League of Women Voters, Champaign County Chapter

In this photograph, people gather for a talk on housing sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Champaign County.

This Illinois Voters' Handbook from the 1920s contains plain language explanations of legal matters, such as the "naturalization of married women."

The League of Women Voters formed in 1920 during the National American Woman Suffrage Association convention, six months before the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment. Two years later, the Champaign County Chapter organized with the help of the Champaign-Urbana Women’s Club and two directors from the state and national organizations. 

The League had five initial objectives: to educate women to their civic responsibility, to urge women to register and vote in all elections, to conduct schools of citizenship in all parts of the state, to provide information on candidates and issues to women voters, and to study and support legislation for improving human welfare. While the League is non-partisan, it encourages its members to be politically active, advocate for candidates, educate citizens, and lobby for social and government reform. 

Today, the Champaign County Chapter “…encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.” The National League of Women Voters will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2020 while the Champaign County Chapter will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2022.

The Champaign Country Historical Archives holds oral histories with a number of League members, including Mary Blair, Janet Anderson, Lois Gullerud, Louise Allen, Sherry Dewan, and the League's Housing Panel. These recordings are free to access through Local History Online. If you would like to learn more, the CCHA also has a blog post about the LWV's efforts to improve housing for African-Americans living in C-U.