A Guide to the Elizabeth Smith collection of Virginia ERA Ratification Council records, 1970-2002
Smith, Elizabeth collection of Virginia ERA Ratification Council records
M 425
A Collection in Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library
Collection number M 425
Repository
Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University
Collection number
M 425
Title
Elizabeth Smith collection of Virginia ERA Ratification Council records,
1970-2002
Extent
8.42 linear feet
Collector
Smith, Elizabeth
Language
English
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research
Use Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Preferred Citation
Elizabeth Smith collection of Virginia ERA Ratification Council records, 1970-2002, Collection # M 425, Special Collections
and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Elizabeth Smith in 2009.
Elizabeth Smith served as executive director the Virginia Equal Rights Amendment Ratification Council, and she continued to
collect materials pertaining to the amendment throughout her time with the Council and in the years following.
The Virginia Equal Rights Amendment Ratification Council was a coalition of multiple Virginia organizations brought together
by the shared goal of advocating for the ratification of the amendment by Virginia's legislature. The Equal Rights Amendment
(ERA) states that "equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on
account of sex." It was approved by the House of Representatives and the US Senate, and then submitted to the states for ratification
in 1972. As of October 2018, the Virginia legislature has yet to ratify the ERA.
This collection consists of materials acquired by Elizabeth Smith and includes a large quantity of materials created by or
concerning the Virginia Equal Rights Amendment Ratification Council. Also included within this collection are items from a
number of other organizations such as the National Organization for Women (NOW), American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Homemakers
for the ERA (HERA), the National Women's Party (NWP) and many other pro-ERA organizations of the time. The collection also
holds materials documenting the anti-ERA voice of the same era. Materials found in the collection include reports, correspondence,
minutes, agendas, printed materials, educational materials, lobbying materials, event ephemera, speeches, and a substantial
quantity of clippings. The collection's contents illuminate the efforts of the Virginia Equal Rights Amendment Ratification
Council and other organizations to advocate for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment during the latter decades of
the twentieth century.
The collection is organized in four series: Series 1: Organizational records, 1972-1996; Series 2: Pro-ERA Organizations,
1971-2002; Series 3: Subject Files, 1970-1996; Series 4: Clippings, 1971-1996.
Equal rights amendments -- Sources -- Virginia
Smith, Elizabeth
Women -- Political activity -- Virginia -- Richmond.
Women political activists -- Archives -- Virginia
Women's rights -- History -- 20th century -- Southern States
1972-1996
Box-folder 1 folder: 1-2
Agendas and meeting minutes
1974-1991
Box-folder 1 folder: 3
Bylaws
1978-1982
Box-folder 1 folder: 4
Coalition building
circa 1975
Box-folder 1 folder: 5-6
Correspondence
1973-1996, undated
Box-folder 1 folder: 7
Election law violation report - Larry Pratt, Virginia House of Delegates
1977
Box-folder 1 folder: 8Box-folder 2 folder: 1
Electoral activities
1977-1978, undated
Box-folder 2 folder: 2
ERA Summit
1994-1995
Box-folder 2 folder: 3
Essay contest
1983
Box-folder 2 folder: 4
Essays and speeches
1974-1987, undated
Box-folder 2 folder: 5
Events
1974-1994, undated
Box-folder 2 folder: 6
Executive committee rosters
1978-1986, undated
