A GUIDE TO THE PAPERS OF
Mary L. Gojack
Collection no. 86-02
Mary L. Gojack, 1936-1985
Mary L. Gojack was
born in Hillsboro, Iowa on February 19, 1936. She moved to Nevada in 1954. She
worked as a casino dealer while attending the University of Nevada, Reno and
raising two children. Gojack received her Bachelor of Arts degree in history,
political science, and secondary education in 1968, and her Masters in political
science in 1981.
In 1972, Gojack, a
Democrat, was elected to the Nevada State Assembly. One of her major
accomplishments during this session was the passage of the 1973 Parkland Bill
which required developers to pay for the building of parks. Gojack was also the
first legislator to call for the removal of sales tax on food. In 1974, she was
elected to the State Senate and served until 1978. Gojack pushed strongly for
the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. In 1980, Gojack ran unsuccessfully
for the U.S. Senate seat held by Paul Laxalt; in 1982 she ran against Barbara
Vucanovich for the newly created Second Congressional District seat and lost by
a narrow margin.
In addition to her political career, Gojack was a Consumer Affairs Officer with Nevada National Bank, and a broker with Dickson Realty. Gojack died on November 12, 1985, after a bout with cancer. She received the Distinguished Nevadan Award from the University of Nevada, Reno after her death.
Scope And Content
The Mary L. Gojack
Papers are contained in thirty-one archival boxes, one oversize scrapbook, audio
and video tapes, and one box of maps. The material covers the period of ca. 1965
to 1985, and was donated to the Special Collections Department by Mr. Robert
Gorrell in 1986. There are no restrictions on use of the materials.
The papers in the collection reflect Gojack’s life as a University of
Nevada, Reno student, Nevada State Assemblywoman and Senator, candidate for U.S.
Senate, candidate for Congress, banker, and women’s right activist. Included
in the collection are personal correspondence and diaries. The major emphasis of
the papers is on women’s issues, her term in the State Senate, and her
campaigns for U.S. Senate and Congress. Audio tapes include legislative
testimony, campaigns, speeches, and taped meetings. Photographs and video tapes
in the collection have been transferred to the photo archives section of the
Special Collections Department.
This
collection is divided into the following series:
I.
Nevada Legislature.
II.
Nevada Senate.
III.
U.S. Senate Campaign.
IV.
U.S. Congress
Campaign.
V.
Personal Papers.
VI. Audio Tapes.
VII. Video Tapes.
86-2/I
Series I. Nevada Legislature. 1972-1974.
BOX 1:
1.
Correspondence. Assembly.
BOX 2:
2.
Assembly material.
3.
1974 Nevada Senate campaign (candidates’ campaign brochures).
86-2/II
Series II. Nevada Senate. 1975-1977.
BOX 3:
1. Printed
material of significant legislation. (Legislative Manual 1975, 1977 & Nevada
Public Affairs Review, 1979).
2.
Correspondence.
BOX 4:
3.
Anti-ERA letters.
4.
ERA material.
5.
National Women’s Conference, Houston 1977.
6.
Women’s Issues.
7. 1977 Legislature - general.
BOX 5:
8. Business expenses.
9.
Correspondence, 1974 to November 1976.
BOX 6:
10.
Nevada State Women’s Conference.
11.
International Women’s Year, 1977.
12.
Ads and endorsements.
13.
ERA, 1976.
14.
Senate Material.
BOX 7:
15.
ERA.
16.
Senate Committee on Government Affairs, 59th session ( four vols.).
17.
Senate Legislative Functions Committee, Mary Gojack, Chairwoman. 59th
session (one volume).
BOX 8:
18.
ACR.8 - Oversight Committee.
19.
Geothermal tax.
20.
Sales tax, 1977.
21.
Battered women.
22.
Tax initiative.
23.
Carnival information.
24. Painting. Decorating contractors.
BOX 9:
25.
Lemmon Valley letters.
26.
ERA letters-pro and
anti.
27.
Correspondence. November 21, 1976 - June 1977.
28.
State Senate
campaign.
29. Women, 1975.
30.
Women’s Day, 1974.
31.
Shirley McLaine.
32.
Reprint - The Defeat of E.R.A.
33.
ERA Letters.
34.
Immigrant Trail - historical monument.
BOX 10:
35. ERA pro letters.
36. Correspondence, 1977.
37. Geothermal taxes.
38. Correspondence, 1978.
39.
District maps.
40.
Selected
significant legislation, 1977.
41.
State Senate campaign.
42.
Energy and
Environment.
43.
Senate -
miscellaneous.
44.
Age -
drivers license bill.
BOX 11:
45.
Correspondence, 1977.
46.
Correspondence, 1974-1975.
47.
Correspondence, 1975-1976.
48.
Copies of
newspaper clippings.
49.
Speeches.
BOX 12:
50.
Affirmative Action Program, 1975.
51.
ERA, 1975.
52.
ERA printed materials.
53.
Women (general) speech ideas.
54.
Women’s political action.
55.
Sexual
discrimination.
56.
Women’s Conference.
86-2/III
Series III. U.S. Senate Campaign. 1980.
BOX 13:
1.
Financial material.
2.
Receipts - expenses.
3.
Contribution receipts.
BOX 14:
4.
Procedure manual.
5.
Schedules.
6.
Campaign ads.
7.
Issues.
8.
Check stubs.
BOX 15:
9.
Receipts.
10.
Check register.
11.
Financial accounts.
BOX 16:
12.
NEA lists.
13.
