For the Public Record - (Contributions in American Studies) by Barbara Stuhler (Hardcover)

About the Book

Through a judicious selection of documents from the papers of the League of Women Voters of the United States in the Library of Congress, Stuhler reveals the rich history of an organization designed to serve the public interest. In the aftermath of the 72-year long effort by American women to win the vote, the League was formed to prepare these new voters for their responsibilities as full participating citizens. The organization's first president, Maud Wood Park, and her associates established Citizenship Schools throughout the nation to educate women, and they were so successful that one newspaper complained, Why not for men, too?

Succeeding presidents built the League's reputation as an organization inventive in its dual roles as a voter educator and civic activist. While League members were expected to be nonpartisan, they were also encouraged to be active in their parties, a sometimes confusing posture. Nevertheless, the League--as an advocate in support of specified public policies--succeeded in maintaining an informed nonpartisanship that came to be respected by opinion and political leaders, and the public learned that it could depend upon the League for unbiased information in election contests. In making it possible for women to show their strength and do what they have done for some 80 years, the League has made incalculable contributions to the public good. Students, scholars, and the informed public interested in American political and women's history will find this documentary collection invaluable.

Book Synopsis

Through a judicious selection of documents from the papers of the League of Women Voters of the United States in the Library of Congress, Stuhler reveals the rich history of an organization designed to serve the public interest. In the aftermath of the 72-year long effort by American women to win the vote, the League was formed to prepare these new voters for their responsibilities as full participating citizens. The organization's first president, Maud Wood Park, and her associates established Citizenship Schools throughout the nation to educate women, and they were so successful that one newspaper complained, Why not for men, too?

Succeeding presidents built the League's reputation as an organization inventive in its dual roles as a voter educator and civic activist. While League members were expected to be nonpartisan, they were also encouraged to be active in their parties, a sometimes confusing posture. Nevertheless, the League--as an advocate in support of specified public policies--succeeded in maintaining an informed nonpartisanship that came to be respected by opinion and political leaders, and the public learned that it could depend upon the League for unbiased information in election contests. In making it possible for women to show their strength and do what they have done for some 80 years, the League has made incalculable contributions to the public good. Students, scholars, and the informed public interested in American political and women's history will find this documentary collection invaluable.

Review Quotes

"For the Public Record provides an inspiring history of the League of Women Voters but also the country's struggle with democratic experiment. It makes clear that the public will can be translated into public policy. It offers insights from our past and hope for our future. If you are interested in civic engagement, read this book."-Becky Cain President League of Women Voters of the United States, 1992-1998

"People disturbed by the low estate of the present political scene should read For the Public Record. What women did in the years after the Nineteenth Amendment was adopted to make themselves truly active citizens should serve as an inspiration to all who are looking for a revival of democracy in a time of voter cynicism and apathy."-Anne Firor Scott W. K. Boyd Professor of History Emerita Duke University

"The League of Women Voters has had a profound--but relatively invisible--impact on American life in the 20th century. For the Public Record documents the League's contributions as a training ground for leadership and an incubator for enlightened public policies. The unfolding history of this great organization in the worlds of its leaders is a wonderful gift to us and for future generations."-Sara M. Evans Distinguished McKnight Professor of History University of Minnesota

.,."this book is a useful resource for American women's public involvement. Its documents would be difficult to find elsewhere. For general and academic collections."-Choice

?...this book is a useful resource for American women's public involvement. Its documents would be difficult to find elsewhere. For general and academic collections.?-Choice

..."this book is a useful resource for American women's public involvement. Its documents would be difficult to find elsewhere. For general and academic collections."-Choice

About the Author

BARBARA STUHLER, prior to her retirement, was Professor and Executive Associate Dean, Continuing Education and Extension (now the College of Continuing Education) at the University of Minnesota./e From the 1950s through the 1970s, she served on the state and national boards of the League of Women Voters and served as the League's representative on the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO. In recent years she has devoted her energies to writing women's history and to increasing the representation of women in politics.