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League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area Scrapbooks, MSS 05-02, Virginia Room, Fairfax County Public Library
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Carol Abrams, 2015
EAD generated by Ross Landis, 2024
The League of Women Voters was formed in 1920, six months before the ratification of the 19th amendment to the Constitution granting women the right to vote. The League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area originally formed in 1946. Its first president, Jane Wellemeyer, organized members to compare county voters’ register lists with poll tax lists and sent notice cards to everyone not registered. In 1947, the second president, Mrs. Lee Park, drew up the county’s first official voting precinct map, in which she had to constantly refer to the old court order books for accuracy. Today, The League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area is one of the 11 local Virginia Leagues that are part of the national nonpartisan political organization known as the League of Women Voters of the United States. The League, a membership organization comprised of volunteers, encourages informed and active participation in government by 1) presenting unbiased nonpartisan information about elections, the voting process, and issues and 2) advocating for or against particular policies in the public interest.
The League of Women Voters Scrapbooks consist of 1.0 linear feet, spans the years 1953-1969, and consist of three scrapbooks containing newspaper clippings; calendars; maps; newsletters; press releases; publications; business meeting agendas and notes; and a roster of board members and unit chairs for 1959-1960. The three scrapbooks have distinct date ranges: September 1955-January 1958; March 1959-March 1960; and March 1962-May 1963. The scrapbooks are in extremely poor physical condition. In addition, there are separate folders for two publications, both titled “A Guide to Fairfax County Government” from 1953 and 1959. There is also a separate folder in the collection for newspaper clippings from 1969. The subjects covered in the collection include the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area; voter registration drives; elections; member news; information for the public about Fairfax County government; and issue advocacy for subjects such as reapportionment, U.S. trade policy, and Fairfax County Schools redistricting.
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