MINNESOTA BIRTH CONTROL LEAGUE:

An Inventory of the President's Files at the Minnesota Historical Society

Manuscripts Collection

Expand/CollapseOVERVIEW

Creator: Minnesota Birth Control League.
Title:President's files.
Dates:1928-1998 (bulk 1928-1938).
Abstract:Constitution, bylaws, minutes, correspondence, membership lists, meeting programs, clinic and financial reports, a memo book, printed pamphlets, news clippings, and related materials kept by Elizabeth H. Shafer. Shafer was the founding president of an organization formed on March 15, 1928 in Minneapolis for the purpose of promoting education about family planning, reforming laws that regulated access to birth control, and providing medical contraceptive services.
Quantity:0.25 cubic feet (1 box).
Location:See Detailed Description for shelf location.

Expand/CollapseHISTORICAL NOTE

The Minnesota Birth Control League was organized during a tea held at the home of Elizabeth H. Shafer on March 15, 1928 with the initial purpose of amending state laws that regulated access to birth control information and devices. Nineteen women signed on as members of the organization and elected Shafer as their president. At their second meeting the group adopted the name Motherhood Protection League and on the advice of social workers that they "avoid arousing antagonism" agreed to begin their work by inviting knowledgeable speakers to address the educational component of their meetings. Subsequent speakers included physicians, officials with the State Board of Control, social workers, and the president of the Minnesota Eugenics Society. A constitution and set of bylaws adopted at their third meeting set forth the League's objectives in terms of educational and social service aims as well as legislative reform.

On June 10, 1931 the members agreed to affiliate with the American Birth Control League and incorporated themselves under a new organization as the Minnesota Birth Control League. Elizabeth H. Shafer was elected president of the new League and continued to serve in that role until May of 1933 when Dorothy B. Atkinson was elected.

After unsuccessfully petitioning the Minneapolis Council of Social Agencies to consider providing contraceptive relief, the League opened a birth control clinic in downtown Minneapolis on October 24, 1931. Dr. Eleanor J. Hill, who had been an associate member of the League since she first addressed them in May of 1928, served as medical director. During its first six months the clinic treated 126 women who had been referred to the clinic by social welfare agencies. The cost for treating each woman was $6.00 however only two percent were able to pay this amount. During its second year 510 new women came to the clinic, whose hours were expanded from two weekly sessions to three. The services of a second physician were added in November of 1933 and clinic hours increased to four weekly sessions.

During these formative years the activities of a state fieldworker and an educational extension committee organized interest and support throughout the state. Despite financial difficulties, lack of community chest recognition, and Catholic church opposition, six additional clinics were established between 1935 and 1936 in Rochester, St. Paul, the Phyllis Wheatley Settlement House in Minneapolis, Duluth, Hibbing, and Bagley.

In 1940 the League changed its name to the Minnesota League for Planned Parenthood in accordance with its affiliation with the American Birth Control League which had previously merged with the Birth Control Clinical Research Bureau to form what eventually became the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Historical information was taken from the collection, from the Jean M. Wilcox Papers, and from Mary Losure, "'Motherhood Protection' and the Minnesota Birth Control League," Minnesota History 54 (Winter 1995): 359-370.


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Expand/CollapseSCOPE AND CONTENTS

The records include a constitution, bylaws, minutes, correspondence, membership lists, meeting programs, clinic and financial reports, printed pamphlets, news clippings, and related materials kept by the founding president of the League that document the League's formation and earliest activities.

Biographical information about Shafer and a photographic portrait are included, as are the text of speeches she made. Printed materials from the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, including pamphlets pertaining to their first nationwide fund raising campaign held in 1947, are also contained within the files.


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Expand/CollapseADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item here]. Minnesota Birth Control League. President's Files. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession number: 15,546

Processing Information:

Processed by: Monica Manny Ralston, December 2001

Catalog ID number: 09-00322866


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DETAILED DESCRIPTION

LocationBox
P24781Biographical information and portrait of Elizabeth H. Shafer, undated and 1998.
Clinic and financial reports, 1931-1933, 1937-1938.
Constitution, bylaws, and minutes, March 15, 1928-February 20, 1930.
Correspondence, 1928-1933, 1935-1936, 1948.
Membership and meeting programs, [1928-1932], 1936, 1938.
Memo book, 1932-1933.
Minneapolis Council of Social Agencies petition and Minnesota statutes, 1930-1931.
News clippings, 1929-1964.
Pamphlets and printed materials:
Minnesota Birth Control League, 1931-1935.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America, 1942, 1947-1948.
Speeches, [1931-1935].

Expand/CollapseRELATED MATERIALS

The 1935-1939 newsletter of the Minnesota Birth Control League is available in the serials collection of the Minnesota Historical Society.

Additional and later materials pertaining to the League are included in the papers of Jean M. Wilcox available in the Minnesota Historical Society manuscript collections.

Records of Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, the successor to the Minnesota Birth Control League, are available at the Social Welfare History Archives, University of Minnesota.

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Expand/CollapseCATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:
Birth Control -- Minnesota.
Contraception -- Minnesota.
Birth control clinics -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis.
Persons:
Shafer, Elizabeth H.
Organizations:
Motherhood Protection League (Minneapolis, Minn.).
Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
Document Types:
Speeches.

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