Kaw Valley Older Women's League (O.W.L.) records
Overview
This collection consists of the records of the Kaw Valley Chapter of the Older Women's League (O.W.L.), a group devoted to advocating for the concerns of mid-life and older women. It includes correspondence, meeting minutes and information related to programs held by the Douglas County, Kansas-based group, news clippings, some information from the larger regional and national O.W.L. organizations, and other related materials.
Dates
- Creation: 1983, 1991-2016 (bulk 1992-2008)
Creator
- Older Women's League (U.S.). Kaw Valley Chapter (Lawrence, Kan.) (Compiler, Organization)
- Older Women's League (U.S.) (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
No access restrictions.
Audio visual materials associated with KC AV 2 are stored in the KU Annex off-site storage area.
All researchers interested in reviewing this material must consult Spencer Research Library Public Services staff (785-864-4334 or ksrlref@ku.edu, 9-5 M-F CST) before a planned visit; staff will respond within three days, though materials may not be available in that timeframe. Access to audio visual materials may require digitization first. Be advised that drop-in requests for this material cannot be accommodated.
Conditions Governing Use
Spencer Library staff may determine use restrictions dependent on the physical condition of manuscript materials.
History of the Kaw Valley Older Women's League
The national organization of the Older Women's League (O.W.L.) started in 1980 at the conclusion of the first White House Mini-Conference on Older Women, held in Des Moines, Iowa in October. The first local chapter was organized in Louisville, Kentucky in 1981.
Kansas was one of four states in 1984 to adopt model legislation drafted by O.W.L. regarding health insurance rights. The Kaw Valley chapter of O.W.L., located in Lawrence, Kansas, was founded in 1989.
The Older Women's League is a national grassroots organization devoted to issues particularly affecting women as they age. Topics the organization has focused on nationally and at the local level have included health care reform, the threat of Social Security privitization and more generally ensuring women have adequate financial support in their elder years, adequate housing and transporation, caregiver support, mental health, and ensuring aging individuals can maintain independence and control, including regarding end of life decisions.
The Kaw Valley O.W.L. met monthly for most months of the year, taking the summers off. Programs focused on a wide variety of topics of interest to midlife and older women and men. The group also maintained close ties with other groups and services in the area, including the Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging and the Douglas County Senior Services, and programs some months would be joint efforts, including legsilative action days.
Mottoes used by O.W.L. have included "Give a hoot!" and "Don't Agonize - Organize!" The national organization published annual Mother's Day reports on a wide variety of topics, in addition to other advocacy efforts that local chapters tapped into.
As of the winter of 2017, the national organization and local Kaw Valley chapter were defunct.
Extent
2.5 Linear Feet (3 boxes + 1 oversize box, 6 audiovisual items)
Language of Materials
English
Scope and Contents
This collection includes administrative documentation of the Kaw Valley chapter, including agendas for board meetings and for monthly member meetings; meeting minutes for both; some financial documentation; correspondence; and copies of bylaws and mission statements. The collection also includes flyers, copies of presentations, postcards, and other ephemera related to programs held at the chapter's monthly meetings, as well as news clippings publicizing the chapter's activities. Also in the collection are news clippings, obituaries, memorial booklets, and other documentation of specific O.W.L. members.
There is a significant amount of material related to health care reform from the early 1990s; this includes material from the Kaw Valley chapter, such as correspondence and newspaper articles, as well as material from the national organization and other groups invested in reforming the health care and insurance systems in the United States.
The collection includes material from the national O.W.L. organization, including promotional materials, fact sheets, and copies of reports, newsletters, and brochures produced by the national O.W.L.
Material has been generally organized by category and chronologically by year; material related to a single topic may be found in more than one folder, however. Records of the Kaw Valley chapter appear first in the collection, with materials from the national organization at the end of the collection. Oversize materials have been physically separated and are stored at RH MS Q427. Audio visual materials have been physically separated and are stored off-site at KC AV 2.
Physical Location
RH MS 1423
Physical Location
RH MS Q427
Physical Location
KC AV 2
Physical Location
A/V items at Annex (Contact Spencer Library Public Services)
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift, Gayle Sigurdson on behalf of the Kaw Valley O.W.L, 2012, 2013, 2016.
Source
- Sigurdson, Gayle (Donor, Person)
- Title
- Guide to the Kaw Valley Older Women's League Collection
- Subtitle
- Kaw Valley Older Women's League (O.W.L.) records
- Author
- Finding aid compiled by mwh, 2017. Finding aid encoded by mwh, 2017.
- Date
- 2017
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Finding aid written in English.
- Finding aid permalink
- http://hdl.handle.net/10407/0614334489
- Preferred citation
-
Kaw Valley Older Women's League (O.W.L.) records, RH MS 1423, Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas.
Repository Details
Part of the University of Kansas. Kenneth Spencer Research Library Repository