The Colorado Women's Conference Collection was donated to the Auraria Library Special Collections Department on June 12, 1977, by Beverly Chico and Nancy Whistler, historian and scribe respectively, of the Colorado Conference.
Property rights of the collection are held by the Auraria libraries; literary rights are dedicated to the public. There are no restrictions placed on the use of these materials.
Date: September 11, 1980
The idea of holding a state women's conference originated with a group of Colorado women preparing for the World Conference of the International Women's Year. Meeting on June 17, 1974, with Dr. Ruth Bacon, the Executive Director of the United States International Women's Year Center, the Colorado group sought to determine how best they could observe the International Women's Year locally and also encourage attendance at the up-coming World Conference to be held in Mexico City in 1975. The World Conference, sponsored by the United Nations, wished to acknowledge and discuss publicly issues affecting and of concern to women worldwide.
In December, 1975, and subsequent to the Mexico City Conference, President Gerald Ford issued Executive Order 11832 (P.L. 94- 167)creating the National Commission for the establishment of state and territorial conferences as well as for the election of delegates who would then attend a National Women's Convention to be held in Houston in November, 1977.
The Colorado Women's Conference was held at the University of Colorado at Boulder, June 3-5, 1977. Working from guidelines provided by seven task forces, the conference consisted of workshops relating to women in the following areas: Arts and Humanities, Basic Needs, Education and training, International Concerns, Politics, Law and Civil Rights, Relationships, and Work, Income and Homemaking.
It should be noted the Colorado Women's Conference was unique in several ways. Colorado was the first state to have a workable plan for a state conference and consequently was the first state to receive federal funding. Additionally, because Colorado's Plan of Action was so thorough (it consisted of a list of 20 key issues and suggestions for implementation), other states were later able to utilize it for their conferences.
The Colorado Women's Conference Collection consists primarily of correspondence, minutes, and reports relating to the planning and implementation of the state Women's Conference held in Boulder on June 3-5, 1977. Materials amount to 4 linear feet.
Included in the collection are questionnaires distributed and collected at the Conference which survey attendee's interests, pamphlets describing the Conference, various printed material describing other state conferences, memorabilia (signs, tags, ribbon) a scrapbook of news articles relating to the conference, and other miscellaneous news articles regarding women.
The official photographs of the Conference disappeared and their where-abouts are unknown. Consequently, very few photographic images are housed in this collection. There does exist a video- tape produced by a television station on the Conference entitled "Cameo," and is shelved with this collection.
Among the more important items which should be noted are: the Conference Historian's Ph.D dissertation entitled "The Colorado Case in Historical Perspective: Using the 1975 United States National Women's Conference Act (P.L. 94-167) as a Vehicle for Social Change", a paper entitled "Minority Involvement" by Michael Gallegos, and the goals of the Conference, filed under Executive Committee (Box 1, file folder 20), the structure of the Conference, filed under General Committee (Box 1, file folder 20), the structure of the Conference, filed under General Committee (Box 1, file folder 20), the structure of the Conference, filed under General Committee (Box 1, file folder 29), and Questionnaires from women throughout Colorado indicating their needs and priorities, filed under Additional Folders (Box 3, file folders 5 & 6).
BOX 1
Section 1 Pre-Designation Planning
Fd 1 Collection Index/Inventory
Fd 2 Histories of Events leading to Colorado Women's
Conference
Fd 3 Early Planning
Fd 4 Issues Task Force
Fd 5 Re-Organization, Fall, 1976
Fd 6 Designation Packet, October, 1976
Section 2 National Commission on the Observance of the
International Women's Year and Decade
Fd 7 Executive Order, Congressional Acts, and releases
Proclaiming the Mandating of the National Commission
Fd 8 National Press Releases
Fd 9 SelectionProcess of State Coordinating Committees with
Colorado Planning Committees Rosters
Fd 10 National Guidelines for Planning Committees
Fd 11 National Agenda Enclosures
Fd 12 Updates on State Women's Meetings and the National
Women's Conference
Fd 13 Reports on National Commission Activity and Wingsspread
Meeting.