Box-folder 2 folder: 7-8
Finances
1974-1989, undated
Box-folder 2 folder: 9
Forms and mailers
1978-1994, undated
Box-folder 2 folder: 10
Gala
1981
Box-folder 2 folder: 11
Informational flyers and pamphlets
1974-1987, undated
Box-folder 3 folder: 1
Initiative planning
1976-1982, undated
Box-folder 3 folder: 2
Interfaith Task Force
1979-1982
Box-folder 3 folder: 3
Jean Hellmuth materials
1981
Box-folder 3 folder: 4
Jean Stapleton cassette tape
undated
Box-folder 3 folder: 5
Legislative strategies
1978, undated
Box-folder 3 folder: 6
Legislator's kit
1981, undated
Box-folder 3 folder: 7
Mailing lists
1977, undated
Box-folder 3 folder: 8
Member and attendance lists
1976-1980, undated
Box-folder 3 folder: 9
Memoranda
1976-1982, 1993
Box-folder 3 folder: 10
Newsletters
1973-1982, undated
Box-folder 4 folder: 1
Notecards
undated
Box-folder 4 folder: 2
Notes
1976-1996, undated
Box-folder 4 folder: 3
Organizational overviews
undated
Box-folder 4 folder: 4
Photographs
1978-1990, undated
Box-folder 4 folder: 5
Prayer breakfast
1978-1979
Box-folder 4 folder: 6
Press releases
1975-1993
Box-folder 4 folder: 7
Ratification updates
1974, 1992-1995
Box-folder 4 folder: 8
Referendum materials
1977, undated
Box-folder 4 folder: 9
Research and Education Fund
1982-1985
Box-folder 4 folder: 10
Resolutions
1975-1977, 1991
Box-folder 4 folder: 11
Richmond area ERA YES campaign
1975-1982
Box-folder 4 folder: 12
Speakers' Bureau
1976-1980, undated
Box-folder 4 folder: 13
Steering committee
1977-1978, undated
Box-folder 5 folder: 1
Supporters' handbook
circa 1983
Box-folder 5 folder: 2
Supporters of ERA lists
1981, undated
Box-folder 5 folder: 3
Training materials
1976, undated
Box-folder 5 folder: 4
Vigil preparations
1978-1979
Box-folder 5 folder: 5
Vigils
1979-1995, 2001 undated
Box-folder 5 folder: 6-7
Virginia legislature
1974-1994, undated
Box-folder 5 folder: 8
Virginia State Library records transfer
1982, undated
Box-folder 5 folder: 9
Volunteers
1977, undated
1971-2002
Box-folder 5 folder: 10
American Association of University Women
1974-1979
Box-folder 5 folder: 11
American Civil Liberties Union
1975-1981, undated
Box-folder 6 folder: 1
Association of American Colleges
1972-1974
Box-folder 6 folder: 2
Bar Associations
1982, undated
Box-folder 6 folder: 3
Business and Professional Women's Clubs
undated
Box-folder 6 folder: 4
California Commission on the Status of Women
1975
Box-folder 6 folder: 5
Catholics Act for ERA
1976-1982, undated
Box-folder 6 folder: 6
Citizens' Advisory Council on the Status of Women
1966-1976, undated
Box-folder 6 folder: 7
Common Cause of Virginia
1977, 1986
Box-folder 6 folder: 8
Congressional Union
1980, undated
Box-folder 6 folder: 9
Democratic National Committee
1976-1981, undated
Box-folder 6 folder: 10-11Box-folder 7 folder: 1
ERAmerica
1976-1981
Box-folder 7 folder: 2
Homemakers' Equal Rights Association
1975-1982, undated
Box-folder 7 folder: 3
Institute for Studies in Equality Equal Rights Monitor
1976-1977
Box-folder 7 folder: 4-5
International Women's Year
1976-1991, undated
Box-folder 7 folder: 6
League of Women Voters
1972-1978
Box-folder 7 folder: 7
League of Women Voters of Virginia and local chapters
1975-1984
Box-folder 8 folder: 1
National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs
1976-1977, undated
Box-folder 8 folder: 2-3
National Organization for Women
1971-1992, undated
Box-folder 8 folder: 4
National Organization for Women - Richmond
1976-1990
Box-folder 8 folder: 5
National Organization for Women - Virginia
1974-1987
Box-folder 8 folder: 6
National Women's Party
1978-2002, undated
Box-folder 8 folder: 7
National Women's Political Caucus
1979-1990
Box-folder 9 folder: 1
National Women's Political Caucus of Virginia
1981-1993
Box-folder 9 folder: 2
Religious Committee for ERA
1975-1982, undated
