The Virginia Citizens Consumer Council (VCCC) is a non-profit volunteer association founded in 1966 by three women from Northern
Virginia who were concerned about rising food and utilities costs. The organization promotes and represents the rights and
interests of the consumer in Virginia by advocating pro-consumer positions in regulatory and legislative issues. They also
participate in hearings and proceedings at the local, state and federal levels, and educate the community about consumer issues.
The records are arranged alphabetically in 17 boxes and include annual reports, brochures, by-laws, correspondence, legislation,
memoranda, minutes, newspaper clippings, newsletters, press releases, publications, reports, speeches, and surveys, documenting
the history of VCCC's contribution to Virginia's consumer rights. Includes information on legislation to promote child car
safety, passage of Virginia's new car "lemon-laws," successful challenges to allow prescription drug price advertising, lawsuits
brought to restrict the availability of junk food in schools, efforts to stop Virginia Electric and Power Company (VEPCO)
rate increases, support of plain language laws, regulation of health spas, and reform of ground beef labeling.
The Board of director's minute files are a good resource for annual reports, finances, meeting agendas, membership lists,
memoranda, minutes, notes, organizational charts, press releases, resolutions, and treasurer's reports detailing VCCC's yearly
activities. Several committees were established by VCCC to confront diverse issues, including the Complaint Committee, Legislative
Committee, Supermarket Committee, and Toy Safety Committee. These committee files include correspondence, memoranda, minutes,
notes, and press releases. The Legislative Committee, 1973-1991, includes correspondence, copies of legislative bills, information
on lobbying efforts in the Virginia General Assembly, voting records of legislative members, and VCCC legislative agendas.
The Complaint Committee, 1970-1975, gathered information on consumer complaints against various companies. The committee published
the Consumer Complaint Action Guide, which provided consumers information about where and who to write for complaints about
products (such as appliance repair, home construction, magazine subscriptions, and the postal service).
Information is included about the Dial-A-Consumer service, a 24 hour a day answering service which contained weekly messages
concerning consumer safety alerts, general information on consumer topics, and notices of meetings or seminars, 1976-1977.
Included is a notebook from 1977 listing the weekly messages. Also included are agendas, brochures, correspondence, memoranda,
and programs for the annual VCCC Consumer Conference, 1988-1989; memoranda regarding grants from the Consumer Federation of
America, 1987-1990; and correspondence, newsletters, and press releases from VCCC chapters (Northern Virginia, Richmond, Roanoke,
and Williamsburg). The VCCC also initiated a number of lawsuits in their efforts to protect the Virginia consumer and the
collection contains clippings, correspondence, legal judgments and statements relating to the suits. The organization was
involved with lawsuits against VEPCO, the Virginia State Board of Pharmacy, Department of Agriculture, the American Bar Association,
the Virginia State Bar, and Virginia Supreme Court.
Included are copies of newspaper clippings, 1970-1991, regarding initiatives by the VCCC to inform and protect consumers.
Included are articles written by members of the VCCC entitled, "Consumer's Voice" and "Buy-Lines" in various Northern Virginia
newspapers, 1975-1976. These article inform readers about pool safety, shopping in supermarkets, banking practices, new legislation,
red food dye #2, surveys on cold medicine prices at local drug stores, UPC codes, donations to charity, tenant rights, how
to proceed with complaints, new rules for mail order firms, salesman insurance laws, medical malpractice laws, and safety
with zip-top cans.
Also included is an almost complete run of the VCCC newsletter entitled, "Voice of the Virginia Consumer," 1970-1993. The
publication, Handbook (1976), includes a directory of members, board meeting schedules, general resolutions, board pledge,
and VCCC bylaws and constitution. Numerous publications are also included such as, Citizen Inflation Action Handbook, Forming
Consumer Organizations, Getting your Day in General District Court, and Training Consumer Leaders.
