women
95-30
| BOX # | FLDR# | CONTENTS |
| ADMINISTRATIVE SERIES | ||
| 1 | 1 | Board of Directors - Executive Committee Officers, 1973 |
| 2 | Board of Directors - Minutes of Meetings | |
| 3 | Board of Directors - Reports | |
| 4 | Budget, 1973 | |
| 5 | By-Laws - proposed for Metro Denver Chapter | |
| 6 | By-Laws - Proposed National Changes | |
| 7 | By-Laws - Western Region, 1972 | |
| 8 | Commemoration: 53rd Anniversary of 19th Amendment, August 26, 1973 | |
| 9 | Conference: 6th National - February 16-19, 1973 | |
| 10 | Conference: 7th National - May 1974 "The Position Paper of California" | |
| 11 | Conference: Western Regional - September 28-30, 1973 | |
| 12 | Congressional Records | |
| 13 | Correspondence, [undated] | |
| 14 | Correspondence, 1973 | |
| 15 | Correspondence, 1974 | |
| 16 | Federal Revenue Sharing | |
| 17 | Financial | |
| 18 | Goals of NOW | |
| 19 | Guidelines: Chapters, Coalitions, Committees | |
| 20 | Laws: Las Vegas and Clark County | |
| 2 | 1 | Las Vegas Chapter NOW |
| 2 | League Units | |
| 3 | Legal Defense and Education Fund (LDEF) | |
| 4 | Letterhead | |
| 5 | Lobbying Reports and Action | |
| 6 | Los Angeles Chapter NOW | |
| 7 | Membership - interested persons | |
| 8 | National Public Information Office | |
| 9 | News Releases | |
| 10 | Policies and Resolutions | |
| 11 | Political Action Research (PAR) | |
| 12 | Press Releases | |
| 13 | Public Relations | |
| 14 | State Structure | |
| 15 | Statement of Purpose, 1966 | |
| 16 | University Chapter NOW | |
| TASK FORCE SERIES | ||
| 3 | 1 | Broadcast Media (FCC) Task Force |
| 2 | Compliance and Enforcement Task Force | |
| 3 | Coordinators of Task Forces | |
| 4 | Education Task Force | |
| 5 | Fund-Raising Task Force | |
| 6 | Health Task Force | |
| 7 | Higher Education Task Force | |
| 8 | Image of Women Task Force | |
| 9 | Labor Unions Task Force | |
| 10 | Legislative Task Force | |
| 11 | Marriage, Divorce & Family Relations Task Force | |
| 12 | Masculine Mystique Task Force | |
| 13 | Minority Women & Women's Rights Task Force | |
| 14 | Politics Task Force | |
| 15 | Rape Task Force | |
| 16 | Reproduction and Population Task Force | |
| 17 | Summaries of Task Forces Booklet | |
| 18 | Women and Poverty Task Force | |
| 19 | Women and Religion Task Force | |
| 20 | Women and Sports Task Force | |
| 21 | Women and Volunteerism Task Force | |
| ISSUES & INTEREST SERIES | ||
| 4 | 1 | Abortion |
| 2 | Anti-Abortion | |
| 3 | Anti-ERA | |
| 4 | Bibliography | |
| 5 | Child Development | |
| 6 | Consciousness Raising | |
| 7 | Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) | |
| 8 | ERA Testimony | |
| 9 | Family Planning | |
| 10 | Family Planning: News Articles | |
| 11 | Family Planning Population Reporter | |
| 12 | Feminist Enterprises | |
| 5 | 1 | Gay rights / Issues |
| 2 | Health, Women's | |
| 3 | Image of Women | |
| 4 | "Legal Abortion in the United States: Facts and Highlights" | |
| 5 | Minority Women & Women's Rights | |
| 6 | Miscellaneous Information | |
| 7 | Miscellaneous Las Vegas News Articles, 1973-1974 | |
| 8 | Pandora: The Seattle Women's Newspaper, Sept.-Dec. 1973 | |
| 9 | Poetry and Songs | |
| 10 | Political | |
| 11 | Political; Nevada | |
| 12 | Political; News Articles, 1973 | |
| 13 | Political; News Articles, 1974 | |
| 6 | 1 | Prostitution |
| 2 | Prostitution; News Articles, 1973 | |
| 3 | Psychology | |
| 4 | Rape Information; Nevada | |
| 5 | Rape; News Articles, 1973 | |
| 6 | Second Wave Magazine, vol.2 no.2, 1972 | |
| 7 | Sexism | |
| 8 | Sexism in Schools | |
| 9 | Women and Marriage | |
| 10 | Women and Poverty | |
| 11 | Women and Religion | |
| 12 | Women and Work | |
| 13 | Women Artists' Movement | |
| 14 | Women's History Library | |
| 15 | "Women's Work and Women's Studies", 1971 | |
| NEWSLETTER SERIES | ||
| 7 | 1 | Newsletters: Boulder City |
| 2 | Newsletters: Chicago Chapter | |
| 3 | Newsletters: Denver, Colorado | |
| 4 | Newsletters: Florida NOW | |
| 5 | Newsletters: Highline Chapter - Seattle, WA | |
| 6 | Newsletters: Las Vegas Chapter | |
| 7 | Newsletters: National NOW | |
| 8 | Newsletters: Nevada | |
| 9 | Newsletters: Northern Nevada Chapter | |
| 10 | Newsletters: Portland, Maine Chapter | |
| 11 | Newsletters: Sacramento Chapter | |
| 12 | Newsletters: Salt Lake City Chapter | |
| 13 | Newsletters: Thurston County Chapter | |
| 14 | Newsletters: University Chapter | |
| 15 | Newsletters: Virginia Beach | |
| 16 | Newsletters: Washington State | |
| [ARTIFACTS] | ||
| 8 | 1 | Wonder Woman Comic Book |
| 2 | Cocktail Reception Invitation Poster: "Feminist Bureau of Investigation's 10 Most Wanted Men" NOW Peace Sign Sketch | |
| 3 | Audio cassette: UUA President, Robert Nelson West ERA Buttons (3) | |
| 4 | Bumper Stickers: "Maya Miller - U.S. Senate" "Support The Equal Rights Amendment" "ERA All The Way" | |
| END OF INVENTORY | ||
