The League of Women Voters: National Origins

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The League of Women Voters was born from the women’s suffrage movement. In her address to the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) 50th convention in St. Louis, Missouri, President Carrie Chapman Catt proposed creating a “league of women voters to finish the fight and aid in the reconstruction of the nation.” The following year, on February 14, 1920—six months before the 19th Amendment was ratified—the national League of Women Voters was formally organized in Chicago.

Catt emphasized that the League would unite women who shared its principles, not to promote partisanship, but to advance legislation and protect future movements. Maud Wood Park, the League’s first president, led the organization with a focus on both legislative work and citizen education, setting the tone for a nonpartisan approach to civic engagement.

From the start, the League’s influence extended beyond women’s issues. At its first convention, the League approved 69 principles and legislative recommendations, including protections for women and children, workers’ rights, food supply, social hygiene, and American citizenship. Early successes included the Sheppard-Towner Act, federal aid for maternal and child health programs, and contributions to the Social Security and Food and Drug Acts. The League also played a key role in establishing the United Nations and securing U.S. participation, maintaining official observer status to this day.

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The League in Oklahoma

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Women in Oklahoma won the right to vote in 1918, two years before the 19th Amendment. Oklahoma women were active in forming the National League of Women Voters in 1919, and the Oklahoma League was officially established in 1920. From its early days, the League in Oklahoma worked to educate voters and influence legislation on issues that mattered to their communities.

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The League in Oklahoma County

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The League of Women Voters of Oklahoma City was incorporated on March 25, 1974, and renamed the League of Women Voters of Oklahoma County on November 23, 1988. The organization was formally disbanded around 2012–2013, but a rebuilding effort began in March 2018 with support from the State League.

In 2018, the League received a generous donation of $50,000, enabling the hiring of a part-time office person, purchase of equipment, and construction of a website. That year, a fundraising event celebrating the centennial of Oklahoma women winning the vote raised $70,000—split evenly between the local and state League. On January 26, 2019, members voted to become an independent, self-managed Local League, electing three officers: Rebecca Greenhaw (Chair), Rhonda McLean (Secretary), and Cheryl Husmann (Treasurer). Today, the Oklahoma County League continues its rebuilding efforts, focusing on fully engaging members, officers, and volunteers in shaping the League’s programs and activities.