Consumer Leadership Conference Booklet and Planning Committee,
1974-1976
Box 7
Folder 9
Consumers Union,
1970-1978
Box 7
Folder 10
Contracts,
1978
Box 7
Folder 11
Correspondence,
1971-1975
Box 8
Folder 1
Correspondence,
1976-1977
Box 8
Folder 2
Correspondence,
1978
Box 8
Folder 3
Correspondence,
1979-1983
Box 8
Folder 4
Correspondence,
1986-1989
Box 8
Folder 5
Correspondence,
1990
Box 8
Folder 6
Correspondence,
1991
Box 8
Folder 7
Correspondence,
1992
Box 8
Folder 8
Dial-A-Consumer,
1972-1977
Box 8
Folder 9
Drug prices,
1972-1976
Box 8
Folder 10
Energy conscious Christmas,
1973-1975
Box 8
Folder 11
Energy policy,
1974
Box 9
Folder 1=
False advertising issues,
1971-1974
Box 9
Folder 2
Flea market,
1975
Box 9
Folder 3
Food Day,
1975
Box 9
Folder 4
Fundraising events,
1982
Box 9
Folder 5
Funeral directors,
1984-1985
Box 9
Folder 6
Golden Coathanger Awards,
1988
Box 9
Folder 7
Ground beef blast,
1975
Box 9
Folder 8
Handbook,
1976-1977
Box 9
Folder 9
Health Planning Council of Northern Virginia, Doctors director,
1975
Box 9
Folder 10
Health Planning Council of Northern Virginia, Doctors director,
1976
Box 9
Folder 11
Health Planning Council of Northern Virginia, Doctors director,
1978
Box 9
Folder 12
Health regulatory reform,
1984-1985
Box 9
Folder 13
Health spa legislation,
1984
Box 9
Folder 14
Iowa beef industry council,
1973
Box 9
Folder 15
Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Correspondence with,
1974-1976
Box 9
Folder 16
Lawyers committee and directory,
1972-1975
Box 10
Folder 1
Legislative issues, General,
1973-1975
Box 10
Folder 2
Legislative issues, General,
1976
Box 10
Folder 3
Legislative issues, General,
1982-1983
Box 10
Folder 4
Legislative issues, General,
1984
Box 10
Folder 5
Legislative issues, General,
1985-1987
Box 10
Folder 6
Legislative issues, General,
1988
Box 10
Folder 7
Legislative issues, General,
1989-1991
Box 10
Folder 8
Liability insurance,
1986-1988
Box 11
Folder 1
Liability insurance, Miscellaneous,
1988
Box 11
Folder 2
Lobbyists,
1988-1992
Box 11
Folder 3
Membership,
1976-1983
Box 11
Folder 4
Newsletters, Voice of the Virginia Consumer,
1970-1972
Box 11
Folder 5
Newsletters, Voice of the Virginia Consumer,
1973-1974
Box 11
Folder 6
Newsletters, Voice of the Virginia Consumer,
1975
Box 11
Folder 7
Newsletters, Voice of the Virginia Consumer,
1976
Box 11
Folder 8
Newsletters, Voice of the Virginia Consumer,
1977
Box 11
Folder 9
Newsletters, Voice of the Virginia Consumer,
1978
Box 12
Folder 1
Newsletters, Voice of the Virginia Consumer,
1979
Box 12
Folder 2
Newsletters, Voice of the Virginia Consumer,
1980
Box 12
Folder 3
Newsletters, Voice of the Virginia Consumer,
1981-1982
Box 12
Folder 4
Newsletters, Voice of the Virginia Consumer,
1983-1984
Box 12
Folder 5
Newsletters, Voice of the Virginia Consumer,
1985-1986
Box 12
Folder 6
Newsletters, Voice of the Virginia Consumer,
1987
Box 12
Folder 7
Newsletters, Voice of the Virginia Consumer,
1988
Box 12
Folder 8
Newsletters, Voice of the Virginia Consumer,
1989
Box 12
Folder 9
Newsletters, Voice of the Virginia Consumer,
1990
Box 12
Folder 10
Newsletters, Voice of the Virginia Consumer,
1991-1993
Box 12
Folder 11
Newsletters, Voice of the Virginia Consumer, Distribution list,
1983
Box 13
Folder 1
Plain language laws, Articles, pamphlets, etc.,
1986
Box 13
Folder 2
Plain language laws, "How Plain English Works for Business: 12 Case Studies,"
1984
Box 13
Folder 3
Plain language laws, Simply Stated newsletters,
1980-1983
Box 13
Folder 4
Power companies,
1986-1987
Box 13
Folder 5
Press releases,
1970-1971
