NEVADANS FOR ERA, INC.

Nevadans for ERA, Inc. (NERA) was incorporated in June, 1974 to work for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the U.S. Constitution in the state of Nevada and implementation of the principles of the Equal Rights Amendment through modification of existing state laws and practices. The primary method for doing so was to promote public understanding and to enlist public support through programs of information and education. The corporation was non-profit and non-partisan.

The corporation was divided into regional groups, Northern Nevadans for ERA being one of them. A state-wide Board of Trustees coordinated efforts and developed strategy. Regional boards of directors carried out policies and strategies as developed by the state board.

NERA, Inc. was disbanded in 1982 after the required number of states failed to ratify ERA Amendment and the deadline for ratification was passed.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

The records of Nevadans for ERA, Inc. were donated to the Special Collections Department by Vivian Freeman, a former member of the board of directors, in August, 1993. The records date from 1972-1983 and consist of three cubic feet of material. There are no restrictions on access to the collection. Additional materials were donated to the Department by Ms. Freeman at the time of this gift; they have been accessioned as collection 93-43 and consist of records of several other Reno women's organizations and political ephemera from the 1978 and 1982 Nevada elections.

The records of NERA consist of bylaws, minutes of meetings, correspondence, financial reports, newsletters, project files, reports on the legal status of women in Nevada and other parts of the U.S., and brochures and clippings about NERA and the national efforts of ERA. By far, the largest series in this collection consists of ERA publications and clippings. Many of the clippings have been segregated into those from Nevada papers about the Nevada ERA movement and those from Nevada and national papers about national ERA issues. There are a few pieces of ephemera: bumper stickers, button badges, an ERA necklace, and a Nevadans for ERA parade banner. There was only one photograph in the collection: a color photo of a parade (possibly not in Reno).

Processed by: Susan Searcy
Date: August 17, 1993

The records of Nevadans for ERA, Inc. have been divided into the following series:

I. NERA Administration

II. NERA Projects

III. Reports on the Legal Status of Women in Nevada and other States

IV. Nevada ERA Brochures and Clippings

V. National ERA Brochures and Clippings

VI. Ephemera

Series I. NERA Administration. 1972-1982. .75 cu. ft.

This series contains bylaws, the incorporation certificate, minutes of meetings of NERA and Northern Nevadans for ERA, financial reports, correspondence, membership and mailing lists, and newsletters. These records were generated and kept by several different officers; therefore the original order within folders has been maintained and will account for some duplication and overlap of materials. Arranged by function of document and by date.

Box 1

I/1 Bylaws. 1974.

I/2 Bylaws, incorporation certificate, tax status letter. 1974, 1977.

I/3 Minutes, correspondence, financial statement. 1974-1977.

I/4-5 Northern Nevadans for ERA minutes. 1976-1978.

I/6 Minutes, reports, publicity. 1977-1978.

I/7 Minutes, reports. 1978.

I/8 Budgets. 1976-1978.

I/9 Northern NERA financial reports. 1978-1979.

I/10 Close of NERA bank account, check registers. 1982.

I/11-13 Membership and mailing lists. 1977-1978.

I/14 Daily log of phone calls and correspondence. 1974-1975.

I/15-20 Correspondence. 1972-1978.

I/21 Newsletters. 1975-1979.

Series II. NERA Projects. 1973-1982. .25 cu. ft.

This series documents a number of activities carried out by NERA in working toward their goal of ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. Speakers' bureaus, legislation (and the tracking of legislators' votes), conferences, workshops, and ERA campaign techniques, are included here.

Box 1

II/1-3 Speakers' bureaus and workshops.

II/4 Speeches - pro-ERA.

II/5 Boycott of states not ratifying ERA. Extension [of ratification deadline], recision of ERA.

II/6 Legislation. 1975-1977.

II/7 ERA campaign techniques and materials.

II/8 Citizen Action in Government workshop. 1982.

II/9 Pro-ERA executives' letter. 1978.

II/10 Nevada Women's Conference. 1977.

II/11 Nevada Men for the ERA.

II/12 Nevadans for ERA - Elko Chapter. 1976.

