History of the League of Women Voters of Piedmont - League of Women Voters of Piedmont

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HISTORY OF LWVP

We envision a democracy where every person has the desire, the right, the knowledge and the confidence to participate. We believe in the power of women to create a more perfect democracy.

o 1940s

OCTOBER 29, 1947

First Meeting of Proposed, Provisional LWVP

Mrs. Lawrence Fletcher, temporary chair, introduced UC Political Science Professor Harris, who spoke on "The Role of the Citizen in Government." Two study groups were formed. One group studied the Piedmont City Government, the City Charter, Civil Service and a proposed Education amendment.

JANUARY 14, 1948

LWVP Founded

LWVP was granted a charter membership with 110 members listed. Early interests included the schools, Public Health Services in Alameda County, and the Piedmont Community Swimming Pool.

o 1950s

In the early years, LWVP's most popular programs were its Study Groups. In the 1950s, it formed Study Groups on International Relations, Political Parties, Social Welfare, Conservation of Natural Resources, and City Government.

APRIL 3, 1950

First LWVP Voter Service Candidates Meeting

LWVP held a Town Meeting to get acquainted with the candidates for City Council and Board of Education. The message to LWVP members in the April 1950 Voter newsletter was, "This meeting is Piedmont League's first big effort at Voter Service. It must be a successful meeting -- our reputation is at stake! Drop everything in order to come out."

JANUARY, 1952

GOTV Efforts

After learning that only 27% of registered voters in Piedmont had voted in the previous election, LWVP commits itself to organizing a Voter Service Committee to help get out the vote for the next City Election in February of 1952.

o 1960s

The 60s were a time for protests, the battle for equal opportunities, and protection under the law. The LWVP did not fall short and took part in the action focusing on studying Bay Area problems and their potential government solutions. The 60s were a time of spreading awareness of the issues of governing metropolitan communities like the San Francisco Bay Area.

JUNE, 1964

"Know Your Town" booklet distributed

LWVP published a booklet titled "Know Your Town" that describes the city’s history and government, and includes information on education, public services, community life, and voting. The City Council underwrote the cost of mailing the booklet to all 3700 homes in Piedmont. The League continued to update and publish the booklet, renamed "Piedmont... Our Town," into the 1980s.

o 1970s

In the 70s, the League utilized its state studies to focus on air quality, education reform, and voter registration. Together with LWV California and the Environmental Protection Agency, LWVP helped create a citizen's participation forum to increase citizen engagement in democratic processes. LWVP took part in an energy census and conducted a water study as a joint effort with LWV Oakland. In this jam-packed decade, the League supported local control of federal aid to troubled cities, advocated for environmental and social justice, and focused on voter registration and citizen participation in the democratic process.

JANUARY, 1972

Use of Oakland's Library

With advocacy from LWVP, the City Council made a two year agreement with Oakland to allow Piedmont residents to use the Oakland Library. The cost was $5,000 for the first year and $10,000 for the second.

JANUARY, 1974

What's in a Name?

In our monthly Voter newsletter, we began using our member's given names instead of the names of their husbands. This transition was a slow process that began with the woman's first name in parentheses in the 1960s. Mrs. Joseph Smith became Mrs. Joseph Smith (Susan) and then became Mrs. Susan Smith (Joseph) before finally landing on Susan Smith.

o 1980s

In the 80's our Candidates Nights and Pro and Con evenings were taped by the local Community TV channel KCOM. We studied child care and local planning as well as transportation and growth in Alameda County and the state.

FALL 1981 to SPRING 1982

Campaigned for the "Bottle Bill"

Members of LWVP knocked on doors to get family, friends, neighbors and co-workers to sign petitions to support the Container Deposit Initiative.

SEPTEMBER, 1989

The Affidavit Project Begins

LWVP joined the other Alameda County Leagues to distribute voter registration affidavits throughout the county. LWVP distributed 30,000 affidavits together with instructions, display boxes and necessary forms to the Alameda County Leagues for distribution.

OCTOBER 15, 1989

Supported Women's Right to Choose

LWVP Members marched as a group in San Francisco in support of a woman's right to reproductive choice. This action was bolstered by joining with the other Alameda County Leagues to advocate that Alameda County make right to choice a county policy and restore funds for family planning that had previously been cut by the state.

o 1990s

In the 90's the League continued to maintain positions for quality education in Piedmont and to support free library services. We celebrated the 20th anniversary of the US Judiciary at a fundraiser and pursued improved recycling options. Motivated by the '89 earthquake and the '91 Oakland Hills Fire, we held meetings on Disaster Preparedness in Piedmont. We began to look at campaign finance reform and health care.

FEBRUARY 14, 1990

Celebrating LWV's 70th Birthday

LWVP hosted a Fashion Show of Seven Decades of League History in honor of the LWV 70th birthday. The event highlighted seven decades of political issues: 1920s (Down with Child Labor), 1930s (Social Security Now), 1940s (Support the UN), 1950s (Liberty for All), 1960s (Equality = Justice), 1970s (What do we want? ERA), 1980s (Pro Choice).

SPRING, 1991

Began Hosting Great Decisions

LWVP hosted its first Great Decisions Discussion group in 1991. Great Decisions is a program on world affairs provided by the Foreign Policy Association. LWVP still hosts this annual discussion group every spring.

JUNE, 1998

Study of Gun Control

Under the direction of Barbara Peters and Ann Lyman we began a local study of gun control. This culminated in adoption of the Gun Control Position by LWV United States in 1998.

o 2000s

In the first decade of the 21st century, we joined the Million Mom March in Washington DC to call for stricter gun control laws. We studied a variety of voting systems both paper and electronic. We registered high school voters and joined in the LWV of California study on education. We focused on the environment by calculating our ecological footprints and participating in LWV of California study on energy. We organized field trips to EBMUD, Oakland Port, Waste Management Recycle Facility, and Bay Bridge Construction Site.

FEBRUARY, 2001

LWVP Website Goes Live

The League of Women Voters of Piedmont joins the digital age with the launch of its website.

OCTOBER 10-18, 2009

Civic Host Project for Russian Officials

Four visiting Russian officials from the republic of Kalmykia were hosted by the Leagues of Oakland and Piedmont. The visit included tours of San Francisco and UC Berkeley, observing city and county government meetings, and visiting local politicians' offices.

o 2010s

For the first time in history, Piedmont created a pool of income-restricted affordable housing units to meet the needs of lower-income households. With a focus on local issues in 2011, LWVP sought members to follow the affordable housing issues. The League also focused on inspiring the new generation of voters, bringing awareness to global climate change, and increasing informed and active participation in government.

SPRING 2010

Undergrounding Task Force

In early 2010 the LWVP formed a task force of members with backgrounds in construction project management, accounting, city governance, and legal to investigate and report on the Piedmont Hills Undergrounding District. The aim was to help individuals understand some of the problems that led to cost overruns.

NOVEMBER 2015

Study on Higher Education

The LWVP joins the LWVC state study on higher education. The study focuses on increasing tuition and student debt, decreasing state support, and inequities in access and graduation rates.

APRIL 2018

Speaker on Housing Discrimination

Richard Rothstein, author of The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America, spoke to the League of Women Voters of Piedmont and other community members about widespread, systemic government sanctioned discrimination in housing.

o 2020s

The League of Women Voters of Piedmont is hard at work today continuing our mission of empowering voters and defending democracy. Find out what we've been doing so far this decade.

2020s - Making History Today