The Wisconsin Society for the Equal Rights Amendment, the Wisconsin branch of the National Woman's Party, was founded January 4, 1947, by Miss Mabel E. Griswold. Its purpose as stated in the constitution was to raise the status of women and its activities centered on promoting adoption of a Constitutional amendment guaranteeing equal rights to women.
Its parent, the National Woman's Party, was organized by Miss Alice Paul in 1916 to achieve a woman's suffrage amendment. When that was accomplished in 1922, the Party turned to the more general problem of raising the status of women. The World Woman's Party, organized by Miss Paul in 1939, was dedicated to the achievement of this same goal on an international level. The National Woman's Party soon concentrated on securing Constitutional equal rights for women. The proposed United States amendment specified that “equality of rights under law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”
Miss Griswold, the Wisconsin Society founder, was an active member of the National Woman's Party and secretary of its National Executive Council. Under her leadership, the Wisconsin Society engaged in lobbying with Wisconsin Congressmen and with other organizations; printed and distributed literature; presented radio and personal speeches; participated in National Woman's Party conventions and activities; and encouraged education on the inequities faced by women. However, after Miss Griswold's death in January 1955, the Society quickly became inactive. It officially disbanded February 7, 1962, and transferred its remaining funds to the National Woman's Party which continued to work for adoption of an equal rights amendment.