Box 13
Folder 6
Press releases, Copies,
1972
Box 13
Folder 7
Press releases, Drafts,
1972
Box 13
Folder 8
Press releases, Copies,
1973
Box 13
Folder 9
Press releases, Drafts,
1973
Box 13
Folder 10
Press releases,
1974
Box 13
Folder 11
Press releases,
1975
Box 14
Folder 1
Press releases,
1976-1978
Box 14
Folder 2
Press releases,
1983-1990
Box 14
Folder 3
Press releases,
undated
Box 14
Folder 4
Prescription drug pricing,
1975
Box 14
Folder 5
Publications, Action/Inaction: A Guide to the Virginia Legislature, prepared by the Legislative Committee of the VCCC,
1973
Box 14
Folder 6
Publications, Attorney's Directory for Arlington County, published by Consumers Union and VCCC,
1982
Box 14
Folder 7
Publications, Citizen Inflation Action Handbook, prepared by Consumers Opposed to Inflation in the Necessities (The COIN Campaign),
ca. 1978
Box 14
Folder 8
Publications, Conducting the Consumer Survey: A Primer for Volunteers with Special Sections on Interviewing and on Telephone
Surveying, by Glen H. Mitchell with Mark L. Mitchell,
1979
Box 14
Folder 9
Publications, Getting your day in General District Court, published by the Fairfax County Dept. of Consumer Affairs,
undated
Box 14
Folder 10
Publications, Forming Consumer Organizations, prepared by the President's Committee on Consumer Interests,
1969
Box 14
Folder 11
Publications, Hearings before the Subcommittee for Consumers of the Committee on Commerce United States Senate, 94th Congress,
2nd Session,
1976
Box 14
Folder 12
Publications, An Invitation to Consumers, prepared by VCCC,
undated
Box 14
Folder 13
Publications, The National Seminar on EFT Consumer/Industry/Government, held by the Virginia Citizens Consumer Foundation
and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University,
1971
Box 14
Folder 14
Publications, Report: COCO National Conference on Professional, Occupational, and Institutional Licensing & the Consumer,
sponsored by Conference of Consumer Organizations (COCO) and VCCC,
1978
Box 14
Folder 15
Publications, Training Consumer Leaders: Planning and implementing a consumer leadership conference, by Ruth D. Harris, Laura
Horowitz, and Lynn Jordan,
1974
Box 14
Folder 16
Publications, Virginia State Board of Pharmacy vs. Virginia Citizens Consumer Council, in the Supreme Court of the United
States, October term 1974: Motion to Dismiss,
1974
Box 15
Folder 1
Public members on boards,
1984-1985
Box 15
Folder 2
Real estate,
1989-1990
Box 15
Folder 3
Springfield Mall Committee,
1973-1976
Box 15
Folder 4
Stamps,
1969-1972
Box 15
Folder 5
State Corporation Commission, Constitution of Virginia,
undated
Box 15
Folder 6
Status of Women,
1972
Box 15
Folder 7
Student action,
1971
Box 15
Folder 8
Studies, Consumer Study of Electronic Funds transfer,
1977
Box 15
Folder 9
Studies, Proposed trade regulation rule on over-the-counter antacids,
1978
Box 15
Folder 10
Studies, Report on bypass and drop off in the state of Washington: Findings and Recommendation,
1985
Box 15
Folder 11
Studies, White paper on credit insurance,
1991
Box 15
Folder 12
Supermarket Committee,
1971-1976
Box 15
Folder 13
Surveys, Automobiles,
1971-1972
Box 15
Folder 14
Surveys, Legislative members,
1973-1977
Box 16
Folder 1
Surveys, VCCC membership,
1973-1992
Box 16
Folder 2
Surveys, Miscellaneous,
1973-1977
Box 16
Folder 3
Tax exempt application,
1975-1985
Box 16
Folder 4
Tax reform,
1987
Box 16
Folder 5
Telecommunications Conference,
1988
Box 16
Folder 6
Telephone Solicitation Ethics Council, Code of Ethics,
1978
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