Biographical and Historical Sketch
Processed by
Pamela Tranfield
24 May 2002
Updated 18 March 2004
Manuscript and Visual Collections Department
William Henry Smith Memorial Library
Indiana Historical Society
450 West Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269
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5 manuscript boxes, 7 oversize folders, 6 folders photographs |
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COLLECTION |
1970-1987 |
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PROVENANCE: |
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RESTRICTIONS: |
None |
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COPYRIGHT: |
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REPRODUCTION |
Permission to reproduce or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Indiana Historical Society. |
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ALTERNATE |
None |
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RELATED |
League of Women Voters of Indiana (M 0612); Indiana Women’s Political Caucus Records (M 0709); Planned Parenthood Association of Central Indiana (M 0468) |
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ACCESSION |
2000.0824; 2002.0412 |
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NOTES: |
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Lois Patricia Philon was born 17 November 1935 in Killdeer, North Dakota. She graduated from the Methodist Kahler School of Nursing in Rochester, Minnesota, in 1957. Lois married Oliver “Mo” Philon that year. The couple lived in Chicago and Park Forest, Illinois, before moving to Crawfordsville, Indiana, in 1963. The union bore three children: Jim, Todd, and Laura.
In 1974 and 1978 Lois Philon ran as a Democrat for Indiana State Representative, District 32, but was defeated in both races by Don Lash (1914-94). District 32 was comprised of Parke County, Montgomery County (excluding Franklin and Walnut Townships), and Jackson, Cain, Richland, and Van Buren Townships in Fountain County. She was elected to Crawfordsville City Council (Ward 2) in 1975 but was lost her seat by less than five votes in 1979.
Philon was active in the women’s movement in Indiana during the 1970s and 1980s. She was the director of the League of Women Voters of Indiana (1968-70), a lobbyist at the Indiana General Assembly (1969-74), chair of the Crawfordsville Commission on the Status of Women (1976), state chair of the Indiana Women’s Political Caucus (1979), and Branch Coordinator for Planned Parenthood, Crawfordsville (1981). She also served on the board of directors for the Family Crisis Shelter of Montgomery County, Inc., and represented the Indiana Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc., during the drive to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and the Uniform Marital Property Act (UMPA).
In 1977 she helped organize the Lafayette Regional Meeting In Observance of International Women’s Year and was a coordinator of the Women in Politics Campaign Course (Indianapolis). She was director of the Indiana Citizens for Modern Courts of Appeal, Inc., (1969-70), and appointed to the Lew Wallace Study Board of Managers for the City of Crawfordsville in 1980.
Philon was also involved in numerous clubs and committees. Her affiliations included: the Indiana State Nurses Association, the Indiana Women’s Political Caucus, NOW (Indianapolis Chapter), the Indiana Judicial Study Commission, the Montgomery County Council On Aging, and the Montgomery County Historical Society.
The Women in Politics Campaign Course was held at various Indiana University/Purdue University, Indiana campuses in Oct. and Nov. 1977. The course discussed issues involved in the process of becoming nominated and elected for political office, and serving the public as an elected official. June Knight Shassere was the project coordinator. Lois Philon coordinated the Indianapolis workshop with Nancy Smith and Joyce Brinkman. Women involved in facilitating the Indianapolis workshop included Hortense Myers, Fay H. Williams, Beulah Coughenour, Marie Lauck, and Molly Rucker.
This Uniform Martial Property Act (UMPA) was intended to protect the property rights of women in the event of spousal death, or divorce. The Fairness Coalition, Inc. (not to be confused with the Indiana Gender Fairness Coalition, Inc.) lobbied for Uniform Martial Property Act in 1986-87.
Sources: Material in the collection; “Donald ‘Don’ Lash, Distances, Inducted 1995,” USA Track and Field (www.usatf.org/athletes/hof/lash.shtml), accessed 24 May 2002; Walsh, Justin E. Centennial History of the Indiana General Assembly, 1816-1978. Indianapolis: Select Committee on the Centennial History of the Indiana General Assembly, 1987 (JK5666.W35 1987).
