This past week, the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland turned 100. It was formed just months after the national organization was funded in February to support women’s newly won right to vote —1920 was the first presidential election they could vote in — and to offer information to make them informed voters. But for a long time it was believed the group was founded in April 1920.
A blog post, written by Great Cleveland LWV member Susan Murnane and posted on the website of the Western Reserve Historical Society this week, explains the confusion. She tells us “On May 28,1920, at least 2,000 Cleveland women attended the Fifth Annual Convention of the Cleveland Woman’s Suffrage Party at the Duchess Theater on Euclid Avenue near E. 55th St. to celebrate their history with a pageant. On May 29th the convention resumed at the Hollenden Hotel to formally disband the Cleveland Suffrage Party and reincorporate as the Cleveland League of Women Voters.
The group’s mission statement said that its goal was “… to foster the education of women in citizenship, to give them unbiased information upon the vital issues of the day, to support improved legislation and to secure law enforcement. The league as an organization shall support no political party, but shall urge women to enroll as voters.”
At one point a volunteer-driven group of middle-class housewives, such as my mother, who was president of the Chicago League in the ’70s, the group began accepting men in the ’70s. While its age noticeably increased as women went back into the work force, it’s seen an influx of younger members in many areas now. And while its main goal is still to make elections as fair, free and open as possible, supporting issues such as campaign finance reform, and to provide a forum for candidates and issues to debate, it’s also gotten behind progressive policies such as abortion access, climate action and sane gun laws.
The Cleveland LWV and the Western Reserve Historical Society were planning to celebrate this landmark with an exhibit called Women and Politics, slated to open May 22. It’s been delayed by the pandemic so stay tuned.
wrhs.org/blog/league-of-women-voters-in-cleveland-is-100-years-old-on-may-29-2020/
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106