Title: Alicia Ashman Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1964-1987

Creator:

• Ashman, Alicia, 1923-2016

Call Number: Mss 1065

Quantity: 4.4 cubic feet (11 archives boxes)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

See the catalog entry for information on possible additional materials and shelf locations.

Abstract:

Legislative papers of Alicia Ashman, a civic activist who served as an alderwoman (District 10) in the city of Madison, Wisconsin, 1968 to 1977. The bulk of the collection documents Ashman's work with the Board of Estimates, but also includes materials related to her work on other council committees primarily focused on the 10th Ward, including parks, public works, reapportionment, schools, streets, and traffic problems. Materials in the collection include agendas, memoranda, resolutions, reports, and working papers related to her council work. Ashman was also an early member of Capital Community Citizens (CCC) and participated actively in local and state elections during the 1970s and 1980s.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss01065

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Alicia Koninska Ashman was born in Syracuse, New York, on July 18, 1923, to Edward and Stanislawa (Tomaszewska) Koninski. She became a Registered Nurse in 1945, graduating from Kings County's School of Nursing in Brooklyn. She worked as a nurse in the eye department of Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, between 1945 and 1947. On April 28, 1945, Alicia married Dr. Hubert C. Ashman, who worked in the Medical School at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and later became a member of Board of Health. The Ashmans had four children.

Alicia Ashman served as an alderwoman in the city of Madison, Wisconsin from 1968 to 1977. During that time, she worked closely with Mayor Otto Festge, Paul Soglin, and William Dyke, and served on more than 30 civic committees, including estimates, parks, welfare, library, re-development, equal opportunities, and housing. She also served as the President of the Common Council in 1974. At the same time, she was the co-¬founder of the 10th District Association in Madison and also a member of Capital Community Citizens (CCC) in the 1960s, which was the first citizens group concerned with planning and development problems in the Madison metropolitan area. Because of her exceptional contributions to this organization, she received Capital Community Citizens' Orchid Award in 1970.

She was also deepy involved in the League of Women Voters, Dane County, and paid close attention to elections even after her terms of office concluded. She served as president of the Madison Public Library Board between 1989 and 1996. In honor of her work and accomplishments, the Alicia Ashman Branch Library on the west side of Madison was dedicated in her name in 2000.

Alicia Ashman died in Madison, Wisconsin on September 26, 2016.

The materials in this collection date from roughly 1964-1987, with the bulk of the agenda, report, resolution and subject files documenting the period between 1968 and 1977, when Ashman held office as an alderwoman. The major topic documented in this collection is Ashman's work on various units of the city council, mainly the Board of Estimates. The materials also document Ashman's participation in other city council committees, particularly issues related to the 10th Ward, for which she served as alderwoman. She was also an active member of both the League of Women Voters (LWV) and Capital Community Citizens (CCC), and was heavily involved in elections and civic activities.

The collection is divided into two series: CITY COUNCIL and CAPITAL COMMUNITY CITIZENS. Due to her intermingled work responsibilities, materials from one subseries may be found with another subseries. For example, a folder containing primarily papers from the Public Works Board concerning the 10th Ward might also contain reports related to the Board of Estimates due to budget issues. This combined approach to record-keeping has been preserved, within reason, in order to reflect Ashman's interconnected work in different city councils and civic organizations as a progressive alderwoman.

The CITY COUNCIL series provides the best documentation of Ashman's roles as alderwoman and civic activist, through documentation of her involvement with the Board of Estimates and other city councils. Within the CITY COUNCIL series, there are three subseries: Board of Estimates, 10th Ward, and Election. Materials within these subseries are arranged alphabetically according to folder title. The bulk of the materials in this series are agendas, reports, and resolutions from the Board of Estimates. Ashman's handwritten notes provide evidence of Madison's financial situation in the 1970s and local government's solutions towards particular issues. The agendas, reports, and resolutions are intermingled and reflect the original order of these work papers as well as the governmental decision-making process, from meeting agenda to solution reports to final resolutions. Inter-departmental correspondence from the mayor also points to Ashman's significant role as the mayor's assistant. However, it is not by any means a detailed look and does not provide Ashman's comprehensive view on specific issues.

Ashman's work and responsibilities on other city council issues are documented through subject files related to the 10th Ward. Although not a complete picture of Ashman's civic responsibilities (for example some council work is not documented at all such as the Board of Libraries), prominent examples about the impact of her work can still be found in this subseries, such as her efforts for the preparation and establishment of Madison's Civic Center Auditorium Complex and the constituent letters written by ward citizens.

Ashman also actively participated in local and state elections beginning in the 1960s as a member of the League of Women Voters. The collection includes thank-you letters and cards sent by candidates to Ashman, which documents Ashman's active support of voters, especially women voters, and candidates for office.