The collection includes records, correspondence, minutes, printed material, photographs, and artifacts related to Lois Patricia Philon’s political campaigns and her involvement with the women’s movement in Indiana during the 1970s and 1980s.
The material is divided into three series. Series 1, Political Campaigns (1972-84) is arranged in chronological order and includes correspondence, financial records, printed material, photographs, and artifacts accumulated by Philon during her campaigns for State Representative, District 32 (1974 and 1978), and Crawfordsville City Council (1974 and 1979). The notes mainly concern strategies and schedules, and include names of potential donors and campaign volunteers. Correspondence includes letters of endorsement from labor and employer organizations and community groups, including the Indiana Association for Retarded Citizens, the Indiana Council of Churches, the Indiana State Chamber of Commerce, Indiana Retail Grocers Association, (box 1, folders 15-16) and the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns (box 2, folder 7). Letters from elected officials include items from Birch Bayh, and congressional candidate Charlotte Zietlow.
Also included are programs and notices for events in Montgomery County such as fairs and horse shows that Philon attended while campaigning. Box 2, folder 10 in Series 1 contains a notebook concerning Philon’s political activities in 1979. The notebook includes annotations regarding lobbying effort on behalf of the Equal Rights Amendment and other concerns. The photographs consist of black-and-white and color snapshots of Philon’s campaigning District 32 in 1974. These include photographs of the Rockville Sesquicentennial Parade Collections and Philon with Marvella Bayh in Crawfordsville.
Series 2 concerns the Women in Politics Campaign Course that took place at Indiana University/Purdue University campuses in Indianapolis, Bloomington, Fort Wayne, Gary, and South Bend, Indiana in October and November 1977. The series is arranged in chronological order and includes course material, memos and correspondence from June Knight Shassere, Philon, and other women involved in the project. Also included are clippings and articles regarding women’s involvement in politics, and information packets created by the National Women’s Education Fund (NWEF).
Series 3, Committees and Projects, includes subject files that reflect Philon’s affiliations and appointments. The folders are arranged in alphabetical order. Box 3, folders 14-15 includes correspondence from local, state, and federal political officials. These include Indiana representatives John Myers, Vance Hartke, Dan Quayle, and Birch Bayh. Material concerning women’s issues in Montgomery County includes printed material, clippings and letters related to the Family Crisis Shelter of Montgomery County (box 4, folder 4), and the League of Women Voters, Montgomery County (box 4, folder 19-20). This material dates from 1970-86. Box 4, folder 3, includes the 1981 Annual Report of the Crawfordsville Commission on the Status of Women.
ERA related material (box 4, folders 5-10) includes correspondence, agendas, and printed material generated by national and Indiana-based women’s groups, including NOW, and the Indiana Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs. Material concerning the Coordinating Committee for International Women’s Year (box 4, folders 12-14) includes minutes from regional meetings held in Lafayette, as well as clippings, and printed material concerning the World Conference of the United Nations Decade for Women, Equality, Development and Peace (Copenhagen, Denmark, 1980) and the Third World Forum on Women, Law, and Development (Nairobi, Kenya, 1985).
Box 5, folders 1-3 contain material concerning the lobby for passage of Uniform Marital Property Act (UMPA). The records include copies of legislative bills, mailing lists, questionnaires, printed items, and clippings. Material related to the Women’s Political Caucus (box 5, folders 4-7) includes letters, printed material, clippings, and a song sheet (folder 5).
Artifacts in the collection consist mainly of bumper stickers generated from Philon’s campaigns and other activities. The bumper stickers advertise candidate’s names, or slogans such as: “It’s a man’s world, unless women vote!” (National Women’s/Indiana Political Caucus), and “No Time Limit on Equality” (Equal Rights Amendment). Series 1 contains a bumper sticker signed by Geraldine Ferraro. Other artifacts include Philon’s identification tag and floor pass to the 1979 National Women’s Political Caucus Convention, Cincinnati, 1979.