Box-folder 9 folder: 3
Republican National Committee
undated
Box-folder 9 folder: 4
Reston ERA Coalition
1981-1982
Box-folder 9 folder: 5
Richmond Committee on the Concerns for Women
1979-1985
Box-folder 9 folder: 6
Richmond Council of Women's Organizations
1976
Box-folder 9 folder: 7
United Methodist Church
1978, undated
Box-folder 9 folder: 8-
10
United States Commission on Civil Rights
1975-1985
Box-folder 9 folder: 11
University of Virginia Institute of Government
1974-1984
Box-folder 10 folder: 1
Virginia Council of Churches
1981-1982, undated
Box-folder 10 folder: 2
Virginia Education Association
1980-1982, undated
Box-folder 10 folder: 3
Virginia ERA Ratification Project
1981
Box-folder 10 folder: 4
Virginia Women Attorneys Association
1981-1986
Box-folder 10 folder: 5
Virgina Women's Meeting
1977
Box-folder 10 folder: 6
Virginians for the Equal Rights Amendment Political Action Committee
1977-1979, undated
Box-folder 10 folder: 7
Women and the Constitution Institute
1987
Box-folder 10 folder: 8
Women's Action Alliance
1978-1979, undated
Box-folder 10 folder: 9
Women's Bureau
1980-1984
Box-folder 10 folder: 10
Women's Center of Richmond
1974, undated
Box-folder 10 folder: 11
Women's Equity Action League
1976-1982, undated
Box-folder 10 folder: 12
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
1972-1989, undated
Box-folder 10 folder: 13
Women's Round Table
1979-1989
Box-folder 10 folder: 14
Young Women's Christian Association
1978-1989, undated
1970-1996
Box-folder 10 folder: 15
Abortion
1976-1987
Box-folder 11 folder: 1-2
Anti-ERA flyers and pamphlets
1972-1982
Box-folder 11 folder: 3
Anti-ERA rebuttal information
1977-1981, undated
Box-folder 11 folder: 4
Background information on the ERA
1973-1992, undated
Box-folder 20
Buttons, bracelet, and bear ornament
undated
Box-folder 11 folder: 5
Christian denominations
1975-1982, undated
Box-folder 11 folder: 6
Credit access
1975-1980
Box-folder 11 folder: 7
Education
1974-1981, undated
Box-folder 11 folder: 8
Equal Employment
1972-1989, undated
Box-folder 11 folder: 9
Essays and speeches
1972-1987, undated
Box-folder 11 folder: 10
Extension and rescission of ratification
1973-1981, undated
Box-folder 12 folder: 1
Family
1975-1986, undated
Box-folder 12 folder: 2-4
Informational flyers and pamphlets
1975-1989, undated
Box-folder 12 folder: 5
Informational flyers and pamphlets - Virginia
1976-1985, undated
Box-folder 12 folder: 6
Labor
1976-1983
Box-folder 12 folder: 7
Language
1976, undated
Box-folder 13 folder: 1
Lobbying
1977-1981
Box-folder 13 folder: 2
Military draft
1970-1981, undated
Box-folder 13 folder: 3
Music and religious services
1978-1988, undated
Box-folder 13 folder: 4
Pay Equity
1981-1987, undated
Box-folder 19
Pennant, sashes, and textiles
undated
Box-folder 13 folder: 5
Phyllis Schlafly Report
1973-1981
Box-folder 18 folder: 7
Posters
1975-2002, undated
Box-folder 13 folder: 6
Property rights, marriage, and divorce
1978-1982, undated
Box-folder 13 folder: 7
Resource bibliographies and lists
1973, undated
Box-folder 13 folder: 8
Retirement
undated
Box-folder 13 folder: 9
Sexual assault and domestic violence
1977-1985
Box-folder 13 folder: 10
Socialism
1978-1979, undated
Box-folder 13 folder: 11-12
State materials on ERA
1972-1995
Box-folder 14 folder: 1
Unitarian Universalism
1976-1985
Box-folder 14 folder: 2
United States Congress
1976-1990, undated
Box-folder 14 folder: 3-6Box-folder 15 folder: 1
Virginia legislature
1976-1983, undated
Box-folder 15 folder: 2
Virginia legislature - ERA Task Force
1974
Box-folder 15 folder: 3
Virginia Military Institute case
1973-1996, undated
Box-folder 15 folder: 4
Virginia State Board of Elections
1979, undated
1971-1996
Box-folder 15 folder: 5
Articles
1976-1990
Box-folder 15:6-7, boxes 16-18: all folders
Newspaper clippings
1971-1996, undated