Summary Information
Wisconsin Consumers League Records
1966-1977
- Wisconsin Consumers League
Mss 494
0.8 c.f. (2 archives boxes)
Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)
Records of the Wisconsin Consumers League, an organization formed in 1966 to educate consumers and work for protective legislation. Although weak on the League's pre-1970 years and on its educational activities, the collection provides documentation on several legislative successes such as the Patient's Bill of Rights and the Wisconsin Consumer Act, a toy safety survey undertaken for the U.S. Product Safety Commission, and a consumer complaint service. General papers include routine correspondence, minutes and agenda of board and annual meetings, speeches, publicity, financial records, and membership and officer lists. Gaps in the record are overcome in part by inclusion of a chronological history.
There is a specific restriction on use of one item in this collection; see the Administrative/Restriction Information portion of this finding aid for details.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss00494 ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
The Wisconsin Consumers League was founded in September 1966 as an outgrowth of a conference on consumer affairs sponsored by Attorney General Bronson La Follette earlier that year. Purposes of the league included education to alert the public to their rights and responsibilities as consumers and encouragement of protective legislation.
Activities of the league varied depending on the interests and involvement of the membership. At times the membership endorsed proposed state and federal legislation, and representatives often appeared at hearings and worked closely with governmental agencies. Among the group's major legislative successes were passage of the Wisconsin Consumer Act and the Patient's Bill of Rights. A more complete history of the organization's activities may be found in Mark Hucklebridge's “A Chronology of Legislation Supported and Opposed by the Wisconsin Consumers League” which is part of the collection.
Scope and Content Note
The records of the Wisconsin Consumers League are an artificial collection gathered from a number of donors. The resulting assemblage has many gaps, particularly in the early records, and papers concerning the league's educational activities are completely absent. The records are organized as general papers, an activity file, and miscellaneous papers relating to two local chapters.
GENERAL PAPERS are best for the period 1972-1976, and they include a history, minutes and agenda of the board of directors and annual meetings, publicity materials, speeches, lists, and financial reports. Also included is a copy of Mark Hucklebridge's “Chronology of Legislation Supported and Opposed by the Wisconsin Consumers League,“ the copyright to which is held by the Center for Consumer Affairs of the UW-Extension, Milwaukee. This document overcomes some of the gaps in the collection and includes several drafts of the league's bylaws, summaries of meetings, and lists of legislation. It also alludes to the existence of records and copies of the group's newsletter which are not part of the collection. The minutes are of both the monthly meetings of the board of directors and the annual general membership meetings, but only three items pre-date 1972. The correspondence is almost entirely incoming, fragmentary, and often routine. Nevertheless, these two sections provide the best record of the organization's activity. Good supplementary information is in the Wisconsin Consumer, the files of which (1970-1976) have been transferred to the Historical Society Library. Surprisingly the financial reports are relatively complete, consisting of annual reports for the period 1967-1976 and frequent monthly reports. The lists includes summaries of officers, committees, membership, and prospective members. Also present are samples of various forms and letters sent to members. Publicity materials include press releases and flyers, chiefly concerning the Wisconsin Consumer Act and the Patient's Bill of Rights, two pieces of legislation with which the league was vitally involved. The speeches file consists of addresses by president Eric G. Airiess and statements by two other members.
The ACTIVITY FILE, 1969-1975, though limited to only a few concerns of the 1970s, provides documentation of some depth. The files include numerous drafts of the Patient's Bill of Rights; reports, surveys, correspondence, and a copy of remarks by Martin J. Schreiber pertaining to a hazardous toy safety survey undertaken for the U.S. Product Safety Commission; and minutes, proposals, correspondence, and publicity for a consumer complaint service in Madison which was sponsored by the league. The slim CHAPTERS FILE, 1970, consists of bylaws and miscellaneous papers of the Madison and Dane County leagues. Limited runs of both groups' newsletters, Caveat Vendor and Consumer Communicator, have been transferred to the Historical Society Library.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Copyright to “A Chronology of Legislation Supported and Opposed by the Wisconsin Consumers League” (Box 1, Folder 1) has been retained by the UW-Extension, Milwaukee.
Presented by the Wisconsin Consumers League, Madison, Wisconsin, via Evie Coffman, Eric Airiess, Paul Green, Paul Zagorski, and Chris Kashnig, 1975-1977. Accession Number: M75-224, 317, 426, 455, 467, 487, 554; M76-79, 205, 247; M77-253
Processed by Jack Filipiak (Intern) and Carolyn J. Mattern, September 1979.
Contents List
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Series: General Papers
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Box
1
Folder
1
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History, “A Chronology of Legislation Supported and Opposed by the Wisconsin Consumers League,” 1975
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Box
1
Folder
2
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Minutes and Agenda, 1966-1976
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Box
1
Folder
3-4
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Correspondence, 1966-1977
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Box
1
Folder
5
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Speeches, 1974-1975
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Box
1
Folder
6
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Publicity Materials, 1969-1975
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Box
1
Folder
7
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Financial Reports, 1967-1976
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Box
1
Folder
8
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Officers and Committee Lists, 1969-1975
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Box
1
Folder
9
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Membership Lists, 1967-1976
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Box
2
Folder
1
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Membership Forms, Letters, etc., undated
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Box
2
Folder
2
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Membership Solicitation Lists, undated
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Box
2
Folder
3
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Miscellany, undated
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Series: Activity File
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Box
2
Folder
4
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Citizen Action Line, 1969-1970
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Box
2
Folder
5
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Patient Bill of Rights, 1975
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Box
2
Folder
6
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Toy Safety Survey, 1975
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Box
2
Folder
7
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Miscellaneous Activities, 1975
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Box
2
Folder
8
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Series: Chapters File, 1970
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