MARY COFFEY
Mary Coffey was born in 1920 and came to Nevada in 1968 from Covina, California. From 1968 to 1990 she worked for the Nevada Department of Prisons, retiring in that year as Administrative Assistant to the Director.
Coffey has been a major leader in the Nevada State Employees Association, the National Women's Political Caucus (Nevada), Soroptimist International, and the Nevada Women's Conferences. She has served on the board of directors for many community service organizations, including the Committee to End Domestic Violence, the American Cancer Society, the March of Dimes, Cancer Crusade, and United Fund.
Mary's community service has been recognized with many awards. For example, in 1980 she received the following:
Woman of the Year award from the Carson City Business and Professional Women
Women Helping Women award from the Soroptimist International of Carson City
Women Helping Women regional award from Soroptimist
Outstanding Employee award, Nevada Department of Prisons.
In addition to actively serving on community boards she has organized a number of conferences and conventions in Nevada.
SCOPE AND CONTENT
The papers of Mary Coffey were donated to the Special Collections Department in March of 1995 by Ms. Coffey. The collection consists of one cubic foot of records, plus one small, shoe-box size container of political button badges. The collection dates from 1970-1993; there are no restrictions on use of the collection.
The Coffey papers consist primarily of materials related to her interests in women's rights movements and organizations. Only a few personal materials such as greeting cards (for her seventieth birthday and retirement party) and photographs of her family are included.
Coffey served for a number of years as the Soroptimist International of Nevada, legislative advocate and several folders in her collection represent that work. She attended many women's conferences in the 1970s and 1980s; folders represent materials acquired in conjunction with those events. One in particular was very special to Mary; the "Women and the Constitution: A Bicentennial Perspective" Symposium, held in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1988. Mary's five daughters also attended with her.
Also included in the collection are a number of miscellaneous materials - pamphlets, clippings, etc., centering on Coffey's interests. There are many campaign button badges for political campaigns and for women's issues.
Several dozen photographs accompanied this collection; they have all been transferred to the photographic archives of the Special Collections Department.
Processed by: Susan Searcy
Date: March 29, 1995
The papers of Mary Coffey have been arranged in the following series:
I. Personal materials
II. Women's Organizations
Series I. Personal Materials. .25 cubic feet. 1970-1993.
This series includes biographical sketches, greeting cards, clippings, certificates, and a miscellaneous file of correspondence and pamphlets.
Box 1
I/1 Biographical sketches.
I/2-3 Greeting cards.
I/4 Certificates.
I/5 Clippings.
I/6 Miscellaneous.
Series II. Women's Organizations. .75 cubic feet. 1977-1993.
Materials in this series are related to Coffey's interests in women's issues. The contents have been loosely grouped into files related to her speeches; legislative advocate position with Soroptimist International; National Women's Political Caucus (U.S.), Bird Wilson Chapter; women's conferences; publications of concern to women's advocates; and campaign button badges.
Box 1
II/1 Mary Coffey's speech, 1984.
II/2-3 Soroptimist legislative advocates - reports. 1983-1987.
II/4 National Women's Political Caucus (U.S.). Bird Wilson Chapter, Las Vegas. 1983.
II/5 The E.R.A. (Equal Rights Amendment).
II/6 Nevada State Employees Association. 1974 General Council.
II/7-8 Nevada Women's Conference. June 17-19, 1977.
II/9-10 National Women's Conference, Houston, Texas. 1977.
II/11 "Women & Power" 7th Regional Conference on Women and the Law. 1977.
II/12 Rosalyn Carter's Communities Plan. Seminar on Employment. July 27, 1978.
II/13 National Women's Political Caucus. Showcase '85 Convention.
II/14 Soroptimist 2nd Nevada Legislative Workshop. Mar. 29-30, 1987.
II/15 Women and the Constitution symposium. 1988.
II/16 "Women's Rights Handbook" by the California Department of Justice. 1976.
II/17 "Study on Setting Salaries in the Classified Service." Assembly Concurrent Resolution 48. 1985.
II/18 The Nevada Women's Agenda 1993. A Legislative Guide Published by the Nevada Women's Lobby.
Box 2
Campaign button badges.