Oversize material is stored in OM 0387, folders 1-6. Included are maps of Montgomery County and Crawfordsville during the 1970s (folder 1), and campaign posters and pamphlets concerning candidates in state and federal elections. These candidates include Philon (folder 2), and Birch Bayh and Richard Luger (folder 3). Other material includes sample ballots (folder 3), and issues 1 and 2 of the Indiana women’s newspaper Womankind (folder 5). Oversize material also includes a pamphlet, What if Your Baby is Going to Have a Baby? (folder 6), published by Indiana Planned Parenthood Affiliates, circa 1977.
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CONTENTS |
CONTAINER |
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Philon Campaign and Speech Notes, 1974 |
Box 1, Folder 1 |
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Who’s Who—Demo Party, Precinct Committee and Contacts (Dist. 32), 1972-74 (1 of 2) |
Box 1, Folder 2 |
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Who’s Who—Demo Party, Precinct Committee and Contacts (Dist. 32), 1972-74 (2 of 2) |
Box 1, Folder 3 |
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Philon-Lash Campaign for Ind. House District 32, 1974 (1 of 6) |
Box 1, Folder 4 |
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Philon-Lash Campaign for Ind. House District 32, 1974 (2 of 6) |
Box 1, Folder 5 |
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Philon-Lash Campaign for Ind. House District 32, 1974 (3 of 6) |
Box 1, Folder 6 |
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Philon-Lash Campaign for Ind. House District 32, 1974 (4 of 6) |
Box 1, Folder 7 |
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Philon-Lash Campaign for Ind. House District 32, 1974 (5 of 6) |
Box 1, Folder 8 |
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Philon-Lash Campaign for Ind. House District 32, 1974 (6 of 6) |
Box 1, Folder 9 |
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New Market Festival, Aug. 1974 |
Visual Collections: Photographs, Folder 1 |
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Rockville Sesquicentennial Parade, 6 Aug. 1974 |
Visual Collections: Color Photographs, Folder 1 |
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Veedersburg Old Settlers Day Parade, Sept. 1974 |
Visual Collections: Photographs, Folder 2 |
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Crawfordsville Jaycee Barbeque, 21 Sept. 1974 |
Visual Collections: Photographs, Folder 3 |
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[Campaign Photographs, 1974] |
Visual Collections: Color Photographs, Folder 2 |
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Map, Indiana State Senate Districts, 1972 |
OM 0397, Folder 1 |
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Map, Indiana State Congressional Districts, 1972 |
OM 0397, Folder 1 |
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Map, Parke County, 1973 |
OM 0397, Folder 1 |
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Road Map, Montgomery County, circa 1972 |
OM 0397, Folder 1 |
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Street Map, Crawfordsville, circa 1973 |
OM 0397, Folder 1 |
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Sample Ballots, 1974 |
OM 0397, Folder 2 |
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Campaign Poster, 1974 |
OM 0397, Folder 2 |
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Bumper Sticker, “Hoosiers for Lois Philon” 32nd District-Indiana House” |
Artifacts: Accession no: 2002.0412 |
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Bumper Sticker “I’m Bayh Partisan” |
Artifacts: Accession no. 2002.0412 |
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1974 Campaign, Election and Breakdown by Percentage of Results |
Box 1, Folder 10 |
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Lugar, A Senator for Indiana |
OM 0397, Folder 3 |
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Legislative Campaign no.1, 1974 (1 of 3) |
Box 1, Folder 11 |
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Birch Bayh, One Man Makes a Difference |
OM 0387, Folder 3 |
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Legislative Campaign no.1, 1974 (2 of 3) |
Box 1, Folder 12 |
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Legislative Campaign no.1, 1974 (3 of 3) |
Box 1, Folder 13 |
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Crawfordsville City and Council, Ward 2 Campaigns, 1975-77 |
Box 1, Folder 14 |
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Yard Sign: Lois Philon City Council, Ward 2, Democrat, Mayor Knecht |
Flat File: FF 13-I |
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Campaign Related Correspondence, 1974 and 1978 (1 of 2) |
Box 1, Folder 15 |
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Campaign Related Correspondence, 1974 and 1978 (2 of 2 ) |
Box 1, Folder 16 |
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Legislative Candidate Seminar, 1974 |
