History of the League of Women Voters
The League of Women Voters was founded by Carrie Chapman Catt in 1920 during the convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. The convention was held just six months before the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, giving women the right to vote after a 72-year struggle.
The League began as a "mighty political experiment" designed to help 20 million women carry out their new responsibilities as voters. It encouraged them to use their new power to participate in shaping public policy. From the beginning, the League has been an activist, grassroots organization whose leaders believed that citizens should play a critical role in advocacy. It was then, and is now, a nonpartisan organization. League founders believed that maintaining a nonpartisan stance would protect the fledgling organization from becoming mired in the party politics of the day. However, League members were encouraged to be political themselves, by educating citizens about, and lobbying for, government and social reform legislation.
This holds true today. The League is proud to be nonpartisan, neither supporting nor opposing candidates or political parties at any level of government, but always working on vital issues of concern to members and the public. The League has a long, rich history, that continues with each passing year.
For additional historical information about the League, please visit the history section of the League of Women Voters of the US website.
History of the LWV of Southwest Santa Clara Valley
In 1957, a group of women formed a provisional League of Women Voters (LWV) of Los Gatos. The provisional chapter was led by Jane Gilbert. It was not until 1959 that the LWV of Los Gatos was officially formed. Five years later, the chapter expanded to include Saratoga and was renamed the LWV of Los Gatos-Saratoga. When Monte Sereno joined the chapter in 1987, the League name changed to LWV of Los Gatos-Saratoga-Monte Sereno. Finally, in 2001, we formally became the LWV of Southwest Santa Clara Valley, covering Los Gatos, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, Campbell, and a segment of west San Jose.
Former Presidents
1956 – 1957 Jane Gilbert
1957 – 1959 Alice Banoff
1959 – 1961 Helen Mitchell
1961 – 1963 Petie Rhodes
1963 – 1965 Margaret Slemmons
1965 – 1967 Sara G. Stephenson
1967 – 1968 Sally Martin
1968 – 1969 Marian Weiser
1969 – 1971 Margaret L. Corr
1971 – 1973 Dale S. Hill
1973 – 1975 Marian Weiser
1975 – 1977 Judy Corliss
1977 Dee Fulgham
1977 – 1979 Sally Price
1979 – 1981 Jackie Spillane
1981 – 1983 Gladys J. Armstrong
1983 – 1985 Barbara Mendenhall (Simner)
1985 – 1987 Hudelle Newman
1987 – 1988 Elizabeth Ansnes
1988 – 1990 Marilyn Buelteman/Helga Ruby/Sara Stephenson/Eunice Stark
1990 – 1992 Fran Krezek
1992 – 1993 Carol Petersen
1993 – 1995 Helga Ruby
1995 – 1996 Candace Pratt/Helga Ruby
1996 – 1997 Carolyn “Tat” Blesch
1998 Kitty Horowitz
1998 – 2000 Patricia Khan
2000 – 2002 Marjory Bunyard
2002 – 2004 Patricia Weber
2004 – 2006 Margaret Bard
2006 – 2008 Fred Armstrong
2008 – 2010 Ann Roberts
2010 – 2011 Jane Catalano
2011 – 2014 Eleanor Yick
2014 – 2018 Hana Itani
2018 – 2019 Eleanor Yick
2019 - 2020 Meg & Alan Giberson
2020 - 2023 Sophia Kao
2023 - 2025 Aileen Kao
2025 - 2027 Amy Vu
