Document 7A: "National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year State Meetings, 1977," in National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year, The Spirit of Houston: The First National Women's Conference (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1978). pp. 114-15.

Introduction

   From February to July of 1977, state and territorial meetings were held to elect delegates to attend the NWC in Houston, Texas, in November 1977. At these conventions, registered voters were asked to vote on resolutions suggested by the organizing body, the NCOIWY, and suggest further planks to be addressed at the November conference. This document shows when and where each state or territory held its meeting, how many women registered as voters at the meeting, and how many delegates were elected to travel to Houston for the NWC. Most importantly, this document also indicates how registered voters at each convention voted on the "Approved Core" of 16 resolutions the NCOIWY had placed on the agenda. The majority of Core resolutions were adopted at most state conventions, but anti-change coalitions in a significant number of states defeated all resolutions for change.

p. 114

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON THE OBSERVANCE OF
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S YEAR STATE MEETINGS, 1977

State	Place	Date	Number Attending	Approved Core*	Elected Delegates
Alabama	Montgomery	July 9	2,000	defeated all	24
Alaska	Anchorage	May 6-8	780	adopted all	12
American Samoa	Pago Pago	June 16-18	300	no action	12
Arizona	Phoenix	June 3-4	1,000	adopted all	18
Arkansas	Little Rock	June 10-12	569	adopted all	18
California	Los Angeles	June 17-19	6,500	adopted all	96
Colorado	Boulder	June 3-5	3,100	adopted all	20
Connecticut	Bridgeport	June 10-11	1,000	***	22
Delaware	Dover	June 17-18	699	adopted all	12
District of Columbia	Washington	June 10-12	1,138	adopted all	12
Florida	Orlando	July 15-17	2,700	defeated all	40
Georgia	Atlanta	May 6-7	1,257	****	30
Guam	Agana	July 8-9	1,500	no action	12
Hawaii	Honolulu	July 9	5,100	****	14
Idaho	Boise	May 21-22	1,016	adopted all	14
Illinois	Normal	June 10-12	2,500	***	58
Indiana	Indiana	July 15-16	3,712	defeated all	32
Iowa	Des Moines	June 10-12	1,500	adopted all	22
Kansas	Wichita	July15-17	4,620	***	20
Kentucky	Lexington	June 10-12	1,277	adopted all	24
Louisiana	Baton Rouge	June 16-18	1,227	adopted all	26
Maine	Bangor	June 17-18	500	***	14
Maryland	Baltimore	June 12-13	750	adopted all	26
Massachusetts	Regional Mtgs.**	June 25	2,500	adopted all	34
Michigan	Lansing	June 10-11	2,100	adopted all	48
Minnesota	St. Cloud	June 2-5	4,500	adopted all	26
Mississippi	Jackson	July 8-9	1,500	defeated all	20
Missouri	St. Louis	June 3-4	1,164	***	30
Montana	Helena	July 8-10	1,787	defeated all	14
Nebraska	Lincoln	June 24-25	1,700	***	16
Nevada	Las Vegas	June 17-19	1,341	***	12
New Hampshire	Plymouth	June 10-11	750	adopted all	14
New Jersey	Princeton	June 10-11	3,500	***	40
New Mexico	Albuquerque	June 3-5	802	adopted all	14
New York	Albany	July 8-10	11,000	adopted all	88
North Carolina	Winston-Salem	June 17-19	828	adopted all	32
North Dakota	Bismarck	June 3-5	400	adopted all	13

p. 115

State	Place	Date	Number Attending	Approved Core*	Elected Delegates
Ohio	Columbus	June 11-12	2,800	adopted all	56
Oklahoma	Stillwater	June 16-18	1,400	defeated all	22
Oregon	Salem	June 3-5	1,200	adopted all	18
Pennsylvania	Pittsburgh	June 24-26	3,700	adopted all	60
Puerto Rico	Santurce	June 10-12	1,200	no action	12
Rhode Island	Providence	June 11-12	2,103	adopted all	14
South Carolina	Columbia	June 10-11	1,100	***	22
South Dakota	Mitchell	June 17-18	800	adopted all	14
Tennessee	Clarsville	June 24-26	800	adopted all	26
Texas	Austin	June 24-26	2,600	***	58
Trust Territories	Regional Mtgs.**	July/August	—	***	12
Utah	Salt Lake City	June 24-25	14,000	defeated all	14
Vermont	Montpelier	February 26	1,000+	***	12
Virgin Islands	St. Thomas	June 24-25	597	***	12
Virginias	Richmond	June 10-11	1,277	***	30
Washington	Ellensburg	July 8-10	4,000	mostly on action	24
West Virginia	Huntington	July 22-23	1,500	adopted all	18
Wisconsin	Madison	June 3-5	1,500	adopted all	28
Wyoming	Casper	June 10-12	500	adopted all	12

   *The IWY core recommendations submitted to the States for their consideration were on these subjects: Arts and Humanities, Child Care, Credit, Education, Equal Rights Amendment, Female Offenders, Health, Homemakers, International Interdependence, Media, Older Women, Rape, Teenage Pregnancy and Elective and Appointive Office.

   **Massachusetts regional meetings were held in Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Fall River, and Methuen. The Trust Territories held meetings in seven regions.

   *** Indicates that State meeting passed most of the IWY core recommendation, with no action on some.

   ****Indicates that State meeting defeated some IWY core recommendations and failed to act on others.

   

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