Box 1, Folder 17 |
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Philon’s Campaign—Dist. 32, 1978 (1 of 4 ) |
Box 1, Folder 18 |
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Philon’s Campaign—Dist. 32, 1978 (2 of 4) |
Box 1, Folder 19 |
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Philon’s Campaign—Dist. 32, 1978 (3 of 4) |
Box 2, Folder 1 |
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Philon’s Campaign—Dist. 32, 1978 (4 of 4) |
Box 2, Folder 2 |
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Philon-Lash Ind. House Dist. 32 Campaign, 1978 (1 of 3) |
Box 2, Folder 3 |
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Philon-Lash Ind. House Dist. 32 Campaign, 1978 (2 of 3) |
Box 2, Folder 4 |
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Philon-Lash Ind. House Dist. 32 Campaign, 1978 (3 of 3) |
Box 2, Folder 5 |
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Crawfordsville City Election, 1979 |
Box 2, Folder 6 |
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Map of Crawfordsville, Showing Wards |
OM 0397, Folder 2 |
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Voter’s List, Ward 2, Fall 1979 |
OM 0397, Folder 4 |
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Political Papers and Correspondence, 1971-84 (1 of 4) |
Box 2, Folder 7 |
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Political Papers and Correspondence, 1971-84 (2 of 4) |
Box 2, Folder 8 |
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Postcard, Charlotte Zietlow, 1978 |
Visual Collections: Photographs, folder 4 |
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Seating Arrangement of the 100th General Assembly, 1977-78 |
OM O397, Folder 4 |
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Political Papers and Correspondence, 1971-84 (3 of 4) |
Box 2, Folder 9 |
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Political Papers and Correspondence, 1971-84 (4 of 4) |
Box 2, Folder 10 |
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Bumper Sticker “Ferraro for America” |
Artifacts: Accession no. 2002.0412 |
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Bumper Stickers |
Artifacts: Accession no. 2002.0412 |
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CONTENTS |
CONTAINER |
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Grant Proposal (Excerpts), 1977 |
Box 2, Folder 11 |
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Training for Candidates/Campaigns, 1977 (1 of 2) |
Box 2, Folder 12 |
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Training for Candidates/Campaigns, 1977 (2 of 2) |
Box 2, Folder 13 |
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Project Correspondence, 1977 (1 of 3) |
Box 2, Folder 14 |
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Project Correspondence, 1977 (2 of 3) |
Box 2, Folder 15 |
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Project Correspondence, 1977 (3 of 3) |
Box 2, Folder 16 |
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IUPUI Campus Guide/Map, circa 1977 |
OM 0397, Folder 4 |
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[Project Correspondence, Clippings, 1977] |
Box 3, Folder 1 |
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[Course Handouts, 1977] |
Box 3, Folder 2 |
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Miscellaneous [Project Planning, 1977] (1 of 3) |
Box 3, Folder 3 |
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Miscellaneous [Project Planning, 1977] (2 of 3) |
Box 3, Folder 4 |
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Miscellaneous [Project Planning, 1977] (3 of 3) |
Box 3, Folder 5 |
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NWEWF [National Women’s Education Fund], 1974 |
Box 3, Folder 6 |
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Women in Politics Course [Project Planning], 1977-78 (1 of 3) |
Box 3, Folder 7 |
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Women in Politics Course [Project Planning], 1977-78 (2 of 3) |
Box 3, Folder 8 |
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Women in Politics Course [Project Planning], 1977-78 (3 of 3) |
Box 3, Folder 9 |
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Women in Politics Course [Project Planning and Evaluation], 1977-78 |
Box 3, Folder 10 |
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Women in Politics Course, 1978-79 |
Box 3, Folder 11 |
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CONTENTS |
CONTAINER |
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Central Indiana Health Systems Agency (CIHSA), 1979 |
Box 3, Folder 12 |
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CETA Balance-of-State Prime Sponsor Council Indiana [Youth Employment], 1979-82 |
Box 3, Folder 13 |
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Correspondence Rec’d: Official, Issue-Related, Political, Misc., 1970-87 (1 of 2) |
Box 3, Folder 14 |
