AP News: Rare 1918 memoir shows Conn. opinions on suffrage

03/20/2011

 
CT State Wire | SUSAN HAIGH | Published: Mar 20, 2011

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Cheryl Dunson knew she had found something special when she saw the small black notebook, covered in a plastic sleeve, inside a cardboard box of old memorabilia at the Connecticut League of Women Voters.

Recorded inside, in meticulous blue script, were the memoirs of a suffrage leader who interviewed members of the all-male Connecticut General Assembly more than 90 years ago on whether women should be granted the right to vote...  > MORE

 

League of Women Voters of Connecticut Finds Hidden Treasure in Archives

03/13/2011

 
Presentation to the Museum of Connecticut History scheduled for March 23

HAMDEN - "Anything for the ladies..." That's what one state lawmaker promised to a suffrage leader back in 1918 when women in Connecticut were fighting for the right to vote. This quote was uncovered in "found treasure" -a hand-written memoir filled with quotes from state leaders about women's suffrage, recently discovered in the archives of the League of Women Voters of Connecticut. 

In honor of its 90th Anniversary and Women's History Month, the League will present the "little black book" of legislative interviews to the Museum of Connecticut History at a reception at the CT State Library in Hartford on Wednesday, March 23rd at 2 pm. 

LWVCT President Cheryl Dunson said, "This book is a historical gem of Connecticut's suffrage movement. As I read these interviews, I'm amazed at the candid remarks-some disappointing, some amusing, some inspiring-from Connecticut's former leaders as they debated one of the basic rights of our democracy-a right that many women take for granted today. This memoir needs a place of honor in our state and I'm pleased to present it to the Museum of Connecticut History for safekeeping." 

The reception will feature remarks from the Secretary of the State Denise Merrill and refreshments will be served. The event is free and open to the public.  

To RSVP and for more information, contact the League at lwvct@lwvct.org or 203-288-7996.

Directions to the museum are available at  http://www.museumofcthistory.org/ .