The CAPITAL COMMUNITY CITIZENS series includes administrative files from the pioneering civic organization, which aimed to solve the city's environmental and development problems, as well as personal correspondence between other members and Ashman. As an alderwoman and also a progressive member of Capital Community Citizens, Ashman worked to promote the adoption and implementation of far-sighted civic policies in various governmental projects. Ashman also contributed significantly to the revision of the organizational by-laws.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Alicia Ashman, 1977, 1989, and 2010. Accession Number: M77-410, M89-100, M2010-028

Processing Information

Processed by Jiekun Yang (Practicum student), May 2010.

Mss 1065	Series: City Council
	Board of Estimates
	Agendas, Correspondence, Reports, Resolutions
Box   1 Folder   1	1968
Box   1 Folder   2	1968-1969
Box   1 Folder   3	1969 (continued)
Box   1 Folder   4	1970
Box   1 Folder   5	1970 (continued)-1971
Box   1 Folder   6	1971-1972
Box   1 Folder   7	January-December
Box   1 Folder   8	December
Box   1 Folder   9	1973
Box   1 Folder   10	1973 (continued)-1974
Box   2 Folder   1	1974 (continued)-1975
Box   2 Folder   2	January-August
Box   2 Folder   3	1975 September-1976 December
	1976
Box   2 Folder   4	January-March
Box   2 Folder   5	March-May
Box   2 Folder   6	May-December
Box   2 Folder   7	1977 January-March
	Budgets
Box   3 Folder   1-2	1969 Government budget, submitted 1968 October
Box   5 Folder   1-2	Capital improvements, 1974 August
Box   5 Folder   3-6	1975 Government budget (submitted 1976), 1974 October
Box   6 Folder   1	References, 1975 September-December
Box   6 Folder   2-6	Government budget, submitted 1975 October
Box   6 Folder   7-8	Capital improvements, 1976 February-September
Box   7 Folder   1	Budget summary
	1977
Box   7 Folder   2-3	References, 1976 October-December
Box   7 Folder   4-8	Government budget, submitted 1976 October
	10th Ward
Box   8 Folder   1	Constituent letters, 1969-1975
Box   8 Folder   2	Madison Civic Center Auditorium Complex, 1970-1975
	Parks
Box   8 Folder   3	General, 1969-1976
Box   8 Folder   4	Hoyt, 1973-1976
Box   8 Folder   5	Randall School playground, 1974-1976
Box   8 Folder   6	Stevens, 1974-1975
	Public Works
Box   8 Folder   7	Reconstruction of concrete curb and gutter, 1975
Box   8 Folder   8	Tree removal and planting replacement, 1970-1975
Box   8 Folder   9	Snow removal, 1970-1971
Box   8 Folder   10	Water reservoir, 1975
Box   8 Folder   11	Water utility and storm sewer, 1969-1974 reapportionment
Box   8 Folder   12	Ad Hoc Committee, 1970-1971
	League of Women Voters
Box   8 Folder   13	1962
Box   8 Folder   14	1969-1972
Box   8 Folder   15	1973-1974
Box   8 Folder   16	1982
Box   9 Folder   1	Redistricting, 1968-1971
Box   9 Folder   2	Regent Neighborhood Association, 1973-1974 Schools
Box   9 Folder   3	Crossing guards, 1970-1976
Box   9 Folder   4	Eagle Heights and school tax, 1967, 1969
Box   9 Folder   5	WARF rezoning and tax exempt, 1969 West High
Box   9 Folder   6	1969
Box   9 Folder   7	1971-1975 Streets
Box   9 Folder   8	Allen Street bridge, 1970-1976
Box   9 Folder   9	Chadbourne and Allen Streets improvements, 1976
Box   9 Folder   10	Hillcrest Street improvement, 1976
Box   10 Folder   1	Randall State Bank, 1976
Box   10 Folder   2	Regent and Allen rezoning attempt, 1976
Box   10 Folder   3	Sidewalks, 1969-1975
Box   10 Folder   4-6	Traffic problems, 1968-1977, 1969-1975
Box   10 Folder   7	Bus route and shelter, 1972-1976 zoning
Box   10 Folder   8	Board of Appeals, 1980-1983
Box   10 Folder   9	R4A, 1974
	Election
Box   10 Folder   10	Thank-you letters and cards, 1973-1987
	Series: Capital Community Citizens	⇧
	Agendas and minutes
Box   11 Folder   1	1964-1967
Box   11 Folder   2	1968-1980
Box   11 Folder   3	By-laws, projects, reports, 1964-1977
Box   11 Folder   4	Membership list, directories, 1965-1980
	Correspondence
Box   11 Folder   5	Organizational, 1964-1980
Box   11 Folder   6	Personal, 1967-1977
Box   11 Folder   7	Treasurer's report, newspaper clippings, 1965-1979