Today’s Almanac-February 14, 2010
The Founding Board of the League of Women Voters, 1920
I know today is St. Valentine’s Day, but you didn’t expect us to go for the obvious, did you? Today we celebrate the birth of the League of Women Voters on February 14, 1920. The League was founded by the doughty Suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt at the last meeting of the National American Women’s Suffrage Association. The final ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment was still six month in the future, but certain victory was in the air. The founders wanted to establish a non-partisan political organization that would educate women voters on the issues. Membership originally was limited to women, but men have been admitted since 1973. The League is perhaps best known for facilitating debates among candidates on the local, state, and national level. You may have heard the old joke about Unitarians: A group of children were gathered on the playground. “My family are Christians,” proclaimed the first. “Well, we’re Catholics,” added another. “My folks are Jewish,” said the third. The last boy didn’t speak up. “Well, what are you?” the others demanded. “I’m not sure,” he said, “I think we’re League of Women Voters.”