Washoe County.
14.
Address cards.
15.
Campaign contributions.
16.
Mailing lists.
BOX 17:
17.
Biographical sketch.
18.
News releases.
19.
Schedules.
20.
Statements - speeches.
21.
Issues.
BOX 18:
22. CYRK
Direct Mail.
23.
Correspondence.
24.
Budget.
25.
Laxalt, Paul - voting
record.
26.
Senate narratives.
27.
Speeches.
28.
Questionnaires.
29.
Washoe Democratic Party.
BOX 19:
30. Calendar - schedule,
1980.
31.
Issues.
32.
Candidate activity book.
33.
Gojack base plan for upset
victory.
34.
Campaign calendar.
35.
Campaign schedule.
BOX 20:
36.
Issue statements.
37.
Correspondence.
38.
Press clippings.
39.
Laxalt voting record.
40.
Election board report.
41.
County folders - names, organizations.
86-2/IV
Series IV. U.S. Congress Campaign. 1982.
BOX 21:
1. Newsclips
- candidates.
2.
Sinatra.
3.
Laxalt, 1982.
4.
Vucanovich.
5. Media.
6.
Lists of contribution.
7.
Election results.
8.
Lawsuit fire and T-shirts.
BOX 23:
9.
Campaign material. 10. Issues.
11.
Polls and canvasses.
12.
State party lists.
13.
County information.
14.
Barbara Vucanovich.
15.
Newsletters - advertisements.
16.
Fundraising.
17.
Shirley McLaine.
18. Daily campaign
schedules.
19.
Targeting.
20.
Native Americans.
21.
1982 Primary election
results.
22.
Senior citizens files.
23.
Get Out the Vote.
24.
Census data.
BOX 24:
25.
News releases.
26.
News clips.
27.
News stories on individual
candidates.
28.
Press releases.
29.
Gojack vs. Gojack articles.
86-2/V
Series V. Personal Papers. 1968-1984.
BOX 25:
1.
Cards, correspondence to 1978.
BOX 26:
2.
Correspondence, 1978-1985.
3.
Paper on “Thoughts”, 1985.
BOX 27:
4.
Calendars, appointment book, 1968-1984.
BOX 28:
5.
Real estate school.
6.
Subject files.
7.
Bill Moon campaign for City
Council.
8.
Other campaigns.
BOX 29:
9.
Class notes.
BOX 30:
10.
Class notes.
BOX 31:
11.
Printed material on women’s issues.
12.
Campaign strategy handbook.
13.
Newsclip of R. Gorrell column.
86-2/VI
Series VI. Audio Tapes. 1980, 1982, n.d.
BOX 32:
1. Tape 1 - Testimony on Lobbyist
Bell - Nevada Legislature. Jean Ford making the presentation in an Assembly
Committee. AB 209; and Testimony on AB 199 - Open Legislative Meeting Law.
Interrupted at times by typing.
2. Tape 2 - AB 209 & AB 199. Part a
copy from tape 1 - has Gojack’s comments on it. 1st side only.
3.
Tape 3 - Testimony, AB 209. Same as tape 1. (Tape defective at
beginning).
4.
Tape 4 - Continued testimony on AB 199.
5.
Tape 5 - Testimony on AB 199. Same as on tape 4.
6. Tape 6 - Side 1, voices
incomprehensible. Side 2, Hillsboro - child talking to Mary Gojack, others
sending a message to Trish and John; talk about sorting buttons. [MISSING].
7. Tape 7 - Campaign spot by Janice
Weavergale; and song - either 1980 or 1982 campaign [unsure].
8. Tape 8 - Side 1, 2nd Annual Women
in Transition Program - keynote speaker. c.1980. Dr. Gorrell’s dictation.
9.
Tape 9 - Mary lecturing on Public Policy (sounds like she is going over a
book).
10. Tape 10 - Senator Claude Pepper’s Speech,
October 14, 1982. Same as tape 11. [MISSING].
11.
Tape 11 - Claude Pepper’s Speech, October 15, 1982. Same as tape 10.
12.
Tape 12 - Lutzker, March 17, 1980. Campaign Meeting - going over the
poll.
13.
Tape 13 - Lutzker-Glenny, March 18, 1980. Strategy and Program - 2nd
tape.
14.
Tape 14 - Lutzker-Glenny, March 18, 1980. Definition and Strategy - 3rd
tape.
15.
Tape 15 - Lutzker-Glenny, March 18, 1980. Meeting - 4th tape.
86-2/VII
Series VII. Video Tapes. 1980, 1982, n.d. [Transferred to photo archives]
l.
Tape 1 - “On the Record” Program, Las Vegas. Paul Laxalt.
2.
Tape 2 - The “Today” Show - Mary Gojack appearance. 15 second blurb.
1982.
3. Tape 3 - Program
about Social Programs - Social Security; “Forget Not Old Friends” - Reagan
bashing.
4. Tape 4 - Senate
Commercials, 1980: “Attendance”, “One of Us”, “Attendance”, “One
of Us”.
5.
Tape 5 - Claude Pepper, 1982.
6.
Tape 6 - Claude Pepper, Part 2, 1982.
7.
Tape 7 - Congress Commercials, 1982: “Unemployment”, “Pull
Together”, “Elderly”.
8. Tape 8 - Senate
Commercials, 1980: “Most Politicians”, “Nevada”, “For Generations”,
“A Few Weeks Ago”.
1 oversized
scrapbook - on shelf.
1 box rolled maps -
on top of range.