ALICE ALLRED POTTMYER, undated
Scope and Contents
The Mormons for ERA collection consist of the papers donated by Alice Allred Pottmyer, Hazel Davis Rigby, and Maida Rust Withers, who collaborated in the founding of Mormons for ERA in 1978. The collection contains 25 boxes that includes correspondence, newsletters, pamphlets, financial records of Mormons for ERA, bulletins, minutes, testimonies, speeches, papers, congressional records, legal records, press kits, news clippings, photos, books, and memorabilia. The papers in the collection span the years 1965 to approximately 1993, with the bulk of the papers dating between 1979-1983.
The collection was treated as a whole, but each of the three women's papers were kept in their own separate collection, thus, the materials have some overlap and interconnection between each of the individual donor’s papers. The collection is divided as follows: box 1-15 contain the collection of Alice Allred Pottmyer, boxes 16-20 contain the collection of Hazel Davis Rigby, and boxes 21-23 contain the collection of Maida Rust Withers. Within each of the three collections, the papers have been divided into five main subcategories: personal information, Mormons for ERA, the Equal Rights Amendment, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Sonia Johnson.
The correspondence was arranged as follows: outgoing correspondence arranged by chronological date and incoming correspondence arranged alphabetical by last name. The correspondence is mainly divided into personal correspondence and the correspondence as it relates to the organization Mormons for ERA (example: contribution correspondence).
Items within the collection pertain to the Equal Rights Amendment, its legislation, ratification process ,and the many other complex issues involving the pro-ERA movement and anti-ERA groups (including the LDS Church and members of the US Congress). The papers deal, for the most part, with the women's involvement in the organization Mormons for ERA, the organization itself, and the involvement of Mormons for ERA in the national debate over the Equal Rights Amendment. A substantial amount of material relates to the LDS Church and their official stand against ERA. One of the main focal points of the collection is the excommunication of Sonia Johnson (first president of Mormons for ERA) from the LDS Church. This act alone propelled Sonia Johnson and the organization Mormons for ERA into the national media spotlight and the heated national debate over ERA.
Dates
- Creation: undated
Language of Materials
Collection materials are in English.
Restrictions
Open to public research.
Extent
From the Collection: 25 boxes (9.25 linear feet)
Repository Details
Part of the Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives Repository
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
3000 Old Main Hill
Logan Utah 84322-3000 United States
435 797-8248
435 797-2880 (Fax)
scweb@usu.edu