II/13 Nevada ERA events.

II/14 Extension - NOW brief. 1977-1978.

II/15 Boycott. 1977.

II/16 NERA publicity releases.
II/17-18 Voting record of Nevada legislators on ERA. 1973-1977.

II/19 Sparks parade. 1978.

II/20 MAN for ERA

Series III. Reports on the Legal Status of Women in Nevada and other States. 1973-1983. .5 cu. ft.

One of the goals of NERA was to encourage the Nevada legislature to implement the principles of the Equal Rights Amendment through modification of existing state laws and practices. NERA gathered together a series of reports of various state agencies on the status of women under Nevada laws, and on the status of efforts in other western U.S. states. They form the contents of this series which is arranged with the Nevada materials first, followed by reports from other areas.

Box 2

III/1 "The Legal Status of Women in Nevada" by Phyllis Halsey Atkins. 1976.

III/2 "Sexual Discrimination and Nevada Law." 1976.

III/3 "Sexual Discrimination in Nevada." 1976.

III/4 "Sexual Discrimination Bills in the 1977 Nevada Legislature."

III/5 "Nevada Affirmative Action - State and Counties." 1977.

III/6 "Employment and Women in Nevada." 1975.

III/7 "Nevada Law and the Equal Rights Amendment." 1975.

III/8 "Women and Protective Labor Laws." 1975; "Governor's Commission on the Status of People. Criminal Justice Committee." 1976; "Review of Discriminatory Nevada Law." 1975.

III/9 "Political Profile, Nevada."

III/10 "Equality Now" [describes ERA campaign in Nevada]. 1978.

III/11 "Beyond ERA: A Women's Agenda for Nevada," Nevada Public Affairs Review. 1983; "To Form a More Perfect Union - Issues for Nevada Women."; "Choices. Exploring the Lifestyles of Nevada Women."

III/12 "A New Day Beyond ERA." 1982.

III/13 Legal aspects of ERA.

III/14 The military and ERA.

III/15 Religion and ERA.

III/16 "Interpretation of the Equal Rights Amendment in Accordance with Legislative History."; "The ERA and Alimony and Child Support Laws."; "Recognition of Economic Contribution of Homemakers and Protection of Children in Divorce Law and Practice."

III/17 ERA Colorado materials. ca 1978.

III/18 1974 Montana ERA Ratification Council [ERA Handbook].

III/19 "Utah's Equal Rights," League of Women Voters of Utah. 1977-1976; "The Legal Necessity for the ERA," Betty Roberts; "In Pursuit of Equal Rights: Women in the Seventies," League of Women Voters of the U.S.

III/20 ERA in Jackson County, OR. 1978-1980.

III/21 "The ERA Way" [ERA Action Handbook]. 1973.

Series IV. Nevada ERA Brochures and Clippings. n.d. .25 cu. ft.

This short series contains newspaper articles related to the ERA movement in Nevada, press releases about the Nevada ERA effort, and Nevada anti-ERA clippings.

Box 2

IV/1 Press releases - Nevada.

IV/2 Pro-ERA letters to the editor.

IV/3 Clippings, Vivian Freeman's letter to editor. 1982.

IV/4-7 Clippings.

IV/8 Anti-ERA clippings.

Series V. National ERA Brochures and Clippings. n.d. 1.25 cu. ft.

This series contains brochures issued by various organizations in the national movement to promote the ratification of the ERA and clippings, pro and con, about the ERA fight.

Box 2

V/1 Stop ERA articles. 1976-1977.

V/2 Anti-ERA Groups: John Birch Society, KKK, Nazis, Communists, Mormon Church.

V/3 Phyllis Schlafly/Anti-ERA publications and articles.

V/4-6 ERA brochures.

V/7-12 ERA clippings and publications.

Box 3

V/13-38 ERA clippings and publications.

Series VI. Ephemera. n.d. 7 items.

This series contains four button badges, an ERA necklace, one bumper sticker, and a large NERA parade banner.

Box 3

VI/1 Badges, necklace, bumper sticker.

Box 4

Parade banner.