Fd 14 Correspondence from National Commission
Fd 15 Final Report of CWC to National Commission
Fd 16 Other States' Meetings for National Commission Agenda
Section 3 Planning Committees
Fd 17 Executive Committee; Minutes
Fd 18 Executive Committee; Correspondence Generated by
Executive Committee
Fd 19 Executive Committee; Treasurer's Report
Fd 20 Executive Committee; Miscellaneous
Fd 21 Central Committee; Minutes
Fd 22 Central Committee; Correspondence
Fd 23 Central Committee; Miscellaneous
Fd 24 General Committee; Minutes
Fd 25 Task Force Minutes, etc.; Arts and Humanities
Fd 26 Task Force Minutes, etc.; Basic Needs
Fd 27 Task Force Minutes, etc.; Education, Training and
Awareness
Fd 28 Task Force Minutes, etc.; International
Fd 29 Task Force Minutes, etc,; Politics, Law and Civil
Rights
Fd 30 Task Force Minutes, etc.; Relationships
Fd 31 Task force Minutes, etc.; Work, Income and Homemaking
BOX 2
Fd 1 Council Minutes, etc.; Arrangements Council
Fd 2 Council Minutes, etc.; Arrangements Council Addendum
Fd 3 Council Minutes, etc.; Consultant Council
Fd 4 Brochures and Pamphlets at Conference
Fd 5 Poster Announcing Conference
Fd 6 Council Minutes, etc.; Fundraising Council
Fd 7 Council minutes, etc.; Fundraising Council Addendum,
` Grants
Fd 8 Council Minutes, etc.; Men's Council
Fd 9 Council Minutes, etc.; Minority Council and Other
nority Involvements
Fd 10 Council Minutes, etc; Nominating Committee
Fd 11 Council Minutes, etc.; Organiazational Council
Fd 12 Council Minutes, etc.: plan of Action Council
Fd 13 Council Minutes, etc.; Plan of Action Council Addendum
Fd 14 Council Minutes, etc.; Public Information Team.
Fd 15 Council Minutes, etc.; Public Information Team Addendum
Fd 16 Press Packet
Fd 17 Council Minutes, etc.; Regional Council
Fd 18 Council Minutes, etc.; Representational Council
Fd 19 Specialized Personnel; Coordinator
Fd 20 Specialized Personnel; Coordinator Addendum
Fd 21 Specialized Personnel; Historian
Fd 22 Specialized Personnel; Librarian
Fd 23 Specialized Personnel; Parliamentarian and Attorney
Fd 24 Listing of Executive and Central Committee Members and
Meeting Dates
Section Four Additional Projects and Related Activities
Fd 25 Questionaires, July 21, 1976
Fd 26 Mini-Conference, September 24, 1976
Fd 27 Governor's Breakfast, February 24, 1977
Fd 28 Pueblo Regional Meeting, May 1977
Fd 29 State and U.S. Government Contacts
Section Five Miscellaneous
Fd 30 Flyers, Information Sheets, and Outreach Letters
Fd 31 Forms Used
Fd 32 Correspondence to Conference Planners
Section Six
Fd 33 Colorado Delegation, minutes, etc.
Fd 34 Houston Convention
Fd 35 Celebration - of the Colorado Plan of Action
Housed with this collection are the following items on the open
shelf:
1 scroll
The Signers of the Colorado Plan of Action
1 scrapbook
Contains limited newsclippings about the
conference. Does contain a list of Colorado
newspaper and magazine articles that pertain to the
conference
1 oversize
Miscellaneous newsclippings about the
folder conference Newspaper tributes to Colorado
Women folder
1 video-tape T.V. produced tape about conference at
Boulder, includes participants responses about
conference, portions of Rep. Schroders address and
Dottie Lamm's opening remarks, example of workshop,
brief interview with different heads of conference.
SUBJECT TRACINGS
Mexico City Conference
Colorado participants
Purpose and summary of
Colorado Women's Conference
History and purpose of
Agenda of
Mainling list of prospective participants
Questionaires in response to women's needs
(educationally, socially, politically, etc.)
Minutes of meeting; various planning and Task Force
committees
Budget; anticipated expenses, and requests
Correspondence; various planning and Task Force
committees
Newspaper articles; pre, during and after conference
Colorado Plan of Action; result of Boulder conference
List of Delegates to be sent to National Convention;
result of Boulder conference
Beverly Chico's PhD dissertation; "The Colorado Case in
Historical Perspective Using the 1975 United States
National Women's Conference Act (Public Law 94-167)
as a Vehicle for Social Change",
"Cameo" video tape produced by KMGH-TV; about Boulder
Conference
"Minority Involvement" by Michael Gallegos
Wingspread Meeting, Racine, Wisconsin
Summary and purpose of; packet of materials
States examples of preparation for National Conference
National Commission
Press Releases
Agenda Letters
Organization of State Meetings
Houston Conference
Newsclippings
Colorado Participants