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Correspondence Rec’d: Official, Issue-Related, Political, Misc., 1970-87 (2 of 2) |
Box 3, Folder 15 |
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Courts, Indiana: Trial Courts, Judicial Selection, 1974-76 |
Box 4, Folder 1 |
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Crawfordsville Commission on the Environment, 1976 |
Box 4, Folder 2 |
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Crawfordsville Commission on the Status of Women, |
Box 4, Folder 3 |
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Domestic Abuse/Shelter, Family Crisis Shelter, Displaced Homemaker, 1980-86 |
Box 4, Folder 4 |
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Equal Rights Amendment, Business and Professional Women, 1974-86 (1 of 6) |
Box 4, Folder 5 |
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Womankind, Volume 1, Issue 1, circa Sept. 1977 |
OM 0397, Folder 5 |
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Seating Arrangement, 101st General Assembly, 1979-80 |
OM 0397, Folder 4 |
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Equal Rights Amendment, Business and Professional Women, 1974-86 (2 of 6) |
Box 4, Folder 6 |
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Equal Rights Amendment, Business and Professional Women, 1974-86 (3 of 6) |
Box 4, Folder 7 |
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Equal Rights Amendment, Business and Professional Women, 1974-86 (4 of 6) |
Box 4, Folder 8 |
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Equal Rights Amendment, Business and Professional Women, 1974-86 (5 of 6) |
Box 4, Folder 9 |
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Equal Rights Amendment, Business and Professional Women, 1974-86 (6 of 6) |
Box 4, Folder 10 |
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Bumper Sticker: ERA, No Time Limit on Equality |
Artifacts: Accession no. 2002.0412 |
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Indiana Academy in the Public Service, 1976-77 |
Box 4, Folder 11 |
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International Women’s Year, Indiana and Regional, 1977-85 (1 of 3) |
Box 4, Folder 12 |
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International Women’s Year, Indiana and Regional, 1977-85 (2 of 3) |
Box 4, Folder 13 |
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What if Your Baby is Going to Have a Baby? Indiana Planned Parenthood Affiliates, circa 1977 |
OM 0397, Folder 6 |
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Box 4, Folder 14 |
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Ivy Tech, 1986 |
Box 4, Folder 15 |
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“Lawmakers, Lobbyists and John Q” Project, League of Women Voters, 1976-78 (1 of 3) |
Box 4, Folder 16 |
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“Lawmakers, Lobbyists and John Q” Project, League of Women Voters, 1976-78 (2 of 3) |
Box 4, Folder 17 |
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“Lawmakers, Lobbyists and John Q” Project, League of Women Voters, 1976-78 (3 of 3) |
Box 4, Folder 18 |
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LWV—League of Women Voters, Montgomery County; Indiana; USA, 1970-78 (1 of 2) |
Box 4, Folder 19 |
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LWV—League of Women Voters, Montgomery County, Indiana; USA, 1970-78 (2 of 2) |
Box 4, Folder 20 |
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Montgomery County Historical Society, 1978-82 |
Box 4, Folder 21 |
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Uniform Marital Property Act (UMPA), Fairness Coalition, 1986-87 (1 of 3 ) |
Box 5, Folder 1 |
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Uniform Marital Property Act (UMPA), Fairness Coalition, 1986-87 (2 of 3) |
Box 5, Folder 2 |
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Uniform Marital Property Act (UMPA), Fairness Coalition, 1986-87 (3 of 3) |
Box 5, Folder 3 |
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Women’s Political Caucus—Indiana and National [1978-79] |
Box 5, Folder 4 |
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Women’s Political Caucus—Indiana and National [circa 1979-81] |
Box 5, Folder 5 |
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Women’s Political Caucus—Indiana and National [1982-85] |
Box 5, Folder 6 |
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Women’s Political Caucus—Indiana and National [1986-91] |
Box 5, Folder 7 |
For additional information on this collection, including a list of subject headings that may lead you to related materials:
1. Go to the Indiana Historical Society's online catalog: http://157.91.92.2/
2. Click on the "Basic Search" icon.
3. Select "Call Number" from the "Search In:" box.
4. Search for the collection by its basic call number (in this case, M 0773).
5. When you find the collection, go to the "Full Record" screen for a list of headings that can be searched for related materials.